Music Review: A Christmas Album by Amy Grant

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Great new classics and fresh takes on old classics
Cons: Occasionally dated production
The Bottom Line:
80's Christmas disc
With fresh takes and fresh music
Still so great today




Amy Grant's First Christmas CD Is Still Worth Owning

Amy Grant's first Christmas release, A Christmas Album, has become a classic in it's own right. It features just the right balance between original and traditional songs to feel Christmassy right away but new at the same time. And it's sure to place your focus on Jesus during an often busy holiday season.

The CD opens with "Tennessee Christmas," a new song that has been recorded by others. It's a soft ballad that celebrates the joys of being home for Christmas (for Amy, that's Tennessee) over the lure of the snow in Colorado or the glitz of Southern California. The opening strums of the guitar are enough to put a smile on my face.

Tracks 4, 5, and 6 are actually recorded as a melody, and they also feature new songs. First up is "Emmanuel." This simple song was co-written with Michael W. Smith and features names of Christ in a driving melody. Up next is "Little Town," a fresh arrangement of the classic carol. I must say I much prefer this version with it's upbeat tempo and catchy melody. Rounding off the set is "Christmas Hymn," which slows the tempo way down. The words to this one are pretty deep giving an accurate summary of the doctrine of salvation. Amy trading lines with a choir is very effective. This song would fit right in in any church service.

My favorite of the new songs on this disc is "Love Has Come." It captures the feeling of the modern holiday while reminding us of the true reason we celebrate. The tempo is upbeat and the lyrics are catchy.

Rounding out the new songs is "Heirlooms," a ballad. Personally, I find this sentimental song about family and Jesus being "more then an heirloom to me" to be the weakest track on the disc.

As I said earlier, there are several classic Christmas songs on here as well. This version of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," while not my favorite, was the first one to really make me listen to the words. The choir and orchestra really help out the arrangement. This CD has one of my favorite versions of "Sleigh Ride." The perennial "The Christmas Song" is on here as well. Amy's version is fine, but it's nothing to get super excited over. Finally, the disc ends with a medley that starts with an instrumental version of "A Mighty Fortress" then goes into "Angeles We Have Heard on High" which again gets a great arrangement helped by a choir.

The only draw back to this album is it's age. It was released in 1983, and there are hints of it in every song. Synthesizers are used often. They are especially noticeable in the instrumental "Preiset Dem Konig." Still, the orchestra usually outshines the 80's feel and it holds up pretty well today.

I tend to pull favorite Christmas CD's out and listen to them during the year. This one and her second, Home for Christmas, get listened to regularly during these sessions.

If you don't have A Christmas Album in your Christmas collection, you need to add it today. It will become a favorite for many years to come.

Running Time: 37:44

Tracks

1. Tennessee Christmas

2. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

3. Preiset Dem Konig (Praise the King)

4. Emmanuel

5. Little Town

6. Christmas Hymn

7. Love Has Come

8. Sleigh Ride

9. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts)

10. Heirlooms

11. A Mighty Fortress/Angels We Have Heard on High