Kenny Rogers, 77, recently announced that he will be retiring from touring after a farewell run. The legend has had a career that has spanned over 50 years, racking up countless achievements, hits, and awards. This sad news came while Rogers promotes his new Christmas album, Once Again It’s Christmas. This is Rogers’ first new Christmas album in 17 years. Rogers has earned the “King of Christmas” moniker, having embarked on an annual Christmas tour (Christmas & Hits Tour) for the last 34 years. Taking all this into consideration, it’s only fitting that Kenny Rogers’ last tour be to support a Christmas album.
Now, before we move forward I should warn you. I’m that crazy Christmas lover who listens to Christmas music all year round, and starts celebrating the holiday the day after Thanksgiving (I’d celebrate it all year round if I could get away with it). Ok now that you’ve been forewarned, lets dig into this delightful album and start the fangirling!
First off, a fun little tidbit about the cover art for this record! The cover photo was actually taken by Kenny himself. It was taken in Yakima, Washington, in December 2003. He entitled the photograph “Red Tree”. Rogers received an Honorary Masters of Photography Degree from Professional Photographers of America in 2014 for his contributions to the world of photography. Pretty cool huh?
Ah, there’s just something about Christmas music that puts you in such a good mood. It puts you at ease and takes you back to a simpler time. It makes you feel like a child again, all excited about getting up and finding the goodies that Santa has left for you. It’s magical, not just because of the magic of Santa, but also the true reason for the season. Kenny’s latest Christmas album doesn’t disappoint, delivering all the feel good magic you expect from the holiday music. Once Again It’s Christmas opens with the title track, a sweet, peaceful song reminiscing about all the good things we associate with Christmas. The song lists Santa, reindeer, dreams coming true, blessings, and snow. Soft string instruments are accompanied by the piano, along with other orchestral instruments, to create a truly peaceful melody. This peaceful arrangement sets the tone for the majority of the record.
Next up is “There’s a New Kid In Town”, which features Winfield’s Locket. This song happens to be a favorite of mine, I absolutely love it. Kenny’s version is softer than some of the other versions I’ve heard, but is still just as powerful. The other versions I’ve heard featured a heavier production and louder vocals, but Kenny needs neither to drive the power of the message home. For those who are unfamiliar with this particular song, it’s about the birth of Jesus. The chorus explains, “There’s a new kid in town and he’s lying in a manger down the road/ There’s a new kid in town, but he’s just another baby I suppose/ Heaven knows/ There’s a new kid in town, here in Bethlehem.” Winfield’s Locket provides excellent backing vocals. This version of the song is absolutely beautiful and a standout on the record.
Jennifer Nettles joins Kenny on “Here It Is Christmas/ Baby It’s Cold Outside”. I have to say, this is one of the very few Christmas songs that I’m not even remotely fond of. It’s actually a little concerning if you listen to the lyrics. Think about it for a second. It’s just a bit creepy, with lines like “Oh what’s in this drink?” which is followed by “I wish I knew how to break this spell”, it seems to be alluding to something that actually isn’t so innocent at all. I’ve always found it a bit alarming, I guess, the song just hits me wrong. I mean the guy spends the whole song trying desperately to get the girl to stay the night, meanwhile the girl keeps saying she cannot stay. All I can picture is a sleazy guy trying to get lucky with an innocent girl. I realize it’s supposed to be a fun little song, and a romantic one, but it just never felt that way to me. But, I will say, Jennifer and Kenny pull off the romance intended for the track. Jennifer is a natural for emoting and has a unique voice, full of character. They make it sound innocent (which is obviously how it’s intended to sound anyway).
Alison Krauss teams up with Kenny for “Some Children See Him”, a beautiful song about all the different ways/ forms that we see Jesus Christ. Kenny opens the song with “Some children see him lily white/ The baby Jesus born this night/ Some children see him lily white, with tresses soft and fair,” then Alison continues with “Some children see him bronzed and brown/ The Lord of Heaven to Earth come down/ Some children see him bronzed and brown/ With dark and heavy hair.” They go on to describe Jesus in other races/cultures, summing up that children (and people in general) will picture Jesus looking like them, only with a brighter face full of grace and love. Ultimately, the message is that Jesus is in us all, and has love for us all. Alison’s vocals are so stunningly angelic; she was made for Christmas songs. This is definitely a standout on the album.
The bluesy, gospel flavored “Children, Go Where I Send Thee” is an absolute treasure! I LOVE it! It’s truly excellent, the lyrics, the vocals, the production is just perfection. Home Free joins Kenny on this number and they rock it! I can’t express how awesome this track is. I have to say I’ve been vaguely aware of Home Free, having seen numerous features FTCR has done on them, but hadn’t actually checked them out yet. That changes now! Wow! Now I’m totally aware of them and look forward to looking into their music. This is definitely yet another standout track on the record.
Once Again It’s Christmas also features the classic favorites “Little Drummer Boy”, “Winter Wonderland”, and “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”. I love the classics, and tend to lean towards the traditional hymns and classic Christmas songs, more than new/modern day Christmas songs. Kenny doesn’t disappoint, delivering excellent renditions of the three classics.
Kenny concludes the album with “The Light”, a beautiful ballad about the Light of Jesus. The track features Kenny’s biggest vocal performance on the album, accompanied by a choir and orchestra. It’s a powerful message delivered in a powerful way. It’s a perfect way to close out Once Again It’s Christmas.
This is an excellent record. Rogers’ vocals are a bit softer, I don’t want to say weaker, but raspier than they use to be, but that doesn’t affect the record one bit. In fact, Kenny’s softer vocals just enhance the peaceful mood the record has. This is truly a must have for your Christmas collection; I know I’ll be spinning it during the holidays! (ok ok, I’ll be spinning it all year round).
Originally posted here.
