Customer Reviews

Christmas Album (Light of the Stable)

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For the past two years, LIGHT OF THE STABLE has been the first Christmas music I've listened to. Just hearing this album instantly puts me in the Christmas spirit. "Christmas Time's A-Coming" starts the season off beautifully. The versions of "O Little Town Of Bethlehem", "Away In The Manger", "The First Noel", and "Silent Night" sound as if they're being sung by angels. "The First Noel" is sung without instrumnetal backing, in beautiful harmony with the Whites. "Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem", "Golden Cradle", "Little Drummer Boy", and "Angel Eyes" are equally gorgeous. "Light Of The Stable" is one of my favorite Christmas songs. One listen to this album will put you in the spirit of Christmas. You won't regret buying it.

Emmylou originally recorded this in 1978, when she was at the peak of her popularity. The instrumentation is generally sparse but effective, allowing Emmylou's voice to shine.

The set opens with the bright, upbeat Christmas time's a coming, done bluegrass-style with banjo and mandolin. All the remaining songs are slow to mid-tempo. They include the Rodney Crowell song Angel eyes, the Irish lullaby Golden Cradle and several Christmas standards, most very famous but including Beautiful star of Bethlehem which doesn't get recorded as often as the other carols here.

The album closes with the brilliant Light of the stable, which features Neil Young, Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt on harmony vocals.

Emmylou and her band were in top form when they recorded this album. A couple of extra upbeat songs might have made this album even better, but it's still a great album for those quieter moments around Christmas time.

As many other reviewers have stated before me, it just wouldn't be Christmas without Emmylou. The sweetest voice this side of heaven, Emmylou Harris' "Light of the Stable" is so personel that it feels as if she's singing just for you. I cannot choose just one favorite amongst these tracks. Each one is a favorite, from the bluegrassy "Christmas Time's A-Comin'" to "Silent Night." I must say, though, that the title track, with the most beautiful 'Hallejula's' I've ever heard, stands out just a bit above the rest.
I have listened to this album since it first came out and never tire of it. If there was one complaint, however, that would be the length. It could be a few songs longer. I'm sure that Warner Brothers has some music from this session that for whatever reason, they chose not to include on this album. It would be great if they would dig through their vaults, find those songs, and throw them on a special edition of this recording.
But don't let the length stop you from purchasing this disc. Buy this, and maybe one of Robin Petrie's Christmas CD's (seriously - check her out ...- Emmylou's and Robin's cd's sound great together!) and what a fine Christmas Eve you will have!

This is a beautiful collection of Christmas songs... some familiar and some unique... all blended to make the holiday season more festive. It is a big part of what makes the Holidays at my home feel "homey". You will not be disappointed

I bought the album, "Light of Stable" many years ago and played it at all during the Christmas holidays. Since I no longer own a turn table, I have missed listening to it and Christmas just hasn't been the same. I made a conscientious effort to search the store shelves during the Christmas Seasons for "The Light of Stable" CD and could never find it. Now that I have, I look foward to next Christmas. Thank you Amazon, for a wonderful service.

This is one of my favorite Christmas CD's, one I must hear each year. All the ten songs are fine, but my favorite is "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem." It was a song we always sang in church when I was a child in East Tennessee. I have never heard it sung anywhere else. Harris does a fantastic job of this country/bluegrass carol. If you don't know it already, you will come to love it. "Little Drummer Boy" is another great one as well. I find myself humming these songs and others all day long after hearing this CD, a sure sign that I'm sold on it.

Ms. Harris is joined by Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Doly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Sharon Hicks, Cheryl Warren and Ricky Skags who sing backup vocals on the various songs. Brian Bowers, probably the reigning autoharp virtuoso, plays on some selections too.

This CD is a reissue from an earlier LP. Ms. Harris was photographed for that album in a getup that apparently was meant to make her look like the Virgin Mary. On this CD somebody had the good taste to abandon that look. She is photographed wearing a red evening gown and looking every bit as elegant as Kathleen Battle. A wondrous improvement!

Listening to this CD is one of the true joys of Christmas.

Some singers take songs that others have sung before them and make the songs their own by changing the tempo or melody or by otherwise "jazzing" up the songs. Emmylou Harris takes songs that others have sung and makes them her own simply by singing them as well as or better than anyone else has ever sung them. Her only signature is her beautiful, haunting voice.

This has been in my top 3 ever since decades ago. From "Christmas Time's A-Comin'" thru the last note of "Light of the Stable" this album has my heart. Emmylou has the most sublime voice of anyone I've heard on a Christmas album. She and her fellow artists have channeled the heavenly. (Do I sound too effusive? I'm holding back.) Her "Little Drummer Boy" always moves me to tears, and "Light of the Stable" is, for me, the finest new carol written. If you're not into country-music, I say give it another try with this one. You just might become a once-a-year fan.

My parents got this as an LP way back when, and their four daughters wore it out over many Christmases. Wouldn't have seemed like the Holidays without Emmylou. None of us even care for country music in general, but this is a grand exception. I even kept my old turntable just so that I could continue to enjoy "Light of the Stable". Oh happy day when the CD came out. Now my children don't think it's Christmas unless they've heard those wonderful silvery tones. Thank you, Ms. Harris!

Emmylou's voice is beautiful on this CD. Her voice is relaxed, easy and floats over every note. The credits in the CD liner reads like a "Who's Who" of music. Ricky Skaggs, Brian Ahern, Emory Gordy, Jr., and Rodney Crowell are some of the listed instrumentalists on several songs. The vocals and instrumentals are just about perfect. On older records transferred to CD, I'm always concerned about audio quality. I found the sound quality to be quite acceptable. My only criticism is that this CD is only 30 minutes long. However, I'm glad that they didn't ruin a tremendous CD by slapping on a couple "bonus" tracks, just to make it longer. I recommend this CD to any bluegrass music or Emmylou Harris fan.