A Very Very Somewhat Special Christmas Album

Simply put, A Very Special Christmas combines together top name musical stars who put out interesting and enjoyable renditions of popular Christmas Songs. This isn't Mariah Carey belting out a whole CD of songs, nor is it Barbara Streisand putting us all to sleep with her attempts at producing a whole Christmas album. A Very Special Christmas combines together top notch musical artists who are each given just once track and one chance to get us into the Holiday Spirit. I find these holiday complication CD's the best on the market, plus the makers of A Very Special Christmas always make sure that the best of the best are represented. The first CD contains such famous (even today) artists as: The Pointer Sisters, Eurythmics, Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, The Pretenders, John Cougar Mellencamp, Sting, Run D.M.C., U2, Madonna, Bob Seger, Bryan Adams, Bon Jovi, Alison Moyet, and Stevie Nicks. Even in 2001, this CD which was made in 1987 contains enough famous artists to make it surpass any ordinary Christmas album--even if Britney Spears or 'N Sync released one.

The Pointer Sisters "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"
I've never been a fan of The Pointer Sisters, but I do enjoy their take on the song simply because it gets the CD rolling and gets my heart into the holiday spirit. I could do just a tad without the overt cheeriness that they use throughout the song (I guess in a small way, I am a little bit of a grinch), but overall the song isn't an absolute skipper. Besides the cheeriness, I would of preferred if the track didn't have the background antics that the Pointer Sister I guess are famous for. At times accompanied with the lyrics and the background music, the antics make the song sound messy. By far it's not my favorite track on the CD.

Eurythmics "Winter Wonderland"
Anne Lenox's voice is perfectly matched with this song, as is the background music that sounds very like something the Eurythmics would do. The song definitely sounds very 80's, but easily transcends throughout the years. The only thing the song could do without is the vocal gibberish that appears mid way through the song and reappears at the end. Plus the last minute of the song is a long fade out where Lenox simply repeats over and over the title of the track while her voice continues on with some various gibberish.

Whitney Houston "Do You Hear What I Hear"
As normal with any song that Houston touches, Do You Hear What I Hear showcases the inner power that Whitney can convey when she's not drugged. Last pun I swear. Okay, okay, it is in the chorus that Whitney's voice shines. Each note is perfectly delivered without any stress. She was one of my favorite female artists when I was younger, and I'm happy she was included on this album.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band "Merry Christmas Baby"
First off I have a dislike for live songs. Especially if the singer is trying to get the attention of the audience members by yelling countless time "Merry Christmas!" I guess that's what Springsteen likes to do, but in terms of a Christmas album it kind of stands out and at least in my opinion brings the album down. Hate to say it, but this is a skipper in my books.

The Pretenders "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"
I don't know who the singer is on this track, but I love her voice and her interpretation of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. The song is slow with very little background music. The music carries the song, but the voice is far more important.

John Cougar Mellencamp "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"
Just a little too okie rock and roll for me. The songs is riddled with an accordion and guitars accompanied by Mellencamp's voice that sounds like he is trying too hard to pronounce words. Plus in order to complete the track countless female backup singers must be used to conclude the song. Hate to say it again, but this is a skipper in my books.

Sting "Gabriel's Message"
Similar to the Eurythmics, this track sounds just like what you'd expect from Sting, but with its own special flair. The background music is simply a low soft organ accompanied by a constant sound that I can't really describe expect that it kind of gives off the Vertigo effect. As for Sting, his voice is accompanied by other male voices that sing the same words he just sang, but out of synch with his own voice. The song sounds very angelic.

Run - D.M.C. "Christmas in Hollis"
Christmas in Hollis is the only rap song on the album. In fact, Run D.M.C. seems to contribute a rap song to each of A Very Special Christmas albums. The song is your normal 80's style rap which utilizes lots of quick beats, some saxophones, sharp drums, and various rappers who say their lines so fast that it can be at times hard to understand. Overall, I normally listen to this track, although in recent years I have found it much harder to enjoy. No one else in my family likes any kind of rap, and won't give it the time of day even if it is a Christmas tune. So unfortunately this track has become a skipper purely because of it's genre.

