Joy for Christmas Day

Kathy Mattea | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 30, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Narada
• ASIN: B0000AM6NZ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #59,816 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Christmas Collage

2. Unto Us a Child Is Born

3. Angels We Have Heard on High

4. Straw Against the Chill

5. Baby King

6. When the Baby Grew Up

7. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

8. O Come All Ye Faithful

9. All Because of Him

10. Sing, Mary, Sing

11. There's Still My Joy

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Seasons Best!, December 13, 2003

By 

Mark Bumgardner (Concord, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Joy for Christmas Day (Audio CD)

You have to give her credit. Instead of trying to surpass her masterful 1993 Christmas album "Good News", Kathy Mattea's second seaonal venture serves as a wonderful compliment to that first effort. This is quite logical since many of the performances of these songs are a result of expanding her concert set list while doing holiday tours for "Good News".

Like "Good News", the arrangements and song selection on "Joy Of Christmas" is superb, and the balance between traditional and contemporary selections is well thought out. Old friend Rob Mathes is called on once again and contributes the outstanding "When The Baby Grew Up". Perhaps the most surprising cover here is Jennifer Knapp's "Sing, Mary, Sing" , which is excellent as well.

Truthfully, everything here is superlative, from the opening "Christmas Collage" to the touching final hidden track, a song about Santa sung by Kathy's father, who (as mentioned in other reviews) unfortunately died while the album was being prepared for release.

Of all the Christmas albums I've bought this season, this is undoubtably the best. It celebrates the true meaning of the season without being "preachy", and does so in an incredibly tastful way. We now have two wonderful Christmas albums to enjoy by Ms. Mattea - something for which we truly can be grateful.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Celebrating the Holy Child, November 30, 2003

By 

Alejandra Vernon "artist & illustrator" (Long Beach, California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Joy for Christmas Day (Audio CD)

All the songs in this wonderful Christmas collection relate to the birth of Jesus, with four traditional songs, and seven original tracks, of which the beautiful "All Because of Him" was co-written by Ms. Mattea. The songs have a mix of styles that work well together, and it is a CD that should please a wide audience. The production, arrangements and musicianship are all top-notch, and the material excellent; there is not a single weak link in the song list.

The outstanding tracks for me are:
# 1, the exquisite "Straw Against the Chill"(by Bob Franke), with its lovely melody, poetic, moving lyrics, and Kathy's superb interpretation.
# 2, "Baby King" (Marc Cohn), is in the style of a rousing spiritual, and will get you into a hand-clapping, heaven-praising mood.
# 3, the "Extra Track". I had the privilege to be at the Crystal Cathedral, where Kathy performed "Unto Us a Child is Born" and "Angels We Have Heard on High", and explained this add-on, which comes 22 seconds after the final track, "There's Still My Joy" ends. It is of her father, singing acappella a sweet and funny tune from Kathy's childhood; he passed on while she was working on this CD, and this is touching tribute to him from a loving daughter. His voice is rich and full of tenderness, and a blessing to hear.

Kathy has a unique, pure sound, that is expressive and has many colorations, and in this marvelous CD she gives us some joyous, spirit-filled music to add to our Christmas cheer. The sound is very good and total time is 43'22, and because of its outstanding quality and broad appeal, would make a gift appreciated by all music lovers.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly Joyful, November 25, 2003

By 

James E. Bagley "Jim Bagley" (Sanatoga, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Joy for Christmas Day (Audio CD)

Kathy Mattea's JOY FOR CHRISTMAS DAY is the sequel to her 1993 Grammy-winning holiday collection GOOD NEWS. While GOOD NEWS consisted entirely of new (or fairly new) spiritual compositions, JOY FOR CHRISTMAS DAY is far more eclectic. It opens with an intricate "Christmas Collage" that weaves five traditional carols (including the oft ignored "O Come O Come Emmanuel") dealing with the birth of Christ into an Irish folk arrangement. A Celtic flavor also infuses the celebratory "Unto Us A Child Is Born" (dig the penny whistle!) and the stark, pensive "Straw Against The Chill," while the soulful side of Mattea is revealed with the call and response "Baby King" and the funky "When The Baby Grew Up." Mix in an acoustic take on "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" (to showcase Mattea's rich, emotive alto) and a version of "O Come All Ye Faithful" that segues from staid, church organ traditional into a full-throated, gospel extravaganza and you've got one of the best albums of the year.