8 Days of Xmas [DualDisc]

Disc: 1
1. 8 Days of Christmas
2. Winter Paradise
3. "DC" Christmas Medley: Santa Claus Is Comin to Town/Jungle Bells/Frosty
4. Silent Night - Destiny's Child, Beyoncé
5. Little Drummer - Destiny's Child,
6. Do You Hear What I Hear - Destiny's Child, Kelly Rowland
7. White Christmas
8. Platinum Bells
9. O Holy Night - Destiny's Child, Michelle Williams
10. Spread a Little Love on Christmas Day
See all 12 tracks on this disc
Disc: 2
1. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer [*]/"8 Days of Christmas" Music Video/"R

8 Days of Christmas,Destiny's Child,Sony,Adult Contemporary,Christmas,Christmas / Chanukkah,Dance-Pop,Holiday,Pop,Urban,Xmas Vocal

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Average customer rating: itz good Upbeat Christmas Music Hope these '8 days' go by pretty fast The best holiday and the best album save your money!

8 Days of Christmas Destiny's Child Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Opera & Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Pop Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music Pop Vocal | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music Similar Items: Merry Christmas One Wish: The Holiday Album Ashanti's Christmas Destiny's Child Bethlehem ASIN: B00005QG8X Release Date: 2001-10-30

Tracks:

1. 8 Days Of Christmas
2. Winter Paradise
3. A "DC" Christmas Medley
4. Silent Night
5. Little Drummer Boy
6. Do You Hear What I Hear
7. White Christmas
8. Platinum Bells
9. O' Holy Night
10. Spread A Little Love On Christmas Day
11. This Christmas
12. Opera Of The Bells

Amazon.com

Chilly, forced, and overdone, this mixed bag of modern classics, tarted-up traditional carols, and trio of tunes penned by Beyonce Knowles doesn't conjure a single warm and fuzzy image of chestnuts roasting on an open fire or Jack Frost nipping at your nose. Rather, it's just another forum to showcase the band's Gucci bag of vocal gymnastics and crass materialism. The Texas trio takes seasonal classics like Irving Berlin's "White Christmas," "Silent Night," and "Little Drummer Boy" and embellishes them with their own trills and off-kilter harmonies, obscuring the songs' simple beauty. "On the eighth day of Christmas, my baby gave to me a pair of Chloe shades and a diamond belly ring," brags Knowles in the title song, a takeoff on the "12 Days of Christmas," without ever explaining why they lopped off four days. The band is shamelessly self-indulgent throughout the dozen songs found here, taking untold liberties, like renaming "Carol of the Bells" "Opera Bells" and recasting "Silver Bells" as "Platinum Bells" to reflect their multiplatinum status. But the low point of the record is when Destiny's Child hawk their Hasbro-manufactured dolls in the intro of "Platinum Bells": "Ladies, remember long ago we asked Santa to give us Christmas dolls? This year the dolls are you and me under the tree." Humbug. --Jaan Uhelszki

Customer Reviews:

itz good.......2006-11-17

not great but good. of course i am a lil biased considering i praise myself as the biggest dc3 fan in the world lol

Upbeat Christmas Music.......2006-11-14

I was looking for a Christmas album that was a little more upbeat than the norm. I thought Destiny's Child did a pretty good job of it. Their songs are fast-paced and fun! I'm not normally a fan of Destiny's Child but enjoyed this CD rather than the slower-paced Christmas CDs we are used to.

Hope these '8 days' go by pretty fast.......2006-11-03

They're young, hot, and dominating the charts. But they just don't have what it takes to make a good holiday album.

Destiny's Child attempts to take traditional Christmas carols and make a modern, fan-geared holiday album. And, sorry to say, but it just doesn't work here.

The album opens with the title track, which I'll admit is a catchy spin off of the original "12 Days of Christmas." But the lyrics are ridiculous. Example: "On the eighth day of Christmas my baby gave to me/A pair of Chloe shades and a diamond belly ring."

The next track, "Winter Paradise" is the best of the original tracks on the disc. It's a more moderate R&B number that talks about Christmas memories. It's pretty good. But, "Spread a little love on Christmas" is about on the same level as the title track, but it focuses on all the other holidays going on at Christmas.

