This Christmas - 4875

Amazon.com Anytime a soulful diva like LaBelle chooses to record, it's a special event, and fortunately, all but three of the songs on this 1990 release are originals written specifically for the project. The Philly musical legend tackles Donny Hathaway's classic "This Christmas," the 1949 Orioles hit "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" and the traditional "O Holy Night," but the real gems here are tunes like the heartfelt standout, "Born in a Manger"; the wonderful "Country Christmas," cowritten by LaBelle and coproduced by her longtime musical director, "Budd" Ellison; and "'Twas Love," which finds the usually high-octane singer in a relatively subdued mood also echoed on "I'm Christmasing with You." LaBelle can clearly relate to the lyrics of "Nothing Could Be Better," which references her life on the road and the joy of coming home for the holidays, and she sounds equally comfortable on "If Everyday Could Be Like Christmas" and the album's closer, "Wouldn't It Be Beautiful," which has an almost reggae-like undertone to it. Toning down her usual vocal pyrotechnics, LaBelle offers a holiday album that is eminently listenable. --David Nathan
ASIN: B000002OZ1
VSKU: GGV.B000002OZ1.N
Condition: New
Author/Artist:Labelle, Patti
Binding: Audio cd