Customer Reviews

A Philly Soul Christmas

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

 

 

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.

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.

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).

Musiq Soulchild's 2008 Christmas EP "A Philly Soul Christmas" had limited distribution, but I recommend that his fans seek it out as it is an immensely enjoyable release. The upbeat renditions of Christmas standards with the production and instrumentation of classic Philadelphia R&B are ingenious and Musiq's performance is wonderful as well. The album has a light and joyful feel enhanced by the rich music. I love the ultra-funky "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," the low-key "Deck the Halls," and the unlikely staccato of "O Holy Night." "The First Noel" and "O Christmas Tree" are also winners. This album was a great surprise, Musiq Soulchild sounds great and he goes far beyond the standard urban Christmas format with a creative, stylish gem. I highly recommend that fans of Musiq and R&B alike seek out "A Philly Soul Christmas."

I brought this CD a couple of weeks ago from Target. I immediately imported it into my iTunes and listened to it from my computer. Well, to say the least, I wasn't that impressed. I loaded it into my car about a week later, MAN!!!! This CD is really GOOOOOOOD. If you like a little P-Funk in your Christmas, you would swear George & the boys are getting down on Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.... As I said this CD is a keeper, it just doesn't sound good on cheap computer speakers.... In order for funk to move, it must be played through Bose, you dig!!!

I remeber when this album came out right after Musiq released his fifth album OnMyRadio. The album contains Christmas standards such as The First Noel, Jingle Bells and Deck The Halls. Musiq's voice is in top form as usual, however since holiday records seem more like more of a contractal obligation as oppose to artist's choice, one wishes that music would have made an album similar to Alexander O'Neal's My Gift To You which featured ten oringial songs written by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and two covers. Neverthe less this is a fine album for the holidays.