Truly inspiring Christmas music
Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 10/27/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a fairly mellow album, ideal for playing during those quieter moments around Christmas. It will appeal especially to fans of folk, country and bluegrass music who enjoy their music in a fairly traditional setting, but may also appeal to some fans of small jazz combos, soft rock and light orchestral music who appreciate musical artistry at its finest.
The music here is mainly acoustic featuring piano, acoustic and bass guitars, mandolin and dobro. You will occasionally hear electric guitars and drums but neither these nor the other instruments ever get in the way of Stacy's wonderful voice although there are a few instrumental breaks to allow you to hear how good the musicians are. On the acoustic tracks, the instruments are often played in such a way as to create an enchanting ripple effect.
The opening track (Some children see him) is an old but very thoughtful song about different people's views of Christianity. Next is the title track, a song about a broken relationship - the mention of snow is sufficient excuse to include this excellent song on a Christmas album. The third track (Christmas morning 1969) is the only original song here. Written by two members of Stacy's family, Stacy sounds very convincing even though 1969 was long past by the time of her birth.
We then come to the first of the Christmas standards (I'll be home for Christmas). Maybe Stacy relates to the song in some way as she delivers one of the finest versions of this song that I've ever heard. Next is a Joni Mitchell song (River) about a broken relationship - here the first verse discusses Christmas so again it's a good enough excuse to include it here. Thus far, the album is hugely impressive but it gets even better.
I've heard several incredible versions of Away in a manger, but Stacy and her musicians easily match those versions - indeed, this may best of them all. However, even ahead of that, my favorite track here is Ave Maria, which I've never previously heard with a simple acoustic backing. This song provides a severe technical test for any singer, ruthlessly exposing any vocal weakness. By including it here, Stacy leaves nobody in any doubt that she is a world-class singer. I compared Stacy's version with other covers of this song including those by Jewel, Barbra Streisand and Elaine Paige (three of the finest female voices I've ever heard who all sing the song superbly) and Stacy's version is definitely my favorite.
Further brilliant covers follow - Silent night, Have yourself a merry little Christmas (these two tracks are listed the other way round on the CD packaging) and Winter wonderland. Stacy then closes the album with a fine cover of a song that Peggy Lee wrote in the eighties (Angels on your pillow), which isn't really a Christmas song but it mentions angels so that's a good enough excuse to include it.
I've reviewed over 100 Christmas albums on Amazon including some at other Amazon sites and (after reminding myself of them while preparing this review) I know that this is the best of all despite those other albums being recorded by many of my all-time favorite singers. Back in the sixties, the Beatles did a magical mystery tour. Now you can roll up for another magical mystery tour, in which you will discover Stacy Sullivan's musical artistry."
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1