Music Monday--Challenge Week #9

Goodness, I thought I wouldn't get to this tonight.  My computer has been so slow!  And with our snow days last week, I thought I may not have an entire CD listened to!

I got this CD from the library, and I am very happy to report that this is my favorite Brad Paisley CD!  I may just have to buy it.  I think I liked every song to a some degree.

It starts out with Two Feet of Topsoil, a cute little song that is typical Brad Paisley about breaking up and missing the girl, but it is not too silly--it's clever.  He then goes onto the song that featured several stars in the video--including his future wife:  I'm Gonna Miss Her."    I think mot  men could relate to this song!  No woman should do what the woman does in this song!

Brad Paisley - I'm Gonna Miss Her (Official Music Video). Watch more top selected videos about: Brad Paisley

Part II deals with meeting his wife and getting married, etc.  And then you get to Wrapped Around (really cute) and Two People Fell in  Love.  Moving on to Come On Over  Tonight and  You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive (a really good country song!).

I Wish You'd Stay is poignant and All You Really Need  is Love is very funny.  He then goes to a straight instrumental song that is pretty neat  Munster Rag.  You Have That Effect on Me is very sweet.  (I think his  wife influenced him A LOT on this album).

He ends with  Too Country which is reminiscent of his current single.  If you like country, you'll like it.  And the final song is The Old Rugged Cross.  It is live from the Opry, and I wish he  would release a  gospel album!  I love the way he sings the old hymns.

So this is really a good CD, and I hope that  one day Brad will go back to his roots and sing more songs like this rather than his current album style!

Music Monday--Challenge Week #8

Well, it has been a busy music week.  I actually listened to about 3 or 4 CD's, but I am going to listen to some again because I do not feel I would do them justice.  So I will review 2 albums this week.

This is the first album I am reviewing, and I got it from the library.  I will not be purchasing this album.  I am what I call a "closet" Brad Paisley fan.  Martin can't stand him, but I have heard a few good songs by him.  And this album has just that--a few good songs.  The rest of the songs are really far beneath him.

American Saturday Night is not a bad song, but I just don't feel that there is a lot of substance to it.  While I don't hate it like I once did, it is a somewhat clever song but just not all that great.

Everybody's Here is okay, and Welcome to the Future has some cool parts to it, but then comes the first Brad Paisley song I ever liked.  I had always found that Paisley's songs were kind of dumb.  I was first intrigued by him when I saw him on the CMA Awards ( I think, I sometimes get confused) as a co-host with Carie Underwood.  Taylor Swift won entertainer of the year that year, and Brad Paisley was so nice to her about it.  He congratulated her, but Carrie Underwood made some remark about how well everyone had done and did not even acknowledge Taylor Swift.  From that point, I began to look at Brad Paisley a little differently.  My favorite Brad Paisley song is Then.  This is one of the sweetest love songs out there, as far as I'm  concerned.



Next is his song Water.  It was not until I saw the video that I liked this song, but I think it is more a theme song for his summer tour of last year.  And I have to say that he really did a lot to help the floods in Nashville.   It is unbelievable that his tour still went off in spite of everything that happened.



Nothing exciting from She's Her Own Woman nor Welcome to the Future (Reprise).  I think the only neat thing about the latter is that he tells the story of how he met and married the love of his life through music.  It is worthwhile looking up the story of how he met his wife.

Anything Like Me is probably a neater song for Paisley himself rather than me.  I don't care for You Do the Math nor Catch All the Fish, but the song in the middle caught my attention--No.  I remember hearing Paisley sing In the Garden.  Now I don't know where he is as far as God goes, but when he sings a spiritually-inspired song, I think he is quite exceptional.  This song is one of those.  I highly recommend it and wish he would do more of those!

Nothing spectacular in the last four songs on the album.  I really don't like The Pants.  I'm sure Paisley does!  Now if you're a Paisley fan, this is an album worth having, for sure.  I think it has 5 singles of his.  But otherwise, it is not an exceptional album.


The second album to review this week is this one.  I have been an ABBA fan for quite some time--thanks to Martin.  I think this was their final or one of their final albums.  It has some great hits and some songs that are not that well-known.

It begins with a big hit Super Trouper.  Oh, I love the beat of this song!  Very likable and catchy.  It is indeed a great opening song to their album.



