SOUND CHECK.Barbra Streisand/``Christmas Memories'' (Columbia) La Streisand's first new holiday offering since 1967's playful ``A Christmas Album'' is a slow dance around the tree best enjoyed in rotation with something a bit perkier. Opening with the 1940s standard ``I'll Be Home for Christmas,'' this mostly charming excursion into the season's mellow side offers fine readings of the familiar (``What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?''), the gorgeously lush (``A Christmas Love Song'') and the schmaltzy schmaltz·y also schmalz·y adj. schmaltz·i·er, schmaltz·i·est Informal Of, relating to, or marked by excessive or maudlin sentimentality. See Synonyms at sentimental. (``Closer''). But updates of Sondheim's ``I Remember,'' originally penned for the TV musical ``Evening Primrose evening primrose, common name for the Onagraceae, a family of plants of worldwide distribution, most species of which grow as herbs in the temperate New World, and specifically for members of the genus Oenothera. ,'' along with the equally unexpected ``It Must Have Been the Mistletoe mistletoe, common name for the Loranthaceae, a family of chiefly tropical hemiparasitic herbs and shrubs with leathery evergreen leaves and waxy white berries. They have green leaves, but they manufacture only part of the nutrients they require. ,'' showcase some of the pop diva's most expressive work. Of course, if it's the standards you're after, Babs' previous Christmas disc is a gift that's always welcome. Along with the rousing, definitive ``Jingle Bells Jingle Bells yuletide song composed by J. S. Pierpont. [Pop. Music: Van Doren, 200] See : Christmas ,'' highlights include ``My Favorite Things,'' ``Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,'' ``Silent Night'' and other gems. And if you're wondering what a nice Jewish girl from Brooklyn is doing singing Christmas tunes, can you imagine her doing ``The Dreydl Song?'' Three stars - Valerie Kuklenski Various/``Making Spirits Bright'' (GRP GRP Group GRP Group (file name extension) GRP Glass Reinforced Plastic GRP Gastrin-Releasing Peptide (biology) GRP Gross Rating Point (advertising) ) Various/``The Very Best of Christmas Jazz''(Verve) Christmas music is typically comforting and just a tad schmaltzy. So even fans who wouldn't ordinarily give mellow jazzers like Will Downing, David Benoit and Dave Grusin a slice of fruitcake fruit·cake n. 1. A heavy spiced cake containing nuts and candied or dried fruits. 2. Slang A crazy or an eccentric person: "a fruitcake under the delusion that he was Saint Nicholas" might enjoy their work here. There are plenty of mellow vibes to be had on the Lee Ritenour-produced ``Making Spirits Bright'' - and if you're not into this stuff normally, you just might be overtaken by seasonal joy and find yourself pleasantly surprised. Two and one half stars Still, you'll be better served by the Verve comp, even if it recycles tracks from the readily available ``Have Yourself a Jazzy jazz·y adj. jazz·i·er, jazz·i·est 1. Resembling jazz in form or nature; rhythmical. 2. Slang Showy; flashy: a jazzy car. Little Christmas.'' Buy it if only for John Coltrane's sublime ``Greensleeves'' and Dinah Washington's pretty ``Silent Night.'' Three stars - Glenn Whipp Daniel Rodriguez/``God Bless America'' (Manhattan) While the Sept. 11 attacks inspired throngs of tributes, few are as inspirational as singing cop Rodriguez's operatic reading of Irving Berlin's standard ``God Bless America'' which features a spoken intro by New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Rodriguez is the NYPD NYPD New York City Police Department (since 1845; New York City, NY, USA) NYPD New York Play Development officer whose soaring tenor has come to symbolize solidarity in the months since the collapse of the World Trade Center On September 11, 2001, the two main towers of the World Trade Center complex were each hit by aircraft as part of the September 11, 2001 attacks. The south tower (2 WTC) collapsed at 9:59 a.m., less than an hour after being hit, and the north tower (1 WTC) followed at 10:28 a.m. . He's appeared at Yankees games, Christmas tree Christmas tree Evergreen tree, usually decorated with lights and ornaments, to celebrate the Christmas season. The use of evergreen trees, wreaths, and garlands as symbols of eternal life was common among the ancient Egyptians, Chinese, and Hebrews. lightings and on TV talk shows. He's even set to do a gig with Placido Domingo and the Washington Opera early next year. In ``God Bless America'' - a two-song fund-raiser with proceeds going to the Twin Towers Fund - Rodriguez offers something Billboard calls ``a thing of exceptional beauty.'' Now, how many tributes can you say that about? Four stars - Sandra Barrera Deana Carter/``Father Christmas'' (Deanatone/Rounder) Carter's crackly/girlish voice wraps nicely around such holiday favorites as ``Let It Snow'' and ``Silent Night.'' But the real treat is the accompanying, bluesy guitar stylings of her dad, Nashville session man supreme Fred Carter Jr. Recorded in the family's Tennessee home, ``Father Christmas'' marries a love for musical improvisation with traditional seasonal cheer. Three stars - Bob Strauss No Doubt/``Rock Steady'' (Interscope) No Doubt's fifth album tries hard to please everyone. And it does immediately improve on its bombastic predecessor, 2000's no-fun ``Return of Saturn.'' With that belly button-gazing effort, Gwen Stefani, the June Christy of the Powerpuff set, whined about fame, boyfriends and, most strangely, somebody's bathtub water. Musically, it was a cold shower. At its best, ``Rock Steady'' is a giddy return to the synth-happy '80s feel that made the Anaheim band's 1995 blockbuster, ``Tragic Kingdom,'' such an all-ages delight. Opener ``Hella Good,'' penned with savvy hip-hop duo the Neptunes, is an edgy blast of syncopated syn·co·pate tr.v. syn·co·pat·ed, syn·co·pat·ing, syn·co·pates 1. Grammar To shorten (a word) by syncope. 2. Music To modify (rhythm) by syncopation. pop that will be a knockout in concert. Another winner, ``Don't Let Me Down,'' is a sunny gem, while the atmospheric Prince collaboration, ``Waiting Room,'' boasts an intriguing upbeat Europop feel. Stefani is still an enjoyable if limited singer, with a delivery that sometimes approaches gutsy but often ends up in the twee category. The main drawback here, though, is the much-touted Jamaican influence that lends the album its title. ``Hey Baby,'' for example, takes its cues from the dreadful post-reggae genre called dancehall dance·hall n. 1. or dance hall A building or part of a building with facilities for dancing. 2. See ragga. dancehall Noun a style of dance-oriented reggae (the opposite of rock steady) and the addition of bland rapper Bounty Killer instantly dates this and similar tracks. Still, when No Doubt gets it right, ``Rock Steady'' skanks along in the right direction. Two and one half stars - Fred Shuster CAPTION(S): 5 photos Photo: (1) no caption (Barbra Streisand) (2 -- 5) no caption (CD covers) |
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