Music that supports the holidays has been a staple for as long as I can remember. New contributions that capture the popular imagination of those interested can be tricky. Today we aim to offer you stylings from this decade with the 2012 album Merry Christmas, Baby by Rod Stewart.
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas opens the album with an intimate studio production with dignity. This is a nice song to listen to while snuggling with a loved one, a glass of cheer, and a loved one.
Santa Claus is Coming to Town offers a similar sweetness to the album opener with a nice mixture of supporting band underpinning the distinctive Rod Stewart voice. The big band sound with supporting vocals slightly past the song’s midpoint is a nice touch.
On Winter Wonderland, Michael Bublé and Rod Stewart take turns leading the singing for this song, keeping a distinctly soft jazz feeling flowing to the mood as the fondness for the season as expressed through a festive landscape is invoked.
White Christmas slows the tempo for the contemplative, drowsy feeling not unlike one might get while in the bustle of the season after a particularly energetic day.
CeeLo Green and Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews join Rod Stewart for the album’s namesake song, Merry Christmas, Baby. The curious and uplifting mix of this trio enjoys a classic if slightly understated treatment with the strongest sense of enthusiasm within the song not coming until roughly two-minutes into the song. Playing Auld Lang Syne from later in this album as a lead into the song Merry Christmas, Baby did my heart good in appreciating this tune.
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! offers a stronger sense of the best experience I take from the album of an almost introspective feel. Dave Koz joins accompanies in the song with subtle hints to the song Baby It’s Cold Outside mixed in.
Ella Fitzgerald and Chris Botti accompany on What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve? in a surprising and wonderfully old-fashioned sounding take on the new year classic. I could listen to this song over and over again with my affection increasing.
Blue Christmas offers us the return of Rod Stewart performing in solo with a rendering of the song that hints to the gospel and bluegrass underpinnings present in the Elvis Presley sentiment if not the sound of that earlier take. I am quite fond and proud of the newer, fresher approach to the song by Stewart.
Red-Suited Super Man sees a return of Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews with a stronger sense of rhythm and blues felt more strongly here than perhaps anywhere else on the Merry Christmas, Baby album.
Rod Stewart takes a risk in approaching the Disney song When You Wish Upon a Star as orchestrated and sung originally here by the character Jiminy Cricket (voiced by Cliff Edwards). I appreciate Stewart‘s treating the production with reverence in offering a more contemporary sensibility. Have a listen.
In joining with Mary J. Blige on We Three Kings, Rod Stewart achieves something unique and unexpected. The vocal mix in coupling these two offers a beautiful, uplifting mixture of a song arguably as thematically spiritual as any I’ve heard Stewart due in his career. I appreciate this interpretation immensely.
Silent Night with the understated instrumentation works beautifully for the second spiritual of the Merry Christmas, Baby album. The singing of children through the second movement of the song works, yet this song works for me less than the collaboration with Mary J. Blige on We Three Kings.
Auld Lang Syne ends the Merry Christmas, Baby album with an affectionate musical toast both uplifting and sweet. The uplifting production with pretty instrumentation and chorus is a warm blanket of appreciation from Stewart that strikes me in a sweet spot of joy to bring about the end to an enjoyable album.
Matt – Saturday, December 5, 2020
Matt Lynn Digital 