Next is probably their most heart-rending song ever--The Winner Takes It All.  I think this song is quite poignant in light of the fact that I believe the two marriages within the group were in the process of breaking up or they already were broken up.   It is the perfect break-up song.

Next is a fun little song called On And On And On.  I think it is one of those songs you don't really have to think about.  Just listen to, dance, and sing along if you like.

Then we come to a song that did not make it as a hit,  but it a beautiful love-making song--Andante, Andante.  As you listen to the song, you can imagine the two lovers involved being lost in one another and going very slowly so they miss nothing.  The music, as usual, fits the words to a tee.

Then there is a little song called Me And I.  I think we can all relate to this song.  How many of us act in ways and say things that just don't seem like us?  We step out of character, and this puts that idea into song.

One of the few songs that talk about New Year--Happy New Year.  It should be a happy song, but listen to the words, and you notice that it may not be.  After all, these four individuals were entering the new decade without each other personally and professionally.  ABBA was coming to an end.



Our Last Summer is a nice song, and it was a hit for them.  However, I like The Piper.  Martin never remembered hearing the song before yesterday, and he is a big ABBA fan.  I like the little "piper" part in the song.  Cute, little ditty.

Lay All Your Love On Me was a big hit for them, and The Way Old Friends Do was also a pretty big hit for them.  They are both solid, nice songs.

Then we come to the bonus tracks.  Neither one are big deals, but they are typical ABBA songs--Elaine and Put On Your White Sombrero.

Music Monday--Challenge Week #7

Today, we are going with probably the greatest Tejano musician that ever lived--Selena!  I first became interested in Selena a few years ago.  I began to do a musician of the week power point in my music classes, and I followed the musician birthday calendar.  It just so happened that Selena's birthday was in January.  I had heard of her, but I knew nothing about her.  I hadn't even seen Jennifer Lopez's film about her.  I began to research her life and music, I was quite intrigued.  Not only was her music quite entertaining, but the story of her short life and murder were certain to capture my student's interest.  And I had a lot of Hispanic students in my class anyway.

It was about that time that I bought this CD.  It featured some songs of hers that I knew and enjoyed, and there were many I did not.  It had been a while since I had listened to this CD, and it was fun to listen to!

The CD begins with the upbeat Como la Flor.  Most of these songs are in Spanish, but it is interesting to note that her first language was English, not Spanish.  In fact, she only perfected her Spanish once her music career was really going.  You can see a funny clip about this in the Selena film.  La Carcacha is also a fun song.  Until you get to track #9, nothing stands out for me very much.  The songs are fun good, but I am not as familiar with them as a true Selena fan would be.

Track #9 is one of my favorites--Bidi Bidi Bom Bom.  I am reminded of what one of my students said once.  "What does Bidi Bidi Bom Bom mean in Spanish?"  My Spanish-speaking students and I always found this humorous.  It is clear that they are just nonsense words!  This is one of my favorite videos of Selena.

Nothing special for me until you get to track #13 I Could Fall in Love.  I have to say that in many ways, I prefer her English songs.  Yes, I know, I don't speak good Spanish, but I feel that she enjoys the English songs better.  Sometimes her voice becomes rather harsh on the Spanish songs--probably a stylistic thing, but I do notice it.  Especially in her later songs.   I love Dreaming of You also.  What a shame that these songs didn't make it to the market before her tragic death.

The final song on this CD is probably my favorite Selena song, however.  Bailla Esta Cumbia.  I have loved this song from the moment I heard it.  After her death, her brother's group, the Kumbia Kings, did a remake of this song as a tribute to her memory.  I'm going to end this post with this song.  Enjoy!

Music Monday--Challenge Week #4

 I've got two to review tonight.  First off is The Band Perry and their self-titled debut CD.              
I will tell you right now that I was not a fan of theirs.  When their first single Hip to My Heart came out, I would turn the radio dial so fast it would make your head swim!  I thought I would never hear a song of their that I liked.  Then I heard If I Die Young and saw their video, and I was hooked!  I began to toy with the idea of ordering their CD from the library.  I did, so here goes.    

