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closeTuesday, Dec. 02, 2008
Sound Files (Dec. 3): Special Holiday Edition
PODCAST: From Harry Connick Jr. to Enya, our music gurus rate the newest holiday CDs.
Harry Connick Jr.'s latest, 'What a Night! A Christmas Album,' is the best of the seasonal offerings, according to DFW.com's critics.
Ho Ho Ho: It's the holiday season, and with it comes a new batch of CDs to help you get festive. In this week's podcast, Ryan Peterson and Preston Jones consider four of the most enticing offerings currently on shelves.
Segment One: Harry Connick Jr.
It’s hard to hear any of the 15 songs on the crooner’s third Christmas album What a Night! and not immediately race out to buy a tree. His 1993 holiday debut, When My Heart Finds Christmas, remains one of the best-selling holiday discs of all time, and this CD will doubtless be lodged in many a player for Christmases to come.
Hmm, sounds to us like Preston and Ryan have man crushes on Harry.
Segment Two: Enya
Since most Enya albums could easily be classified as snow-dusted soundtracks, it’s logical that the Irish vocalist would finally record a holiday-themed album, littering the disc with multi-tracked melodies and spartan renditions of standards like O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. There are several moments of frosty beauty, but mostly, it’s business as usual.
Enya puts Preston to sleep, but Ryan declares the final song on the disc a masterpiece.
Segment Three: Christmas A Go Go
Little Steven Van Zandt prides himself on unearthing the hippest rock tracks that time forgot. For this holiday compilation, he pulled out all the stops: Keith Richards snarling his way through Run Rudolph Run, Darlene Love and the E Street Band tackling All Alone on Christmas and the rare, raucous Bob Seger tune Sock It to Me Santa.
Even Joe Pesci makes an appearance on a Christmas album that both Ryan and Preston adore.
Segment Four: This Warm December: A Brushfire Holiday
Can’t make it to the tropics this holiday season? Then let troubadour Jack Johnson and his Brushfire Records labelmates transport you there; these 11 songs are nothing if not mellow. As an added feel-good bonus, 25 percent of the profits from the disc are earmarked to benefit children’s music education.
So what do Preston and Ryan want Santa to bring them for Christmas?
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