Customer Reviews

Christmas Spirituals

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4 star:		(0)
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This arenÕt the Christmas songs youÕll hear in the malls or at the parades. No Santa Claus. No reindeer. No snow. But for me it would not be Christmas without this glorious album. (Although, to be honest, the music is so beautiful, IÕve put it on many times in mid-summer, and it doesnÕt seem out of place. This is the only Christmas album I own that I could say that about). This is the essence of Christmas Ñ simple, unadorned songs about a poor baby king and his struggling mother, songs of hope, joy, and redemption. This is my antidote to exhausting Christmas shopping. Food for the heart and soul. And no one can sing these exquisite songs better than Odetta. Her voice is a great mixture of warm humanity and righteousness that makes these songs belong to her. She renews the meaning of Christmas. Even in July.

Really great album (all year round), but note that there are two different recordings. The original recording from 1963 is rougher with just Odetta and her guitar, the 1994 version is more heavily produced. I prefer the 1963 version but they are both great. If you want one or the other then be careful when ordering - I ordered the 1994 version as advertised but then received the 1963 version. The samples from the album on Amazon are from the 1963 recording.

This is just about my favorite Christmas Album of all time. Too little known and too little repected. I have had it in record format, long since, too worn to play well. And am grateful to introduce these songs and sounds to my daughter. They reach into the soul and speak of all the things that make Christmas meangingful.

I am garteful to find it in CD and to see others still listening to this inspiring and classic music.

Everytime I have a Christmas party, I play this CD and people say, "Who IS that?" They are so delighted to discover Odetta's Christmas music.

If you had to pick one new Christmas CD this year, this is one everyone will enjoy....Souful without being New Age-y or cliche-ish.

Finally the CD version is released! My 11 year old cassette of this recording was wearing thin. This collection is not only the best that Odetta has ever sounded, but the best of any christmas album I have yet heard, in a collection of about 60 titles. Each piece is very sparingly but playfully accompanied, allowing Odetta's haunting contralto sound to wrap around the lyrics with straight-forward sincerity and emotion. But please don't mistake it for the earlier released version, containing all the same tracks, but recorded 11 years (?) earlier. Can anyone explain that?

Everytime I have a Christmas party, I play this CD and people say, "Who IS that?" They are so delighted to discover Odetta's Christmas music.

If you had to pick one new Christmas CD this year, this is one everyone will enjoy....Souful without being New Age-y or cliche-ish.

I knew of Odetta years ago, of course, Recently a singer in my commuity chorus wanted to sing Mary Had a Baby. So I got Odetta's version to be a role model. Performance was excellent. Better still, I ended up with the entire CD and it has become a welcome addition to my family's collection of Christmas music.

I was lucky enough to stumble across the vinyl version of this record in 1962. Just bought the CD version. Odetta does an incredible job of interpreting some traditional Xmas carols and spirituals. It's a real treat.