Christmas Albums 2011: #1 – Christmas

Christmas by Michael Bublé (Reprise Records, 2011. 52 minutes)

Michael Bublé is a Canadian singer and actor, who found wide acclaim interestingly through performances at business parties, and later a wedding. He has won three grammy awards for best traditional pop album, and multiple Juno awards as well. With his 2007 album, Call Me Irresponsible, he reached the top of the Billboard top 200 chart.

Christmas Time!

Christmas time is here, and with it, new Christmas albums. These albums range from good to bad, but a few have caught my attention. So be forewarned; I will be reviewing one album a week through Christmas with an effort to spread the word and good cheer. So, Merry Christmas!

Crooners 

Michael Bublé’s album, Christmas, is one that harkens back to Baby, It's Cold Outside, and many other old crooner Christmas classics. Michael Bublé, in his standard fashion, brings back the croon with a few new tunes as well. He starts the album with “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” in an homage to the Bing Crosby classic.

Variety 

Bublé also brings some not-so-classic Christmas tunes into play, including a poppy original tune, “Cold December Night” and Darlene Love’s arrangement of “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).” While I certainly prefer Bublé when he is singing Sinatra-esque songs, his pop tunes provide Christmas cheer just as well as the older classics.

In addition to these new songs, Bublé invites some well-known talent to join him. The Puppini Sisters sing “Jingle Bells” with him in a doo-wop style much like The Chordettes; Shania Twain joins Bublé in “White Christmas”; and Latin sensation Thalia joins him for “Feliz Navidad”.

Ending 

Michael Bublé ends the album, in my opinion, the best way he could by singing the classic “Ave Maria” with astounding technique, phrasing, and diction. He brings a remarkable voice to a long standing Christmas tradition, and makes this song hauntingly beautiful and a delightful way to end a record.

Christmas Special 

Christmas also acts as an excellent introduction to what will assuredly be an amazing Christmas special airing, tonight, December 6 on NBC at 8PM EST. I hope you get a chance to watch; I surely will.

Christmas contains both tunes that have become engrained in our memories from past Christmases and welcomed new additions. Much like how I keep going back to the crooner Christmas records of old, I foresee myself going back to this album every Christmas. I’m sure with its great variety, talent, and repertoire it will become a classic album for the ages to come. If you love classic Christmas tunes and the crooner style, I recommend Michael Bublé’s Christmas.

Verdict: 4 out of 5
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Posted By:  Andrew Jacobson

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