- Audio CD (10 Jan 2005)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Format: Import
- Label: Real World
- ASIN: B0002W4TQC
- Other Editions: Audio CD
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 674,753 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
Jubilee Offer: Patriotic Classics for £2.50 |
Product details |
Track Listings
| 1. Last Month Of The Year |
| 2. I Pray On Christmas |
| 3. Go Tell It On The Mountain |
| 4. Little Drummer Boy |
| 5. In The Bleak Midwinter |
| 6. Joy To The World |
| 7. Born In Bethlehem |
| 8. The Christmas Song |
| 9. Away In A Manger |
| 10. Oh Come All Ye Faithful |
| 11. White Christmas |
| 12. Silent Night |
| 13. My Lord What A Morning |
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Exceptional in every way, the Blind Boys of Alabama's Christmas record is a must have for Christmas music fans of all ages and musical persuasions. Go Tell It on the Mountain features the legendary gospel group singing with some of the most renowned artists in the music world who share gospel, R&B and folk roots. Thirteen tracks deep, every song is a gift, offering such compelling new arrangements and dynamic vocal performances of traditional hymns, carols and mistletoe pop standards that some will seem like you're hearing them for the first time. With guest stars such as Solomon Burke, Tom Waits, Shelby Lynne, Chrissie Hynde, Aaron Neville, Me'Shell Ndegeocello, the immortal jazz man Les McCann and others, it's impossible to list all the highlights. Suffice to say, the blistering blues-funk rendering of "Away in a Manger" with George Clinton, Robert Randolph and the Blind Boys, along with a smouldering duet of "The Christmas Song" by Shelby Lynne and Clarence Fountain from the group, will have you shoutin' from the mountaintop again and again.--Martin Keller
Review
When it comes to Christmas 2003, Go Tell it on the Mountain from The Blind Boys of Alabama is the carol collection to play at your yule-tide party. Not only does a percentage of the proceeds go to diabetes research - three of the Blind Boys are diabetic - but with Tom Waits and Meshell Ndegéocello on the credits, you can indulge your seasonal sentimentality with street cred intact!
Why haul out Bing's "White Christmas" when jazz pianist, Les McCann can do it scat-style? Who needs Phil Spector when you've got George Clinton's 12-bar blues funk on "Away in a Manager" or Mavis Staples belting out "Born in Bethlehem"? With Waits growling in a minor key to the title track, Michael Franti free-styling on "The Little Drummer Boy" and Chrissie Hynde harmonising to Richard Thompson's guitar "In The Bleak Midwinter", there's no excuse for Slade this Christmas.
That The Blind Boys of Alabama can enlist such a surprising and stellar cast on one CD is an indication of the esteem in which these double-grammy winning veterans of gospel music are held. Formed in 1939 at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind, three of the founding members, Clarence Fountain, Jimmy Carter and George Scott have tirelessly taken traditional gospel to new territories ever since.
Like earlier albums Spirit of the Century (2001) and Higher Ground (2002), John Chelew's production experiments with timeless traditional hymns to create a contemporary, sublime and often subversive sound. Robert Randulph's pedal steel on "Away in a Manger" is inspired as is MeShell Ndegéocello's sultry solo over "Come All Ye Faithful". Aaron Neville's a capella version of "Joy to the World" tenderly counterpoints the chorus while soul-singing pastor, Solomon Burke had me down on my praying knees.
If you want to melt under the mistletoe and feel groovy as you make the stuffing, then get Go Tell it on the Mountain. I guarantee, your festival will flow. --Maud Hand
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Don't expect the scmaltzy, pop, Christmas tunes here - this is deep, soulful and meaningful gospel blues applied to some great seasonal classics. You will not believe what the BBOA have done to Away in A Manger - a fantastic rendition of this carol -you will never want to hear it any other way!! The boys are assisted by Solomon Burke, Chrissy Hynde and Tom Waits, to name but three. Aaron Neville does a great a cappella rendering of Joy to the World...overall, a soulful Christmas Cracker! Very highly recommended.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I had not heard any music by this group prior to borrowing a copy of this album - however, this is an excellent Christmas album. As you would expect from a gospel group, they focus almost exclusively on the religious aspect of the festival, the sole exception being White Christmas. There is a different guest singer on each track except the opening and closing tracks, which are without guests.
With any album featuring a variety of guests, one's favorites depend to some extent on one's opion of the various guests. For example, my favorite guest is Shelby Lynne, who does a fine duet of The Christmas song - however, it's not quite my absolute favorite track. That distinction goes to Chrissie Hynde singing In the bleak midwinter, almost as a solo track with the group providing backup harmony. It is one of my favorite carols and I get the impression that it is more popular in Britain than in America, where it turns up occasionally on Christmas albums (this one included) but is by no means common. Other favorites include I pray on Christmas (a cover of a Harry Connick Jr song featuring Solomon Burke), Born in Bethlehem (with Mavis Staples), Little drummer boy (with Michael Franti) and Joy to the world (with Aaron Neville).
This is an album with plenty of variety - they put plenty of energy into Last month of the year (no guests) and Go tell it on the mountain (with Tom Waits), which provide plenty of contrast with the slower songs.
If you are looking for a bluesy gospel Christmas album, this is certainly a good one to choose.
Format:Audio CD
I love this album. I really do. These people on it, they sing. Beautifully. It's beautiful.
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