Merry Christmas from Jackie Wilson

Last time I reviewed Elvis, this time I'm doing the guy who Elvis called the Black Elvis. With that being said, this is Jackie Wilson's sole Christmas album from 1963. Now unlike the James Brown Christmas this is all covers, and while I love Jackie, I don't know if this'll hold up. I have heard a song or two from the album here or there, but front to back... That's a whole different story. Let's delve into my second of four, possibly five, Christmas review(s). Note: of the 12 tracks here 5 are in common with the Sinatra Christmas. The album was conducted by two guys, Dick Jacobs (1-3, 6, 8, 9) and Alan Lorber (4, 5, 7, 10-12)

1. Silent Night: Ah we meet once again.This is a very chill version, that I think honestly works well. There is a white noise in the version I hear, but if that was cut it'd be perfect. The bells really work in this arrangement, and I honestly think this is what helps a bit. Or at least adds to it for me. I love the organ and the chorus sound great. I also like that guitar you hear towards the ending. The arrangement is great, though I wish I could hear all of the instruments. Strings might have helped.
2. White Christmas: I think I've grown to find humor in this track. Probably because of Uncle Bernie's Farm, but this rendition isn't half bad. I like that organ, and the swells in the track take up a lot of the white noise that was in the last track. I feel like his vocals were recorded over the track, there is a distance, but the piano sounds good when you hear it.
3. O Holy Night (Cantique de Noël): This is a standard version of the song. But the vocals are great and you feel Jackie singing in it.This isn't the These Arms of Mine. I do kind of wish they went into a gospel feeling though, like. "Oh night de------ vine!" he holds the "ine" and the backing section turns to a gospel choir type song like The Jefferson Theme. You know what I mean? I think it'd be a nice touch.
4. The First Noel: I also think this is a standard arrangement. Nothing to crazy here, but there is something endearing about the monologue. I mean, I don't know, I like his delivery. And he gives a solid vocal performance.
5. Deck the Halls:  I don't know how this will go over, honestly I was a bit nervous. Not that I doubt him, but you never know. And if I'm being honest, this is too light. Also it just doesn't feel like Jackie fits. I kind of can say this when you turn a rock song into a soul song and don't do it properly. You know, if you go on a covers website, look up your favorite soul/jazz artist and they do a cover of a Beatles or folk tune and the arrangement doesn't work. You end up with a sort of "this is...... kinda good? right?" feeling. Billy Paul's Magic Carpet Ride for example.
6. Silver Bells: I never cared for this sing. It is kind if stupid if I'm being honest. This has this sort of Felice Navi Dad feeling to it in the response to the "ring a ling" lyrics. This isn't a terrible version, but I don't think it really works perfect. Like it has it's short comings I guess. But I also don't like this song either in general. So that could also affect my outlook.
7. Joy to the World: You know this song, and nothing new is here. I like the guitar strumming you can hear, and I like the timpani and the backing vocals. The triangle is nice too. I wonder if his vocals weren't meant for this song. Like I feel like this is a bit of a nightmare, but like it's not his fault.
8. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear: So this track, while not done particularly crazy or different or even new... Works. How you say? Jackie has a great voice and he just oozes charisma. I do actually like this, and it works quite well. The tremolo strings actually work very well and I think he sounds like he fits on this track.
9. Adeste Fideles: Sinatra, did it first. Honestly, I like the church feeling of this song. I just feel the vocals need to be much larger, he sounds like he is in front of the mic and everyone else is in the other room singing into the same mic. There aren't enough swells and it isn't powerful enough for me to feel anything really. The second verse should get larger and add other things, and the way he says "given" sounds weird. I do like this rendition, I just feel it's to bare. But I like it well. And that last note sung, I'm not sure how I feel about it. Kind of indecisive.
10. I'll Be Home for Christmas: Fuck this song, but whatever. This has a nice shuffle feeling to it, but the damning thing about that is I wanna hear solos. It's almost like a sequence, for me. Not that it is one, but how it takes you from one thing to another.
11. O Little Town of Bethlehem: This is just okay, this doesn't do much for me. It's nice, but I've heard it before I guess. Like nothing that new is added. It's not that compelling.
12. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen: Hey, guess what. Next we have one Jimmy Smith who plays a fucking killer version of this track. Like in the next review, not on this track. I do like the harpsichord, it's a nice addition. But I wanna make a suggestion, instead of the bells why not add timpani or a percussion instrument that is a bit more eastern.

Overall I have to give this album a 6/10. There is a sort of soul-jazz feeling through out, like I'd heard on Jimmy McGriff, Jimmy Smith and so on. It's very hard to breathe new life in these songs, especially now. While this isn't mind blowing, I gotta say it's more enjoyable than most other albums that cover this music. Well at parts at least. His voice also helps the album a lot. Don't get me wrong, but there are moments I felt, this is a Ain't that Good News Christmas nightmare isn't this. I guess I think the biggest disappointment was two things. He's great, so I can't imagine him not making at least a 7 or 8. Second, I feel like this soul jazz/vocal jazz christmas thing would work phenomenal. I guess it sound be revisited another day maybe. Also I wanna have a shout out to "Awaken, My Love!". I can't believe how much I'm digging this thing.

