Customer Reviews

Christmas Means Love

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Let's put it this way. I'm not even Christian and I love this album. Simply out, this is the most unique sounding Christmas album I have ever heard. Covering tunes from "The Band" and gospel classics like "Children Go Where I send Thee," this couldn't be a more catchy, yet eclectic album all at the same time. Of particular note is the Osborrne original, "What Do Bad Girls Get?" which is the nicest and subtlety naughty type of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" type of song.Great job, Joan!

I had not ever heard of Joan Osborne until I was in Barnes and Noble. I heard this and it a struck nerve in me. It made me get up and go to the music section to ask who this was. I just love the eclectic mix of music. I think anyone who buys this Christmas album will not be disappointed. She has a wonderful rich voice. These songs were a great choice for her.

Trava Davis

I think Joan is being reborn (after giving birth) in a very special and even more creative space. So deep soulful, heartfelt, the instrument of her voice is so beautiful and evocative. There are clever urban bluesy Christmas songs here. And there are deep Christian, spiritual, country village away-in-a-manger-songs here. This is really a great album.
The accompanying musicians and arrangements are great. It's hard to make Christmas music this artistic, but she has really done it here.

What can I say? I LOVE Christmas! The feeling of love during this special time of the year is unmatched and what better way to spend it than listening to great music. Joan Osborne has exceeded all expectations on this CD by creating something that is not your typical Christmas (we certainly have enough of that material!) and given us listeners something that is absolutely fun and poignant to listen to all at the same time. Her vocal chops never cease to amaze me and the selection of tunes is so very cool! Really cool to see John Leventhal on this album (great guitar player!) and it's another fine production from Tor Hyams who also produced her latest album, "Breakfast in Bed. Great job, Joan! I can't wait for the next one,but be sure I will be spinning you and Dean Martin in heavy rotation near the big green tree this year!

This repackaging of Joan's 2005 Christmas CD of the same title is essentially the same set, minus the introduction. This causes all the songs to be incorrectly labeled when opened on the computer. While I did think that this was a new set this 2007 Christmas, I didn't have the previous one; so am pleased with the updated release from Time Life with the new cover. Joan looks a bit more provocative and less reverent on the new cover as compared with the old. Morris Dollison, Jr. wrote a number of tunes for Cash McCall and contributes the title tune that has a spoken bridge by Joan. John Dolphin owned several record labels in the early 50s. Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys witnessed his murder as a disgruntled songwriter sought royalties. Joan dusts off Dolphin's "Santa Claus Baby" in a rocking retro Christmas track. "Away in a Manager" fits comfortably into Joan's pop treatment, "I love thee Lord Jesus, look down from the sky & stay by my cradle till morning is nigh." Recorded originally by the Band for their album Northern Lights-Southern Cross, Joan's version of "Christmas Must Be Tonight" is a stately reading, "I saw it with my own eyes, written up in the skies, A quiet simple herdsman such as I." Joan Baez and Judy Collins have also recorded "Cherry Tree Carol." Joan's alto hugs the melody deliciously, although the lyric seems a bit unusual with Jesus talking before He's born, "Then out spoke baby Jesus from in Mary's womb, 'Bend down the tallest tree that my mother might have some.'" One of my favorite tracks on the CD is Joan's refurbishing a Louis Armstrong holiday standard "Christmas in New Orleans" with its great shuffle beat and Joan's swaggering vocals, "You'll see a Dixieland Santa Claus leading the band to a Creole beat; Golly what a spirit, you can only hear it down on Basin Street." Joan's gospel-flavored "Children Go Where I Send Thee" was a favorite of mine from a holiday collection "Snow Angels" from a few years ago & sounds great included on this set. "Angels We Have Heard on High" is such a lovely traditional melody. Joan seems deeply in the spirit as she sings, "Come to Bethlehem and see Him whose birth the angels sing." Joan cuts a blues groove on her self-penned secular holiday song "What Do Bad Girls Get?," "Do you cross me off your list for flirting & for teasing? Yes, I pouted & I cried, but I had a real good reason." Claude Jeter was part of the gospel group the Swan Silvertones from the 1930s to the 1960s. His "Great Day in December" is given a strong gospel reading with Joan vocals nailing the urgency, "Through the night, storm and rain, A little child, Jesus, surely had to be born." The set concludes with "Silent Night" in a tender rendition. This is a good holiday collection from one of our best singers. Enjoy!

