Having been knocked out by "Santa's Got a Brand New Bag" from this album and the Santa Clause 2 soundtrack, I figured I needed to take a closer look at the entire 2000 holiday CD by the Osborn sisters despite the general ban on country music this site maintains. No trepidation involved -- country cues are as rare on this album as dreydls in Baghdad. An occasional close three-part harmony here, a twangy guitar there, a touch of yodel in the solo singing, but finding them is like playing musical "Where's Waldo." As close to country as they get -- what passes for country today, anyway -- is their version of Sammy Cahn's "The Secret of Christmas," which should tell you something right there, especially since the co-performance of "Twist of the Magi" with Rascal Flatts, which you would think had its country bonafides in order, is such an overworked piece of Broadway kitsch. Whoops, overlooked the a capella version of "How Can I Keep From Singing" hidden after the title song; now that's country gospel. About "Brand New Year (My Revolution)," co-written with Richard Marx: it's a not-bad New Year's song, but it sounds more like 80s Los Angeles corporate pop than modern-day Nashville. The CD kicks off with a solid rock-pop "Deck the Halls" and there's a Celtic take on "Jingle Bells" that builds into a rocked-out finish. "Really Scary Intro" is a cute Halloween touch going into "Tinseltown," an original tune that evokes "Strawberry Fields Forever." "Sleigh Ride" is kind of funky with country-sounding vocals, and the rest is various flavors of pop of the sort that got Shania Twain's Grand Ole Opry membership card pulled. I can't honestly recommend this whole CD to rock fans, but I can't deny it has its moments.
Brand New Year, SHeDAISY (Lyric Street)
Having been knocked out by "Santa's Got a Brand New Bag" from this album and the Santa Clause 2 soundtrack, I figured I needed to take a closer look at the entire 2000 holiday CD by the Osborn sisters despite the general ban on country music this site maintains. No trepidation involved -- country cues are as rare on this album as dreydls in Baghdad. An occasional close three-part harmony here, a twangy guitar there, a touch of yodel in the solo singing, but finding them is like playing musical "Where's Waldo." As close to country as they get -- what passes for country today, anyway -- is their version of Sammy Cahn's "The Secret of Christmas," which should tell you something right there, especially since the co-performance of "Twist of the Magi" with Rascal Flatts, which you would think had its country bonafides in order, is such an overworked piece of Broadway kitsch. Whoops, overlooked the a capella version of "How Can I Keep From Singing" hidden after the title song; now that's country gospel. About "Brand New Year (My Revolution)," co-written with Richard Marx: it's a not-bad New Year's song, but it sounds more like 80s Los Angeles corporate pop than modern-day Nashville. The CD kicks off with a solid rock-pop "Deck the Halls" and there's a Celtic take on "Jingle Bells" that builds into a rocked-out finish. "Really Scary Intro" is a cute Halloween touch going into "Tinseltown," an original tune that evokes "Strawberry Fields Forever." "Sleigh Ride" is kind of funky with country-sounding vocals, and the rest is various flavors of pop of the sort that got Shania Twain's Grand Ole Opry membership card pulled. I can't honestly recommend this whole CD to rock fans, but I can't deny it has its moments.
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