Christmas Shoes

Newsong

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 23, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Reunion
• ASIN: B00005QD8C
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (67 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #21,375 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Veteran Christian band Newsong decided to include the sentimental ballad, "Christmas Shoes," as a bonus track on 2000's Sheltering Tree, unaware that the almost O. Henry-esque tale about a young boy attempting to buy a pair of shoes as a Christmas present for his dying mother would blow up into a massive hit. So overwhelming was the response to that song (it landed atop Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart) that the group decided to fashion an entire holiday album around it, naturally titling it Christmas Shoes. In addition to the heart-wrenching title track, the contemporary Christian rockers serve up some beautifully arranged versions of cherished favorites such as "Away in the Manger/God Rest Ye, Merry Gentleman," "The First Noel," and "What Child Is This," as well as an impish, rather histrionic version of "You're a Mean One, Mr.Grinch" which should tickle the underage set. Newsong have also written a number of well-crafted, infectious holiday songs that don't bludgeon you with heavy-handed inspirational messages, but instead shine brightly with the true spirit of the holiday. --Jaan Uhelszki

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy it because of the famous song, LOVE all the other songs!, November 20, 2001

By	Soozie4Him (Chicago suburbs) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Last Christmas, radio stations were playing "Christmas Shoes". Just in case you missed it, here's the Chorus:

Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my Mama, please
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size
Could you hurry, sir, Daddy says there's not much time
You see she's been sick for quite a while
And I know these shoes would make her smile
And I want her to look beautiful if Mama meets Jesus tonight

So it's worth buying the album for that one song, but every song on this album is GREAT! I love their opening track Christmastime is Here/Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Sing Noel is one of my favorites on the album. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree is such fun to listen to! Then they stuck "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch". I like their version of it better than the Go Fish version on their Christmas album "More Than a Story".

You will recognize "Light Your World" - it was written in 1989, and I had never heard it on an album - just on the radio. So that was a wonderful surprise! And I liked what they did with the traditional Christmas carols. Sometimes they're changed so much in trying to make them unique that they aren't at all appealling! You will surely enjoy the lush orchestration on all these wonderful Christmas carols.

The original songs "As the World Slept" and "Christmas Carol" will become a favorites. Listen carefully to the lyrics - unfortunately the liner notes have the lyrics for just one song -Christmas Shoes.

NewSong's rendition of "O Holy Night" is majestic and moving! A fitting end for a great Christmas CD!

May God bless you as you celebrate Jesus' birth this Christmas season!

Please check out my other reviews of Christmas CDs, other Christian CDs, and Chrsitian books.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Christmas Shoes Song - A Story of Hope, Love and Life, November 27, 2006

By	Katherine C. Watson "Kat" (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There seems to be more cynics at Christmas than any other holiday. They take the songs and hope of the Christmas season and try to degrade it into something that is cheap and dirty. The "Christmas Shoes" is about hope, love and life. That is what this season is about, not about the world degrading the hope of people. Yes the song is sad, but it also about what love can do. Many Christmas songs are like this song, speaking not only of sadness and loss, but also of the hope of the world to see a better year ahead. That is what the Christmas Season is - hope for us all and a sense of love for others.

As for this song being just a Christian song, many people have not listened to the song closely. The song does not mention Christian tenets. It does mention Jesus and God, but as sense of hope for the Characters of the song. The song was not meant to beat anyone over the head.

Listen to the "Christmas Shoes" and other songs on the album for the beauty of the music and the hope that the world can be beautiful, even when life is not always happy or as great as our expectations. The music will lift your spirits if you let it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Varied Selection of Holiday Tunes, December 17, 2005

By	Virginia Allain "(retired librarian)" (Poinciana, FL) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

This CD will be a treat for my sister with its mixture of religious tunes (Sing Noel, As the World Slept, Light Your World), a touching story tune (The Christmas Shoes), and something fun (You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch).
The rather breathless singing style, with the piano and rich string background, are pleasant enough listening.
Sure the Christmas Shoes song has the rather maudlin style of those never-ending stories circulated on the internet and after awhile might get on one's nerves. With an 11 month break between listenings, it should be fine.