With the holiday season quickly approaching, I've found myself drawn to the music surrounding the season. Problem is, I admit I'm quite the fuddy-duddy when it comes to Christmas music. I love the Harry Simeone Chorale's rendition of "The Little Drummer Boy," Bing Crosby belting out "White Christmas," and so many others that I grew up with (that haven't made it to CD). And while I like some of the material on the A Very Special Christmas series, some of the magic is just lacking.
Then, there's Mariah Carey (making her fourth appearance on "The Daily Vault"'s pages). I picked up her 1994 release Merry Christmas for 20 cents at a used record sale this summer - 'course, I didn't know I had bought a bootleg tape. With a DJ job staring me in the face, I thought I'd better listen to it to make sure it was of good quality to play at the party.
And though I ripped Carey a few months ago (and have the flame
mail to prove it), I have to admit that I did enjoy this album more
than I thought I would. More often than not, Carey's vocals
seemperfect for the songs she's singing.
Her take on "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" is a very enjoyable one, and one where she tampers her multi-octave range to deliver the message of the song. And deliver it she does. A similar number, "All I Want For Christmas Is You," quickly shows why it's one of the more popular songs on the album.
Now, for the admission. Last time I reviewed Carey, I was particularly hard on the way she sang diva-like, that it seemed to be more of a show-off work for her vocals. Well, when you hear the way she hits the high notes on "O Holy Night," you'll appreciate her range. It brought a tear to my eye when I heard it. (Yes, JB, there is a Santa Claus... I found a Mariah Carey song I really like!)
I'll admit I don't think the world needed a dance version of "Joy To The World," but seeing that I have a hard enough time appreciating some of the modern Christmas music, I won't criticize the decision to do the song in this style. (I guess it's not that bad a version, anyway.)
The only real criticism I have of Merry Christmas is Carey's attempt to sing gospel on the last song, "Jesus Oh What A Wonderful Child." Now, I can appreciate her reasons for choosing this song and performing it in this style. But Carey is not a gospel singer,no matter how hard she may try. I just don't think that her vocal style fits the genre. (Settle down if you're now getting ready to flame me; I'm not ripping on her, just stating an opinion.)
The one question about the album is: Will it stand the test of time to become a holiday classic? Well, I dunno; it's only been out for three years, so it's far too early to tell. From my experience, if a Christmas album is still being sold and played 25 years after its release, it's a classic. Johnny Mathis, Barbra Streisand and Andy Williams still sell during the holidays, and their musical genres have somewhat passed. Somehow, I think this album may still sell in 2010.
Merry Christmas is evidence of Carey's talents as a singer, and possibly her wanting to overachieve a bit. But even someone who isn't a big Mariah Carey fan (like, well... y'know...) should find pleasure in this one. Almost restores my faith in the modern holiday music scene.