Merry Little Christmas

Linda Ronstadt | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 17, 2000)
• Original Release Date: October 17, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Elektra / Wea
• ASIN: B00004Y6NB
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,282 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #96 in Music > Miscellaneous > Holiday > Pop Vocal

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Linda Ronstadt's A Merry Little Christmas plays, in part, like an old Nat King Cole Christmas record, with orchestrated versions of classics and a knowing vocal command at work on every track. Where Ronstadt makes her departure is midway through the 14-song set, when the CD suddenly becomes an album of sacred music, complete with "The Welsh Carol," "Lo, How a Rose E're Blooming," the lesser-known "O Magnum Mysterium," and "Past Three O'Clock." Ronstadt's record also features two producers and two respectable choirs, one from Tucson, Arizona, and the other from Los Angeles, and she works well with them and as a soloist, including her take on what may be this year's most covered song, Joni Mitchell's bittersweet lament, "River." --Martin Keller

Product Description

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: RONSTADT,LINDA
Title: MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS
Street Release Date: 10/17/2000
Domestic
Genre: XMAS VOCAL

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars sharing the spotlight, October 26, 2000

By 

larry (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Merry Little Christmas (Audio CD)

This cd features beautiful singing by Linda Ronstadt throughout, but be aware that after track five, (with the exception of I Wonder As I Wander) the voice that you may be used to - warm, big and belty, disappears. From that point on Linda steps out of the spotlight and displays her soprano as an understated member of the choir. The musical selections and arrangements are inspired and the vocals are flawless, but if you're expecting Silent Night with an acoustic guitar and three part harmony you might be surprised. She does serve up some tasty "Nelson Riddle style" treats on the first half of the cd, including a gentle duet with Rosemary Clooney on "White Christmas" and a powerful version of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas". Joni Mitchell's classic "River" gets a pretty treatment, but stays too close to the surface for my taste . All in all, the generous talents of Linda Ronstadt are on full display and that will certainly "help to make the season bright".

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A lovingly crafted holiday keeper, October 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Merry Little Christmas (Audio CD)

This is a lovely Christmas album with beautiful singing throughout. Be prepared for the fact that its a rather schizoid album, though, with different styles throughout (much like Ronstadt's career, as a matter of fact!)

The first four songs are arranged much like Linda's Nelson Riddle albums and shine beautifully - the duet with Rosemary Clooney on "White Christmas" especially glows. Only "Have Yourself A Merry Christmas" jarred a bit, with Ronstadt turning up the volume and belting a bit too strenuously on a tune that doesn't really need it that much.

Joni Mitchell's "River" is included - its got a Christmas-time background, but isn't really a Christmas song. I'm glad its included, though, both because I've always loved it, and because Ronstadt does such a fine, assured job with it. First-class!

The real reason to buy the cd in my opinion is the concluding section, though. Ronstadt does a version of "I Wonder As I Wander" that sent shivers up my spine, and they stayed there for the rest of the cd, as one exquisite example of choral singing followed another. Linda sort of retreats into the background and blends in with the chorus, but the sheer beauty of the singing will leave you stunned. I was a bit disappointed with one thing: an early pre-release listing of the songs I saw included "In the Bleak Midwinter", one of my very favorite Christmas carols, and its unfortunately nowhere to be found. I'd looked forward to it, but its a small disappointment with what would be a wonderful addition to anyone's collection of holiday music. Great job, Linda!

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gorgeous Holiday Recording!, October 26, 2000

By 

Sara Stromseth "midwesterngirl" (Cresco, IA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Merry Little Christmas (Audio CD)

Linda Ronstadt has been something of a musical chemeleon over the course of her 20+ year career: she has done everything from operetta ("The Pirates of Penzance") to traditional Mexican music, from country-rock to light standards. With the release of a holiday album, Ronstadt brings her clear, rich soprano to popular Christmas standards and haunting, lesser-known choral pieces. The results, of course, are brilliant. Whether the heartwarming duet with the legendary Rosemary Clooney on "White Christmas" or Ronstadt's confident stride up her high register with "Lo How A Rose 'Ere Blooming," this recording showcases the versatility of a voice that has never been afraid to tackle the road less traveled. Listen to the beautiful duet between Ronstadt (on soprano) and an alto on the affecting "Xicochi Xicochi," and the haunting "Welsh Carol," in which Ronstadt takes a solo mid-way through. It is interesting to note that, throughout the chorale pieces, Ronstadt takes the soprano parts, hitting notes that most of her contemporaries in popular music would shy away from. This ability is a showcase for Ronstadt's boundry-crossing talent in any type of music she chooses. The beautiful renditions of these songs separate and elevate her musicality from that of so many popular singers, who too often choose dramatic embellishment to cover their own limitations. Rondstadt seems to have no musical limitations, and her heartfelt rendering of these pieces, illuminated with the clear power of her vocals, is refreshing and worth a permanent spot in anyone's Christmas music collection.