Billy Idol Christmas CD
I just got my copy of the Billy Idol Christmas CD.
Overall? Not what I expected, but kind of neat..
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Some of the songs were a little weak, but some were excellent. Most of the songs are performed as what I would term "Classic Childrens Christmas Carols"; simply presented and very clear. They are not presented the way you would expect for a party CD, for example, although one or two of the songs have a good potential for dancing. This album could easily be considered blues influenced, with a very 50's Blues/Rock feel to many of the songs. It is most emphatically not what you expect from "Billy Idol does Chritsmas carols" but if you can get past that you may like it.
The songs are a somewhat eclectic mix of traditional Xmas carols. Some of the songs are very well done, with a few having a jazzy overtone. Many of them really do sound like they came off a children's album (an album FOR children, not by children.) Since it was not what I expected, it did take me a few minutes to get used to the style, but after the initial surprise the album is quite pleasant.
There are difficult points throughout the album.
The vocals are very well enunciated with incredible diction, but this does not work well in all the songs! Frankly a few of them sounded like his diction coach was standing in front of him with a score card, but it was a relief in a few of them to be able to make out the lyrics... so it's a bad point in a few places, and a good point in others.
He was rather chronically straining for some of the higher notes. I had the idea that many of the songs were in his "middle range" where he couldn't relax into his upper range, but couldn't dig into the lower register either. I suspect many of the songs would have been in the correct range for him ten or twenty years ago, and like many of us he doesn't want to adjust. Of course he could just have been recording them with a slightly overused voice.
There seems to be a tendancy to use synthesized rythm sections, which overwhelm the songs in a few places, and don't let the vocals show to best effect, however that is one problem that may be an artifact of playing the CD on a mediocre sound system. The entire album is performed by two people, Billy Idol and Brian Tichy except for the piano work on tracks1,4,8,10,11,12, and 15 by Derek Sherinian. After i wrote the review i went back and noticed that the best songs were also tracks that had Derek Sherinian's piano playing on them. Either Derek is a magician all by himself, or the album really benefits from a bit more depth and numbers. It is hard to do really good work when you only have two people doing all the parts.
Frosty the snowman : clearly enunciated, with a synthesized sleigh bell opening. The synthesizer really makes it sound more appropriate for a kids video. A decent version of the song, but not what you expect when you start the album.
Silver Bells: The vocals are good, but crisper and less smooth than i am used to in this song. This song is clearly in his range.
Happy Holiday: This one has way too many notes that are just not giving him an easy time. I was not familiar with this song, so I have no other versions to compare it to, but I would have transposed it down a few notes for him.
Merry Christmas Baby: The enunciation is a detriment in this song. It sounded like he was getting into the blues swing of it, but the crisp diction broke it up too much. His voice sounds much better in the lower ranges of this song. He does a good blues growl and an excellent spoken blues riff, however, and i would like to hear him do more classic blues.
White Christmas: This one sounds like someone over enunciating Karaoke to a electric piano's automatic play of white Xmas. Sorry, but it does. Pity, you can hear some real potential in the vocals. I suspect this one would benefit from a real band. At the very end, there is a rock /swing bit that would be really great if he did the whole song that way...
Here comes Santa Claus: A nice pleasant lightly jazzy version of the song. The vocals are well in his range, and it does have a bit of the swingy, hand clapping bounce to it.
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen: The instrments have improved a great deal in this one, with pleasant guitar work. A bit dark sounding, it has a gothic overtone. The clear diction is a plus, and he actually nailed the transitions into the higher notes. His voice sounds smoother in this song.
Santa Claus is Back in Town: A tribute to Elvis and the talking blues, this one is a really good version of the song. His blues growl is in full evidence, and this song does the 50's boogie blues tone dead on. The backup vocals by Brian Tichy fit right in to the style.
Let it Snow: Back to the synthesizer Karaoke... sigh. I wish i could kill the backing music on this track, but his voice is well suited for this song. The swish of snow from the drum, and the spoken word jazz add to the song, and he really does the vocals in this one quite well... he just needs to kill the synth.
Winter Wonderland: Good bounce, Its in his range, and when it goes up into those problem notes he doesnt strain to reach them. This was probably recorded when he was more relaxed. Quite dancable, and very old fashioned. I liked this one a lot.
Run Rudolph Run: An opening right out of the classic Beatles "revolution" this one growls while it swings, and the rough edge on the voice is a plus. i admit i am not used to hearing every word clear as a bell in this song... but it works. Minor quibble, I would expect it to be a bit faster, but its actually true to the original. The piano work sounds like classic 50's rockabilly.
Blue Christmas: OK, I admit it, I am used to bending the notes in this one. The crisp words and the clean notes threw me at first. Then he goes into the spoken word mid section, and he had me hooked.
Jingle Bell Rock: This one sounds like the origonal. I want a bit more rock when i hear Billy Idol, but he does a good 50's style here. You can hear the upper range strain, or at least I can, but his lower range makes up for it.
Christmas Love: Why does this one make him sound Texan? Very 50's classic. Its got a decent swing once you get into it. I had never heard this song before that i recall, so i can't give many comparisons.
Christmas Tree: An excellent Jazz lounge version of the song. This is one place where the clear diction combines with the jazzy swing and occasional growl to perfect effect. The music sounds like it belongs in the background of a Peanut's special (that is a compliment by the way). If this song is any indication, Billy Idol could do a run in Vegas as a Jazz singer.. which is a wierd thought.
Silent Night: His spoken opening purrs at you, and you sets you up for a fantastic vocal on this song. Sadly, it doesnt happen. The opening lines of this song are terrible. His voice is strained and it shows, As the song goes on, it gets better, but the background singer is flat on the accompanying high notes. Listen to the beautiful purr on the spoken word opening and then skip this song.
Auld Lang Syne: Accapella one verse version of the song. Again, you can really hear the strain and flatness on any higher notes, which is a pity because it ruins the tune even though some of the lower notes sound good. Personally i would skip this one too.
Oh, yeah.. and apparently I must have been one of the early orders, because I got a signed Holiday card.
Cool Yule present, right?