Last year saw the first of Warners' download-only compilations under this title, and this is the second for 2010, this one done up as an "iTunes LP," a special format by that store that recreates the liner notes experience in a way that looks a lot like the special features screens on a movie DVD. This collection is 21 songs plus a video for $9.99, a reasonably good deal, although the entire package takes a lot longer to download than just a standard album's worth of tunes. The selections appear to be a troll through the vaults, although there's a fair number of tunes I haven't encountered before. The version of Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody" done here by Oasis hasn't been widely available in the past, nor has Devo's "Merry Something To You," the video of which is included along with the separate song-only file. Tegan and Sara goof around with "The Chipmunk Song," Flaming Lips' "Little Drummer Boy" sounds like a soundcheck throwaway, House of Heroes' previously released "O Come Emanuel" is here, and an acoustic version of Goo Goo Dolls' "Better Days" is part of this package. Foxy Shazam's hard rocker "Heaven On Their Minds" is a good change of pace, and Franklin provides the Hanukkah Alert with a brief "Hanukkah O Hanukkah." MOR sensibilities are catered to with David Foster's "Carol of the Bells," Ben Keith's countrified "Les Trois Cloches" featuring Neil Young and his wife Pegi from Keith's long-ago album, and a duet by Kara DioGuardi and Jason Reeves, "Wintertime in New York." The Dirt Drifters put a country twang on "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," Rachel Yamagata offers the ballad "Baby Come Find Me at Christmas," American Bang's "Christmas Song" is an interesting midtempo rocker, as is Cavo's "Home For Christmas." Two tunes on here that didn't do much for me are Stardeath and White Dwarf's dirge-y "Last Christmas" and Regina Spektor's "December," which sounds like a homeless person declaiming in front of a piano store. (I may be overstating this a bit...) Pity, as I rather liked her New Year's song from a couple years ago. I suspect a lot of folks will graze this collection for just those songs they want.
Gift Wrapped II: Snowed In, various artists (Warner Bros.)
Last year saw the first of Warners' download-only compilations under this title, and this is the second for 2010, this one done up as an "iTunes LP," a special format by that store that recreates the liner notes experience in a way that looks a lot like the special features screens on a movie DVD. This collection is 21 songs plus a video for $9.99, a reasonably good deal, although the entire package takes a lot longer to download than just a standard album's worth of tunes. The selections appear to be a troll through the vaults, although there's a fair number of tunes I haven't encountered before. The version of Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody" done here by Oasis hasn't been widely available in the past, nor has Devo's "Merry Something To You," the video of which is included along with the separate song-only file. Tegan and Sara goof around with "The Chipmunk Song," Flaming Lips' "Little Drummer Boy" sounds like a soundcheck throwaway, House of Heroes' previously released "O Come Emanuel" is here, and an acoustic version of Goo Goo Dolls' "Better Days" is part of this package. Foxy Shazam's hard rocker "Heaven On Their Minds" is a good change of pace, and Franklin provides the Hanukkah Alert with a brief "Hanukkah O Hanukkah." MOR sensibilities are catered to with David Foster's "Carol of the Bells," Ben Keith's countrified "Les Trois Cloches" featuring Neil Young and his wife Pegi from Keith's long-ago album, and a duet by Kara DioGuardi and Jason Reeves, "Wintertime in New York." The Dirt Drifters put a country twang on "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," Rachel Yamagata offers the ballad "Baby Come Find Me at Christmas," American Bang's "Christmas Song" is an interesting midtempo rocker, as is Cavo's "Home For Christmas." Two tunes on here that didn't do much for me are Stardeath and White Dwarf's dirge-y "Last Christmas" and Regina Spektor's "December," which sounds like a homeless person declaiming in front of a piano store. (I may be overstating this a bit...) Pity, as I rather liked her New Year's song from a couple years ago. I suspect a lot of folks will graze this collection for just those songs they want.
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