Customer Reviews

Bluegrass & White Snow: A Mountain Christmas

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

From Patty Loveless' first soaring, twanging notes on "Away in a Manger," you know you are in for a dual bluegrass/Christmas treat with "Bluegrass & White Snow." The instrumental arrangements are nothing short of superb, and Loveless is in fine, clear voice here. "Away in a Manger" has suitably quiet backing instruments, all the better to showcase Loveless' gorgeous Kentucky voice.

From this opening traditional tune, things only get better. "Silent Night" begins with hammer dulcimer and violin (and has Trisha Yearwood contributing background vocals to great effect!). "Joy to the World"--a duet with Jon Randall--features rich, gorgeous harmonies and the unlikely but strikingly effective combination of bells and banjo. An instrumental version of "Carol of the Bells" is absolutely lovely, using as it does mandolin, mandola, mandocello, chimes, and even wine glasses. I don't know when I've heard a prettier version of this classic. Other traditional tunes include "Silver Bells," "Little Drummer Boy," and "O Little Town of Bethlehem."

"Christmas Time's A Comin'" is a catchy and beautifully harmonious modern Christmas tune by Tex Logan, and Loveless gives it everything she's worth. On "Santa Train"--co-written by Loveless and her producer Emory Gordy, Jr.--articulates the childlike eagerness even adults have for Christmas, and has some terrific train sound effects from the propulsive rhythmic beat of the song itself to the "oo, oo" background vocals that suggest a train's horn. "Christmas Day at My House" is a fond look back at long-ago childhood Christmases--this tune was also written by Loveless and Gordy, as is the final cut, "Bluegrass, White Snow" is a wonderful way to end the album, with Dolly Parton and Ricky Skaggs contributing searingly beautiful background vocals to Loveless' sturdy singing. I can't recommend this highly enough!

If you're thinking that you'll like this, then get it because you will love it. All of the songs are flawlessly done. The first half of the album is more on the traditional side (but bluegrass, of course), while the last half is a little more raucous (three of which are new originals by Patty and husband/producer Emory Gordy Jr). There are shimmering harmonies throughout; but like in the great "Mountain Soul", my favorites are when Patty and her sister, Carmella Ramsey, sing harmony together. They really have something special together. Their harmonies on the new "Christmas Day At My House" is a particular standout. Another standout is the title track, which features Dolly Parton and Ricky Skaggs in the background.



Don't miss it! You'll love breaking this one out every year.

As it's title suggests, Loveless' collection offers Christmas from a bluegrass perspective. The first eight tracks are comprised primarily of hymns. Tight harmonies abound, with Trisha Yearwood ("The First Noel"), Jon Randall ("Joy To The World"), and Rebecca Lynn Howard ("Little Drummer Boy") among the well-chosen collaborators. The final tracks are made up of bluegrass staples "Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem" and "Christmas Time's A Comin'" as well as three sprightly compositions (including the title track) by Loveless and hubby Emory Gordy Jr. that are destined for stapledom. While not musically diverse, this acoustic album can't be topped for purity of sound.

Patty Loveless and husband/producer Emory Gordy continue their exploration of the possibilites of bluegrass in this great Christmas CD. "Snow" features an all-star lineup of musicians and backup singers, including Emmylou Harris, Ricky Skaggs, Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Amy Grant and Stuart Duncan. The presences of Harris and Gordy are more than appropriate, as Harris' 1979 "Light of the Stable" (on which Gordy played) is still the model for all country/acoustic Christmas albums. However, Patty's strong heart, mountain soul and pure country singing put "Snow" in a class by itself. She and husband Gordy contribute three great new tunes, along with traditional carols. "Christmas Day at My House" is, for me, the highlight of the CD. "Bluegrass and White Snow" is spiritual, upbeat and a lot of fun. Thanks, Patty, for such a lovely Christmas present!

Patty Loveless' "Bluegrass & White Snow" Christmas album is a great gift for anybody this holiday season, whether a fan of country music or not. Here is how I rate each song in a 1-5 scale.

1) Away in a Manger- nicely done in a traditional, bluegrass fashion. (4 stars)

2) Silent Night- I like Patty's rendition of this Christmas classic. Trisha Yearwood is featured on backup vocals on this song. (4 stars)

3) Joy the World- great and having Emmylou Harris on background vocals adds to this song's appeal. (5 stars)

4) Carol of the Bells- the instrumental version of this song by the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble is excellent. (5 stars)

5) The First Noel- I love Patty's version of this song. Trisha Yearwood on background vocals enhances its greatness. (5 stars)

6) Little Drummer Boy- My FAVORITE song on the album!!!!! An AMAZING duet with Rebecca Lynn Howard. Their voices blend awesome with each other, making it my all time favorite version of this song. (6 stars!!!!!)

