Our Review
Toby Keith's earthy country vocals are definitively classic on Classic Christmas, a twofer for the holidays. This 2-CD set separates the secular from the sacred, letting Volume One celebrate Frosty and the Winter Wonderland, reserving Silent Night and its ilk for Volume Two. The two CDs total only 63 minutes of music, so the duo could have easily been combined into one CD; still, the style separation may have its advantages, and the pricing appears to be in line with what you would expect for a single disc. Keith's voice is warmly masculine and welcoming, and the straightforward delivery is uniformly well-executed.
Everything works on Classic Christmas. Keith has a rich, nicely-controlled bass voice with a relatively mild country twang. Not surprisingly, Volume One is easygoing and playful; I particularly enjoyed the blues-tinged Please Come Home for Christmas. Volume Two's sacred emphasis makes it understandably a bit more somber, a bit more contemplative, except for an exuberant Go Tell It on the Mountain and a jubilant Joy to the World. Keith's interpretation of We Three Kings has a cool, world-weary feel; you get the sense that he had to traverse over many Texas miles to reach the newborn babe.
Twenty well-loved holiday tunes plus one talented country-music vocalist equal an excellent seasonal offering for any fan of traditional Americana fare. In fact, Toby Keith's easy-going Classic Christmas should have a broad appeal; fans need not be wearing cowboy hats!
--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2007)
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From the liner notes:
Produced by: Toby Keith and Randy Scruggs
Recorded at: The Tracking Room and Scruggs Sound Studio
Musicians:
Drums and Percussion: Chad Cromwell
Bass: Dave Pomeroy
Acoustic Guitar: Bill Watson
Keyboards: John Hobbs
Dobro: Rob Ickes
Acoustic Guitar, 12 STring Guitar, and Bouzouki: Randy Scruggs
Violin/Viola/Cello/Bass/Octaphone/Celtic Harp/Zylophone: Jonathan Yudkin
Harmony Vocals: Lisa Cochran, Mica Roberts, John Wesley Ryles, Harry Stinson
Toby Keith
Classic Christmas
Artist link
Label: Show Dog Records
Length: 63 minutes
Genre: Country
Release: 2007
Track List
| Song Title |
|---|
| Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas |
| Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow |
| Winter Wonderland |
| Silver Bells |
| I'll Be Home for Christmas |
| Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree |
| The Christmas Song |
| White Christmas |
| Frosty the Snowman |
| Please Come Home for Christmas |
| Little Drummer Boy |
| Go Tell It on the Mountain |
| The First Noel |
| O Come All Ye Faithful |
| Silent Night |
| Away in a Manger |
| We Three Kings |
| O Little Town of Bethlehem |
| God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen |
| Joy to the World |