A Christmas Gift of Love
click the image to get it in cd-cover size
| Release Date: |
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| Label: |
Sony |
| Rating: |
4.5 |
Description: It's refreshing to hear a version of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" that doesn't reference the arrangement Phil Spector came up with on
A Christmas Gift for You four decades ago. Barry Manilow's rendition was inspired by Bing Crosby's 1945 collaboration with the Andrews Sisters. And that pretty much explains where the artist is coming from on the majority of this holiday offering. This is a
big orchestrated (and voiced) Christmas album, most of it well suited for delivery on a Broadway stage. Accordingly, the singer picks holiday-themed tunes from the likes of Rodgers & Hammerstein, Sammy Cahn & Jule Styne, Irving Berlin, and Frank Loesser. Then, just to confuse things a bit (this is, after all, someone who had a huge hit with Ian Hunter's "Ships"), Manilow throws in a superb cover of "River," Joni Mitchell's ode to Christmas depression. Everything else is warm and festive, though, including the Manilow-penned title track. The singer's longtime fans will adore this collection.
--Bill Holdship
Tracklist of A Christmas Gift of Love
Reviews:
a good Christmas album
the thing that one has to remember is that Barry Manilow is NOT "pop" anymore. since the late '80s he's dabbled in jazz, swing, and big-band to a point where by the mid '90s he was being played on big-band radio stations! no joke! i heard Barry on a pop standards station a few months ago. Dean Martin was singing "Volarè" and then Barry came on with "Ships", followed by a song by Patti Page! Manilow has certainly grouped himself with perfect company...accidentally or on purpose...and his music has ALWAYS had more class and feel to it than his contemporaries and maybe that's why there was a resistance from the rock generation to embrace Manilow the way the AC market did. This Christmas album, his first since 1990, is done in the style he's now famous for: big band. i don't mind the short running time. i don't want to hear an hour or more worth of songs by anyone in one sitting...especially holiday songs. But this holiday album serves it's purpose. It doesn't drag on and on like a classical song might do...we're treated to holiday songs in a jazzy environment. An A&E special was aired to help promote the album...it didn't have to happen because the CD would've hit GOLD with or without massive promotion because we're ALL in those checkout lines or on-line whenever we get word that Manilow is out with something new...out of the 11 songs on here, only a few are genuine classics. the others are holiday-themed songs like "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve", "River", "The Christmas Waltz", "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm", or "A Gift of Love". Manilow also brings us the Bing Crosby style "Santa Claus IS Coming To Town". The only song that comes across as a novelty {and i LOVE comedy/novelty songs} is "My Favorite Things" which i've always described as a Christmas version of the Phil Harris classic "That's What I Like About the South". The only drawback, since Manilow is now sub-merged in jazz and swing music, is it lacks a "modern" pop feel and that might scare off teenyboppers and younger adults who don't like the sounds of their grandparents style of music because it's seen as un-cool and "safe", whatever that means. it's a great holiday CD...not too long and not too short
I Feel Cheated
First of all, I AM a Barry Manilow fan. When I heard that a new Christmas album was coming out in 2002, I was excited. After his first Christmas album, Because It's Christmas, which was an excellent album, I couldn't wait to buy this one and hear it. What a disappointment. Only 11 songs, most of them shorter than 3 minutes, some not even 2 minutes long. There's not a standout song on the entire album. Better luck next time, Barry.
terrible
I am a manilow fan, but this album really is terrible, played once and i had a blue christmas