7) Silver Bells- I love Patty's version of this song. Patty gives this song a more down home feel, making it extra special. Amy Grant & Vince Gill are great on backup.(5 stars)

8) O Little Town of Bethelem- Patty did a good job on this song. (5 stars)

9) Christmas Time's a Coming- a nice bluegrass Christmas tune, makes you appreciate the coming of Christmas even more. (5 stars)

10) Santa Train- Co-written by Patty and her husband, Emory Gordy Jr. An uptempo Christmas song. Sounds great! (5 stars)

11) Christmas Day At My House- another song written by Patty & Emory. Tells story of the joy inside the household on Christmas day. (5 stars)

12) Beautiful Star of Bethlehem- I love this song. Patty's alto range can be seen in this song. One of the cd's most soothing songs. (5 stars)

13) Bluegrass & White Snow- My second favorite song on the album!!! Proves Patty's great songwriting skills. I love it. Dolly Parton on background vocals blends great with Patty's voice and makes it a true bluegrass Christmas classic. Love the ACAPELLA ending to this song.(6 stars)

Overall Rating: 5/5 stars.

This album is definitely worth buying and being added to your collection of Christmas albums!!!

Through the years country artists have released Christmas CDs for their fans simply because it is the thing to do. They rehash standards and classic carols we've heard thousands of times by thousand of other singers.

Loveless stands out from among the other country artists (and those who call themselves country but which the music does not reflect...)with a CD that demands to be played over and over again!! When it comes to singing country, nobody does it better than Loveless and combine that with Holiday fare and one has a combination that cannot be beat.

This offering is possibly the BEST Christmas CD EVER put out by a country artist but listen for yourself and be the judge. The entire CD is as wonderous as the moonlit sky on a cold winter night, Patty's voice is as crisp as the new fallen snow and that's not surprising because when it comes to music, Patty don't mess around!! She delivers the goods...and how!!!!!

Patty sings these songs in true bluegrass style. I loved "Silver Bells". An instrumental, "Carol of the Bells" was particularly beautiful as well. "Santa Train" was worth the price of the CD. This CD has no bad songs and makes me feel sorry for people who don't like Christmas music!

Here are the details, although they seem unimportant compared to the beauty of the music! All the same, here are the stats: the CD is 40 minutes long. There is a nice 8 page booklet with liner notes. It doesn't include lyrics, which would have been great. However, it does include the credits for each song, including instrumental and vocal credits. I enjoyed the especially good sound quality with excellent stereo separation. If I could, I'd give it extra stars because of the audio quality (especially compared to many Christmas recordings). Thank you, Patty, and Merry Christmas to all!

...is one of the best Christmas albumz i own. I made an X-Mas CD in Nov. of 2005 and I had to nclude "Bluegrass, White Snow" because of the beautiful vocals and I just love Dolly & Ricky's harmony. This is one of Patty's best CDs.

I bought this CD when it was first released and this year when the holidays rolled around again, I couldn't wait to play the CD while baking, wrapping gifts and such. It has become one of my most played holiday CDs. It has great songs that are wonderfully done. I love Santa Train...it's a great festive song and it is a kid pleaser! Especially for little boys that love trains like my son does. And it has a nostalgia feeling that reminds the adults what it was like to be so excited about getting to see Santa Claus. Star of Bethlehem and Silver Bells are beautifully done. The background vocals are outstanding on all the songs. And I really enjoy Carol of the Bells by the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble. Since I live in TN...I have been lucky enough to hear them play in person and they are a very talented group of musicians.
I highly recommend this CD to your holiday music collection. Even if you don't regularly listen to country or bluegrass music.

Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, and Burl Ives....these are names that often come to mind when one thinks of classic Christmas recordings. From this Christmas forward, you can add Patty Loveless to that list of names. Leave it to Patty Loveless to make the classic Christmas carols even better. Often times, artists that record a Christmas set attempt to do what Patty has done...she has made these songs her own, yet kept the underlying foundation like the original. From the classics to self-penned tunes, she has nailed them all. Coupled with Patty's wonderful voice is the marriage of many other talented artists' voices on many of the songs. This CD has made an excellent addition to my Christmas collection. I would highly recommend it to help get even the scroogiest scrooge into the Christmas spirit. Simply wonderful. An instant classic of Christmas perfection and a wonderful holiday gift idea.