MICHAEL BUBLÉ: CHRISTMAS - REVIEW

You pretty know what to expect with a Michael Bublé Disc and if like myself you are a Fan among the many millions, this is a good thing. The Canadian Crooner teams-up again with David Foster, Humberto Gatica and Bob Rock for fifteen tracks of festive cheer - a release which perhaps has been too long overdue.
 
Bublé combines old school Big Band charm with contemporary sensibility and production on Holiday Classics like It's Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Jingle Bells (ft. The Puppini Sisters), the wittily-updated Santa Buddy (a masculine accompaniment to Santa Baby) and personal favourite, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.  Results consistently are good.

Most surprisingly, he manages to coax a long-absent Shania Twain whose voice seems to have returned, lending her talents on White Christmas -  a big treat.  Bublé also ambitiously takes-on Mariah Carey's modern classic All I Want for Christmas is You, giving it a condensed Ballad treatment with mixed results. A take on U2's Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) is highly listenable, taking a bit more of a laid-back approach compared to its Original.  He even tries his hand at Latin in choir-backed Ave Maria and Spanish too with the help of Latin American Superstar Thalia on Feliz Navidad, showing a bit more versatility.

CHARICE EXCLUSIVE TORONTO PHOTOS AT MUCHMUSIC

From a childhood of domestic abuse and meager abundances, to performing on Ellen DeGeneres and Oprah and now reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot 200 Album Sales Chart, nobody could possibly have guessed Charice's fate. Her mentor David Foster, has called the pint-sized singer "the most talented girl in the world", which is quite the compliment considering he has worked with pretty much all of her idols including heavyweights Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and Céline Dion. The eighteen year-old singer arrived in Toronto last night as part of a promotional tour which has her appearing on CTV's Canada AM, YTV, MuchMusic's MuchOnDemand and a live performance at Eaton Centre tomorrow, followed by a Meet and Greet at Indigo Bookstore. And this is only one of many promotional stop-offs.

Charice arrived at MuchOnDemand this afternoon and spoke about her rise to stardom after having been discovered on YouTube. She mentioned her influences and singing from a very young age in the Philippines, stating that music in her homeland tries very much to be like the amazing music in America. When asked about her friendship with Canadian teen sensation Justin Bieber, whom also was discovered on YouTube, she said that the two are good friends and confirmed indeed that they are not dating. She indicated that she treats him like "her little brother". Charice though has her heart set on another very popular Justin (Timberlake, that is) and she giddily recalled how she got a chance to meet her idol last November, which had her literally shaking. Timberlake is said to have been floored by her three-song performance at the CS Board of Governors Gala, asking Foster "Where did you find this girl?".

REVIEW: ANDREA BOCELLI - MY CHRISTMAS

I am going to go out on a limb here and any risk coolness points that I might have left, but my motto has always been to appreciate art for an artist's craft and the heart put into it. Andrea Bocelli's My Christmas has put me into holiday mode completely and despite the many blockbuster releases that have hit the shelves in recent weeks, this one has preoccupied the Disc 1 tray of my CD player much of late. Inasmuch as a David Foster production can be safe and predictable, I cannot deny that this album is damn good. During the holidays, I want something heartwarming and festive, not cutting edge.

Bocelli tries some new things here, scaling back the operatic theatrics in his vocals for a new audience of pop music listeners like myself on secular classics like White Christmas, the über-cute Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Jingle Bells (featuring The Muppets!) and Silent Night; all epitomizing holiday spirit. The divo arrives in full enchanting force doing what he does best on numbers like The Lord's Prayer, Adeste Fideles, Cantique De Noel and Caro Gesu' Bambino. That is powerful stuff right there.

My Christmas unleashes a few unexpected surprise collaborations, the strongest being the chilling What Child Is This (featuring a subdued Mary J. Blige). Duets like The Christmas Song (featuring Natalie Cole) don't offer anything new we haven't heard prior and one slight veering in the country direction with Blue Christmas (featuring Reba McEntire) is well-intentioned, but the result is one of few non-gratifying moments on the album. Overall, a classic. Grade: A-

Preview What Child Is This by Andrea Bocelli and Mary J. Blige below (courtesy of Decca Records/Universal Music):

REVIEW: MICHAEL BUBLÉ - CRAZY LOVE

I wish I had all the time in the world to obsess about love all day like Michael Bublé apparently does. Like many of us, I don't and this is why I resort to escapist means of getting my fix. The Vancouver native's fourth studio album Crazy Love from Warner Music oddly was released on a Friday (October 9, 2009) and like his previous albums, we know pretty much what to expect of him. That sultry baritone, silky smooth runs and licks, cover versions, luscious David Foster arrangements and as indicated earlier - love, love, love. This album treads absolutely no new territory, but then again you probably should've gotten that memo by now with three prior albums' worth (20 million sold worldwide) of forewarning.

Crazy Love starts off on a dramatic note with Arthur Hamilton-penned classic Cry Me a River just like his 2005 album It's Time did with Feelin' Good. Bublé has a go at Georgia on My Mind made most popular by Ray Charles, but his version is very understated and doesn't necessarily take the song to a new level. The album's title track, originally by Van Morrison, is full of warmth and has a place on Adult Contemporary radio alongside previous hit Home; surely this will be a single off the album. Current single I Haven't Met You Met has already broken airplay records in the Canadian Adult Contemporary radio format, debuting in the Top Five; he co-wrote the track with Alan Chang and Amy Foster-Gilles (Foster's daughter). Not bad, but not great.

The second half of the album picks up after a few lulls earlier on. Its finest moment is saved mid-sequence with Hold On, a track showcasing Bublé not just as a crooner but also a great songwriter. Its climax is magical. A pleasant surprise on this collection was a big band interpretation of The Eagles' Heartache Tonight, dead-aimed at Bublé's primary fan base with alarming precision. Tear-inducing At This Moment by Billy Vera & The Beaters is one of my favourite ballads of all time and I was thrilled to hear its inclusion here also. Stardust showcases Bublé's wide emotional range and features beautiful vocal arrangement. The listener is sent-off with a bonus track, a Bossa duet version of Whatever It Takes with Canadian great Rox Sexsmith. Very satisfying.

Listen to the track Crazy Love (courtesy of Warner Music Canada) in full below:

Crazy Love is available in both Standard and Special Editions. The latter includes a second disc of remixes - a very wise marketing move and proof of Bublé's widespread popularity among various demographics. Grade: A-