[.ca] Joy - a Holiday Collection

From Amazon.com:
Jewel has concocted an intriguing and at times beautifully inspired holiday album, playing it straight with a big orchestra and backing voices for the first half of the record with standards such as "Joy to the World," "Winter Wonderland," "Silent Night," as well as a lovely rendition of "Ave Maria." Things finally get sparkling in the last half where Jewel does a low-key, kid version of "Rudolph" and sings her own compositions. Her moving "Face of Love" and "Hands" are certain to become holiday standards, capable of being sung in a country, pop, gospel, or R & B vein and deserving of an audience as wide as the nation itself. The record's centerpiece, however, seems to be a six-minute-plus medley that mixes "Go Tell It on the Mountain" with the recent hit "From a Distance" and her own "Life Uncommon." Nonetheless, her stunning adaptation of "Gloria" inspired, in part, by Bach's B-Minor Mass, two tracks later is as powerful and lovely a Christmas vocal performance as you will find anywhere. Produced by the legendary Arif Mardin, Joy is destined to become a holiday classic. --Martin Keller

A great Christmas album:
I got this CD for Christmas this year, and I loved it. Jewel's renditions of the Christmas classics, are amazing, and beautiful. ~~~~~~~~~ Joy to the World ~ 5 stars O Holy Night ~ 5 stars Silent Night ~ 5 stars Winter Wonderland ~ 5 stars O Little Town of Bethlehem ~ 5 stars Ave Maria ~ 5 stars Hark! The Herald Angels Sing ~ 5 stars Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer ~ 5 stars Face of Love ~ 5 stars Medley: a. Go Tell It on the Mountain b. Life Uncommon c. From a Distance ~ 5 stars I Wonder As I Wander ~ 5 stars Gloria ~ 5 stars Hands (Christmas Version) ~ 5 stars ~~~~~~~~ This CD is very beautiful, and I recommend "Joy - A Holiday Collection" to all Jewel fans. A great Christmas CD to add to your collection. :)

The Sounds of Freedom:
I am very positively surprised that this kind of music is still produced and enjoy this album 5 times a day during the dark days before christmas. While recording, Jewel was guided by 2 vocal coaches. Maybe this was producer Arif Mardin's idea, I dont know, but it shows the absolute dedication to the main part of the production, the singing. Each and every word is sang so beautiful by Jewel, so well-considered yet spontaneously that it really lightens up my mind, my house, the world. As far as the musical production, it sounds like right out of heaven and it surrounds Jewels voice perfectly. Never bombastic or looking for popular effects...just sparkling. The orchestrations are also awseome and remind me somehow on movies from the fifties. My favorite tracks are Oh Holy Night when Jewel peaks cristal clear and sky high and the medley with its very uplifting gospel.

The Best Christmas CD!:
This is my very favourite Christmas CD! Jewel's voice is so sweet, without being overly so. Her rendition of "Go Tell it on the Mountain" is so lively, you just want to sing out loud. The song "Hands" brings tears to my eyes everytime I listen to it. I play this over and over again in my CD Player; I actually have a copy in my car and one at home because I can't bear not having it available in both places. If you buy only one Christmas CD this year, make it this one. You'll love it!

Celine dion she's not!:
she sounds dumb. she can't even sing. get Celine Dion's Christmas cd instead, now that's a legitimate singer!

A Must have:
Her voice is just right. The mix has fun and religious. This is one of, if not my favorite christmas CD. Jewel hits all the notes just right. Her voice is pleasing. It is bound to become one of the Christmas classics with Nat King Cole ,Tthe Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The Vienna Boys Choir and Bing Crosby. And others....It captures all the emotions in Christmas. I love this.

• Joy to the World
• O Holy Night
• Silent Night
• Winter Wonderland
• O Little Town of Bethlehem
• Ave Maria
• Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
• Face of Love
• Medley: Go Tell It on the Mountain/Life Uncommon/From a Distance
• I Wonder as I Wander
• Gloria
• Hands \oChristmas Version\c