You Lie is their newest single.  It begins their album.  I think what drew me to this song was having a compulsive liar in the house  (my dad) and the clever lyrics.  One thing this group has is unique lyrics.  Their use of similes and metaphors are quite entertaining.  Next is Hip to My Heart that I still don't like.  But it could  have been good if it were sung a little  differently.  Their best song is up next--If I Die Young.  I will post the video for this even though I posted it this summer.  I love the simplicity of this song.  It is their first number one hit.  Whenever I hear it, I am always put in a good mood.  Now how can a song about dying put someone in a good mood?  It's not sad--it is all about being content with the life you live.  And it has some poignant lines.  All Your Life is a beautiful song, and certainly well-sung.  I got a good chuckle out of Miss You Being Gone.  Again, their clever lines sell this song.  Not a big fan of Double Heart, but I love Postcard from Paris.  I didn't know that was the name of the song, but it makes perfect sense.  It is again very clever.  I know I keep using that  word, but there isn't a better word to describe their songs.  Maybe pithy would work for this song.  Walk Me Down the Middle is possibly my favorite on the album.  I love If I Die Young, but Walk Me Down the Middle is so sweet and happy.  I love the way it is sung.    Quittin' You and Lasso  were not stand-outs for me.  I would say that for a debut album,  these kids did well. They need someone to help them straighten out their rough edges and they could easily give Lady Antebellum or Rascal Flatts a run for their money.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Now on to the second CD.  It is a 2-CD set, and it actually took me a couple weeks to get through it.  I am a huge fan of the stage musical Phantom of the Opera, and I have seen it 3 times on  stage.  It is my favorite musical.  I remember when the movie came out,  and I saw it in the theater.  It was good--there are good points and bad points--and I enjoyed it.  I own the video, and I also own this CD.  I have only listened to it once before this.  I am not going to list the songs and review each one because it's just not that kind of CD.  It is a soundtrack CD.

Sometimes the movie actors get a really bad rap, I would say.  Loyal fans of the stage musical don't want to give this version too much credit,  but there are some points worth noting.  Gerard Butler is not Michael Crawford, but there are things I love about his Phantom.  He makes his Phantom extremely bitter, no one can match the points when he just "loses it."  His Phantom is very forceful, and you tend to believe that you would not hesitate to molest anyone.  I miss the gentleness you often see in the stage musical, and I also miss the warmth of singing voice of the Phantom.  You  get a hint of it now and then when Butler holds back, but when he tries to push his voice to do what it cannot, he does fail somewhat.

Emmy Rossum definitely has the voice for the role, and the looks.  I love her ingenue quality.  What I do not love is when she tries to take the classical quality out of her voice.  That is when she fails.  She is not much of an actress, but when she truly sings, she could sing any Christine out of the water.

I truly appreciate that they chose to include so much from the movie on the CD.  They use special effects, and they keep a lot of the speaking from the film on the CD to advance the story.  Some lyrics are changed so the songs make sense, but I don't like how they take away some of the singing and speak the lyrics.  I absolutely adore the orchestration!  Sometimes you miss out when you see a show live--you don't have access to a massive orchestra.  Never a problem in Hollywood.

My favorite character in the film is Carlotta!  She is exactly the way the part should be sung.  Here is Minnie Driver playing the role, but her voice was dubbed.  This is a great scene.  You'll figure out who Carlotta is!

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.  


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Music Monday--Challenge Week #3

Well, today's review is disappointing, to say the least.  I got the album Bullets in the Gun, Toby Keith's latest CD.  I had heard two of the songs previously.  I wasn't too keen on one of them, but the other was okay.  This is one album I am glad I did not buy--I borrowed it from the library.

To the review.  It is true that Toby Keith is always about doing his own thing.  His videos are often entertaining, and his songs are not often just run of the mill.  I have been a fan of his, but I was hesitant about this video mainly because of the title song--this is track one.  Bullets in the Gun is a song that has somewhat grown on me, but I still struggle with evil basically winning out. The story of the song is about a robbery, and according to the video, she gets away with the money, and he is left to face the music alone, bleeding on the ground.  I can't say it's a favorite, but it is probably one of his best on the album.

He follows this first song with Somewhere Else.  This is actually a cute little song about his girl leaving him, and it  gave me hope that the rest of the album would  be nice.  He followed this with his other single, Trailerhood. The video for this is pretty good, and it certainly is the kind of song for which Toby Keith is famous.

From  this point on, things went downhill. The next six songs are all about the girl leaving the guy, the guy being devastated, and the guy gets lost in drink.  And when I say that all of them are like this, I am not joking.  I can't even remember them individually because they all sounded alike.  I was pretty disappointed.

