|
|
|
|
| Keyword Search: The Alan Parsons Project |
|
|
| HomeKeyword Search: The Alan Parsons Project |
|
|  | | | Customer Reviews: | | | Average Customer Review:
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
 Refreshing Nov 20, 2009
Just received this album from Sugarland. Love the new songs, the musicality, the blending of the two individual voices. Arrangements are unique, and the vocals are strong. Something new and special. Will listen to these song next Christmas, too!
Sugarland Goodness! Nov 20, 2009
Love this album. Let me state up front I hate country music and Christmas music, so this album delivers. I love Comin Home and Winter Wonderland. Probably the only Christmas music to be played in my house this Christmas.
0 of 6 found the following review helpful:
 yee-haw. Nov 17, 2009
THought this would be a little better- it's really country-ish.
But if you like country- it's all you!
3 of 4 found the following review helpful:
An instant classic Oct 24, 2009
If you're tired of the same old cover versions of traditional Christmas music, you're not alone. Sugarland must have felt the same way, for this nifty little early Christmas present from country's premiere duo contains as many original holiday-themed compositions as it does reworkings of the expected chestnuts. The pair even puts their signature style on some of the cover versions. For example, it might be hard to picture anyone else singing "Nuttin' for Christmas" after hearing Jennifer Nettles' comically mischievous take on the song.
But it's the 5 original compositions that really separate GOLD AND GREEN from the rest of the holiday pack. "City of Silver Dreams" opens the disc with snowy sweet love letter to New York City, a song that surely deserves a place among the all-time great Christmas tunes. "Coming Home" revisits the theme of the band's first single "Baby Girl" (even going so far as to have the mother in the song ask 'How's my baby girl?'), and it's hard not to see art imitating life when one realizes it was just 5 short years ago that Nettles and Co. burst onto the scene with that slice of life-on-the-road. The title track evokes a sort of country-tinged Carpenters, although even Karen Carpenter never got so choice a line as "The butter light of candlesticks/Chases snowflakes off the bricks." Kristian Bush takes the mic for "Maybe Baby (New Year's Day)", a restless plea to see an old lover during the holidays. While probably the weakest of the original songs here, it's still a fine Steve Earle-style mid-tempo rocker.
And then we come to what is not only the album's best song, it could be the song-writing and performance high point of Sugarland's career to date. "Little Wood Guitar" is as perfect a composition as has come around in many years. While stylistically akin to "Coming Home," the song simply takes flight when Nettles reaches the chorus. And again, it's hard not to see some truth in the story of the rather unassuming Christmas present that had the power to change a person's life.
I guess the real revelation about GOLD AND GREEN is that it does not, for one moment, NOT feel like a Sugarland album. This is no studio-mandated collection of cover songs designed to front-load the retail racks in time for Christmas. It is what it is: A Sugarland Christmas album. Highly recommended.
3 of 5 found the following review helpful:
"Gold and Green" shows Sugarland still evolving in every way musically possible Oct 20, 2009
"Gold and Green" dishes up nothing but outstanding music from Sugarland! They sound better than ever on this album; and the arrangements for their holiday songs are highly creative and beautiful. Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush can write--and on this album they perform holiday songs both traditional and new. Listen for songs that have widespread appeal with lyrics about family, love and so much more of life. The CD also gets a lot of its strength from the way the tracks flow into one another; and that's grand. Sugarland sounds just great and the artwork is very pretty. This is definitely a must-have for their fans!
"City of Silver Dreams" - This is a beautiful, poignant song with an elegant piano arrangement. It makes a great starter tune for the album. And wow, how Jennifer Nettles can SING!
"Winter Wonderland" - Obviously, this is a traditional song; but Sugarland performs it with so much exceptional energy they can practically claim it as their own. That awesome country flavor works wonders for this classic ballad and they never miss a beat. The guitars sound particularly sweet; this'll get you up and dancing!
"Holly Jolly Christmas" - This has more excellent words and music performed with a country twist by talented Sugarland. The guitars are just terrific and the slightly slower than normal tempo lets them put their own stamp on this song.
"Coming Home" - This stuns me with its beauty; Sugarland delivers this with heart and soul--and just one listen proves it! The music fits in perfectly with those vocals, too.
"Gold and Green" - The title track gets a lovely treatment; this handsome song is very easy on the ear and I think you're going to like this charming lullaby.
"Maybe Baby (New Year's Day)" - Sugarland uses percussion, guitars and more to make this song sparkle brightly. This song is very beautiful indeed; and it deals with the topic of a man remembering a love affair. This is clearly a major highlight of this album.
"Nuttin' for Christmas" - "Nuttin' for Christmas" is a cute, secular Christmas song that Sugarland aces as effortlessly as if it were mere breathing. It really wasn't all that easy; their talents carry them through.
"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" - This is a lovely interpretation of this classic Christmas song.
"Little Wood Guitar" - This is a new song by Sugarland. What a great song this is--we hear the story of a little girl who received a guitar as her only Christmas present. Sugarland bats this right out of the ballpark.
"Silent Night" - Sugarland ends their album with a crackerjack interpretation of this classic and ageless Christmas music. Kristian Bush and Jennifer Nettles sing this in both English and Spanish; and they never let go of a single superfluous note!
Sugarland delivers an awesome holiday CD. I recommend this for Sugarland fans; and people who want a terrific country style holiday CD would do well to add this to their collections.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
![Up (4 Disc Combo Pack with Digital Copy and DVD) [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51V%2Beipy8-L._SL75_.jpg "Up (4 Disc Combo Pack with Digital Copy and DVD) [Blu-ray]")
![Across the Universe [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51T24FuHPEL._SL75_.jpg "Across the Universe [Blu-ray]")
![Underworld Trilogy (Underworld / Underworld: Evolution / Underworld: Rise of the Lycans) [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51F27VzUl%2BL._SL75_.jpg "Underworld Trilogy (Underworld / Underworld: Evolution / Underworld: Rise of the Lycans) [Blu-ray]")
![Shakira: Oral Fixation Tour [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51RQUEopdlL._SL75_.jpg "Shakira: Oral Fixation Tour [Blu-ray]")
