Affiliates Work - Wintersong

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Manufacturer: Arista

Average Customer Rating:

Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0828768150429
Label: Arista
Manufacturer: Arista
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Arista
Release Date: 2006-10-17
Studio: Arista

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Editorial Reviews:

An album like this could cement Sarah McLachlan as a middle-of-the-road crooner ready for the Andy Williams Christmas Show, but there's more beneath the surface of Wintersong than just Christmas chestnuts, over-roasting on an open fire. Longtime McLachlan producer Pierre Marchand blurs the borders with ambient sound effects, distorted guitars, and subtle echoes. He adds a Mark Isham-esque muted trumpet solo emerging out of reverse echoes on "I'll Be Home for Christmas" as if viewing the song through a distorted mirror. Violins that sound like they're being blown through a Leslie speaker combine unpredictably with a banjo on "O Little Town of Bethlehem." And on the seventh song, McLachlan finally kicks the album into another gear, turning "The First Noël" into a storming entreaty backed by tribal drums and surging low strings. Her voice is like the serene angel amidst the raging storm. I wish McLachlan had taken more chances like this, instead of the subtle framing she employs around melodies that remain true to form. Surprisingly, the more contemporary songs by John Lennon, Joni Mitchell, and Gordon Lightfoot are the least inventive. Her reading of Mitchell's incandescently wistful "River" is overly faithful to the original, and Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" sounds like karaoke, right down to the Spector-esque production and children's choir. But given that Lennon's prayer for peace still remains unanswered, that fidelity could be intentional. Regardless, this is familiar Christmas fare delivered in an intimate and ethereal fashion that will satisfy those who believe in the nostalgic spirit of the season. --John Diliberto

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Spotlight customer reviews:

Customer Rating:

Summary: Like falling snow
Comment: What an amazing voice for peaceful Christmas music. She touches each song with magic and warmth for the season. Loved it!

Customer Rating:

Summary: Enchanting
Comment: If it's possible to fall in love with someone only by listening to their voice, then Sarah McLachlan must have legions of lovesick admirers all around the world (I count myself among them). You know how it makes you feel when a woman has exquisitely, impossibly soft, feminine skin? Sarah McLachlan's voice does that to you. As it pulls you closer, you sense the peril of falling in and not coming back, but you're also not sure you want the power to resist.

For me, what makes Sarah stand out from just about any other recording artist is that I love virtually every song on every one of her albums. I first encountered her in Afterglow, and it was a musical epiphany. Here, I thought, is a woman who knows the reality of love -- its heat and its ecstasy and its capacity to redeem, yes, but also its disappointments and conflicts, and especially the ache of yearning. And she not only knows these things in her heart; they've become part of the fabric of her voice, too.

So now about Wintersong. Every artist who records a "Christmas" or "Winter" or "Holiday" album tries to create a fresh approach to the all-too-familiar repertoire of the season. I thought Kim Carnes did it beautifully with "What Child is This" and "O Little Town of Bethlehem". But Wintersong was a revelation beyond all others. Sarah's almost startling versions of the same two songs simply blew me away. And when I got to "The First Noel/Mary Mary", I was transported -- I'd never encountered a Christmas song like it. Sarah took risks here, and the payoff is huge. The drums in the middle of the song are indescribable; you have to hear them for yourself. And Sarah's voice is more than equal to the challenge, effortlessly creating varied rhythms and moods that drive the song's many changes. Wintersong is now my favorite Christmas album -- and it's all by one magical artist. (My eleven-year-old daughter, hearing Sarah for the first time, said, "Daddy, if you ever meet her, tell her I absolutely love her voice.")

If you yearn to "go somewhere else" musically during the holidays, this is the album for you.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Won't get you in the Christmas spirit
Comment: I am a fan of Sarah McLachlan. For a Christmas CD, however, this one is a downer. The whole feel of the CD is very understated, too understated for my liking. The title song, "Wintersong," is good, and I really like her interpretation of "Christmas Time is Here." I also like her interpretation of Joni Mitchell's song, "River." However, even though Christmas is mentioned in that song, it seems to me to be too depressing a choice for a Christmas CD. Overall, "Wintersong" is not a bad CD, it's certainly different than most Christmas CD's, but it won't get you in the Christmas spirit.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Sarah's Wintersong is a classic holiday cd for sure!
Comment: She always has a way to make any song a classic. I love the title song & her versions of Christmas Time as well as the others. This will definitely be one of my favorite holiday cds for now on. Thanks!

Customer Rating:

Summary: Easy listening
Comment: I really like this Christmas album. It is really easy to listen to. It puts me in a peaceful mood. :) Perfect for such a hectic time of year!

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