Earthlight Magazine / Books / Home
Copyright © 1996 by Joanne Brandt
All rights reserved. Inquiries should be addressed to
Twelve Star Publishing, P.O. Box 123, Jefferson, MD 21755
Earthlight Magazine / Books
/ Home
Copyright © 1996 by Joanne Brandt
All rights reserved. Inquiries should be addressed to
Twelve Star Publishing, P.O. Box 123, Jefferson, MD 21755
"Oh, no! Not another Christmas CD," I moaned
as I opened this package from New Age master musician Kitaro.
Too many carol albums can be as cloying as a mouthful of peppermint
candy. On the other hand, I find Kitaro's music powerful but cerebral.
Kitaro producing Christmas carols seemed about as incongruous
as Paul Bunyan in a creche.
What kind of album is this? Bright and crisp as a red apple on
Christmas morning. Full of inventive surprises. Sophisticated.
Joyful. Packed with old favorites, delicately treated to electronic
and acoustic tweaking. The fun transitions, natural winter sounds
like blowing winds, never give away the cut that comes next. Children
of the International Peace Choir add their innocent voices to
the mix. The child soloist on "The Little Drummer Boy"
could have been your kid, with his lisping pronunciation and earnest
but slightly flat voice.
Most of the cuts are instrumental, with just enough vocalizing
to add lustre. Okay, so Kitaro goes overboard making "Jingle
Bells" sound different (it does), but by and large this album
delivers a powdery Christmas treat.
Back to the List of Articles