1. Melissa Etheridge's 2008 Christmas album A New Thought for Christmas is less about a new idea than an ancient one: love, love, love for the sake of love in the name of love.
2. I've enjoyed the album since my daughter gave it to me a few weeks ago because it gets to the heart of the holiday.
3. In her deep, gritty, and soulful way, Etheridge breathes new life into "Angels We Have Heard on High" in "Glorious" with this delightful play on the old lyrics: "love, love, love/it's glorious." The song is delightful, happy, hopeful. It's light.
4. Likewise, "O Holy Night" travels through time in O Night Divine.
5. With guitarist Philip Sayce's accompaniment, she transports this ancient Christmas songs into a present and leaves me believing that it really is possible to live Christmas throughout the year: "Throughout time we've watched the sky/ And waited for the sun to come and save us/ Save us from the longest night."
6. "Ring Those Bells" is full of heart and hope, too: "I belive in peace my only wish/ I belive taht we can coexist/ Let's go further than we've ever gone before/ And ring the bells/ Ring the bells of change." It is beautiful, sweet, and sure.
7. In the same vein, "Christmas in America" is an impassioned plea to "send my baby home" from war: "Hey mister, send my baby home/ This December I don't wanna be all alone/ Christmas in American I need you i my arms/ Far away from harm/ Send my baby home."
8. In the album notes, Etheridge points out that Christmas songs and celebrations are based on solstice traditions that predate "Roman Christian times."
9. For her, Christmas is about seeing the light.
A new thought for Christmas? No--an old on whose time has come:
10. What if we did create peace on earth
11. How would we feel about ourselves
12. Would we eknow we were perfect and good enough
13. For all we desire as well
2. I've enjoyed the album since my daughter gave it to me a few weeks ago because it gets to the heart of the holiday.
3. In her deep, gritty, and soulful way, Etheridge breathes new life into "Angels We Have Heard on High" in "Glorious" with this delightful play on the old lyrics: "love, love, love/it's glorious." The song is delightful, happy, hopeful. It's light.
4. Likewise, "O Holy Night" travels through time in O Night Divine.
5. With guitarist Philip Sayce's accompaniment, she transports this ancient Christmas songs into a present and leaves me believing that it really is possible to live Christmas throughout the year: "Throughout time we've watched the sky/ And waited for the sun to come and save us/ Save us from the longest night."
6. "Ring Those Bells" is full of heart and hope, too: "I belive in peace my only wish/ I belive taht we can coexist/ Let's go further than we've ever gone before/ And ring the bells/ Ring the bells of change." It is beautiful, sweet, and sure.
7. In the same vein, "Christmas in America" is an impassioned plea to "send my baby home" from war: "Hey mister, send my baby home/ This December I don't wanna be all alone/ Christmas in American I need you i my arms/ Far away from harm/ Send my baby home."
8. In the album notes, Etheridge points out that Christmas songs and celebrations are based on solstice traditions that predate "Roman Christian times."
9. For her, Christmas is about seeing the light.
A new thought for Christmas? No--an old on whose time has come:
10. What if we did create peace on earth
11. How would we feel about ourselves
12. Would we eknow we were perfect and good enough
13. For all we desire as well
36 Comments
If we created peace on earth I'd feel very humble. And I might be looking over my shoulder to see who would break it. Who, me cynical? Nah.
ReplyDeleteAh, peace on Earth. I live in hope.
ReplyDeleteWhat a splendid present! Here's to joy, and peace on earth!
ReplyDeleteThanks for recommending It . I will check it out.
ReplyDeleteThank you for that. Happy Holidays!
ReplyDeleteMelissa is wonderful. Thanks for the recommendation, though; I haven't listened to this one.
ReplyDeletePeace - D
Thanks for the recommendation!
ReplyDeleteHappy TT!
If only the Goodwill would stay with us throughout the year, maybe then we'd have that Peace on Earth.
ReplyDeleteLast year (or the year before) I bought Sarah Mclachlan's Christmas CD and I'm still loving it.
ReplyDeleteI do feel we have outgrown war and greed but it seems it's like cancer cells and can spread out of control regardless of the intentions of its host.
To Ms. Sandy Carlson
ReplyDeleteYou are heartily welcome to my blogspace.
You have rightly put that : it is for the reader to face the artistic output with honesty.
Yes, the reader travels on various lanes that a writer have expored by applying his/her emotions and imaginations.
Naval Langa
http://navallanga.blogspot.com/
To Ms. Sandy Carlson
ReplyDeleteYou write that : What if we did create peace on earth
Yes, that is the best we can do for ourselves and the others.
Naval Langa
http://cleanfiction.blogspot.com/
well peace is the eventual goal of this earth but it will not come easily or soon...
ReplyDeletePeace all over the world is possible: it is necessary a real stronger goodwill from the politicians.
ReplyDeleteHappy Holidays!
its a good one to give for a gift
ReplyDeletehappy holidays sandy!
ReplyDeletemay everybody find peace in their heart and soul not just this season but everyday!
ReplyDeletei like the photo cover on this post. you can see the message from that alone.
ReplyDeleteIt will happen one day Sandy. I agree with your observation about celebrating Christmas everyday. I wish you and your family the very merriest Christmas ever. Pappy
ReplyDeleteI just saw her being interviewed last night about the new cd-sounds great. Love your thoughts on peace-think we could do it-if we were all in one accord.
ReplyDeletewhat if, indeed. *sighs*
ReplyDeletehappy tt!
Enjoyed the review. I may have to pick this one up.
ReplyDeletePeace on earth is a lot to ask. Let's just limit ourselves to the auto way for to start...
ReplyDeleteI love Melissa Etheridge she has a great voicem very relaxing to listen to.
Peace on Earth would be lovely. In the meantime, Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteI will have to check it out!
ReplyDeleteOh, thanks. I'll check this one out. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sandy, will definitely check this..Advance Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing about her new album. I'll check it out soon. Lovely T-13 today ... I didn't play this week.
ReplyDeleteHugs and blessings,
I love her, her singing is amazing! Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteAMEN! Well done Sandy!!
ReplyDeleteA beautiful, thought provoking T13 Sandy, thank you. I don't know this artist but I'm going to look for her album tomorrow...I was looking for some Christmas music and this sounds perfect for me. And as for your last few thoughts...you got right to the heart of what matters. Lovely!
ReplyDeleteMine is up too. happy T13!
Bella
A beautiful Christmas time post, Sandy, thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you also for the tipp, I shall look for the CD here.
Friday a week ago I went to a celebration of Greek Christmas in a little church here in Vienna, and love was the singer's motto for the evening.
Very thought provoking! I'm going to have to check out the album. Happy TT!
ReplyDeleteThirteen healing reflections. Thank you, Sandy.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the recommendation. I too love Melissa's voice and this sounds like a nice little gift for my husband. He's a big fan of Melissa too!
One will create
ReplyDeletePeace on earth.
Very interesting outlook on this. I have two boys who have served in both Afghanistan and Iraq more than one term. Now one is at home and the other is in Italy. I still miss them.
ReplyDeleteI love the sentiment - an old idea whose time has come again - definitely a message worth spreading.
ReplyDeleteThanks for being here.