Richard C. from MARLBOROUGH, MA Reviewed on 10/31/2006...
Christmas Collection - MINT
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CD Reviews
Reba is awesome in this album!
Justin Crawford | Sauquoit, New York | 11/20/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a stellar Reba album. She deserves all the credit for the album. She is just great. All the songs will put you in a instant Christmas mood. Reba sings with emotion and feeling with a little bit of humor in this recording. Reba, you are the best!"
CONTEMPORARY CHRISTMAS MEETS CLASSICAL...GREAT!
Jordan | 06/12/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"NOT MANY artists have career longevity (or guts) enough to put out two Christmas albums in one career; enter country's long-reigning queen, Reba McEntire (we're talking someone awards shows had to tell their members NOT to vote for because she was so dominant). This Christmas album is my favorite that I've ever heard. Reba, who arranged two tracks, flawlessly blends traditional carols (which she arranges) with powerful, contemporary Christmas songs. I listen to this album in August for goodness' sakes! The highlight of the album to me is "One Child, One Day," a song many love and some are unable to grasp the inner meaning; sometimes with more contemporary music we forget what all this Christmas business is about, the real SPIRITual meanings. Another powerful performance is Reba's fleckless "deliverance" of the half classic half carol "Mary, Did You Know?" Talk about a (Warning, cliche time!) tear jerker! She also turns in great performances on "The Secret Of Giving" and the delightful "This Is My Prayer For You." Highly recommended, not only will you get in the spirit of Christmas, but you'll understand more of the real SPIRIT of things! A great 5 stars."
"It is so amazing how someone can knock a person right out of their seats with a Christmas album. Reba's voice is just so sensational that it brings out the spirit of Christmas. It is a must for everyone even those who aren't Reba fans. This is the best Christmas album that I have ever heard. Excellent job, REBA!"
Heart, Soul, and Holiday
Patrick Gilchriest | Syracuse, NY | 11/27/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Between this album and Reba's first Christmas album, "Merry Christmas to You," you have all you need for the holidays! The first album has more traditional Christmas favorites, and this one has a couple with a lot of great new material that captures the true spirit of the holiday.
1. This is My Prayer for You--This is a great way to start off the album. With a great country up-tempo, it may not have snow and sleigh bells, but it does offer the hope for a season filled with joy, peace, and love.
2. I Saw Mama Kissing Santa Claus--A Christmas favorite that Reba's voice is perfect for; very enjoyable song!
3. One Child, One Day--An upbeat country tune that celebrates the true meaning of Christmas--Christ coming into the world!
4. Mary, Did You Know?--This has always been a favorite song of mine, and Reba's voice is PERFECT for it. It really helps you to reflect on not only the significance of Christmas from the lens of Christ's birth, but also from Mary's courage in saying "yes" to God and allowing all of this to happen.
5. Up on the Housetop--Another Christmas favorite with a really upbeat tempo that is a lot of fun to listen to!
6. The Angels Sang--Another great song that focuses on the true meaning of the Christmas season....and the children's chorus is a nice touch!
7. Santa Claus is Coming Back to Town--The saddest song on the album, telling the story of a divorced couple and the mother who decides to let her ex-husband play Santa Claus for the kids despite how hard it will be on her to have him there. While it may not be the most uplifting song in the world, Reba's voice is crisp, clear, and beautiful as always and it captures the reality of a lot of family situations around the country. Beautiful.
8. The Secret of Giving--Perhaps the most "un-Christmas" song on the album in tone, but it's another song that captures the true spirit of the season----giving from the heart!!
9. This Christmas--Probably my favorite song on the CD. This song really captures three big things about the season: 1) The courage of the Wise Men to seek the Christ child despite the fact that "logic told them it was crazy," 2) Mary's courage in facing the long, winding road ahead of her, and 3) the love Christ felt for the world even though he came into it knowing people would not believe him. Wonderful.
10. 'Til the Season Comes 'Round Again--The best way to end the album! The first song on the CD was a great opener, and with this song, it all comes to a nice, complete circle. This beautiful lyrical song focuses on the beauty of having family and friends around you during the holiday, and the hope that we can all retain that love through the new year...until the season comes around again! "One night, holy and bright, shining with love from our hearts! By a warm fire, let's lift our heads high, and be thankful we're here until this time next year."
This album has faced a lot of criticism on here because it does not have a lot of traditional Christmas carols. While I love the traditional Christmas carols as much as the next guy, I am so grateful to have a Christmas album that is so full in faith, hope, and love. Reba McEntire delivers another masterful work with ten songs that in different ways all capture the true spirit of the Christmas season, and I find it to be very inspiring. Her voice is as wonderful and beautiful as always, adding her special touch (her own brand of holiday magic!) to a collection I will cherish forever.
And I will certainly be pulling this one out all season long and I will do the same "when the season comes around again!""
I HAVE TO AGREE
demajor | Tell City, IN | 10/22/2005
(1 out of 5 stars)
"It pains me when I have to rate a Reba product low. I've done so on a couple of her CDs that I just don't think made the mark. But this, as a Christmas CD, is very inferior compared to her first Christmas CD which I really love. Its too bad that she couldn't have picked better standards and better songs for this one and she could have incorporated some Christmas sounding stuff on here as well to set it apart from the stuff she usually does. There is nothing distinctive about this CD at all. I hoe she releases another Christmas CD in the future and that she does it in a "classic" way that sounds Christmasy...like Clay Aiken's Christmas CD or Patty Loveless' Mountain Christmas CD...those are incredible. This one is not."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1
Mark T. (BranddX) 
Richard C. from MARLBOROUGH, MA 
