Garth Brooks' "Beyond the Season" blew onto the Billboard magazine charts like a potent - and prematurely early - Canadian Clipper way back in September, debuting at No. 2. Although no holiday album had climbed so high in 30 years, that impressive entry seemed more attributable to the country star's popularity than to any groundswell in the demand for Christmas music.
Except for one thing: Suddenly other performers with new Christmas albums are doing almost as well. Amy Grant's "Home for Christmas" this week rises to No. 5 among the Billboard Top 200 albums. "A Very Special Christmas 2," a benefit for the Special Olympics with contributions from an array of today's top talent, is at No. 7. Neil Diamond's brand new "Christmas Album" is at No. 8. Brooks has slipped by now to No. 10.Four holiday collections among the nation's top 10 best-selling popular albums.
Let's face it, Christmas music past, Christmas music present and, seemingly, Christmas music future is booming. The melodies filter through the malls. Radio stations devote days on end to Christmas music and nothing else. Stores cater to the phenomenon.
"Neil Diamond has been really big," reports Bill Cuthbertson, assistant manager of the Record Shop in Crossroads Plaza. "Also Mannheim Steamroller - people ask if they're going to release another one."
His store is one of those with a long, strategically placed table chock-full of Christmas CDs and tapes. New stuff. Old stuff re-released. Pop. Country. Classical. Contemporary instrumental. Folk. Gospel. R&B. Novelty. Anthologies.
The table has been there for weeks. "It was at least October when we started stacking these out there," Cuthbertson said.
Harry Cherkinian, director of public relations for Narada, a Christmas-conscious record company, understands all this from both a professional and a personal vantage. His artists have a new instrumental anthology in those stacks, "Narada Christmas Collection Volume 2," plus Cherkinian is a seasonal-music aficionado himself.
"I personally love Christmas music and have been collecting for years. My goal this year is finding the old Mitch Miller music I grew up on," he said. "I've been searching high and low."
Cherkinian has the scratched-up LPs from days of yore, but now he wants them on CD - one of the ingredients to this resurgence.
Another key, he says, is the popularity of contemporary instrumental and new-age music among today's music buyers, which, of course, is what Narada is banking on. The label has released such albums as "The Gift" by Eric Tingstad and Nancy Rumbel, a guitarist-woodwind duo; "Solstice," by pianists David Lanz and Michael Jones; the first "Narada Christmas Collection" and "The Narada Nutcracker."
Narada is known for its quality instrumental recordings, "but our holiday music is just extremely popular from year to year," Cherkinian said. "I think part of that comes from the fact that people are looking for what we would call traditional holiday music that has a contemporary sound, as opposed to generations that grew up listening to Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Mitch Miller. That's all fine and wonderful, but I think each generation wants to claim holiday music for its own - in addition to listening to holiday music from Christmases past."
The latest Narada collection offers lilting new arrangements of old favorites, like pianist Spencer Brewer's "The First Noel" and vi
olinist Doug Cameron's take on "The Christmas Song," but also explores holiday music from around the world, like keyboard artist Kostia's medley of three Russian folk songs and guitarist-vocalist Nando Lauria's pristinely overdubbed "Gloria." The net result is an anthology that seems traditional-familiar, yet new.
Another interesting aspect of the CD revolution
ir1l,1p,1l,2p6,1l,3p,1l,4p6,1l,5p,1l,5p3,1l,5p3,1l,5p,1l,4p8,1l,4p6,1l,4p,1 l,3p3,1l,3p,1l,2p6,1l,2p,1l,1p6,1l,1p,1l,p6,1l,p3,3l,0p,1l,p9,1l,1p3,1l,1p6,1l ,2p,1l,2p6,1l,3p,1l,3p6,1l,3p6,1l,3p9,1l,4p,1l,4p,1l,3p9,1l,3p6,1l,3p3,1l,2p6, 1l,2p,1l,1p6,1l,0p
is re-collecting, and sonically cleaning up, those favorites that once revolved on the family's 78 and 33 rpm record players. Rhino Records is a leader in this segment of the industry, diving into the archives of other companies for the gems.
"We've been putting out at least two or three Christmas albums a year for the past couple of years - we have 20 in the catalog now," reports John Hagelston, Rhino's manager of national publicity.
"For us here at Rhino our roots are sort of in novelty releases. We try to mine all the different genres - and sooner or later we'll hit any type," he said.
