Customer Reviews

The Elliott Yamin Holiday Collection

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

 

 

Elliott Yamin's new Holiday cd is such a refreshing new way to ring in the holiday season. Every song has the Elliott spin. There is new life in the old dusty classics like Jingle Bells and Drummer Boy. The original songs are soulful, fun and full of Holiday spirit. The Christmas Song will become a classic up there with Nat King Cole and Sinatra. This is a definite must for Christmas this year!! I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!

I bought this CD three days ago, again, like his first CD, have listened to it over and over, the more I hear it, the more I love it, and get what he wants to do in the songs. I love all 8 tracks, but in particular, his funky upbeat Merry Christmas, Baby, (i predict a classic), and LOVE love love 'Warm me up' (predict another great hit by this incredible artist! Let's Be Naughty is Great. All my friends who listened to a couple of the tracks, went out and got their own!!! This CD will put you in the mood for Christmas and giving/doing good, and it can play over your holiday meal with joy!!!

Elliott Yamin's holiday CD is a special treat. "Warm Me Up" is apparently a new song that Yamin delivers with his soulful croon, "Come warm me up, it's cold outside; Let's bundle up by the fire; Come warm me up, it's Christmastime, I want to know what's your desire?" Perhaps the star standout of the CD is "Merry Christmas, Baby." It may be hard to imagine how a track that's been recorded in versions by Christina Aguilera, Chuck Berry, Booker T & the MGs, James Brown, Dion, Etta James, Elvis Presley, Bonnie Raitt, Low Rawls, Otis Redding, Bruce Springsteen & Stevie Wonder could sound fresh, but this funky performance has great punch in the percussion with Yamin's vocals through the roof, "You bought me a diamond ring for Christmas & I feel like I'm in paradise." His reading on Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas" and Mel Torme's "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" are both excellent. With only eight tracks, this CD goes by quickly leaving us wanting more. Bravo!

IMHO, this is one of the best christmas cd's ever produced. it's happy, upbeat, funky, full of soul, and most importantly....different than the "usual" xmas music. AND, elliott yamin is without question, one of the best singers of our day. he put his own stamp on every song....and that's a good thing. i can't stop listening. it just gets better and better each time i play it...which is all of the time.

This is a great CD, I have it on repeat play - how many Christmas CDs make you want to get up and dance?! For about $50 I bought 7 copies ($6.99 at Target) to contribute to a local drive for gifts for the troops - they gotta love it, a truly all-American sound, something for everybody.

I love this CD. I purchased it back in October and have been listening to it ever since. Elliott Yamin has a beautiful, rich, and soulful voice. He sounds wonderful singing the traditional Christmas songs, as well as ones that could become new classics.

My review by tracks

1. I have always loved this song and think Elliott does a supurb job with it. On par with the great Donny Hathaway.

2. I love the simplicity of this arrangement and how Elliott interprets the melody. I think this song calls for a more subtle arrangement because of the content of the lyrics. It's beautiful.

3. I love this song. It's a throwback. I LOVE Elliott's raspy, growling vocals on this song.

4. I love how this also sounds like an older artist...like I could be listening to one of the old RCA Christmas albums.....little bluesy rhythm.

5. I love the intro and then the surprise change in tempo. Jingle Bells has never sounded so good to me. One of the best versions I've heard. Who knew you could make Jingle Bells a soul song. I love the harmonies.

6. I hear the Stevie Wonder influence in this song. I can imagine this on the radio easily. I love it. This was written by T. Reyes who also co-wrote Find A Way on Elliott Yamin's debut CD. Both songs have a great socially conscious message.

7. This song has a 30's-40's sound to me. So nostalgic, even though I had never heard it before.

8. WOW!!!!!! What can I say about this one. It is the crowning jewel of ths CD. Sexy, beautiful, soulful. Wonderfully written.

This holiday cd is a treasure! What can I say, I love every song on it and haven't tired of listening to it yet. While Little Drummer Boy has never been a favorite of mine, his version is so full of emotion, w/o overdoing any vocal acrobatics, that it has moved me to tears. I think his version of This Christmas is the best out there as well as Merry Christmas, Baby. I love that he sings the classics so well and doesn't try to make them more than they are, his voice just takes them to a new level though. Jingle Bells, who would have thought it would make you want to get up and dance? The last three songs, A Very Merry Xmas is very good and puts me in a giving and grateful mood. Let's Be Naughty reminds me of an old country song I'd have heard as a kid and it is just plain fun! Warm Me Up, WOW, I love this song!! Buy the CD. I've listened to Josh Groban's Noel and while he's got a great voice, to me it just lacks any passion and I found it boring. This CD will not bore you!

some Christmas CDs are too slow (Josh G!) some too cheesy (Michael B) BUT a few are just right. Elliott Yamain definitely got it right with this short collection.
And the new tracts are great...especially Warm me up...well that is just plain sexy!

Enjoy!

Good cd, but buy at Target for 6.49. It's a limited edition Christmas CD available only at Target.

For the last few years I have searched for good Holiday Music to play during my annual Christmas Dinner Party. I was not pleased with my finds. I purchased Elliott's CD as soon as it came out and I can tell you that I am extremely pleased with it. I love THIS CHRISTMAS and WARM ME UP, but there is not a bad song on the CD. Elliott with his warm, rich voice puts a Brand New Sound to Old Tired Songs. Get this CD Now as it is sure to become a Classic