2008 Woodie Awards
McBride effort lacks originality
Ben Yarnell
Issue date: 12/6/07 Section: TruLife
People always will have certain albums they love to break out when the holiday season begins. It's almost as much of a tradition as putting up the lights and hoping for the first snow of the year.
Martina McBride's new CD, "White Christmas," takes its own shot this year to try and fill that coveted spot in homes across the country.
One of the nice things about this album is the artist. McBride has proven she is a quality vocalist, with four Country Music Association "Female Vocalist of the Year" awards in the decade. The quality of her vocals doesn't even need to be questioned.
But this album enters a whole different field than McBride is accustomed to. Let's face it. Holiday music is a totally different realm than anything else. It is an annual rehashing of the exact same songs, with very few exceptions.
Therein lies the first problem with this endeavor. There isn't a single original song in the bunch. Every last one has been done at least a dozen times by everyone and their brother.
When it comes to holiday music, most artists will, at the very least, have one original song. Then, if that becomes a hit, everybody after them can start covering that song too. It might be a vicious cycle, but the fact that McBride doesn't feed into it still is highly disappointing.
When it comes to songs she actually does have on the slate, it is very hit and miss. Some of these songs work very well, as with "The Christmas Song" (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire). Here, McBride does two things very right. She sticks very close to Nat King Cole's version, who did it first and did it best. She also lets her country roots show more, accenting the acoustic and bass guitars.
The fact of the matter is, every time she does stick to the old ways, she comes out for the better, as is the case with "Silver Bells," "Do You Hear What I Hear" and a few other tracks.
But, there are tracks that will seriously make you cringe. The arrangement of "Jingle Bells" is appalling. The song heavily features stringed instruments, but it almost seems as if the violinists had started practicing only a day before.
Martina McBride's new CD, "White Christmas," takes its own shot this year to try and fill that coveted spot in homes across the country.
One of the nice things about this album is the artist. McBride has proven she is a quality vocalist, with four Country Music Association "Female Vocalist of the Year" awards in the decade. The quality of her vocals doesn't even need to be questioned.
But this album enters a whole different field than McBride is accustomed to. Let's face it. Holiday music is a totally different realm than anything else. It is an annual rehashing of the exact same songs, with very few exceptions.
Therein lies the first problem with this endeavor. There isn't a single original song in the bunch. Every last one has been done at least a dozen times by everyone and their brother.
When it comes to holiday music, most artists will, at the very least, have one original song. Then, if that becomes a hit, everybody after them can start covering that song too. It might be a vicious cycle, but the fact that McBride doesn't feed into it still is highly disappointing.
When it comes to songs she actually does have on the slate, it is very hit and miss. Some of these songs work very well, as with "The Christmas Song" (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire). Here, McBride does two things very right. She sticks very close to Nat King Cole's version, who did it first and did it best. She also lets her country roots show more, accenting the acoustic and bass guitars.
The fact of the matter is, every time she does stick to the old ways, she comes out for the better, as is the case with "Silver Bells," "Do You Hear What I Hear" and a few other tracks.
But, there are tracks that will seriously make you cringe. The arrangement of "Jingle Bells" is appalling. The song heavily features stringed instruments, but it almost seems as if the violinists had started practicing only a day before.
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