Customer Reviews

WOW Christmas: 30 Top Christian Artists and Holiday Songs

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

The CD collection is definately not something I was expecting to hear when I first put the CD into the player. But as I started listening to the tracks repeatedly, I found that the songs grew on me, even if the styles aren't what I would expect from these Christian artists.

Most of the songs have either more of a Popular/Top 40 or Rhythm and Blues feel to them, mixed with the traditional lyrics and tunes that most people are familiar with. And while not every song is devoted to Christ - and some do have that "snowy-stay-cozy-near-the-fire" feeling to them - most songs in the compilation are more suited to Christ's birth than other popular collections that are released this time of year.

If you're after something that's reflecting Prayer/Praise music or traditional hymns found in a church setting, this CD may not be for you. But if you're after a combination of time-honored Christmas songs mixed with contemporary styles, then the CD is quite a pleasant surprise.

Presenting hit songs every year for over 5 years now, the WOW series has made a name for itself in the Christian market. With this CD set, the series turns its eye toward Christmas music with good but not great results.

The first song, Avalon's take on "Winter Wonderland" should give you a clue what you're in for. While most of the 31 songs are familiar, they have been arranged to fit the musical styles of the artists who perform them here. While I enjoy alternative arrangements, too many get on my nerves. This is especially true when we get into artists whose styles I'm not fond of anyway. And it hardly feels like Christmas music, even if you already know the song.

One plus of this two disc set, however, is that many of the songs are new recordings. Artists without Christmas CD's have recorded songs that are only available here, and it's nice to have the new material, which represents almost half of the set.

Most of the songs are the classics we hear every year, but some artists are represented by their more original, new classics. For example, we get Michael W. Smith's, "Emmanuel," Amy Grant's "Breath of Heaven," and 4 Him's "Strange Way to Save the World." Also falling into this category is "Mary, Did You Know?" sung here by Kathy Mattea and Plus One's "A Prayer for Every Year." While I appreciate their attempt to Christianize "Grown Up Christmas List," I somehow find it lyrically lacking and ultimately disappointing.

Ultimately, I find the songs I'm drawn to most to be the ones from CD's I already have and love. It's a good set, but I don't see it getting more then a couple listens each year.

This is one of my favourite Christmas music collections, along with Donna Summer's classy 'Christmas Spirit'. The name really says it all, wow!!!

Ranging in style from jazzy treatments, to alternative rock to urban, this is a collection of perrennial favourites redone (and in some cases drastically redone) by most of contemporary Christian music's best. This might not appeal to some but I love the different treatments.

Disc one has the swinging jazzy treatment of 'Winter wonderland' by Avalon featuring the tight harmonies they are known for. 'Strange way to save the world' is a beautiful ballad by 4Him with lyrics about God's choice to send a baby in a manger to save us all. There is the melodramatic 'Emmanuel' by Michael W Smith, the stunning acoustic treatment of 'O come, o come, Emmanuel' by Nicole C Mullen (check out her brilliant 'Christmas in black and white' CD), the celebratory 'Hallelujah' by Soulful Celebration, the soul/gospel choir sound of Kirk Franklin's 'The night that Christ was born, and the awesome 'Mary did you know' by Kathy Mattea, with lyrics asking Mary if she knew the baby she was carrying would one day walk on water and be the saviour of the whole world.

Disc 2 is more rock laced and edgier; 'Do you hear what I hear' by Third Day, an acoustic 'What child is this' by MercyMe, the rocky 'Little drummer boy' by Audio Adrenaline, a soulful rendition of 'O little town of Bethlehem' by Out of Eden, complete with a much needed prayer for peace on earth, the driving rock/pop of 'Angels we have heard on high' by ZOEgirl, 'O little town of Bethlehem' by Caedmon's call, a wonderful slow shuffling performance of 'Christmastime is here' by Sixpence none the richer, the acoustic 'God rest ye merry gentlemen' by Jars of clay featuring excellent harmonising, and the hip hop 'This Christmas (joy to the world)' by TobyMac.

If you are looking for a beautiful, experimental collection of Christmas music with the message of Christmas told, this is the CD for you.

