Audio CD review:
B.J. Thomas - Christmas Is Coming Home

B.J. Thomas - Christmas Is Coming Home

Band: B.J. Thomas Title: Christmas Is Coming Home Rating: Release Date: 07 October, 1997 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: When Christmas Comes This Year 2: Be It Unto Me 3: Christmas Is Coming Home 4: Tennessee Christmas 5: On This Holy, Holy Night 6: Wake Up, It's Christmas Morning 7: Take a Walk Through Bethlehem 8: Let There Be Peace On Earth 9: Precious Promise 10: Grown-Up Christmas List 11: Silent Night

Customer Reviews BJ Brings It Home! I have many,many Christmas CDs and "CHRISTMAS IS COMING HOME" has proven to be my favorite Christmas Album over the past couple of years. Yes, I love the Season of Christmas, and even more I love the Reason of Christmas. Every song is special and contains words that will refresh you. . . . even in July. I believe BJ Thomas, to this very day, is under-rated and is truly a World Class Act. After hearing B. J. in Concert in September,I know that he still has it, and anyone that loves good clean music, wants it! I plan to buy extra copies during the year to give as gifts next year. I Love this CD and You Will Too. . . . . Guaranteed!. B.J.'s Voice brings us the Warmth of Christmas. Of B. This is a well arranged, produced and recorded CD. J. Thomas' later albums, this is one of the better sounding ones. B. J. 's voice sounds warm and smooth. The melodies of the original songs on this set are of high quality, even if the lyrics include the same tired old rhymes we've heard on Christmas songs a million times, ("this year / good cheer", "shiny toys / girls and boys", "star above / love"). Here in Australia it's strange hearing songs about a cold Christmas. . . . . but we're used to it! The backing instrumental tracks on this CD sound great. On other 'recent' CDs such as "Still Standing Here", "You Call That a Mountain", "Midnight Minute" and "Live", the quality of performance by B. J. , and the quality of material and / or production are inconsistent, but on "Christmas is Coming Home", each track is strong, and B. J. himself stays in tune and doesn't sound strained. In my mind there's no doubt that this artist created his best work between about 1966 and 1973, but he was definitely back on track with this album from 1997. One negative thing about the album is the choice of artists for the duets. Whoever Kathy Troccoli is, I feel she was a poor choice. She sounds strained and. . . well. . . old. A bit of a 'nothing' voice. Luckily B. J. holds his part on the track with her beautifully. I've never heard of Tabitha Fair either. She sounds too over-sweet and nasal, but I suppose at least she holds the tune. The third duet is the best of the three by far- Jonathan Pierce sounds really good on this one. You don't have to be religious to enjoy the spirit of Christmas - I would like to say that the melodies, arrangements and performances on this CD are pleasant enough to hold their own playing in the background, even if you don't believe in what the lyrics are saying. I deliberated over how many stars to give "Christmas is Coming Home"- when weighed up against B. J. 's releases over the years, it probably deserves four stars, but when compared to all the music that's out there, it maybe deserves two. So I settled for three. I just wish B. J's mainstream albums from the 80's, 90's and the new millennium sounded this good. . some beauties on here But if you are a Christmas collecter this is a very nice one to add to it. While I have always admired BJ's voice I only have one other Cd of his. Actually, it's better than most that are out there. Everything is very listenable and there are some standouts. His version of Grown Up Christmas is probably my favorite of all that are out. Let There Be Peace on Earth is lovely. And Tennessee Christmas with Michael McDonald is my favorite. What a conbination of two great voices!. . You can see a complete list of all B.J. Thomas discography, or go back to the B.J. Thomas tabs