Mary J Blige Mary Christmas Album
A Mary Christmas is the eleventh studio album and first Christmas album by American R&Brecording artist Mary J. Blige, set for release on October 15, 2013, via.
The back catalogue of Christmas classics doesn’t want for plaintive, depressing yuletide tunes fit to have you hanging yourself from the highest bow, so the prospect of beholding busted angel Mary J. Blige dusting herself off upon a midnight clear actually held more promise than almost any other holiday album in recent memory. For those who bask in the bittersweet undertones of the wintry season, who better than Blige to dig deep into the endless pit of despair that is her diaphragm and wail “Please Come Home for Christmas”? Why not let Blige show Mariah Carey how Vince Guaraldi’s doleful “Christmastime Is Here” should really be covered? And how about putting a cherry on top of the fallen figgy pudding with a rendition of Amy Grant’s pleading “Breath of Heaven,” a song so full of expressive nakedness you’d think Grant had Blige in mind, and not the mother of Jesus, when she subtitled it “(Mary’s Song).” But that’s evidently not the route pillow-top producer David Foster wanted to take, which was probably to be expected given the decision to name this set A Mary Christmas, even though no other vocalist having her name interchanged with “merry” would seem more wildly inappropriate.
Brief enough to only get you through two batches of cookies, A Mary Christmas is an undeniably listenable but sadly too-safe hodgepodge of department-store standards, kid-friendly showtunes given glockenspiel-enriched arrangements to seem more festive, and one or two white-elephant gifts from out of leftfield. Very few tracks deliver the emotional climax listeners expect from both Blige and Christmas music in general; virtually none offer even the illegitimate charm of some of Carey’s more fanciful candy-cane ditties. (One solitary exception: Blige’s campy duet with Jessie J., “Do You Hear What I Hear?” If you’re asking if I hear one of pop music’s most unpleasantly affected voices yelping away as though in an attempt to clear away the mucus-laced residue of too much eggnog, Mary, then yes, yes I do hear what you hear.) For God’s sake, a cover of “The Christmas Shoes” would’ve played to Blige’s strengths more acutely than “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” which she delivers against a driving big-band chart as though auditioning for an Ella Fitzgerald biopic. Furthermore, the spectacle of hearing Blige pah-rum-pum-pum-pum-ing her way through the 12 Days of Prozac wouldn’t be so depressing (in the bad way) if the album at least reveled in the spirit of invention that graced the loopiest moments of, even more conspicuous as Blige lifted more than just a couple of song selections from that album’s tracklist, including such usual suspects as Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas” and Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire),” both of which Blige performs with a mix of reverence and reflex.
Track after track—“The First Noel,” “Little Drummer Boy,” “Silent Night” (in Spanish via Marc Anthony)—aim for an unequivocal comfort zone, which in Blige’s world may as well be uncanny valley. Donate Slant is reaching more readers than ever before, but advertising revenue across the Internet is falling fast, hitting independently owned and operated publications like ours the hardest. We’ve watched many of our fellow media sites fall by the way side in recent years, but we’re determined to stick around.
We’ve never asked our readers for financial support before, and we’re committed to keeping our content free and accessible—meaning no paywalls or subscription fees. If you like what we do, however, please consider becoming a Slant patron. You can also make a one-time donation via PayPal. The Album is superb. I'm pretty sure the masses would've crucified Mary had she taken a raw approach toward traditional Christmas albums.
Mary J Blige A Mary Christmas Cd
You must not be a fan, because Mary still put her soul into this wonderful masterpiece. The 'Rudolf' song is just superb, NO ONE does that on a Christmas album. NO (black) artist sings in Spanish, French, and English on a Christmas album, also, the pronunciation was spot on! This review is horrible and misleading. Clearly, the reviewer scanned a few tracks, or maybe just previewed the 90 sec clips provided my iTunes.
This album shows diversity from Mary, singing in a melodic tone and on-key. I appreciate this side of Mary. The album's production is just as superb as Mary's delivery. Great Job Mary! Posted by James Doe on 2013-10-16 08:15:28.
Christmas albums, and holiday-themed albums in general, are a tricky business. More often than not, they come off as nothing more than a desperate attempt for labels and marketing wizards to exploit the season and rake in as much cash as possible. However, that’s not to say that good holiday albums don’t exist. While festive music mostly evokes symptoms of rage and stress in many of today’s listeners, some releases still strive to provide an overall ambient enhancement to the season as a whole. This year, Mary J.
Blige has filled that void. Blige has been a legend in her own right for years thanks to her success at the top of the R n’ B charts.
However, it seems strange that it’s taken this long for the icon to release a holiday album. The title fits so perfectly, and as it turns out, Blige’s soulful voice also carries these traditional holiday songs quite well. The album begins with Little Drummer Boy. While this song is a classic through and through, the instrumentation used here places the song in a new light. Deep brass instruments, juxtaposed against soft chirping keys carry the song’s melody. What’s really on display though is Blige’s effortless voice, as is made clear throughout the entire album.
The album is a decidedly tranquil one as it flows through jazz influences and smooth sounds. Following Little Drummer Boy is a jazzy and ambient rendition of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. There isn’t much more to say other than that it really is an excellent rendition. It stays true to the classic, but adds a unique spin with cascading strings that build against smooth guitar and piano chords. My Favourite Things is somewhat of a disappointment as it builds more to a ballad than the usual rambunctious mood that the tune usually strikes. Still, it’s clear that Blige is attempting a mix between R n’ B and classic instrumentation with this album, and the track fits in well with that dynamic.
Thankfully, the album’s tempo picks up with This Christmas. No matter how you feel about holiday music, it’s hard not to let this track hit a sentimental chord. The fast-paced ambiance is quickly removed though as The Christmas Song begins. While this rendition is still a nice one, it’s ultimately feels boring and can’t be considered as memorable.
This notion is quickly forgotten though with Blige’s unique and captivating take on Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. What starts as a minimalist jazz-inspired cover quickly turns into an elegant romp. The saxophone solo on this song alone is enough for it to be considered a gem. The second half of the album moves slowly, but this shouldn’t quite be taken as a negative critique.
The album moves calmly and purposefully, and Blige’s voice carries the classic tunes well enough on their own. Even as a ballad-oriented holiday album, the guest list that this album boasts is enough to keep it interesting. With collaborations from Jessie J, Barbra Streisand, and The Clark Sisters, the album quickly becomes all about vocal powerhouses, which, along with the meticulously crafted instrumentation, shapes an overall delight to the ears. All softbizscripts nulled.
Holiday-themed musical releases are now an inevitable aspect to the season that will be found each and every year. This year though, Mary J. Blige has provided listeners with something unique and thoroughly pleasant. This album will undoubtedly remove any notions of stress you may feel about the holidays, and for that reason, along with its stunning instrumentation and impressive vocal range, it deserves to be recognized as a thoughtful and well-crafted holiday album.