U2 "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)�
Because of the age of this CD, this U2 song doesn't sound anything like how U2 has become in recent years. If I had to guess, I'd say this track was made around the time of Joshua Tree, where the band simply used rock and roll guitars, drums, and of course Bono's voice. They don't use any electrical instruments or techno-like music that they experimented with in their later years. The only problem I have with Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) is that the track if fairly short only lasting a little over 2 minutes. Plus the chorus repeats so frequently that the song sounds kind of repetitious.

Madonna "Santa Baby"
Speaking of age, during this time Madonna was still taking chances left and right. Here, she utilizes a child-like voice while retaining some sex appeal along the lines of Marilyn Monroe. It's a carefree track which uses very little background music except for a few bells and strings here and there. Whenever I listen to the track I can't help but think that it made during the Dick Tracy time along the lines of her I'm Breathless album.

Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band "The Little Drummer Boy"
This is by far my favorite track on this CD. A perfect rendition of The Little Drummer Boy (minus the Vienna Boys Choir). The song is simple in the fact that it doesn't alter the original song in anyway except for a few small outbursts from some of the background instruments (primarily the saxophone and electric guitar). Bob Seger sings the song straight-forward and was the perfect match to make this song for this CD.

Bryan Adams "Run Rudolph Run"
If you ever needed another reason to hate Bryan Adams then you don't have to look much further than this track. First off, it doesn't sound anything like Bryan Adams, particularly because it was recorded live during some show with a background audience. The song is also sped up with lots of drums, a piano, and electric guitars that blend together because the song is presented live without any mastering. Personally, I normally don't completely hate live songs, but this song kind of stands out on this album as an incomprehensible mess.

Bon Jovi "Back Door Santa"
Another live track where you have to listen to lots of screaming fans and instruments that bleed together because they don't get to benefit from mastering in the studio. And similar to Bryan Adams, Bon Jovi's voice isn't clear especially during his frequent screams or stretches of his voice. Plus a part of me has to wonder about the song. I don't remember it being on any other albums, so I wonder if it's an original song by Bon Jovi. If so, a part of me questions the meaning behind Back Door Santa. I don't know what it means primarily because I cannot understand most words he sings.

Alison Moyet "The Coventry Carol"
Track sounds very similar to something from Eurythmics or Anne Lenox, although from my limited knowledge of music Alison Moyet has no association with either (if this is not the case, please let me know in the comment section). The carol is very beautiful and simple. Alison's voice reins throughout the track and is only interrupted every so often by a loud bells and electronic instruments that in a way seem to operate like a period (�.�). The music has a bit of mystery to it, heighten by Alison's almost monotonous singing. She doesn't even slightly begin to vocalize until the end of the film. It's a very well appreciated track after listening to two live tracks.
Stevie Nicks "Silent Night"
Overall Stevie Nicks is a good way to bring the album to the close. Personally I prefer the song to be sung by someone with more of a softer voice and a wider range. Stevie sounds like she has something in her throats or has smoked three packs of cigarettes for the last 20 years. She's not bad mind you, and the song is nice, but there's just something that is unbalanced about her voice that brings the track down slightly.

Overall there are more songs to enjoy on this album than there are to dislike. But just barely. Then again, compilations album such as these are in a way automatically far better than entire Christmas albums sung by the same person. There are some special renditions of songs on this CD and some that in a way completely destroy the Christmas spirit such as Bon Jovi's and Bryan Adams' mess of a contribution. However I still highly recommend this album because it features lots of different artists each in their own way contributing their craft to a great cause (although I'm not sure if proceeds of this album still goes to the charity organization they were when it was first released). Probably today you can find this album for a rather inexpensive price. Therefore if you don't have it in your collection I think it's a worthy CD to pick up during the holiday season.

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