A Philly Soul Christmas

Musiq Soulchild (Author) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD
• ASIN: B001I3WA7Y
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #165,791 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For those who like a groovy Christmas, December 18, 2008

By 

Nse Ette (Lagos, Nigeria) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: A Philly Soul Christmas (Audio CD)

I love my Christmas music as close to traditional as possible; jazzy and/or upbeat with loads of jingling bells and fun-filled vocals. As these are usually lacking from R&B Christmas albums (most of the artists tend to over-sing to dull arrangements), I've never been tempted to pick up any, until this.

All qualities listed above are present in Musiq Soulchild's Christmas EP, however his arrangements are only for the brave so be warned if you dislike deviation from the norm. Opener "jingle bells" has a plodding bassline and free-form Jazzy arrangements. The laid back groovy "Hark! the herald angels sing" is interspersed with announcer-style vocals. "O come all ye faithful" is closest to the traditional arrangement starting off as a simple hymnal organ number, with percussion and other instruments creeping in as the verses progress, with Musiq's vocals doing interesting phrase meandering. Lovely!

"Deck the halls" features ambitious drum arrangements with gently tinkling bells and a Jazzy/Neo Soul vibe. Next up is a song that just shouldn't work. "O holy night" should be sombre, rising to majestic proportions. Musiq sets his to a languid reggae groove (wicked Bass) with Lauryn Hill-style "Uh" and "Yeah" interjected sporadically and horns. I started by listening to it with a quizzical frown which was slowly replaced with a look of surprise and joy. This is by far my favourite song on the CD.

"O christmas tree" is another Jazzy/Neo Soul arrangement with a choppy feel (and a lovely very Jazzy breakdown in the closing seconds), while closing is the waltz-like Jazzy "The first Noel".

My one complaint is the brevity of the disc, 7 songs clocking in at about 28 minutes. Encore anyone? Get this if you can.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Spirited and funky interpretations of Christmas classics! Loved it!!, December 8, 2008

By 

Errin Mac "musicnista" (Baldwin, New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Philly Soul Christmas (Audio CD)

I picked this album up at Target last week and have no regrets. I love Musiq's new spin on traditional Christmas songs. I enjoy the way he plays with harmony and melody throughout. In my opinion the 3 standouts and my favorites are the syncopated drums of Deck the Halls (Someone should give the drummer a medal! Awesome work!!), the reggae-tinged O Holy Night and the funky O Christmas Tree. This album is a must have this Christmas season.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the One..., November 23, 2008

By 

Ebonee T. Robinson "ms ebby" (Kent, Wa USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Philly Soul Christmas (Audio CD)

I actually bought this last night in the store at target for $6.99, and have been listening to it all day/night. Any Musiq Soulchild fan will LOVE his christmas album. I only wish it was longer than 7 songs, his voice is way to good and soulful to be making only 7 songs on a cd. I recommend this 100% to anyone. And the rhythm of the songs match the album title.. 'a philly soul christmas'.... it sure is soulful and fun to listen and jam to whether in the car or at home...Be sure to grab a copy and keep it everywhere with you and upload it on your mp3 player... Its that good and fun to jam to.... My favorite tracks to listen to on there are #'s 1-7... (basically, the whole cd).