Then I got to the last song, and this is when I believe Toby Keith went too far.  The song is Get Out of My Car. While it is true Toby Keith style, the song is about telling the girl to pull down her pants, take off her shirt, take off her clothes, or get out of his car.  I was pleased at the end that she got out of the car.  But I felt the song really crossed the line. I was glad when it was over, and I look forward to returning this to the library as soon as possible.

I will post a video here that is a good Toby Keith song--one of my favorites by him.  It was probably my first favorite song by him.

Be sure to link up your reviews or post them here if you want to be a part of this music challenge!

Music Monday #1 (on Tuesday) Second Review

I was just too tired last night to review my second album.  I am up early, so here goes.

This CD was  something I originally got from the library many years ago.  I was (and still am) a huge fan of the Phantom of the Opera and Andrew Lloyd Webber.  This CD introduced me to other works by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

The first track is The Phantom of the Opera.  This is sung by Sarah Brightman (whom I love) and Steve Harley (whom I can't stand).  This was the original way that the title song from the musical was supposed to go.  I have seen the video for it, and it is horrid.  I am so glad that they chose to rewrite this and go with a better Phantom.

Next up is Take That Look of Your Face.  This is from a work not so well-known--Tell Me On a Sunday.  Not a bad little rock song.  It's kind of fun.  Worth a listen.

One of Lloyd Webber's truly beautiful songs from Phantom--All  I Ask  of You.  This is one of my favorites.  Again, we have the lovely Sarah Brightman.  Cliff Richard is okay, but he was not the original Raoul.  The song underwent some transformation before making it to the stage. Overall, pretty good.

Then we hear Julie Covington's take on Don't Cry For Me, Argentina.  Originally, this was the first time I hear this song from Evita.  I think this song and musical are fantastically constructed, and if you ever get a chance to see it or hear the score, make it a point.  A poignant musical, indeed.,

Originally, this album was my introduction to Cats.  This song Magical Mr. Mistoffeles, was always one of my favorites to this musical.  I had the entire score memorized for this musical before I ever saw it live.  It is not everyone's cup of tea, but I think it is a fun, unique musical.  And this song is always fun.

Then Andrew Lloyd Webber's brother, Julian, rocks the cello on Variations.  I absolutely love this!  You just don't hear such great stuff normally for the cello, so this shows you what a cello can do!

I am not too keen on Jesus Christ Superstar, and this title song just doesn't really interest me.  There are a couple gems from that musical, but it is just not my style.

Elaine Paige is the quintessential Grizabella on Memory  from Cats.  While I like other renditions of this song,  I still think she is the best.  This song is one I would highly recommend!

Tell Me On a Sunday, the title song from that musical, is well-sung.  It is an unusual song, and I think the message comes across.  This is not my all-time favorite rendition of the song, but it is good.

My favorite Phantom, Michael Crawford, sings an early rendition of Music of the Night.  While this is not the final version, and he was better in later versions, it is neat to hear the evolution of the musical and his role.

Another Suitcase in Another Hall is another gem from Evita.  Unlike the movie, this song is sung by the right character, and it is a haunting song.  Lloyd Webber does tend to write haunting melodies, and he always finds fantastic lyricists.

The most popular song from Jesus Christ Superstar is this offering--I Don't Know How to Love Him.  It is a fine song, but I have never really liked the song.  It is pretty enough, but there are better renditions of it out there.

And finally, a work not so well-known by Lloyd Webber is Requiem.  The entire work is worth a listen, but this is the best-known--Pie Jesu.  Sarah Brightman and the young soloist do an awesome duet.

So, in short, this is a pretty good CD.  It is an introduction to some of the greatest early works of Andrew Lloyd Webber.  I would suggest checking it out if you are interested in hearing more music by the composer of Phantom of the Opera.  Or just if you like musicals in general.

By the way, you can post here or on yesterday's review if you are participating in the challenge.  Thanks!

Music Monday--Challenge Week #1

Well, it is here.  This is my first post for this challenge. Music Challenge 2011.  All you need to do to participate is sign up here and then begin to post CD reviews either in the comment section or leave the url in the comment section.

I have 2 CD's to review today.  While these are not new CD's to me, I am getting the chance to critically review them on here.

