Christmas Is Almost Here [Extra tracks, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

Carly Simon | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 14, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Rhino Records
• ASIN: B0000CG8A0
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #143,909 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Christmas Is Almost Here

2. White Christmas

3. O Come, All Ye Faithful

4. The Land Of Christmas [Mary]

5. Silent Night

6. Twelve Gates To The City

7. I'll Be Home For Christmas

8. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

9. Heaven

10. Pretty Paper

11. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

12. Happy X-mas [War Is Over]

13. Forgive

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Carly Simon's first album of Christmas music is a family affair. Here, she covers songs by her former brother-in-law, Livingston Taylor (the title track), as well as reworking "Heaven Can't Be Far," a tune her sister Lucy penned in the '80s. Adding to the personal feel is Simon's duet with her son Ben Taylor on "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman," the two voices blending with a precision that only blood relatives can achieve. But the intimacy and warmth of the disc aren't due only to the appearance of her nearest and dearest; it's also the choice and treatment of the material, which includes three originals as well as inventive takes on such seasonal classics as "Silent Night," "O Come All Ye Faithful," and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." In addition, Simon tackles the gospel favorite "Twelve Gates to the City" with the same verve and spirit that she lent to her massive hit "Let the River Run," from the Working Girl soundtrack. The biggest surprise under Carly's tree isn't her elegant, moving cover of John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," but her sweet duet with Willie Nelson on "Pretty Paper." --Jaan Uhelszki

Product Description

Includes White Christmas; Forgive; Twelve Gates to the City; Silent Night; Heaven; Pretty Paper; O Come, All Ye Faithful , and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great C.D.!!, December 24, 2003

By 

"mjones1989" (Texas, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Christmas Is Almost Here (Audio CD)

This is a beautiful c.d. It's simple and understated in some ways and in some ways it's bigger and bolder than any other Christmas recording on the market. Carly Simon makes music that is "stripped back" and intimate. The miracle, the mystery, the seeking and the celebration are all components that Carly Simon has put in front of the listener.

The spiritual Christmas songs like "Silent Night", "O Come, All Ye Faithful", are treated with grace and tenderness. The soulful, "Twelve Gates To the City" is a song you'll find yourself singing over and over. Carly Simon's arrangement of "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" is just great! The reggae beat along with Ben Taylor, her son, make this a classic remake.

The Christmas standards "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and "I'll be Home for Christmas" are just beautiful. Carly knows how to take a standard and put her stamp on it without taking away from the song. "White Christmas" with Burt Bacharach, again has her stamp on it.

"The Land of Christmas (Mary)" is a song that Carly wrote and is probably one of the best songs she has written in years. It has all the qualities that you expect from a self-penned song by Carly. It's a great song with lots of emotion and soul. She also wrote "Forgive" which is very simple and beautiful. Andreas Vollenweider plays harp.

"Christmas is Almost Here" written by Livingston Taylor, "Pretty Paper" a duet with Willie Nelson and John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War is Over) are all well preformed by Carly and very enjoyable.

"Heaven" is the song on this c.d. that brings it all together. Written by Lucy Simon (her sister) and Carly, it sets a tone that puts a "yearning" in the listener's heart to experience the miracle, the mystery, the celebration, the search and the Savior.

If you're looking for a "over produced" c.d. with all the "whistles and bells" then this may not be the c.d. for you. If you're looking for something that seems like Carly is singing in your living room while music is being played by Willie Nelson, Billy Preston, Burt Bacharach, Andreas Vollenweider, and other great musicians then this is the c.d.!!

This is a c.d. that will be played and enjoyed for years to come.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Would have benefited from studio recording, December 28, 2002

By 

A. Peters "ablpete" (Near Chicago, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Christmas Is Almost Here (Audio CD)

In the liner notes, Carly Simon discusses how the album was recorded in a hotel room in LA during January 2002. She adds how the basic tapes were produced, mastered and ultimately released over the ensuing nine months. I am normally a devoted fan of Carly Simon, but the sound quality of this album suffers from the original sessions having been recorded on a notebook computer. No amount of remastering could overcome the flawed basic tracks. This album would have benefited from studio recording, which may have precluded some of the harshness that is readily apparent in first listening. Carly, please, rerecord this album. We miss your "signature" quality sound. And shame on Rhino for passing this off on the public at full price!

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classy Christmas album - relaxing, warm and intimate, August 26, 2004

By 

Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan" (Leicester England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Christmas Is Almost Here (Audio CD)

Carly's peak years were in the seventies, but she still sings as good as she ever did. This is a lovely album, with a mix of slow and mid-tempo songs, including some standards which everybody knows, together with some wonderful new songs.

Carly and Willie Nelson sing a duet - Pretty paper, which Willie wrote and Roy Orbison had a hit with back in the sixties.

Carly wrote The land of Christmas (Mary), while Heaven is a song originally written by Carly's daughter Lucy, which Carly and Lucy rewrote as a Christmas song.

Twelve gates to the city is apparently a very old song, but I don't ever remember hearing it before despite having a large Christmas music collection.

All these songs are brilliant, but perhaps the title track is the best of the lot - it certainly sets the mood of the album.

This is a masterpiece, as anybody familiar with Carly's music would expect. It's probably not one to play during the height of Christmas festivities (there are plenty of other, more upbeat, Christmas albums that serve that purpose well), but rather, this is one that you play when things have quietened down, and you can just relax.