The girls DO get a few things right. The ridiculously-titled "Opera of the Bells" (featured on the Victoria's Secret holiday commercial) is a slowed-down version of "Carol of the Bells," complete with nice harmonies that are actually quite enjoyable. "This Christmas" is also complete with tight harmonies that give it an enjoyable spin and make it almost unrecognizable. "A DC Christmas Medley" is a fun assortment of kid's Christmas carols, such as "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," "Frosty," and "Holly, Jolly Christmas." And the best track on the disc, "Do You Hear what I Hear," is a wonderfully original take on the classic that doesn't wander too far from the original sound of it.

However, the album also takes a turn for the worst in a few places. "Platinum Bells" is a ludicrous cover of "Siver Bells" that talks about the group's success (platinum albums). And the cover of "The Little Drummer Boy" is absolutely laughable. The girls don't even get the story right! ("And then he smiled at me/the little drummer boy smiled at me" -- correction... baby Jesus smiled at you, and YOU ARE the little drummer boy!)

Download the few good tunes off this album from I-tunes and save yourself the money of every single song on here. Trust me, buying the whole CD is not worth it.

Best Song: "Do You Hear What I Hear" (great original take, true to classic song)

The good:
"Winter Paradise" (enjoyable, laid-back original with good harmonies)
"This Christmas" (a different take, very original)
"A DC Christmas Medley" (it's fun)
"Opera of the Bells" (nice harmonies)

The OK:
"Silent Night" (pretty good, but Beyonce oversings it)
"8 Days of Christmas" (catchy, but with stupid lyrics)
"Spread a Little Love on Christmas" (ditto)

The bad:
"The Little Drummer Boy" (at least get the story right)
"White Christmas" (I don't like their version of this)
"Platinum Bells" (too stupid to even laugh at... worst track on the album)
"O Holy Night" (I'm very critical of covers of this song because it's my favorite Christmas tune and Michelle's voice just doesn't fit it)

The best holiday and the best album.......2006-10-22

I love this album! It rocks. It's up beat and fun. Instead of singing the same old songs the same old ways each song has a new flavor and style that brings new life and joy to Christmas. I enjoy listening to it every year. This is my all time favorite Christmas album.

save your money!.......2005-12-25

That Eight Days of Christmas track really says it all about this shallow,tacky, soul-less drivel. Also, I admire her, but Beyonce needs to stop working on blue jeans and become a better musician. You can always tell a song she's written because her melodies and choruses are limited to the same four repetetive notes. See if the 8 days doesn't sound just like Independent Woman. Seriously. Why is she afraid to use the whole scale?

Average customer rating: A well deserved five stars A Brass & Organ Christmas sans Organ Arrangements, performances, & engineering all excellent A Brass & Organ Christmas - GREAT American Record Guide (Nov/Dec. 2000) says...

A Brass & Organ Christmas / Fenstermaker, Bay Brass, Krehbiel George Frideric Handel , Heinrich Schutz , Gustav Holst , English Traditional , Felix Mendelssohn , Christmas Traditional , Giovanni Gabrieli , Franz Xaver Gruber , Johann Sebastian Bach , Pietro Yon , Claude-Beninge Balbastre , Georges Bizet , John Francis Wade , Leroy Anderson , David Krehbiel , John Fenstermaker , and Robert Ward Manufacturer: Gothic Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Gabrieli, Giovanni | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Holst | Holst, Gustav | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Marches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Renaissance (c.1450-1600) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Organ | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Psalms | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Classical Instrumental | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Classical Instrumental | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music ASIN: B00004Y6PX Release Date: 2000-10-24

Tracks:

1. Carillon
2. Joy To The World
3. Psalm VIII
4. Christmas Day (Choral Fantasy On Old Carols)
5. Greensleeves
6. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
7. The Christmas Nightingale
8. Canzon XVI
9. Silent Night
10. Chorale No. 64 (From The Christmas Oratorio)
11. A Manger Pastorale Gesu Bambino
12. Hallelujah (From Messiah)
13. Noel: Votre Bonte, Grand Dieu
14. March Of The Kings
15. The Twelve Days Of Christmas
16. O Come, All Ye Faithful
17. Sleigh Ride

Album Description

Noted organist John Fenstermaker recorded this gorgeous Christmas disc with the Bay Brass at San Francisco's Grace Cathedral. Includes "Joy to the World," "Greensleeves," "The Christmas Nightingale," "Silent Night," and many more.