4Troops.  This group has impressed me from the first time I heard them on the Fox and Friends show.  I was impressed because they are made up of 4 former soldiers, and  all of their proceeds go to vets and Fallen Heroes.  There are 3 guys, and one lady, and I really like the way they present themselves.  Read about the individuals involved in the group here.  I will tell you that my favorite of the four is Ron Henry.  I would love for him to release an album on his own!

To  the review--Most of their music is re-released versions of other well-known inspirational and patriotic songs.  They begin with one of my all-time favorite songs Bless the Broken Road.  I personally feel that their version of it is even better than the Rascal Flatts version, but that is just my opinion.  Then on to For Freedom.  I think this was the first song I ever heard them sing.  And this is their message.  Why are people willing to serve in the military?  To protect our freedom!  We had better be thankful.  Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue truly is a surprise.  I have always loved Toby Keith's original version, but these four bring a different light to this song.  No longer do we see the "Angry American."  We see those that are willing to serve and fight, but negative emotions are in check.  I was not certain that I liked this version at first, but I have to admit that the positive take on the song does inspire me.  Tear-jerker alert!  I'm Already There.  I like the different take on it since the female in the group becomes the one who is gone, and one of the guys becomes the husband who stays home.  It truly made me think about the women who sacrifice for their country, not just the men.  Dance With My Father.  All I can say is go Ron!!  Meredith has her best song in Angel.  Her voice tends to be a little harsh at times, but her voice has a great sweetness and softness in this song. Galveston--always a perpetual favorite.   And who doesn't love You Raise Me Up?  I love the harmony of this song!  When I was listening to You'll Never Walk Alone, my daughter was in the car.  She wasn't too interested in the song until they began to sing it in a soulful style.  And I have to admit it gives this song a fun twist.  The patriotic medley includes America the Beautiful and You're a Grand Old Flag as well as The Battle Hymn of the Republic.  Indeed my second favorite on the album.  Here We've Been and Raise Your Glasses do not really resonate with me.  I prefer the latter, but they just haven't gotten to me yet.

I would recommend this DVD as well.  I got it, and I was very impressed with their live performances.  While they have somewhat of a raw talent as a group, their harmony and the reason they are doing this really resonates with me!

Now as much as I would like to, I am going to only review this album tonight. I will put the other one off until later.  It is just too late.  I will end with a video, however.

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.
 

Solution Sunday: My Music Challenge 2011

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Well, I decided to create my own challenge.  Since music is one of my loves, and I have so many CD's, I thought it would make sense to host my own challenge.  
I don't know about you, but I often get stuck in a rut--I listen to the same albums over and over again.  I buy a new CD, and then it may be some time before I listen to it again.  Unless I am in the mood or I just want something different.
Let's change that this year.  Here's the "rules" in case you decide to join me.
1.  Make a goal of trying to listen to a certain number of your CD's this year.  I am going to get one every week from my collection.  I am going to do it in somewhat alphabetical order.  You could do it by genre, artist, year the album was released, etc.  That's up to you.  I plan to listen to at least 52 CD's this year.  Not only that,  but I plan to review them here every week--hopefully on Monday.
2.  I plan to listen to at least 5 new CD's this year.  I may even step outside my comfort zone.  So you make a goal as well of listening to a certain number of new CD's this year.
3.  You may post as many reviews of CD's this year as you would like.  Please let me know how many you have posted and where to find them every week when I post a review.  I may do a link-up or you can just do it in the comments section (If you don't have a blog, you may review the CD(s) you have listened to in the comments section.)  Each review will give you an entry into the grand prize.  (Keep reading to find about that.)
4.  Here's the exciting part.  This challenge will go from January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011.  There will be a grand prize at the end of the challenge.  If you happen to be the winner, I will give you either a $25 gift certificate to Amazon or another music store of your choice or a CD of your choice that does not cost more than $25.  It will be your choice.  I may be able to come up with small incentives throughout the year.  I love to surprise my readers with surprise giveaways and rewards for being a follower.
So, that should do it.  Hopefully I have explained everything.  I will do my best to keep the reviews coming.  If something happens that I cannot link up on a certain week, I will let you know.  I may then just give all of the members of the challenge a free entry into the prize drawing if that happens.  And by the way, you may join this challenge at any time during the year.  You can even begin listening to CD's this week and writing reviews.  Just keep track of what you do.  I will verify all reviews.
One last comment.  You may wonder what constitutes a good CD review.  I do not expect you to write pages and pages for it to count.  You may even review multiple CD's in a post or comment.  I am looking for what you liked about and possibly what you did not like.  Maybe list your favorite song and your least favorite.  It would be nice if you could post a picture of the cover of the CD.  I also am expecting you to be honest.  Please do not review a CD that is in your collection that you listened to several weeks or months ago.  Get it out and listen to it.  
In conclusion:
My Goals:1.  Listen to and review 52 CD's. 2.  Five of those 52 will be new CD's.
Link up below!  You can post the button I made (yay me!!) on your sidebar.  You do not need to actually post about this challenge as long as you sign up with your blog address.  Thanks!