Please Please Me - The Beatles

This is the debut album by my FAVORITE BAND OF ALL TIME. This is the third album review I'm doing of a Beatles album, I don't know exactly when this is going to be uploaded but I started this review on March 23rd, 2012. I'm pissed because my cunt ass computer wasn't working right and I couldn't use the keyboard to type into it. This was supposed to go up on March 22nd, 2012 which was the 49th anniversary of it being released, but I later said fuck it and am going to now upload it 1 year later so it will celebrate it's 50th anniversary. So it was basically useless to me. Now I have an good one and it works, especially since we got two, in case one breaks. Well aside from the computer thing, this album was risky for me. I used to say I didn't like The Beatles then I saw the movie Across The Universe and that got me interested in them. My cousins burned 1 on the computer and I kinda liked it, except Let It Be. #You have no fucking idea how Ironic that is. But then I used to say, after I bought Abbey Road, I only like their later stuff. So the album that I took a risk, so to say first was Rubber Soul. That album was still kind of experimental. But this was the first early, pre-experimental Beatles album I ever bought. And well.... I got into it. moral of the story is musical experimentation is very important, and if not for The Beatles I probably wouldn't have ever learned that. But you'll see why I love this album so much right....... Now! Well, Now it's a few days after the 50th, so lets dive in!

1. I Saw Her Standing There: This is the first song on the album. It is a good introduction to this album. It's upbeat and exciting and sets the tone for this album as a whole.
2. Misery: This song is another awesome song. The way this song starts it's got this feeling that I can't quite put my finger on, but I love it. I could see them playing this in Hamburg. I think the little piano fills in there are awesome. It's so sick that they did that for track two on album one. I don't know why, but this kind of blows my mind. It has kind of a doo-wop vibe
3. Anna (Go To Him): The first time I heard this I was surprised that I liked it so much. It thought that it was kind of a weird track. I thought it didn't sounds like any other of the hits that I'd heard before. Now I love the track even more than the first time I heard it.
4. Chains: This is a good song. I don't think that it's amazing, but I don't hate it. I think that this is a slower song. It doesn't really make me wanna get up and dance. Even some of the slower songs on this album I would still dance too.
5. Boys: Ringo sings this one. This is a pretty exciting track to pick up where Chains was slower. I think that this is a doo-wop song. I think it's a fun song that you can dance to. Its like a good Sha Na Na. The solo in this song is sick. I really don't know how other to describe it than it's perfect of the song.
6. Ask Me Why: This is a jazzy kind of song. I could see this being played at a school dance in the 60's. I really like this song. This has one of the coolest refrains/chorus on the album. It love it.
7. Please Please Me: This is probably my favorite track on the album. I love the hell out of it. The vocals at all the parts of this song are awesome. There isn't really any part of this song that I think it's good. Sometimes really good songs have parts at aren't as good, well I don't think this track does. From the solid playing, and the bass line, and guitar vocals. Paul is one sick ass bassist. {10/10}
8. Love Me Do: You can't go wrong with this song. The simple beat and lyrics. This song is a good example of, well, sometimes simple is better. So hats off to Ziggy. I love Paul's vocals in the song and his bass line. And I love the harmony's. This song is just, in a single word, yes {10/10}
9. P.S. I Love You: I really like this song. I don't like at as much as the last two tracks, but I still do like it. I think it's a little more sad than the last track, which was upbeat. This was the b-side of the Love Me Do single in the UK in '62. There is like a Spanish feeling to this song. Which is FUCKING AWESOME! Even back then  they didn't just do blues *cough* The Rolling Stones *cough*.
10. Baby It's You: This is probably one of the weaker points on the album. I do think this is a good song, but I don't think it's anything special.
11. Do You Want To Know A Secret: This song is a pretty cool song. The beginning of this song sounds like it's something exciting coming up. Thought it stays at a slow pace this is still a kick ass song. I like the way George sings this one. I also really like the bass line and the drums.
12. A Taste Of Honey: This song is almost seductive with the way that it is. It feels kind of like tango. I could see someone dancing to this song. I could probably see myself making love to this song, while it's playing. I love the chorus and the arpeggios. The distortion of the guitar is awesome to. I also think it's sick the way that they did the double track on Paul's vocals in the :"middle eight".
13. There's A Place: I love this song, wow, I say that a lot. No, but seriously, this is an awesome song. I like the way the harmonica. The refrains in this song, and along with a part of this album, are just amazing. I'm a sucker for an AMAZING refrain/chrous/pre-chrous and lots of songs on this album have those. "Do you know that it's so". Some examples, off other albums, are Another Girl, No Reply, Think For Yourself, She's A Woman, Michelle, I'll Be Back, I'm So Tired among others.
14. Twist and Shout: This is one of the very, I mean very, few. Like out of The Beatles 200+ songs in their main discography, there is probably 5 songs I'm not huge on. This is one of them. I have just gotten sick of this song. It was ok at first, but Ferris kinda ruined the song for me. Now it doesn't really have that same UMPH! it used to have.

Overall I have to give that album an 8/10. This album was an important part in my musical journey, that still goes on today. As funny as it is, listening to this album today, it only helps remind me how AMAZING The Beatles actually are. I can't believe that these guys have done as big of a number as they have to me. In the best way possible.