A truly
Mary
Christmas would match the distraught look on the cover.
Blige
's first Christmas album, guided by
David Foster
and
Jochem van der Saag
, doesn't feature sad or embittered chestnuts like "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" or "Fairytale of New York" (was
Method Man
busy?). Instead, it contains a mix of standard holiday songs -- a couple playful, many solemn, all dramatic. It's a big production; an orchestra backs
on most of the songs. She pours herself into all of the material, even when she's joined by
Jessie J
(of all people) for a version of "Do You Hear What I Hear?" that is overcooked. It could use a couple more joyous songs in the vein of
Donny Hathaway
's "This Christmas," which is a delight despite so many versions since the original 1970 version.
A Mary Christmas
won't likely reach the high status of, say,
Mariah Carey
's
Merry Christmas
, but it's a full-effort holiday release that many of her fans should be able to enjoy for several years. ~ Andy Kellman