Classy Christmas Album Highlights American Idols' Vocals

The same night I bought Clay Aiken’s Measure of a Man, I picked up American Idol: The Great Holiday Classics. I had thought I would wait until a bit closer to Christmas, but there it was, with a big fat SALE sticker on it, and I caved. After all, I’ve never been one to let the fact that it’s nowhere near Christmas deter me from enjoying holiday music. When I arrived home with my newly acquired album, I promptly plopped down on the couch and listened to them in succession, first Clay then the ensemble. And what do you know? I liked the ensemble better.

It’s hard to go wrong with Christmas music. With the exception of one song I had never heard before – though I did hear it several times on the radio once the holiday season rolled around – these are all familiar tunes. And they sound about the way it seems they ought to sound; there’s no great reinvention of the standards to make them sound like unique American Idol creations. As a result, the album is a refreshingly traditional Christmas offering, one I’m happy to place alongside such greats as John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together, Peter Paul and Mary: A Holiday Celebration, Neil Diamond: The Christmas Album, A Chipmunks’ Christmas, and so many other classics. This album made up for my disappointment in Clay’s debut.

The First Noel - Speaking of Clay, he gets to start the album off with a bang. This is Clay exactly as he should be. His voice is in such prominence and accompaniment so understated that throughout much of the song, it seems as though he is singing a capella. Whatever instrumentals do come into play complement rather than hinder his voice and remain very unobtrusively in the background. After this impressive into, I found myself wondering why the accompaniment couldn’t have been like that on Clay’s own CD.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Ruben Studdard and Tamyra Gray combine their vocal talents on this number. Their mellow voices complement one another very well and are particularly suited to this song.

O Come, All Ye Faithful - All the Idol contestants demonstrated their ability to sing as part of a group during those Wednesday night pre-results time-filling performances. Switching off at times to highlight certain voices, they find their greatest strength when singing in harmony as a whole (though a solo by Clay towards the end packs a pretty powerful punch).

Silent Night - Widespread shock ensued when Tamyra was voted off during the first season of the show, exposing flaws in the telephone voting system. The producers allow her to shine here arguably the most beloved of all Christmas carols, proving that while she might have been denied the title, she could hold her own against Kelly Clarkson any day.

Silver Bells - When I was two years old, this was my favorite song. If I am not much mistaken, it is the first song that I ever clearly identified as my favorite, followed a short time later by Art Garfunkel’s Feuilles-Oh and Don McLean’s American Pie. So it’s got a pretty special place in my heart, and it was pretty nifty to hear Clay sing it. He and Kim Locke have clearly developed a close rapport, and their chemistry is evident in their performance of this song together. Apparently I’m not the only one this track made an impression on; it’s the only song from the album I heard on the radio.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town - I don’t like it quite as much as Faithful, but it’s still a nice group number. Backed by a jazzy piano and percussion, it relies more heavily on individual performances and doesn’t achieve the same level of group harmony as their first group song. Nonetheless, it’s a fun, upbeat tune.

The Christmas Song - Kim’ smooth tones sail over these classic lyrics. A perfect complement to Merry Little Christmas, it’s a soulful contribution highlighting the gal who almost snagged a spot in the top two in the second season.

I’ll Be Home for Christmas - Interestingly enough, while Rube, Clay, Tamyra, and Kim all get to perform both a solo and a duet, Justin just gets one song to himself. Adding insult to injury, he was entirely absent from their Christmas special which aired shortly before Thanksgiving, an omission that was never explained, typical of AI’s style. Poor Justin barely even gets a mention these days among all the references to Kelly, Ruben and Clay. At least he’s got this track, which is perfectly enjoyable and fits right in with the others.

Winter Wonderland - I found this one a bit odd for a couple reasons. For one thing, the inclusion of Christina Christian seems a little random. I guess they wanted to have three from each season here, since Kelly only shows up on the bonus disc, another oddity. But it was one thing to include Tamyra, who was the frontrunner for most of the competition and certainly is a better singer than Justin or How-the-Heck-Did-She-Last-That-Long Nikki McKibbin. But they had to reach a little further back for Christina. I guess it makes sense, but I was surprised to see her on the disc. The other odd thing about this song, particularly considering Simon’s disdain for impersonations, is that she sounds just like Marilyn Monroe. Oh, well. Simon always did favor Christina, so he probably loved this track anyway.

This Christmas - If I was a bit baffled by Christina’s presence, I was utterly flummoxed by the song choice in Ruben’s starring number. It does suit him, but nine out of the ten songs are well-worn Christmas classics, and this one just seemed to come out of left field. Prior to this Christmas season, I had never heard this song before, and initially I thought it might have been written just for Ruben. Working in the mall, however, I heard two different versions of this song, so I guess it’s not so obscure. Still, it does seem out of place, not only because it’s not as well known as the others but because it sounds like it belongs in a disco. As my brother put it, it sounds like “A Funky Cops Christmas.”

Bonus Disc

Oh Holy Night - What is the deal with American Idol and bonus tracks anyway? And why do we need a separate disc for two songs? Is Kelly too good to appear with the rest of the successful Idols? I thought perhaps Kelly had a Christmas album of her own from which these tracks were drawn, but that does not seem to be the case, so why is she all by herself? I find it puzzling, but I can’t complain about the quality of the tracks. I had hoped that Clay would get to sing this, my favorite Christmas carol. He would have done a brilliant job. But Kelly’s a capella version is appropriately reverent, and her voice can handle the challenge of the carol’s final pole-vaulting notes.

My Grown Up Christmas List - This track isn’t exactly canon either, but it’s much more consistent with the overall feel of the album, and in particular with O Holy Night. Also well suited to Kelly’s voice, it is particularly appropriate for the troubled times in which we live. The first season of American Idol started within a year of September 11, 2001, and America went to war with Iraq while the second season was underway. This prayer for peace is a nod to that.

It’s a little late, I suppose, to run out and buy Christmas music, but if you’re still buried in snow like we are here in Erie, it’s easier to forget that Valentine’s Day is upon us and Christmas a distant memory. Even if you’ve sworn off Christmas music for the next 10 months, keep American Idol: The Great Holiday Classics tucked away in your brain somewhere, ready to pull out when the stores put up their holiday displays. American Idol isn’t always known for its class, but its producers redeemed themselves with this compilation.