Rhino's latest include "A Doo-Wop Christmas," with music mostly from the '50s and early '60s; "Cajun Christmas"; and holiday tunes for kids like "Hap Palmer's Holiday Magic," "Hanna-Barbera's Christmas Sing-A-Long" and Bobby Goldsboro's song-tale, "Snuffy, the Elf Who Saved Christmas."
His personal favorites? "The `Blue Yule' is a cool one; and the blues and R&B stuff. That's as good as you'll get in a sampler because, of course, it has the big hits."
Rhino doesn't live and die by the Christmas market - its Billboard-related series, album reissues, greatest hits anthologies and much-praised boxed sets are the staples - but the holidays have become "a part of the whole pie," Hagelston said.
To help listeners negotiate the avalanche of holiday tunes, here are short reviews of recordings that are part of the 1992 Christmas crop:
TRADITIONAL
- The Mormon Youth Symphony and Chorus Christmas concert is one of the most popular of the season. And two new Christmas albums carry on the tradition, with both instrumental and vocal selections. "White Christmas Medley" (Covenant) features 24 all-time favorite Christmas songs - such familiar tunes as "Carol of the Bells," "O Come All Ye Faithful, "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and a few lesser-known songs such as "We're a Family of Friends" and "Christmas World." "O Holy Night" (Covenant) presents an additional 17 songs - including a couple of "Nutcracker" numbers, "Sleigh Ride," "Carol of the Drum," and selections from the "Messiah."
- It's John Tesh the producer more than John Tesh the composer-keyboard artist (let alone "Entertainment Tonight" host) on his new collection, "A Romantic Christmas" (GTS Records). The album is a sedately lush concert of carols and hymns, from "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and "O Holy Night" to "The Coventry Carol." Not until near the conclusion does keyboard artist Tesh step in with two delicate seasonal songs of his own, "Homecoming" and "In a Child's Eyes." Mel Torme's "Christmas Song," with a bluesy sax, brings the multicentury review to a close.
COUNTRY
- Pick your country hunk. Both Garth Books and Travis Tritt have Christmas albums out this season - "Beyond the Season" (Liberty) and "Loving Time of the Year" (Warner Bros.), respectively. But only one song overlaps, the old Buck Owens tune "Santa Looks A Lot Like Daddy." Brooks gives a country spin to a few more of the traditional songs like "Go Tell It On the Mountain" and "What Child Is This." His "Friendly Beasts," which utilizes the talents of several guest stars, is a lot of fun. Tritt turns his hard-core country/rock style loose on such songs as "Winter Wonderland," "All I Want For Christmas Dear Is You" and "Silver Bells" (unlike any other version you've ever heard). His title cut is an original, with a catchy tune and message.
POP
- Amy Grant's "Home for Christmas" (A&M) is one of the picks of the season for those who love Christmas and Christmas music, and the warm traditions so much a part of both. Grant's sweetly husky voice is supported by a full orchestra on most of the tracks, which include old favorites like "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "O Come All Ye Faithful" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas." Interspersed are new numbers like Carly Simon's "The Night Before Christmas" and the Grant's own "Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song)." The latter is a particularly nice addition to the Christmas canon, a thoughtful prayer from Mary's perspective.
- So, what's "a Jewish kid from Brooklyn" (his own self-description) like Neil Diamond doing as the star of a very Christmasy Christmas album? Reveling in good feelings, sentiment and memories like the rest of us, probably. He fell in love with the season's music as a member of high school choirs, he says in notes to "The Christmas Album" (Columbia). And so, in the hallowed footsteps of Irving Berlin and Barbra Streisand, he presents an album that is folksy and extravagant at the same time, with his trademark upfront acoustic guitars, an orchestra, a boys' choir, a gospel choir, a classical choir, combined choirs, "Silent Night," "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" and "O Holy Night." "Little Drummer Boy" is quintessential Neil Diamond. "White Christmas" is done doo-wop, with Neil leading. "Silver Bells" is mock-country. He covers John Lennon's "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)" and adds his own "You Make It Feel Like Christmas." But not "Holly Holy."
- "A Very Special Christmas 2" (A&M), like its 1987 predecessor, is for those whose musical tastes span the spectrum - rock, pop, country, R&B, blue-eyed soul, rap and blues. The 70-minute, 19-track anthology, which benefits the international Special Olympics program, offers originals like Tom Petty's "Christmas All Over Again," Boyz II Men's soulful doo-wop "The Birth of Christ," Extreme's plush "Christmas Time Again" and, the most pointed song in the collection, Run-DMC's rap on the season, "Christmas Is" ("Give up the dough/give up the dough/give up the dough on Christmas, yo!"). There are also lots of covers, from Randy Travis doing "Jingle Bell Rock" to Michael Bolton emoting on "White Christmas." And duets create a subtheme. Cyndi Lauper joins an archival Frank Sinatra on "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"; '60s stars Ronnie Spector and Darlene Love join forces on Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and Bonnie Raitt helps Charles Brown redo "Merry Christmas Baby." Sinead O'Connor wraps things up with Bob Dylan's "I Believe in You," giving it all kinds of new meanings - religious and personal.
