Customer Reviews

The Christmas Sessions

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Many artists change their signature sound when releasing a Christmas album, going for the more traditional sounds of 40 years ago. These CD's are instant classics that feel like old friends the first time they are spun.

Other artists decide to release Christmas CD's that stick with their normal sound, whatever that may be. These projects take a few years to grow on the listener, but they often become favorites because they offer something different from everything else. This CD falls into the second category.

Mercy Me has made a name for itself in the Christian music industry with three highly successful projects already under their belt. While I wouldn't exactly classify their sound as straight rock, they are certainly rockier then many adult contemporary artists they are often classified with. They take their guitar driven music and wrap it around some Christmas classics. The result is unsurprisingly great.

Eleven of the twelve tracks on the CD are well known standby songs like "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear," "Winter Wonderland/White Christmas," "Drummer Boy," or "O Holy Night." Each track features drums and guitar heavily. For example, you can really hear the drum and bass on "O Holy Night." It's an arrangement that I wouldn't have thought of, but it works.

Each of these songs is sped up, some more then others, from what you are used to. You might not be able to sing along the first time through, but by the second or third you will hit all the notes along with them since they do stick with the original melody. Occasionally, the also through in new words, as in "Gloria." And for those wondering, this isn't a new take on Michael W. Smith's classic reworking, but an arrangement that sticks much closer to the original carol.

There are a couple tracks that don't work as well. "Christmas Time is Here" isn't a fast song. Of course, it's also ruined by the fact that someone with a good voice is singing it. I will forever only love the version from the Charlie Brown special. "Silent Night" becomes a country church version that would have fit on lead singer Bart Millard's recent hymns project. I don't care for the arrangement, but those who enjoy upbeat country will.

My biggest disappointment is the lack of original songs. The final track, "Josephs' Lullaby" is the only new song. Appropriately enough, it is the slowest track here. This piano driven ballad is a tender take on what Joseph might have sang to Jesus that first Christmas night asking for a good night sleep before the reality of saving the world becomes His burden.

It will be a couple years before this CD is one I reach for at the start of the Christmas season. But it will be one that gets lots of play this year and in years to come.

MercyMe does a nice job making traditional Christmas songs come alive by making them more modern day sounding. For the traditionalists among us let me reassure you that they've not changed the overall sound and meaning of the songs, they've instead made them more upbeat. While they've added very little overall to the songs, they've made them their own by using the musical instruments of today (electric guitar etc..) and adapting it to fit their style. I, like many people out there, worked at a mall in my late teens and early twenties so I got so fed up with Christmas music that it took well over 10 years before I could listen to it again. This cd is a Christmas cd that's different so if you know someone that is sick of hearing Christmas music pick it up and put it in as a nice compromise! :-)

I love this CD! I have never bought a Mercy Me CD before, although I enjoy their music, but for some reason I was compelled to buy this one. This group has done a fabulous job of updating some of my favorite Christmas songs in a way that makes these songs modern without losing the beautiful meaning behind them. My favorite is "I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day" - an excellent rendition of one of the most beautiful Christmas songs of all time. My oldest son's favorite is "Angels We Have Heard on High", which he says "totally rocks and makes the traditional version sound totally boring", while my youngest son makes me play the Charlie Brown classic "Christmas Time is Here" over and over and over again!

I would recommend this CD to anyone who wants a little change from the same old, same old Christmas music. This is definitely my new favorite Christmas CD!!

I already had this CD in my personal collection, so I knew what I was getting! I ordered this copy for a friend, who is also into great music.
The Christmas Sessions contains some tried and true Christmas songs (Jingle Bell Rock, Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, Away in a Manger, etc.), but they are presented in a not-so-conventional way. Really upbeat, strong rock & roll driven arrangements that make these "typical" Christmas songs anything but typical.
That being said, the two stand out tracks are quite reserved and charming by comparison. Silent Night takes on a wistful, upbeat character in this smile producing rendition, in duet with Amy Grant. Really catchy and fun. But the absolute best track on the CD is the last one, proving the old axioms of "Last but not least," and "Saving the best for last!" Joseph's Lullaby is not only a beautiful melody, but a wonderful story. How the birth must have made Joseph feel, and reflect on his role and place in this amazing event. Very tender and introspective; beautiful soaring melodic lines; very heartfelt. Simply said, musically a complete contrast to the rest of the CD: but the CD would not be "complete" without it. Absolutely one of my favorite songs of Christmas, on this CD, or any other.
If you grew up along with Rock & Roll (as I did) or just came into it more recently, this CD is a real rocker for a time of year that you don't usually associate with that type of music. I would recommend and share this one with anyone I knew and cared about, and wanted them to get more musical enjoyment out of the Season. An absolute great time!

