(when My Heart Finds Christmas)
The Age
Friday December 24, 1993
WHEN MY HEART FINDS CHRISTMAS, HARRY CONNICK JUNIOR, (Columbia) IT SEEEMED like only yesterday that Harry Connick Junior was as hip as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle or a pair of clogs. He was to be the next Sinatra and a fair percentage of the population wanted to give his fresh face a big smooch. But things have been ominously quiet for Young Harry of late. Apart from a vaguely recollectable, vaguely controversial incident involving a handgun, there has been little heard from the crooner in recent times.
Just when you thought Junior was inexorably headed for the bargain bin, along comes a resurrection Christmas special, `When My Heart Finds Christmas'. Sounding more like Frankie than ever and aided by a cast of plenty, Harry trills his way through standard yuletide classics like the `Little Drummer Boy', `Sleigh Ride' and `Rudolf The Red Nose Reindeer'. He even recalls some of his schoolboy Latin on a snoozy rendition of `Ave Maria'.
It's all very festive, warm and fuzzy, but the big question remains _ What on earth will you do with this handsomely packaged yuletide production when June comes around? _ Gareth Boreham COOL CHRISTMAS, VARIOUS ARTISTS,(WEA) RESISTING the temptation to fast forward this disc to the few favorite tracks is difficult, however if one does, this record's real strength will reveal itself. With 18 artists including The Pogues, Otis Redding and Enya, `Cool Christmas' is a wildly eclectic collection, sounding and smelling of beer-soaked carpet one minute, and incense and hushed- tones humility the next. With the exception of Chris Rea's saccharine `Driving Home For Christmas', which seems out of place even following The Pretenders' `2000 Miles', both the selection and order of tracks is excellent. `The Power Of Love' by Frankie Goes to Hollywood did little for me as a radio song in 1984, but placed between the Tori Amos and Lou Reed tracks, has a gentle melancholic strength, while Tom Waits' `Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis' is always a treat to hear. On the negative side, a lack of biographical information in the disc's insert merely compounds my suspicion that it is just a little too easy for a record company to string together previously released songs in the hope of a more profitable festive season.
Cynicism aside, `Cool Chrismas' is an excellent release. _ Jim Pavlidis CHRISTMAS THROUGH, YOUR EYES, GLORIA ESTEFAN, (Epic) GLORIA is hardly in excelsis Deo on this one-week wonder. For each of the 11 tracks, Gloria croons her way through with a voice that would be much merrier fluffing out wet love songs. But no, after the inevitable tinkling sleigh bell intro, the pseudo-Caribbean melodies start up and Gloria breaks into `Silver Bells'. The tunes suit her perfectly but the lyrics seem absurdly misplaced. She goes on about chestnuts roasting by the fire; wanting it to snow, snow, snow; how she's dreaming of a white Christmas; how she'll be home for Christmas; what Christmas is like through her lover's eyes, and how she wants us all to have a merry little Christmas. But I don't believe her. She sings `Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas' with as much joy in her voice as a fat turkey going to Christmas lunch. However, Gloria does her ho-ho best and sings beautifully; the production values are high _ the brass section is stunning.
_ Andrew Stephens CHRISTMAS RECOLLECTIONS, BAND OF THE SOUTH AUSTRALIA POLICE WITH THE CORINTHIAN SINGERS OF ADELAIDE,(Festival) HEARTFELT and deliciously festive, you can almost smell the pud as the coppers and co. enthusiastically whip their sleds through all the old favorites, mincing little Noel medleys with complete versions and nice expressive jingle-bell twists. It's much more than the sort of Chrissie music piped through department stores. `Away In A Manger' gets unusual treatment with stirring harmonies from the Corinthian singers, as does `Hark The Herald Angels Sing'. `Silent Night' is straight up and down get-you-tingling stuff as is `O Come All Ye Faithful', which is suitably joyful and triumphant. But my personal favorite is `Ding Dong Merrily On High', perhaps the silliest carol ever written, which the police and their singers perform with a magical merriment. Tending more toward the Christian carols than all the Santa floss, it has a spiritual air that can't be missed. Better than all the stars doing Christmas over in deadly vacuity for an extra buck. _ Andrew Stephens A CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR OF CAROLS AND SONGS, VARIOUS ARTISTS, (Pickwick) CHRISTMAS compilations are not exactly a new idea, and this album does not exactly break new ground. Christmas, however, is a time for traditionalists to come out of the closet, and this album _ performed by the casts of various stage musicals _ would undoubtedly have found a niche in the over 70's segment of the market irrespective of its sound. The album offers reasonably good renditions of a few carols and a surprisingly large number of Christmas songs, such as `Happy Christmas (War is Over)', and lesser knowns, such as, `When a child is born'. The groups are at their best when jazzing up daggy, old carols such as `Silver Bells'. In contrast, `White Christmas' is dirge-like and quite soporific _ enough to make Bing turn in his grave _ while the ululating soprano on the obscure `In The Bleak Mid-Winter' is likely to attract a select few listners. _ Tim Winkler
© 1993 The Age