This is one of the best Christmas CD's I have purchased. All the artists do a great job singing some of these old classics. I especially liked Third Days rendition of "Do You Hear What I Hear?". I loved and so do all my friends. Have a Merry Christmas.

I have only recently began entering the world of modern Christian music and have so far been rather impressed with what I have found. And this set ups my opinion even more.

There is such a wide variety of styles and songs on these two cds that you really do find something for just about everyone. Disc one centers more on the lighter and in some places more traditional side of the holiday, while disc two has the more modern feel and arrangements. For me personally, disc two is far and above the quality of disc one though both have their pros and cons.

My most favorite Christmas song ever is "What Chid Is This?" and recently have been digging everywhere and listening to every version of this song I could find, desperately searching for what MercyMe produced here: a very reverent appreciation to the song, but a "modern" twist. This song literally left me speechless after the first listen and sent many chills down my spine. Just perfect. Acoustic based with soaring harmonies and a full orchestra backing. Didn't take more than a few seconds for it to immediately solidify itself as the BEST recording of my favorite song.

Other stellar tracks include Third Day's "Do You Here What I Hear?" that starts quiet with conga drums and builds through to an exciting climax; Caedmon's Call and "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear"--acoustic, upbeat, and the perfect touch of a children's choir; "Breath Of Heaven" by Amy Grant is an instant classic about Mary's apprehension towards raising the Son of God.

Even if you're not fond of the styles of many of the featured artists, the songs on these cds you may end up enjoying more than expected such as: "Sing Mary Sing", "This Christmas", "A Strange Way to Save the World".

Though I myself do not enjoy several songs included, I still gave this 5 stars because of the tracks I do like and I can gaurantee that other people will be just as enthusiastic about the other songs. Only real disappointments: "Little Drummer Boy", "Angles We Have Heard On High", "Winter Wonderland", "Go Tell It On a Mountain."

Not at all what I expected from WOW, but a pleasant surprise. Interesting takes on old favorites and some new material from current Christian artists. Had the car stereo up a bit too loud and Avalon's Winter Wonderland nearly blew the glass out of the windows (what a horn section!). If you want a diversion from the old standards (would somebody please strangle the next person who plays Holly Jolly Christmas!), this cd is a refreshing escape from the mundane.

There is a nice mix of styles and songs on this CD. The only disappointment is some of the more secular/traditional songs, which you can get on other CDs done better by other people. But it's definately worth having.

I don't understand the negative reviews on this one. If you are looking to traditional arrangements of all of these songs, there are thousands of other CD's to pick up. Stop and think for a second, "Would you honestly expect Audio Adrenaline to do a traditional version of Little Drummer Boy?" I can honestly say that is is one Christmas album that will NOT collect dust between January and November, and the ONLY other Christmas album I can say that about is Vince Guaraldi's Charlie Brown Christmas. Don't hesitate for a second on this one IF you are looking for the songs you love but want to hear them done in a different way.

I love this CD. As you can see some of the other people who wrote these reviews didn't like it as much as I did. Even though they are a different arrangement, give them a chance. I know most of these bands from listening to KLOVE (a christian contemparary station). When one of these people heard Christian Artists they probably thought Southen Gospel, just plain gospel or something else because I have heard of all of the artists. If you listen to any of the contemparary artists you should get this CD, you'll be glad you did.

I've been listening to WOW Christian compilation CDs for a while now. My first was 1995, and the Christmas discs are a great addition. This album has a fresh and modern sound, and the variety of artists gives an excellent blend of genres. Of the 31 songs only two or three don't have a distinct Christian message. Some songs such as `Breath of Heaven' and `Ava Maria' are very traditional while some are new renditions of old classics such as `Do you Hear what I Hear?', and some are less well known. My favorite of these is `What a Strange Way to Save the World' performed by 4Him which describes how Jesus saved the world and how strange indeed it seems. I also love the song `Mary did you know?' performed beautifully by Kathy Mettea which asks Mary if she knew all the great things her baby boy would do. There are a few songs that I think try too hard to be modern such as the rap song `This Christmas Joy to the World' and `The Little Durmmer Boy' which has a bit too much electric guitar. Besides those few, I like all the others for a slightly different Christmas sound that doesn't get old after listening for a few rounds.