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These Are Special Times
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9 new or used available from £3.47
Average customer review:
Track Listing
- O Holy Night
- Don't Save It All For Christmas Day
- Blue Christmas
- Another Year Has Gone By
- Magic Of Christmas Day (God Bless Us Everyone)
- Ave Maria
- Adeste Fidelis
- Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)
- Prayer - Dion, Celine & Andrea Bocelli
- Lullaby
- Christmas Eve
- These Are Special Times
- Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
- I'm Your Angel - Dion, Celine & R. Kelly
- Feliz Navidad
- Les Cloches Du Hameau
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #4052 in Music
- Released on: 2008-10-13
- Number of discs: 1
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.co.uk Review
The prolific princess of pop has thrown together a mixture of contemporary and traditional holiday favourites, bordering on too-cute and kitschy only on the intro to "Feliz Navidad". For many, Dion is an acquired taste, but even nay-sayers may enjoy her rare moments of restraint on a smoky version of "Blue Christmas". "The Prayer," a duet with Andrea Bocelli, is set to become the "Time to Say Goodbye" of the future, but it will have to battle it out with the R. Kelly duet, "I'm Your Angel", first. --Rebecca Wallwork
CD Description
Whether or not you're a fan, it's undeniable that Celine Dion is the people's siren of choice in turn-of-the-millenniumAmerica. Part of the reason for that (apart from her superhuman pipes) is the way she throws herself into a song with total emotional commitment, taking nothing lightly. That kindof earnestness serves her in good stead on this collection of Christmas tunes. Tackling both the traditional ("Ave Maria", "Adeste Fideles") and the modern (John Lennon's "Happy Xmas") Dion invests these yuletide songs with just the right mix of reverence and authority. Joined by everyone from R&B love man R. Kelly to Opera crossover superstar Andrea Bocelli, Dion proves that even a concept as overdone as the Holiday album can sound fresh and substantive when a performer of her ilk is involved.
Customer Reviews
O HOLY CELINE
All I can say is....WHAT AN ALBUM, WHAT A VOICE!!!! The selection of songs on this album are absolutely perfect, and even more perfect for celine's voice. Her soft version of "O holy night" is fantastic, mellow and calm at first and then a powerful, strong ending with celine belting out "oh night divine". Also, "Ave maria" is normally sung by opera singers, but celine can NAIL THIS SONG! She is even better than an opera singer. There is also the jolly "god bless us everyone" with its christmassy feel. Buy this album, it is celine at her best at christmas, two of the best things in life, christmas, and celine!
a sparkling Christmas collection
From traditional songs to new, like "Don't Save it All for Christmas Day" which was co-written by Celine, this is a diverse selection of Christmas music that will appeal to those who appreciate Celine's talent and the many colorations of her agile voice.
Starting with my favorite Christmas song, "O Holy Night", which is here given a lovely rendition, my other top choices would be:
Track # 3, "Blue Christmas", with a superb jazzy interpretation, Celine using her smooth, smoky voice, and Diana Krall adding a lot with her piano magic. I would love to hear Celine record an entire album in this quiet style; though it does not have the powerful top notes many expect from her, it is the "Celine voice" I enjoy the most.
Track # 6, the "Ave Maria" by Charles Gounod (adapted from a prelude by J.S. Bach), is heavenly. Exquisitely gentle and tender, this familiar and beautiful melody is always a pleasure to listen to, and is sung in English and Latin.
# 9, "The Prayer", by Carol Bayer Sager and David Foster has meaningful and moving lyrics, and makes an ideal duet for Andrea Bocelli and Celine, and the pianissimo ending is perfection.
# 13, the John Lennon/Yoko Ono "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" is poignant and marvelous, and the final track, sung by the Dion family, is a joyous Brahms waltz, "Les Cloches du Hameau".
Though everyone will have tracks they will like more than others, the overall production and musicianship is top-notch, making this a very satisfying CD, and one I do not mind hearing any time of the year. The enclosed booklet has most of the lyrics, extensive recording info (many different arrangers and musicians are involved in this CD), the sound excellent, and total time is 68'28.
The perfect Christmas gift
This is without doubt, the perfect Christmas album, showing Celine Dion at her very best. Pay particular attention to the very touching and heart-warming tracks that Celine recorded with her family, not forgettting the romantic and sensational duets with Andrea Bocelli and R. Kelly, 'The Prayer' and 'I'm Your Angel'.
