Joan Osborne - Christmas Means Love
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Music CD Cover
Artist: Joan OsborneEdition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2007-09-11
Music Label: Time Life Records
Soundtracks:
- Christmas Means Love
- Santa Claus Baby
- Away In a Manger
- Christmas Must Be Tonight
- Cherry Tree Carol
- Christmas In New Orleans
- Children Go Where I Send Thee
- Angels We Have Heard On High
- What Do Bad Girls Get?
- Great Day In December
- Silent Night
Free Music Notes for Christmas Means Love
Free Music Review: Brilliant but hard to classify
Hit: 5 Stars
Having been raised in Kentucky, Joan might have been expected to seek a musical career in country or bluegrass music, but she headed instead for New York where she was able to find her own musical style, blending jazz, blues, soul and pop with some country added into the mix when it suits her. Not that you'll find much evidence of Joan's country roots here, as this album tends to rely more on jazz, blues and soul influences; the liner notes suggest Billie Holiday, Ray Charles and Etta James as obvious influences and that`s fine by me as I`m a fan of all three singers. The results are brilliant, as even the obvious songs (Away in a manger, Silent night) prove, both of them sounding very distinctive here.
Actually, Joan generally steers clear of the obvious songs, preferring to go for original, obscure or rarely-recorded songs elsewhere on the album. I believe Christmas must be tonight (written by Robbie Robertson) was originally recorded by The Band. I don't remember hearing any other recording of this song so I'm pleased that Joan chose to revive it. Another oldie is the jazz/blues classic Christmas in New Orleans, which Joan also revives to great effect. In its full length version, as heard on Mary Chapin Carpenter's Christmas album Come darkness come light, there are twelve verses to Children go where I send thee, but Joan chose to only do the first four verses although she included a long fade-out.
Cherry tree carol is a traditional song that often turns up on choral Christmas albums but rarely on a mainstream album, so it's another inspired choice by Joan. Another traditional carol, Angels we have heard on high, occasionally turns up on mainstream albums, but not so often that you'd get tired of hearing it. The remaining four songs (Christmas means love, Santa Claus baby, What do bad girls get?, Great day in December) are all new to me and may well be originals. Indeed, Joan actually wrote my favorite among them, What do bad girls get?, so that one's definitely original and it leaves one to wonder what inspired Joan to write that song, as well as leaving one wondering what Santa gives to those bad girls.
This is a wonderful Christmas album that largely avoids the obvious tracks (and therefore won't appeal to those who just want to hear the same old classics). If you enjoy a blend of jazz, blues and soul music and you are looking for Christmas music that is a little different from the more typical alternatives, this could be just what you're looking for.
Christmas Means Love Poster
Critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Joan Osborne captures the essence of the holidays on Christmas Means Love with her versatile voice that easily goes from delicate and evocative to jazzy and glorious. Following in the tradition of Breakfast in Bed (Osborne?s May 2007 album of soul covers and original R&B-styled songs), here Osborne sings her heart out on 11 holiday songs backed by a rootsy blues band and, at times, a choir. This intimate seasonal album is a perfect balance of the secular (Santa Claus Baby) and the sacred (Away in the Manger), both sassy (What Do Bad Girls Get?) and somber (Angels We Have Heard On High). In all, Osborne?s Christmas Means Love is a wonderfully earthy approach to heavenly holiday music.Miscellaneous Music CDs
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