- Capitol has been rummaging in its vaults to compile Christmas collections featuring artists recorded over a half-century span. This year's entry is "Let It Snow! Cuddly Christmas Classics from Capitol," a classy set focusing on the pre-rock era, roughly 1947 to 1967 in this case, when swing and big bands still held sway over recordmaking. The anthology presents the title tune as performed by Lena Horne; Christmas king Bing Crosby's "Winter Wonderland"; Jim Pike of the Lettermen soloing on "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"; Nat King Cole, Lou Rawls, Nancy Wilson, Peggy Lee and many others doing holiday pop both familiar and not so familiar.
RELIGIOUS
- Using both song and story, "The Nativity" (Bradshaw Recordings) presents the story of the birth of the Christ Child as an old man tells the story of roughly carved Nativity scene. Produced locally, it has a nondenominational message with universal appeal. "There will be times when the clutter of Christmas obscures the scene," notes the narrator. But if you place the Nativity scene right, "up high so that men must raise their eyes above the rest of what Christmas has come to mean" we can learn again that we celebrate the birth of Christ. The music is lyrical and sweet, featuring several original songs that help tell the story. Side 2 of the tape features the instrumentals only.
JAZZ-NEW AGE
- Narada Productions' instrumental musicians once again turn their attention to the holidays on the "Narada Christmas Collection Volume 2." The anthology maintains a pleasantly mellow mood through most of its 72-minute running time, surveying 15 carols, folk melodies and other traditional songs from around the world. Among the artists are Utahn David Arkenstone, who applies his sparkling synthesizers and guitars to "We Three Kings" (recorded at Salt Lake City's L.A. East studios); pianists Michael Jones, Ira Stein, Michael Gettel and Spencer Brewer; guitarists Nando Lauria and Ralf Illenberger; and David Lanz and Paul Speer, who pep up the proceedings ever too slightly on "Rock the Herald Angels" (which isn't as raucous as the title implies). This is a nice addition to the shelves of those who love the fireside/background atmosphere of other Narada and American Gramaphone (Mannheim Steamroller) Christmas creations.
- Liza Rey gives favorite carols a jazz harp interpretation in "Noel Nouveau" (Aubergine Records). Daughter of jazzmeister Alvino Rey, she is one of a very small group of jazz harpists regularly touring the country. The songs include "Three Kings" "Little Drummer Boy" "Coventry Carol" "Do You Hear What I Hear" and more. As you might expect with a harp as the featured instrument, they lean toward the soft and lyrical side. There is a bit of an "Airus" touch, not surprising since Kurt Bestor is listed as one of the collaborators. Lex de Azevedo is the executive producer.
- Two contemporary pianists add new albums to the holiday library, both fine fare for quiet listening or as pretty backgrounds for other goings on. John Boswell offers "Festival of the Heart" (Hearts of Space), and Danny Wright "Just Wright for Christmas" (Moulin D'Or). Boswell's is the most varied in tone, presenting peaceful solo piano ("Away in a Manger," "Silent Night"), lyrical arrangements ("O Come All Ye Faithful," "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear"); more exotic approaches (a pipe organ "Coventry Carol," an appropriately Middle East-flavored "Little Drummer Boy"); and two originals ("Festival of the Heart" and the piano-and-synthesizer "Eastern Star"). Wright's collection of carols, from "Silver Bells" and "Patapan-God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen" to Lloyd-Webber's "Pie Jesu" and his own "Innocence," is never bombastically showy but almost pristine, contemplative and salon-tasteful. Both pianists are joined on various tracks by small ensembles featuring flutes, strings and percussion.
