Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 6, 1994)
• December 6, 1994 The Battalion • Page 3 CHRISTMAS ALBUMS GET mmm i, looks at a select® afternoon. bins said on a person ■ofessional level, Se ' good at working hink that will bet st asset throughout it er,” he said, th said the rewards et from their work: ? out a good product, s the best feeling toss ody oohing and aafe e paper,” he said, th, who graduates!! ;aid there are a 1 at things he would I !'ter graduation, light write for a neis i>r I might go into pit tions,” he said, th said that his 1 )al is to be a novelist, jess that’s the Ameri iam,” he said. Tdlil -e the great AmerisJ ,h said no matter^ 3 after graduation, li ence as editor shoiil t. ■ position teachesj» hip,” he said, “andhtf act with other people Anderson's 'Time' runs out )r man) st of the situation. E i arguing, instead tl Tjoy yourself in spit r rest, exercise and ch easier to deal* >dy and mind areni nd set up a holiday c es are you won't h nergy to do all you*! ng this time, the true meaning of' a mind, the holiday? ith an opportunity W ;, the experiences*! >rear and the chant* ir more positive thfi* ION in chief 3EE, Opinion editor 4ILNE, Photo editor DER, Sports editor (, Aggielife editor nann, Stephanie Dube, Am)' Smith and Kari Whitley >hafi Islam, Tiffany Moore,S*' 1 itacey Cameron, Blake Grig? pson n and Haley Stavinoha w Diener, Stewart Doreen^ enderson, Erin Hill, Jeremy orge Nasr, Elizabeth PresW 1 latro Oakley t Michelle Oleson riday during the fall andsprirt is (except University holiday 5 *" I at College Station, JX77^ McDonald Building, Texas Texas A&M University in lalism. Editorial offices are* DU. Newsroom phone nun** >r endorsement by The Ba»l |(! ’ or classified advertising, call s hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p rt. <as A&M student to pid 1 U P‘ ster, $40 per school year a** nerican Express, call 845-# By Nick Georgandis The Battalion “Christmas Time” John Anderson BNA Entertainment ★ (out of five) The label on John Anderson’s “Christmas Time” promotional CD reads “Not For Sale.” Oh, if only America was so lucky. Anderson’s attempt to play off his stunning musical comeback with this holiday release fails miserably. There is a certain sound that Anderson’s voice complements perfectly, and this is not it. The album’s 10 tracks include two new holiday tunes written by Ander son himself. The second of these is the album’s best song, “Jesus Our Savior,” a somber, religious ballad that puts the gift giving frenzy in perspective. An derson keeps his voice low on this one, letting the guitar and the lyrics please the listener. Other than that, the only track worth listening to is Anderson’s re make of “Jingle Bell Rock.” Anderson has some leeway to jam a little, get ting close to the rockabilly beat that first made him a hit with “Swingin’” and later spearheaded his surprising comeback on “Seminole Wind” and “Money in the Bank.” The only other highlight of the al bum is the gorgeous steel guitar on “The Christmas Song.” It takes the place of the traditional Christmas strings and does a beautiful job. Unfor tunately, the steel guitar plays second fiddle (excuse the pun) to Anderson’s half-hearted bellow ing. Rounding out the album are Christmas time favorites “Win ter Wonderland,” “I’ll be Home for Christ mas” and “Silent Night.” Anderson also butchers “Blue Christmas,” the song no one has done jus tice to since Elvis Presley recorded it and “The Night Before Christmas,” in which Anderson simply reads the Yuletide classic. Anderson’s voice is made for rock ing, not storytelling, and I can name quite a few dozen people I’d rather hear read this classic. John Anderson If you like country Christmas mu sic, go with the Judds or George Strait. If you like Anderson’s sound, go with “Country ‘til I die” or “Semi nole Wind.” It’s one or the other — Christmas music and John Anderson just don’t mix. McLachlan graces '34th Street' Soundtrack By Erin Hill The Battalion Various Artists “Miracle on 34th Street” Soundtrack Arista Records ★ ★★★ (out of five) The real miracle of the “Miracle on 34th Street” remake is the wonderful soundtrack. Even if you have no plans to see the updated version of this Yuletide classic, you ought to splurge for the album. Sarah McLachlan’s exquisite rendi tion of “Song for A Winter’s Night” is reason enough. Since this song is not featured in the movie, this is the only chance you’ll have to listen to it. Her ethereal soprano is its usual breathtaking self and her musical nu ances and expression restrained. Unlike many singers who let loose when they perform well-known songs, she doesn’t overdo it. MacLachlan sings of holding the hands of those she loves in a tender voice that could bring a tear to the eye. This remake of Gordon Lightfoot’s song should help to make the tune part of our holiday consciousness, right where it should be. Joining Sarah McLachlan in the ethereal quality category is the boys choir featured in “Signing.” Two other songs by the same composer are also on the album, “Overture” and “Belle vue Carol.” Both of these would be nice as background music during your holiday festivities — not too noisy or annoying. The rest of the album is far more soulful, but just as solid. Aretha Franklin and members of the Fame Freedom choir boogie down on “Joy to the World” and Ray Charles turns in a bluesy version of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” Both artists sing as if they were having the time of their lives. Even Elvis makes an appearance, vocally gyrating his way through “Santa Claus is Back in Town” as a reminder of why grandparents didn’t want Mom and Dad to watch him on the “Ed Sullivan Show.” Every note he sings is sensual. Mellow crooners like Natalie Cole and Dionne Warwick are also featured on the album. Cole, who is both an accomplished pop and jazz artist, milks “Jingle Bells” for all its worth and demonstrates her proficiency in both genres. Her usual powerhouse voice is See Soundtrack/Page 4 Allen's performance as Santa spurs 'The