Carstairs Considers....: Music Review: Christmas Memories by Evie

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Music Review: Christmas Memories by Evie

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Christmas classics old and new

Cons: Left out several good songs; hard to find

The Bottom Line:

An out of print gem

Always makes Christmas for me

A strong tradition

"Come on, Ring Those Bells" and Other Evie Christmas Memories

During the 70's and early 80's, one female singer made a giant name for herself in the Christian music market. While Amy Grant and Sandi Patty were just beginning their careers, Evie was a household name and millions of her records were bought in Bible bookstores everywhere. In fact, some people credit her with starting the Inspirational sub-genre of Christian music.

During her career, she released two Christmas albums, 1977's Come on, Ring Those Bells and 1984's Christmas, A Happy Time.

Evie walked away from her career at her peak to spend more time with her husband and kids. Unfortunately, by the time the CD revolution hit, she had faded and very little of her material was ever released on the new format. Christmas Memories was one of the few exceptions.

Instead of re-releasing her two previous albums on CD, the decision was made to release a collection. As a result, this CD features almost all of her Christmas material.

Of course, there would have been a revolt among her loyal fan base if they hadn't included "Come On, Ring Those Bells." Without a doubt, this song is her signature Christmas song. Heck, I can remember doing it at a school production in the early 80's. It takes its rightful place at the start of CD. While it and the other songs from that record have been remixed, they sound the same to me. Anyway, the song is fun and upbeat in keeping with the theme of celebrating Jesus' birth.

Of course, there are many other highlights from that first Christmas album. The medley of "No Room & Have You Any Room for Jesus?" takes a familiar part of the story and makes it a challenge for today. "Mary's Boy Child," another song I did during that school Christmas program, retells the Biblical story. It's got a catchy melody and upbeat rhythm. The much slower "A Thousand Candles" is actually a traditional carol from Evie's homeland of Sweden that she translated into English. This piano based track is slow and tender.

Equally enjoyable are the tracks from "A Happy Time." The title track again celebrates the season. With a kids' choir in the background, it's certainly fun. "A Tiny Little Baby" is another upbeat track that wonders at the miracle that "it took a tiny little baby to save the whole world by His birth." And I must comment on her version of "O Come, O Come Emmanuel." Evie gives the familiar carol an Israeli feel and ups the tempo on every verse. This is one of my favorite versions of the carol.

I've just highlighted the original songs. There are plenty of traditional carols on here, too.

Stylistically, these songs are simple. The instruments focus on piano and occasionally guitar with simple drums. Most of what I've called upbeat is really mid-tempo. Remember, Evie is classified as Inspirational, so this is not a CD you would rock out with. Still, there is enough variety in the tracks that you won't get bored if you enjoy the style.

Unfortunately, the decision was made to not include all the tracks from the original two records. The loss from "A Happy Time" isn't that great. "The Christmas Gospel," a track where she reads Luke 2 to some kids, was never a favorite. However, the three songs cut from "Ring Those Bells" are more heartbreaking. "What Child is This?" is certainly familiar, but "Some Children See Him" and "One Small Child" are much harder to find. Since I love both these tracks, I would love to see them included here.

We do get four new, original tracks to take their place. Frankly, I've never warmed up to three of them. Okay, it's probably because I hold a grudge about their inclusion at the expense of other favorites. The one I do like is certainly unique. On "Move Me Closer," Evie speaks the verses and sings the chorus. It's the story of the shepherd in their nativity scene coming alive and asking to be closer to the baby Jesus. Weird? Possibly. But it works as a song.

The other downside to this CD is that it is long out of print. Copies of it do float around but are pretty expensive. Obviously, Evie still has her fans.

Admittedly, Christmas Memories will appeal most to those who enjoy Inspirational music and those who have loved these songs for years. I grew up on the songs presented here. Frankly, it's just not Christmas for me without "Come On, Ring Those Bells."

CD Length: 64:04

Tracks:

1. Come On, Ring those Bells

2. Christmas is Especially (For Those Who Love the Lord)

3. Come Adore

4. Peace on Earth

5. Away in a Manger

6. Mary's Boy Child

7. O Little Town of Bethlehem

8. A Thousand Candles

9. Move Me Closer (A Shepherd's Prayer)

10. The First Noel/Joy to the World