A truly
Mary Christmas would match the distraught look on the cover.
Blige's first Christmas album, guided by
David Foster and
Jochem van der Saag, doesn't feature sad or embittered chestnuts like "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" or "Fairytale of New York" (was
Method Man busy?). Instead, it contains a mix of standard holiday songs -- a couple playful, many solemn, all dramatic. It's a big production; an orchestra backs
Blige on most of the songs. She pours herself into all of the material, even when she's joined by
Jessie J (of all people) for a version of "Do You Hear What I Hear?" that is overcooked. It could use a couple more joyous songs in the vein of
Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas," which is a delight despite so many versions since the original 1970 version.
A Mary Christmas won't likely reach the high status of, say,
Mariah Carey's
Merry Christmas, but it's a full-effort holiday release that many of her fans should be able to enjoy for several years. ~ Andy Kellman