I'm not sure how I missed this Christmas release two years ago but listening to one of those stations that starts Christmas music early (which I love) I heard 'O Holy Night' and was blown away. What an interesting take on this beautiful Christmas classic. It didn't take me but another day or so to pick up the album.

I've since read other reviews and one that struck me is to listen more than once to give it a chance. It only took one listen for me. This album will be one of the first I put on every year.

It's refreshing to hear a fresh take on all of these Christmas classics and Joseph's Lullaby has to be my favorite song on the entire album. You are transported back to that time, and you can just imagine Joseph asking that his son have a good night sleep before he is asked to save us all. What a beautiful sentiment and song.

I've also read that folks aren't enjoying Silent Night done in a Country influenced style. I personally think it is a beautiful and fitting version of this piece. I can imagine sitting in a country setting, mountains in the back, snow on the ground and stars in the sky and singing this song in this manner. But, that's just me :)

Give the album a listen, you won't be disappointed. These are my favorites songs on the album:

Joseph's Lullaby
O Holy Night
The Little Drummer Boy
Gloria
Christmas Time is Here
Away (beautiful instrumental of Away in a Manger)

My teenager and I didn't like this at all the first time we listened to it because the Christmas songs you all know and love were changed to where you couldn't sing along. But after I listened a few times, I actually really liked, and in some cases preferred, the new arrangements. My son still didn't like the rearrangement of "Gloria, in excelsis deo", but I really like it.
Just go into it knowing that they're different, and give them a chance! It's now March, and my 5-yr-old is still asking to hear "Little Drummer Boy"! (Which she calls pa-rum-pa-pum-pum!)

I like this but it wasn't my favorite compared to other Mercy Me cds- the variety of music styles from song to song didn't seem the same to me as other albums.

I've been a fan of Mercy Me for quite some time, so when they released a Christmas album, I was intrigued. After listening to it, I was not disappointed! They took the old standards and freshened them up, making them sound new and updated without disrespecting the original renditions. The standout track for me is "Joseph's Lullaby" which gives voice to the quiet soul willing to stand as Jesus' father on earth. Not many songs about Joseph, let's face it and this is a GREAT one. I continue to enjoy the wonderful group of guys that is Mercy Me, and appreciate their positive messages in an extremely negative world. My family will continue to enjoy this CD for years to come! Highly recommended!

It's a shame to only listen to this collection once a year as it deserves more air time. It's a well crafted pop album with innovative arrangements that don't shock a listener's memories of the more traditional versions. Old standards are given new life without over-reaching and offer the listener a new, re-certified classics. It's a great album. Not a great Christmas album. EASILY makes the 'Top 3' in a vast collection of Christmas CDs

While a lot of bands try to fill up their Christmas albums with original songs, these guys seem to have realized that there are already a hundred absolutely wonderful songs to choose from. They took several of these songs and put their own stamp on them, and for the most part did a very good job.

It Came Upon the Midnight Clear and Gloria are both solid and very upbeat, getting the CD off to a very good start. Then, just when you're starting to think God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen is more of the same, they are suddenly singing a verse of Joy to the World to the same melody and Carol of the Bells is in the background and you're left thinking "Pick a song, guys."

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree actually rocks again on this album and oddly enough, so does Silent Night. Things really slow down at the end with I Heard the Bells and O Holy Night followed by the original Joseph's Lullaby, a sweet and pretty song. I really like this CD, but there are a few spots that sound over mixed and a couple of songs that are just not personal favorites. A solid four star effort.