Saturday, 30 November 2019

John Barrowman - A Fabulous Christmas


25 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!

Buy A Fabulous Christmas here (Amazon GB)

Christmas (and by association Christmas music) is utterly fabulous, yet there are apallingly few Christmas albums with that jazz-hands inducing word in the title. No Fabulous Christmas Portrait by The Carpenters. No Fabulous Kylie Christmas by Ms Minogue. And no Merry Fabulous Christmas Mariah Carey by the crisp chomper herself. Luckily for the world John Barrowman has corrected that with his dazzling new opus A Fabulous Christmas; a selection box of songs which is more of an entertainment experience than just a festive collection of dazzling tunes. Thanks to opulent arrangements and effusive vocals, Mr Barrowman immerses the listener into a fully realised winter wonderland; a sleigh ride of a journey which tantalises all the senses and explores all the emotions of the Yuletide period. Like the very best Christmas albums it is going to remind you of Christmas gone by whilst providing the vibrant soundtrack to treasured new memories year after year after year. And that is really how Christmas does become fabulous...

The album opens, as all Christmas albums should open (in my opinion), with It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year. A decadent orchestral introduction welcomes in John's vivid vocal and soon playful strings glide along side his melodic voice, so imbued with excitement for the season that his enthusiasm is utterly contagious. He works with the band as an equal partner in telling the story, instrument and voice combining together for a euphoric treat that leaves you tingling for more. When A Child Is Born is next and is a masterclass in building a crescendo through thoughtful score and nuanced singing. It starts with a hushed reverence but soon bursts forward into a sumptuous wall of sound - as if the wonder of the words can no longer be contained. By the time a textured army of harmonies join in it is so exhilarating that the music sends your soul soaring to 7th heaven and beyond. That frisson of thrill continues on Sleigh Ride. It is a throwback the lush sound stages of 50s Hollywood movies, complete with Andrews Sister style backing vocals and a real sense of fun being conveyed by John's cheeky vocal style. So peppy and precise is this take that I swear you can almost feel the wind rushing past your cheeks as the song conjures up images of snowy lanes and ornate icicles as if by Christmas magic. John continues his tinsel town throwback with Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, demonstrating that the music of era really was timeless. It is an elegant take that lets each earnest word linger, John savouring every moment of being able to sing such a vintage classic. By the time the song finishes you can't help but believe the titular wish will come true.

Happy Holidays is as warm and inviting as honey melting into hot chocolate on a cold winter night. Once again, those backing vocals are an essential addition to making this a glorious aural gift that leaves you positively giddy. Sassy horns enrich the instrumental whilst the finger click groove gets those shoulders shimmying and toes a-tapping. Be Thou My Vision-Away In A Manager provides spiritual succour for those seeking it; it is so easy to forget that for many the true meaning of Christmas comes from the birth of Christ and John delivers two classic hymns with a reverence and awe that is befitting of the greatest story ever told. He then switches up a non-seasonal standard to give it a little festive flair. Save The Last Dance For Me has the triumphant feel of Alma Cogan's Never Do A Tango With An Eskimo whilst retaining the seductive charm of the original. It is quite the combination, a showcase for how Mr B throws himself fully into a production. You can imagine Captain Jack singing it to Ianto and it becomes the album's choice cut for making the fabulosity of Christmas last well beyond the season. Grown-Up Christmas List is a modern day standard which I never get tired of hearing. The lyrics are still (sadly) as relevant as ever and John sings with a poignant sense of hope that perhaps the world will be a better place tomorrow. It is a stately affair, though the chorus out of the bridge is as inspiring as any dramatic ballad Westlife took to the top of the charts (and deserves the same sort of attention and accolade). Utterly rousing.

Silent Night flows perfectly from Grown-Up Christmas List. The haunting bells which chime in the song are balanced exquisitely against a delicate piano refrain, a melange of sound that takes you to an opulent cathedral to welcome in the most anticipated day of the year. John is just as adept at pouring heartfelt emotion into a song through quiet reflection as he is when he belts it to the rafters; something he demonstrates equally as beautifully on O Holy Night. One of my favourite all-time hymns, it is a radiant piece of music that deserves the hush of the first verse before building into a celebration of what the title of the song is all about. There is a tenderness to John's "fall on your knees" that is wonderfully refined - then, when a choir of angels lift his voice to the celestial heavens, it is a sermon which reaches breathtaking new levels of soul stirring. I Saw Mommy is a witty take on the old classic, with an opening as saucy as any old Carry On movie. He's bought Emily Atack for the tremendous ride where both singers accuse each other of smooching old Saint Nick. They have great individual moments, but when the key change comes and their voices intertwine is a raise-your-hands-to-the-skies-and-sing-along moment which will have you grinning all the live long day. And then A Fabulous Christmas comes to a close with Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, with a spoken soliloquy from John which raises your levels of excitement for a visit from this now-smoochable Saint Nick. It is an appropriately kick up your heels, pull a cracker style finale which brings this delicious project to a close in superb style. Exactly the album to make you feel merry and bright.

**Ghosts of Christmas past**
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