Sporadic Saturday--Christmas CD Review and Giveaway (closed)

Comment 8 won and is being contacted.

Anyone else feeling like getting in the Christmas spirit?  I have to admit that I am rather feeling like it.  I know Halloween is coming up, but it just seems like Christmas will be here before you know it.  Just the other day, I was hoping for Christmas music on the radio station. 

For me, music and Christmas go hand in hand.  I suppose that is the musician in me.  I have quite a stash of Christmas music.  I thought I'd recommend some to you, and then I would offer a giveaway at the end.  By the way, I am not saying that all of these are my very favorite, but they are some that are pretty good.  Some even surprised me.

8 Days of Christmas by Destiny's Child is surprisingly not too bad an album.  Let me get this out first--I am not a Beyonce fan--honestly.  I only discovered Destiny's Child through my students.  Most of their music does not even interest me.  I think Beyonce has too big of a head, and Kelly is my favorite in the group.  And what is up with Michelle?  But oh well, this album is pretty good.  In fact, Beyonce does not hog this album!!  Go figure.  It has been a while since I listened, but I remember that I liked "The Opera of the Bells" the best, I think.  The harmony is nice.  If you want a light pop Christmas album, this is pretty good.  

Now, I do not own this specific album, but I am very familiar with this!  I have several Andy Williams Christmas albums, and this one has some of the really good old songs.  The opener "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" is one of Andy's signature songs!  It's just not Christmas without this song.  "Some Children See Him" is a song that you just don't hear any more, and I think it could have a lot to say to this generation.  Prejudice still exists, and I think it shall as long as people are walking away from the Lord.  I don't think I've heard the song "Christmas Holiday."  But "A Song and a Christmas Tree" is a fun adaptation of "Twelve Days of Christmas."  I love his rendition of "Do You Hear What I Hear?"  That particular version is the same version I sang in high school choir.  It was a difficult version to sing, and I can remember practicing my parts along with Andy!  It has some omissions, but for the price, you sure can't beat it!

Now, sweet Charlotte Church is not what she once was.  When she was a sweet, teenager who sang classical music, she was awesome!  I have all her albums from that time except her compilation album--don't need that since I had all the other ones.  All the songs on this album are simple, clear renditions of the specific carol or song.  I have always loved "Ding Dong Merrily on High" and "The Coventry Carol" but who records these but her?  If you are in the mood for a lovely, crystal clear soprano singing simple Christmas songs, get this album.

Okay, I love Amy Grant's old stuff.  I can remember when she first came out, and her music was so different from what we had heard.  And when she sang Christmas music, you knew it was Christmastime!  How can you beat "Breath of Heaven" and "Emmanuel"?  And don't forget about "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree."  She brings such warmth to each song she sings.  And it is nice to have a Christian singing these songs.  Okay, maybe she's not a perfect Christian, but who is?  Oh, and "Grown Up Christmas List" is a very different take on Christmas.  I think I got this album just for "Emmanuel" though.  I love that song!





Now no matter what you think of Celine Dion, this is a fun album, I think. This was when she was at the top of her game.  "The Magic of Christmas Day" is so great that it became the title song to my Christmas musical at school a few years ago. The kids loved it.  "Feliz Navidad" is a chance to hear her whole family sing together.  And you cannot beat her version of "The Prayer" with Andrea Bocelli.  I seriously think that this is the definitive version of this song.  And she has a really good mix of songs that are well-known  and that are new.