Customer Reviews:

A well deserved five stars.......2002-12-17

This is a superb brass ensemble. I really enjoy Christmas CDs, and quite a few of the ones I've owned are brass Christmas CDs. I had not heard the Bay Brass before hearing this recording, but I really must say that their precision, timing, power and "attack" truly rivals the legendary Phillip Jones Brass Ensemble. I also think that they surpass the PJBE's own Christmas recordings in many ways. One person mentioned that the organ was not as well-recorded on this disc, and at times it was not easily heard. For me, however, this is not as great a flaw. The real star here is this brass ensemble, which is absolutely first class. Sometimes organ/brass discs have an overpowering organ, and on this disc, the Bay Brass plays with such astonishing skill, that I do not miss hearing the organ accompaniment, which is there, but very much in background. If you are an organ fan, I could understand this may not be the disc for you, but if you love the sound of brass with some organ & percussion accompaniment, this will be exactly your cup-of-tea. There are just enough of the more well-known selections on this disc to satisfy many, along with a few lessor-known pieces. Hark the Herald Angels Sing has all of the excitement and precision one could wish for, in a very imaginative arrangement. Greensleeves is performed in an arrangement originally written by the before-mentioned Phillip Jones Brass Ensemble. Again, I must confess I actually prefer THIS slower version to the version so masterfully done by the Phillip Jones Ensemble, and I mean this as the highest possible compliment. There is an earth-shaking Gabrielli Canzon here, where the organ takes the antiphonal, or echo, parts. And in one of the most creative & unusual arrangements of Silent Night I've yet heard, the brass choir begins playing in a very mysterious way as an echoing melody at first, followed by the organ. The melody moves on to a medley of Away in a Manger, before returning to the Silent Night theme. The Hallelujah Chorus is arranged here for brass, percussion & organ to great effect, and the organ is definately powerful on that piece, as well as on Bach's Christmas Oratorio as well. The clarity of the brass section is nothing sort of amazing. As a real brass ensemble fan, I am eargerly awaiting more recordings by the Bay Brass after hearing this cd. Absolutely first-class.

A Brass & Organ Christmas sans Organ.......2002-12-09

If you purchase this CD with the hope of hearing a top-notch brass choir and magnificent and large pipe organ playing a varied program of Christmas music in a splendid venue, you may be disappointed when you discover that with one notable exception, the great organ of Grace Cathedral is all but inaudible for the most part. In part, I think this is due to the location of microphones during the recording, since the brass sound quite close to the microphones, while the organ, when heard, seems to be quite a distance away from the microphones and/or brass. My guess is that for whatever reason, the arrangements have not been written to showcase the organ or even give it an equal place on the program. Even in the one selection which features the organ in dialogue with the brass, the sound of the organ is so distant that it is easily overpowered by the brass choir. The small portative organ used for three of the selections has, for the most part, a more audible presence than the great cathedral organ could ever hope to have in this recording.

The music on this CD is outstanding, and the performance of The Bay Brass is impeccable. Now, if only we could hear what the organ and organist John Fenstermaker were playing, this CD would be complete.

Arrangements, performances, & engineering all excellent.......2001-12-14

If you enjoy the sound of large symphonic brass ensemble with pipe organ, you'll like what you hear on this album. The venue is San Francisco's Grace Cathedral, a richly reverberant environment that's ideal for music like this. Excellent sonics showcase a superb job by the audio engineers. The recording is clear and distinct, with good presence and stereo imaging.

A. David Krehbiel conducts the Bay Brass, organist John Fenstermaker, and four guest artists in fifteen magnificent arrangements for brass and organ. In addition, the opening track briefly features the Grace Cathedral carillon, and track 13 is an organ solo.

I had not heard the Bay Brass before I listened to this album. In my opinion, they compare favorably with other virtuoso symphonic brass ensembles, like the Philip Jones, Summit, and Millar brass ensembles.

The Bay Brass's standard instrumentation for this album seems to be four trumpets, four horns, three tenor trombones, one bass trombone, and tuba. Flugelhorns, euphoniums, and even alphorns can be heard on some tracks. (The players are all professionals from orchestras in the San Francisco area.) Four guest musicians assist: one trumpeter and 3 percussionists. Two of Grace Cathedral's four organs were used for this recording.

The selections are mostly traditional, from a variety of time periods and styles. Following are a few of my favorites: Heinrich Schutz's "Psalm VIII" is weighty and glorious; try reading the Biblical text as you listen for an added dimension of enjoyment. Douglas Haislip's colorful arrangement of "Christmas Day (Choral Fantasy on Old Carols)" does credit to the original composer, Gustav Holst, himself a master orchestrator. The verve and precision of Bizet's "March of the Kings (Farandole)" is a delight, especially as heard in the trombones. All of the tracks are worth listening to; there are no duds on this CD.

