We've moved into full-on Christmas mode in my house this year, so when I
recalled that yesterday was Mickey Mouse's birthday, a Disney Christmas
album seemed like a good way to celebrate. So it was that we stumbled
upon Disney's Family Christmas Collection, a group of 20 songs befitting the season.
Many of the songs here just have a pleasant, generic feel to them. Some
have a peppy kid's chorus and sometimes an adult soloist in the
tradition of many classic Disney recordings. Songs in this vein include Frosty the Snowman, Joy to the World and We Wish You a Merry Christmas.
Most of the tracks are quite short, ranging from about a minute to two
and a half minutes, which keeps things moving along quickly and almost
guarantees that if you don't like the current song, you'll soon find a
song that you do like.
The album isn't especially well mixed,
as the first batch of songs generally has a much more upbeat feel, while
the second batch is more sedate. Still, this could be handy, as kids
might prefer the first half and adults the second. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and Winter Wonderland
are both tracks that appear earlier on the album but better fit the
tone of the second half, as they are short choral arrangements with
plenty of harmony. Other tracks in this style include the serene Bring a Torch Jeannette, Isabella, the madrigalesque Carol of the Bells and the reverent O Come All Ye Faithful.
Then there are the traditional songs that highlight individual singers. My favorite of these is probably Jolly Old St. Nicholas,
which is performed by Anndi McAfee, whose childlike voice is sweet,
strong and perfectly suited to the innocence of the narrator. Though I
didn't realize this initially, she voiced Cera the triceratops in
several sequels to The Land Before Time, a staple of my childhood. Catherine Lucille's lovely version of Silent Night, backed
by an "ooh"-ing chorus, is one of the album's longest tracks at nearly
four minutes in length. Another is Chris Martin's slightly Celtic-tinged
What Child Is This? Meanwhile, Terry Wood's a cappella rendition of Away in a Manger is just over a minute long.
Other songs seem to be new. The album concludes with Martin's touching Angel Time, which has to do with the idea that we are all observed and protected by angels. On the sillier end of things is Rayvon's Santa Rap, a beatbox-heavy rap that deals with the distribution of toys to kids. My definite favorite song along these lines here is Rare Old Christmas,
an old-timey, pipe-laden song performed by Ed Miller, who sounds like a
charming elderly Irish pub denizen as he offers a benediction to
listeners, wishing them laughter and the joy of music.
Of
course, it would be disappointing to listen to an album in honor of
Mickey if the mouse himself didn't put in a few appearances. He, Minnie
and Goofy are an integral part of the bouncy Jingle Bells and Deck the Halls, and they also chime in on Here Comes Santa Claus.
Donald is a bit quieter on this album, perhaps because of his poor
enunciation skills, but he's right in the thick of things on the sound
effects-laden Sleigh Ride. The more prominent duck, however, is
Ludwig Von Drake, who sings the only unique Christmas song that involves
the Disney characters. That would be the very entertaining The Science of the Season,
which attempts to explain such phenomena as flying reindeer and Santa
squeezing into chimneys but ultimately chalks much of it up to magic.
This album includes 20 tracks but is only 45 minutes long, so it really
is fast-paced. Plenty of certified Christmas classics appear here,
though, and most of them are quite straightforward. While I generally
prefer a little more personality and comedy in a novelty Christmas
album, the more general tone of most of these tracks makes it fitting
for background music at a party, and if anyone listening closely happens
to recognize Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald or Drake, that should just
be more reason to smile.
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