Olivia Newton-John’s new Christmas album is a delicately beautiful mixture of familiar Christmas tunes (“O Come All Ye Faithful”, “Silent Night”), original songs (“Every Time it Snows”, “Little Star of Bethlehem”) and familiar quick tinkling piano interludes (“Deck the Halls”, “What Child is This?”). Making use of these simple components, Christmas Wish flows pleasantly enough through 22 tracks of soft positive-vibey music guaranteed to please anyone who likes relaxing, slightly familiar music.
The track layout is decidedly clever, extending the album and providing each song with a slick instrumental buffer that only serves to enhance the vocals when they do show up. And the duets are impressive, but nothing less could be expected from the likes of Jon Secada, Jim Brickman and Michael McDonald. Though Secada’s duet, “Every Time it Snows” is something of a melodrama encapsulated in a song, the moving “Instrument of Peace” benefits greatly from the vocal contributions of Marc Jordan. The original “Underneath the Same Sky” is a little bit of a stretch, sounding more like a pop-country song than a Christmas tune.
With Newton-John’s breathy vocals and the gliding music, you can hear this album playing in the background of every perfect suburban kitchen as families gather together for the holidays. It’s not a disappointing album by any stretch of the imagination, perhaps it’s just a little too safe. “Christmas on My Radio,” though enjoyable in its own right, sounds an awful lot like “Beauty School Dropout” from that old stalwart Grease, the musical that originally made Newton-John famous. And maybe that’s the biggest drawback of the album itself: everything just sounds a little bit too familiar. By the time the finale, a duet with Barry Manilow, rolls around, only truly devoted fans will still feel as if Newton-John is presenting something new this Christmas.
Zach’s Rating: B-
Perfect For: A quiet, intimate Christmas gathering
Stay Away If: You didn’t like “My Heart Will Go On” from TitanicÂ
To pre-order Christmas Wish online (available exclusively at Target on November 6th), visit Brick House Direct
For more information on Olivia Newton-John, visit her homepage
7 users commented in " CD Review: Olivia Newton-John, Christmas Wish "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackI would think that Christmas albums with a lot of originality are difficult to create. Standard Christmas songs have been sung and arranged in so many different ways over the years… it would really take pure inspiration to come up with something “new”. However, I’m like pleasant sounding albums and I admire the longevity of Olivia Newton-John’s career.
“Everytime it Snows” is a BRILLIANT song all around. Lyrically, vocal & harmony are all perfection. Worth the price of the CD alone!
It is hard to please people with Christmas music, as most want “familiar” songs, but every song has been done a million times. I like Olivia’s choices here. She may do them pretty straight-forward, but it’s hard to mess with a classic and not tick someone off 😉
Olivia’s 5th completely new studio album in the past mere 6 consecutive years is a GEM among many in her 40+ year career. Having been in semi-retirement after the birth of her only daughter, Chloe Lattanzi, in 1986, Newton-John seems to have rediscovered her love for songs and singing since the late 90’s. In 1999, she engaged in her first solo concert touring since her huge ‘PHYSICAL 1982 WORLD TOUR’ ended roughly 17 years earlier. Since then, she has delighted countless thousands in concert, written a much larger share of her album songs than during her early career, and exhibited a true joy in being in the now, doing what she loves to do. It shows in her voice, which has grown richer in nature, and yet she retains the ability to warble gorgeously pure tones. Never has this been more glorious and simple than on CHRISTMAS WISH, her new album, to be sold at TARGET stores in the USA starting November 2nd (2007). She has written or co-written several of the songs, as well as performed several traditional pieces. The album is a collaboration with Olivia’s longtime friend, the Canadian music artist Amy Sky. Amy clearly has an ear for arranging, and knows Olivia’s voice well. Together, they have created a beautiful 61 minutes of lush, often meditative, sometimes pop-driven, Christmas joy ! Whether it’s the gorgeous “Everytime It Snows” with Jon Secada, the doo-wop of “Christmas On My Radio”, the heart of “A Mother’s Christmas Wish”, or her take on a traditional like “We Three Kings”, Olivia Newton-John’s gorgeous, emotionally connected voice is a GREAT way to ring in the holiday season. She has never sounded better.
B- is frankly generous. Newton-John’s vocals are rougher than in her heyday and do not glide over the arrangements as effortlessly as they should. (The forced glee on “Christmas On My Radio” is a perfect example.) The instrumental interludes are the handiwork of the album’s producer, Amy Sky, who employed the same idea on Newton-John’s “Grace And Gratitude” healing CD. Once was enough, ladies. Newton-John, at 59, should have also chosen more age appropriate tunes. “A Mother’s Christmas Wish” is better suited for the mother of a young child, not a fully grown (and sadly anorexic) adult daughter. Finally, many of these songs drag on waaaaay too long. Do we really need nearly five minute versions of over-recorded evergreens like “Silent Night” and “O Come All Ye Faithful?” Newton-John unfortunately does not bring anything new to these tunes and Sky’s sometimes creepy arrangements seem better suited for a Halloween CD.
P.S. If you must get this CD, you will have an easier time buying this at Target than ordering online. (Check out the posts on Olivia’s message board.)
I’ve looked without success to find the new Christmas Wish CD at 3 different Target stores in central Pennsylvania. Has there been a distribution problem getting the CD to the stores? There isn’t even a reserved space next to the other holiday CD’s. There are plenty of other artists including Josh Groban, Patti LaBelle, etc.
I’d order online, but would like to avoid shipping charges, etc.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you!
Keep trying Target … if you read Olivia’s Message Board, ordering online was a nightmare! I have seen this CD at several Targets in a kiosk in the Christmas section with other Christmas CDs.
BTW, unless you are a diehard Newton-John fan, this CD is honestly not worth such an effort to buy. See my review above – very disappointing…. If you are in Target, there are several other better Christmas CDs in their kiosk than this one that you should consider instead.
I would like to know how I can get the cd, Christmas Wish, this 2008 Christmas season. I’ve called Target and they told me they don’t carry it this year. Where can I order it on-line?
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