Santa Clause' By Jan Higginbotham The Battalion “The Santa Clause” Starring: Tim Allen, Wendy Crewson, David Krumholtz, Peter Boyle Directed by: John Pasquin Rated: PG Playing at Hollywood ★★★ 1/2 (out of five) For those moviegoers looking for a feel-good movie to get them in the Christmas spirit, “The Santa Clause” is just the ticket. Tim Allen, in a usual comical role, learns the hard way what happens when Santa Claus falls off someone’s roof. After Santa takes the fall into his yard, Allen slips into the suit and immediately finds out the responsibilities in volved with the jolly man’s job. All the excitement comes just hours after Allen and his ex-wife (Wendy Crewson) argue over whether or not to tell their young son the truth about Santa. Allen insists that his son should be allowed to use his imagination. Allen’s feelings change, however, when he and his son jump in the famous sleigh and take off to deliver Santa’s goodies to children all over the world. After making his deliveries and heading back to Santa’s workshop, Allen gets a tour of the big guy’s headquarters. The elves tell Santa he has 11 months to get all his af fairs in order before he takes over the big guy’s position for good. Allen’s son (David Krumholtz) begins to believe that his father is the real thing, but Allen tries to discourage the thought. But the elves and the reindeer are just too con vincing for the young boy. Allen wakes up Christmas morning in his own bed after falling asleep in Santa’s bed, believing that the entire San ta experience was a dream. His son, however, believes otherwise. The young boy goes overboard, telling his See Santa/Page 4 Rockers mangle holiday tunes By Erin Hill The Battalion Various artists “So This Is Christmas” Atlantic Records ★★ (out of five) ‘Tis the season for celebri ty Christmas compilation al bums. The alternative crowd didn’t want to be left out, so they got some grungesters to gether and recorded their of fering, called “So This Is Christmas.” Unfortunately, it leaves the reader saying “So this is it?” To be fair, there are some nice moments. Tori Amos’ “Little Drummer Boy” is one of them. Her piano arrange ment is creative and her lyrics are understandable. Evan Dando’s “Silent Night” is also a treat. He chooses to go the acoustic route and turns out a folksy rendition of the most beloved Christmas tune out there. It works, but it’s nothing to write home about. If only Bad Religion been as thoughtful. Their version of “Silent Night” is out of tune, out of style and out of touch. The lead vocal ist’s straining for the high notes is dis tracting and the background noise takes away from the meaning of the song. This is probably the worst song on the album, but Daniel Johnston’s “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” is a close second for that dubious honor. Shane Evans, Will Turpin, Ross Childress, Ed Roland and Dean Roland of Collective Soul. Tori Amos The album cover he drew is his only worthwhile contribution to this album. The song is rough and the backing vo cals are so off-pitch it’s hilarious. John ston’s wobbly voice has a certain off beat charm, but he sounds as if the song is brand new to him, not something he has practiced. Too many of the tracks sound that way, as if the artists were just singing something for the first time without any practice or polish. Despite their various musical talents, they sound ragged. Even the current darling of the folk world, Victoria Williams, sounds a bit unre hearsed, though her twang is firmly in place. Hootie and the Blowfish are adequate on “The Christ mas Song” but even their com petent contribution doesn’t in spire the listener to want to hear more. Collective Soul also does a decent job on “Blue Christ mas.” At least they sing in time. It is an adequate ending to an OK album. Nothing too bad, but nothing too special either. Richard Attenborough and Mara Wilson in “Miracle on 34th Street.” 'Miracle' a classic remake By Michael Landauer The Battalion “A Miracle on 34th Street” Starring: Richard Attenborough, Elizabeth Perkins, Mara Wilson and Dylan McDermott Directed by Les Mayfield Rated PG Playing at Sehulman Six and Post Oak Mall ★ ★★★ 1/2 (out of five) In the old days, all movies were Christmas movies. Or at least it seems that way. Our parents all have huge Christmas video libraries and make sure that we are well versed in the Christmas cheer of Frank Capra. As a good student of black and white (or at least colorized) Christmas movies, I was scared of the prospect of seeing “Miracle on 34th Street,” John Hughes style. Modern Christmas movies just aren’t the same. The plots lack some thing. But my apprehension about this re make of “Miracle on 34th Street” was needless worrying. Hughes’ screen play has created a modem Christmas classic. And he did it by rehashing an old plot that will never lose its magic. Many Christmas movie remakes are huge disappointments. But this is part of the wisdom be hind “Miracle on 34th Street.” Al though Hughes tinkers with the movie, he does not change the theme. He emphasizes it even more than the original and makes it relevant to mod em society. The movie does not just show us how important it is to look beyond the commercialism of the season, but it shows us what the spirit of Christmas is. Hughes reminds us that Christmas is a celebration of believing in some thing that we can’t see. He reminds us of the importance of faith. Yes, this movie does have religious overtones. After all, Christmas is still a religious holiday for at least a few people. Yes, it is fairly cheesy and un realistic. But it is a classic in the making. And ‘tis the season to be as sappy as you want to be. Not only is this a good remake, it is a good movie in its own right. It brings modern romance, greed and cynicism into a great script. There have been several Christmas movies released in the past few years, but none have caused so much excite ment. If you have heard people talk ing about “Miracle on 34th Street” and wondered why no one is talking about See Miracle/Page 4