I always knew Joan had real singing pipes. This album proves it. Wonderfully produced (real and organic...not poppy production), this album delivers the best, and sometimes obscure, Christmas tunes out there. I hope she continues to do more material like this and stays away from the more poppy stuff like that G-D song. Thanks, Joan.

I just loved this CD! What I think I loved the most about it is the fact that it is something a little different than the "usual" Christmas stuff. Would highly recommend it to anyone searching for something that veers away from standard Christmas fare.

The simple truth about Joan Osborne is that she is one of the greatest singers of our time! The truth about this album is that it is like no other Christmas album I have ever purchased. It's much, much better. She goes from old spirituals to her version of the Band's "Christmas Must Be Tonight" with such grace and ease you'd think she could climb Mt Everest.Then there's her original, "What Do Bad Girls Get" which is a great next step from "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," because, well, frankly, it's a much sexier idea. I love the fact that this Kentucky born soul singer can easily make traditional (and Biblical) songs sound just as festive as the Andrew Sisters-esque "Santa Claus Baby." The absence of all the typical Christmas songs is what makes this CD the perfect Christmas for the modern world!

Having been raised in Kentucky, Joan might have been expected to seek a musical career in country or bluegrass music, but she headed instead for New York where she was able to find her own musical style, blending jazz, blues, soul and pop with some country added into the mix when it suits her. Not that you'll find much evidence of Joan's country roots here, as this album tends to rely more on jazz, blues and soul influences; the liner notes suggest Billie Holiday, Ray Charles and Etta James as obvious influences and that`s fine by me as I`m a fan of all three singers. The results are brilliant, as even the obvious songs (Away in a manger, Silent night) prove, both of them sounding very distinctive here.

Actually, Joan generally steers clear of the obvious songs, preferring to go for original, obscure or rarely-recorded songs elsewhere on the album. I believe Christmas must be tonight (written by Robbie Robertson) was originally recorded by The Band. I don't remember hearing any other recording of this song so I'm pleased that Joan chose to revive it. Another oldie is the jazz/blues classic Christmas in New Orleans, which Joan also revives to great effect. In its full length version, as heard on Mary Chapin Carpenter's Christmas album Come darkness come light, there are twelve verses to Children go where I send thee, but Joan chose to only do the first four verses although she included a long fade-out.

Cherry tree carol is a traditional song that often turns up on choral Christmas albums but rarely on a mainstream album, so it's another inspired choice by Joan. Another traditional carol, Angels we have heard on high, occasionally turns up on mainstream albums, but not so often that you'd get tired of hearing it. The remaining four songs (Christmas means love, Santa Claus baby, What do bad girls get?, Great day in December) are all new to me and may well be originals. Indeed, Joan actually wrote my favorite among them, What do bad girls get?, so that one's definitely original and it leaves one to wonder what inspired Joan to write that song, as well as leaving one wondering what Santa gives to those bad girls.

This is a wonderful Christmas album that largely avoids the obvious tracks (and therefore won't appeal to those who just want to hear the same old classics). If you enjoy a blend of jazz, blues and soul music and you are looking for Christmas music that is a little different from the more typical alternatives, this could be just what you're looking for.

What a nice change from the regular sappy Christmas music out there. "What do bad girls get" is an original written by Joan and it is my favorite. There are only a couple of traditional songs that might be alittle boring but all in all ....great CD!!