SOUNDTRACK
- A soundtrack may not seem the most likely Christmas album, but that's really what you get with "Home Alone2" (Fox-Arista), one of the two spinoffs from the current hit movie - the other being John Williams' orchestral themes. Six of the tunes are originals or remakes by contemporary artists; one, "My Christmas Tree," sung by a children's choir, was co-written by composer Alan Menken, of "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin" acclaim; and two are graceful new carols by composer John Williams. Darlene Love - accompanied by much of Bruce Springsteen's old E Street Band - leads off with a new Stevie Van Zant song tailor-made for the "Home Alone" theme. Called "All Alone on Christmas," the song recaptures the old wall-to-wall Phil Spector style. Other contributors include Alan Jackson ("A Holly Jolly Christmas"), Bette Midler (in her angelic mode on Bricusse-Williams' "Somewhere in My Memory"), Atlantic Starr ("Silver Bells"), Lisa Fischer ("O Come All Ye Faithful") and TLC, on a pop-hip hop remake of "Sleigh Ride" (Leroy Anderson would be hard pressed to recognize his original). Three oldies are also included, Bobby Helms' classic "Jingle Bell Rock," Johnny Mathis' "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" and a remix (with Macaulay Culkin's chatter) of the Capitols' "Cool Jerk."
Naturally, the soundtrack to "The Muppet Christmas Carol" (Jim Henson Records-Zoom Express-BMG Kidz) is also attuned to the season, with a batch of new songs by Paul Williams and a few traditional tunes (albeit, as rendered by the likes of "the Muppet Brass Buskers" and various other characters). The numbers include Kermit's cute "One More Sleep 'Til Christmas" and show-stoppers like "Scrooge."
NOVELTY
- Rhino Records is expert at digging into other companies' archives and piecing together unusual thematic collections. They've surveyed the biggest hits of Christmas, as well as the bluesiest, most depressing and funniest songs of the season. "Doo Wop Christmas" is another excursion into noveltyland, with soaring tenors, booming basses and street-corner harmonies, and includes songs - many of them rarities - from as early as 1948 and as recent as the late '80s. Among them are orchestrated ballads like "You're My Christmas Present," by Jimmy Beaumont & the Skyliners; true novelty numbers like the Cadillacs' take on "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and the Marcels' faddish "Merry Twist-mas"; and echoes of more mainstream doo-wop hits, like "Merry Merry Christmas Baby," by Margo Sylvia & the Tune Weavers, a 1988 follow-up to the group's 1957 top 10 "Happy, Happy Birthday Baby."
ETHNIC
- Hard-line traditionalists should probably steer clear of "Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration" (Reprise), but those open to a re-interpretation of the 250-year-old oratorio from the black experience shouldn't miss it. The album adapts the words and music, to varying degrees, but the result is really only a little bit Handel and a lot gospel, soul, rap, pop, even jazz - often more than one of those styles in a single track. Among the featured artists are Stevie Wonder, Take 6, Al Jarreau, Tevin Campbell and Sounds of Blackness. "A Soulful Celebration" is an appropriate subtitle, too, for this rendition of "Messiah" is as fervent and joyously boisterous as you'd expect with those ingredients.
- Seasoned greetings is what you get on "Alligator Stomp, Vol. 4: Cajun Christmas (Rhino). The spicy sound of zydeco, fiddle, guitar and other Louisiana instruments give the music a decidedly different flavor. For example, "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear" is done as a Cajun waltz. "Christmas Bayou," "It's Christmastime in Louisiana" and "Bonne Annee" join such familiar songs as "Jingle Bells," "Up On The Housetop" "The Little Drummer Boy" and "Blue Christmas." Many of the vocals are done in French. Groups and artists featured include Beausoleil, Michael Doucet, the Jambalaya Cajun Band and Cajun Gold.
KIDS
- Kids like to sing along with their favorite songs, a fact noted by Rhino records in two of their holiday releases for kids. "Hap Palmer's Holiday Magic" features the popular children's entertainer and his children's chorus singing a dozen new and old songs. Titles include "The Baby's Carol," "Things I'm Thankful For" and "What A World We Have," as well as "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer." He also touches on the holiday season in other parts of the world with selections like "The Merry Hula" and "Feliz Navidad." The music alone is repeated on side two, so kids can add their own lyrics.
The same format is followed on "Hanna-Barbera's Christmas Sing-A-Long." Kids will enjoy picking out cartoon characters such as the Flintstones, Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound and the Jetsons on such songs as "Deck the Halls" "We Three Kings," "Up on the Housetop," and new tunes such as "Brand New Kind of Christmas Song" and "Making a Big To Do." The lighthearted silliness will appeal to youngsters.
If you've been wondering what Bobby Goldsboro is up to these days, now you know: writing children's stories and songs. He had a Halloween story out earlier this year, and now comes "Snuffy, the Elf Who Saved Christmas," a tale about one of Santa's older elves who is almost left out until he teaches the younger elves that there is a place for everyone. Four original Goldsboro songs punctuate the story, which may not become a classic but can provide some fun for the youngsters.