I have loved Christmas music for brass since I first heard "A Festival of Carols in Brass" by the Philadelphia Brass Ensemble on vinyl 24 years ago (now on CD: CBS MK7033). The Bay Brass's "A Brass & Organ Christmas" is a worthy successor, in the tradition of great Christmas brass recordings. I highly recommend it.

A Brass & Organ Christmas - GREAT.......2000-12-07

Recorded in Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, this is a really spectacular CD featuring a ton of great music and many familiar classics. Huge sound, flawless performances by The Bay Brass and organist John Fenstermaker. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys Christmas/holiday music. The acoustics in Grace Cathedral add a unique and very rich dimension to the sound.

American Record Guide (Nov/Dec. 2000) says..........2000-11-07

Brass and Organ Christmas/Bay Brass

"If you're looking for festive Christmas music by brass and organ, you won't find a better recording than this one. The arrangements are lovely and unusual, the performances loving. While I enjoy the whole disc, I am especially taken by Elgar Howarth's haunting look at Greensleeves, Anthony DiLorenzo's spectacular settings of "Joy to the World" and "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing", Jonathan Ring's touching arrangement of "Silent Night" (which begins and ends with conductor A. David Krehbiel and horn player Robert Ward on alphorns), David Baldwin's setting of the Hallelujah Chorus and Ralph Carmichael's colorful arrangement of "Twelve Days of Christmas."

Staffed by members of the San Francisco Symphony and other important area orchestras, Bay Brass is a truly wonderful brass ensemble with a full-bodied sound and no rough edges. The recording was made in Grace Cathedral with John Fenstermaker, who plays a magnificent Aeolian-Skinner organ with 123 ranks and a smaller 19th-century hand-pumped one. Considering the acoustics of such a large space, the recorded sound is excellent - the group is heard in fine detail, and the lengthy sound delay is never obtrusive and is often magical."

-Kilpatrick

Average customer rating:

8 Days of Christmas Destiny's Child Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Opera & Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music R&B | Imports | Stores | Music Pop | Imports | Stores | Music General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music ASIN: B0002ZEZFE Release Date: 2004-11-15

Tracks:

1. 8 Days Of Christmas
2. Winter Paradise
3. A "Dc" Christmas Medley
4. Silent Night
5. Little Drummer Boy
6. Do You Hear What I Hear
7. White Christmas
8. Platinum Bells
9. O' Holy Night
10. Spread A Little Love On Christmas Day
11. This Christmas
12. Opera Of The Bells
13. Proud Family
14. Emotion

Album Description

Japanese reissue features two exclusive bonus tracks, 'Proud Family' and 'Emotions' (with Strings). Sony. 2004.

Album Details

Reissue of their 2001 Christmas Album. Includes "International" Bonus Track "The Proud Family" by Solange featuring Destiny's Child, and Japan-only Bonus Track "Emotion (Strings Version)".

Average customer rating: Great CD

8 Days of Christmas Destiny's Child Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Opera & Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music Similar Items: Destiny Fulfilled Merry Christmas #1's Ciara: The Evolution B'day ASIN: B000BC8TCI Release Date: 2005-10-18

Tracks:

1. 8 Days of Christmas
2. Winter Paradise
3. "DC" Christmas Medley: Santa Claus Is Comin to Town/Jungle ...
4. Silent Night - Destiny's Child, Beyonc
5. Little Drummer - Destiny's Child, Solange
6. Do You Hear What I Hear - Destiny's Child, Kelly Rowland
7. White Christmas
8. Platinum Bells
9. O Holy Night - Destiny's Child, Michelle Williams
10. Spread a Little Love on Christmas Day
11. This Christmas
12. Opera of the Bells

Tracks:

1. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer /"8 Days of Christmas" Music Video

Customer Reviews:

Great CD.......2005-12-01

It's always nice to have a Christmas CD that has new songs written by the artist. This is one of those cases. Most of the classic songs have also been a little 'tweaked' to give a new feel.
I must admit however, that it is hard to appreciate this CD too much after listening to Destiny Fulfilled. Their voices aren't as strong, but that's only because this CD was made three years earlier.

In my opinion, the best song is "Do You Hear What I Hear". Kelly's voice is so pure and beautiful, that it puts the rest of the songs to shame.

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