And this one--what is Christmas without Bing Crosby's rendition of "White Christmas"?  That song was at one time the top-selling song of all-time.  This is a really fun album.  While he has the old carols such as "Adeste Fideles" and "Silent Night", it also has "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" with the lovely Andrews Sisters! And you've got to have "Mele Kalikimaka."  What a Christmas song!  I know you always wanted to know how to say Merry Christmas in Hawaiian, right?  I used to have this on LP, and I was so glad it was available on CD.  And at a bargain price!






Okay, last one for now.  This was a surprise to me.  I had only heard of NSYNC (I didn't listen to pop music in the 1980's and 1990's.).  I didn't even know that Justin Timberlake had gotten his start there.  I only learned as I was researching musicians to share with my students a couple years ago.  And I fell in love with NSYNC.  At least their early stuff.  One of their first songs I heard was from this album.  It was "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays"--truly a fun song.  Most of the songs on this album are mediocre, but I will tell you that there is a real surprise on this album.  You must listen to the a capellaNSYNC would have sung more songs like "O Holy Night."



Okay, on to the  giveaway.  First of all, I am financing the giveaway, and so what you will receive will more than likely be used.  All of these albums can be purchased for bargain prices on Amazon, and so that is the main reason I chose these.  But in order to get the bargain price, I have to buy them used but in playable condition.  I can also only ship within the U.S., but I don't think that's a major problem.  If you are international (including Canada), I will send these to you if you want to pay the extra shipping cost and any fees your country may charge.

So here are the details.  One person will win their choice of CD's in this review.  If you win, you will be contacted by me for your shipping address, and you will let me know which one of the CD's you want.  If for some reason the CD you choose is no longer available, I will have you pick from the remaining ones. 


How do you win?  I will list the various ways below.  This giveaway is open now through Saturday, October 30 at 9:00 P.M. Pacific Standard Time.  Have fun, and enjoy!  

Be sure to leave a comment for each entry.  Also, make sure that your e-mail is available in your profile or it is listed in the comment.  Each entry can only be done once unless otherwise stated.


1. Become or let me know you are a Google Friend Connect follower of my blog.
2. Post my button and leave the link to where I may find it.
3. Become my facebook friend.  Leave your facebook name in the entry.
4. Share this giveaway in any way you choose (facebook, blog, twitter, etc.) and let me know where you shared it.

Unlimited entries:  Share a brief review of a Christmas album.  You may do this as much as you would like.  Be sure to leave a separate comment for each review.

Music Monday--New Country Singles Review

Okay, we got back pretty late tonight, so I am behind.  It will be quick  but hopefully still good  tonight.

I have noticed a lot of new  country singles out there.  Some, in my educated opinion, are fantastic.  Some are okay, and some are just plain bad--I won't post those.

My new favorite song is Zac Brown Band's duet with Alan Jackson called "As She's Walking Away."  When I first heard this song, I knew it was Zac Brown--it could be no one else,  but I  didn't know it was Alan Jackson until later.  I truly love this song--Zac Brown has truly come into himself in this CD.  I plan to review the entire  album at some point, but not  tonight.

Zac Brown Band - As She's Walking Away ft Alan Jackson

And there is also a new  Taylor Swift song called "Mine" from her upcoming album.  I have to admit that when I first heard  this song, I was not  too  impressed  with it.  As I have continued to listen, there are a few lines that have spoken to me--especially the bridge section--the part beginning with 2:30 A.M.  You'll see it.  It will not ever be as good as her other songs "Love Story" and "You Belong With Me,"  but  it  is good.



Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish fame is also releasing his second country album.  I liked this song from the beginning.  He is such a nice guy, and he seems so approachable.  See what you think of his "Come Back  Song."

Darius Rucker   More CMT Music   More CMT Music Videos

Now to the mediocre.  Okay, I love Reba McEntire--I saw her in concert earlier this year.  I loved it.  But she has released a song that is growing on me, but it is just not her normal  kind, I don't think it does her justice.  Here's her  "Turn on  the Radio."

Reba McEntire   More CMT Music   More CMT Music Videos

And finally, Easton Corbin of "A Little More  Country Than That" has released "Roll  With It."  I have his album, and there are much better songs on it than that.  Here's a live version  of it since there is no studio video yet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a-SvJgwRvE

Sorry, it won't let me embed  it.  Share your thoughts!  And share your new music, too!