Get your merry-making on with new Yule-themed releases
With Christmas almost upon us, it’s time for everything new and shiny, including updating our playlist for the holidays.
Here are Yule-themed album releases to get you into the Christmas spirit even more:
‘The Christmas Present’ – Robbie Williams
This double-album is set “Christmas Past” and “Christmas Future.”
The first consists of remakes of Yule classics as “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!,” “Winter Wonderland,” “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire),” and other oldies from so far back these actually sound new to us. For example, “One Last Christmas” sounds like something Tom Jones or Neil Diamond would sing in their 70’s heyday. “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” features Canadian wild-hoarse Bryan Adams whose raspy voice is tailor-made for a doowop song like this.
The second set consists of new holiday-themed songs. Tracks like “Time For Change,” “Idlewild,” and “Darkest Night” sound nothing like your traditional tunes, which, I guess, was done in purpose. Maybe Williams hopes these songs will be unearthed in the future as Christmas songs ahead of its time? Only time will tell. Anyway, we like how the minstrel, ye-olde renaissance feels of “Fairytales” sounds. Oh that’s Rod Stewart sharing vocals with Williams, by the way.
‘A Legendary Christmas’ – John Legend
John Legend has gone from the guy who sang “All Of Me” to the guy who’s on “The Voice.” Still, we haven’t forgotten that this dude can inject some serious soul feels into any song he does, including Christmas ditties. And it’s the positive, soulful kind that he dishes out on his firstever, all-Yule album.
On opening track “What Christmas Means To Me,” he gets some jolly Motown feel — and he’s even got no less than Stevie Wonder to do the mouth harp. The track is reminiscent of The Supremes’ “You Can’t Hurry Love” but festooned in red and green.
Legend echoes some of that Billy Joel (another piano virtuoso) on “Bring Me Love.” Not exactly “Uptown Girl” but it’s just right about in the same corner.
On the upbeat “This Christmas,” it’s Marvin Gaye that Legend gets to emulate. There’s something about that classic Motown beat and strings that can’t be beat. We always thought that John Coltrane’s take on “My Favorite Things” can’t be beat but Legend’s showtune-sy reading gives this old gem a burnished glow.
Speaking of classics, we will always love “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” While we think that the Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer version of this Frank Loesser-written song from 1949 is the definitive version of this song, we wouldn’t say no to a version that sees “The Voice” judges Kelly Clarkson and Legend trading and tussling lines on this flirty, and at times deemed creepy, winter song.
On the same album, Esperanza Spalding appears and sings with Legend on at times jazzy, swinging remake of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” Though already a year-old, this album deserves to get another spin. And why not, when it sounds this good?