One of my Top 10 Christmas CD's
Christopher Bubb | 12/23/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This CD does everything well - the big orchestral arrangements that are fun and swingy, the hauntingly beautiful religious songs she wrote, the softer acoustic numbers. She doesn't make any bad choices here and there's maximum style with minimal schmaltz. I'd never purchased any of her music before but consider this in my top 10 of Christmas CD's, which is saying a lot because I've collected a ton of Christmas music over the years."
A holiday classic!
Christopher Bubb | Saline, MI United States | 12/08/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Listen to any radio station that plays continuous Christmas music around the holiday season, and you're bound to hear a song by Amy Grant at least once during the broadcast day. To be expected, since she's now released three Christmas albums. But on this, her second Christmas effort, released in 1992 on the heels of the multi-platinum pop breakthrough HEART IN MOTION, she pulls it off especially well. It's completely devoid of the "fluffy" pop stuff for which she's been reviled. The album features plenty of the usual burnt-to-a-crisp Christmas standards, including "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," "Winter Wonderland" and "O Come All Ye Faithful," but Amy puts her stamp on each of these to make them special. "Winter Wonderland" features a nice, jazzy arrangement, and "O Come..." is highlighted by a strong vocal performance from Amy and a boy's choir in the background. Amy also covers David Foster and Natalie Cole's "Grown-Up Christmas List," which has since been recorded by everyone and his mother, and her version remains my favorite (there was also an accompanying video). (Sorry, Kelly Clarkson; this song is best handled by a non-"diva" singer.) There are also faithful remakes of Andy Williams' "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" and Carly Simon's "The Night Before Christmas" (which, being a Carly fan also, I definitely enjoyed). The real standouts on "Home For Christmas," though, are the originals. "Emmanuel, God With Us" is haunting. Of course, "Breath Of Heaven (Mary's Song)" is the real classic. It's an account of how the Virgin Mary must have felt knowing that she was about to give birth to the Savior of the world. To this day, I can't listen to it without getting misty. It has deservedly since become a standard and has been recorded by several other artists, including Broadway star Barbara Cook and most recently by (oh, puh-leeeze) Jessica Simpson. That song alone is worth the price of this album. If you're looking for a Christmas album with an even mix of the secular and the spiritual and without the glitz, flash and vocal acrobatics of Mariah, Celine and the like, this album is for you. No surprise to me that it's still an airplay favorite at Christmas time these days."