Blind Boys of Alabama: "Go Tell it On the Mountain"

Time for something of a re-post. Why? You need to be reminded of the best Christmas CD of all time.

I should preface this by saying I'm not a very religious person. You should also know I used to be a store manager for a major toy store chain and my take on the Christmas holiday will NEVER be even close to what it was when I was a kid. Thanks to these two facts the very thought of hearing most Christmas tunes, religious or secular, makes me want to get an assault rifle and go a little "Christmas-nuts"! Having said that...

"Go Tell it on the Mountain" by the Blind Boys of Alabama is just about the best damn Christmas CD ever! The Blind Boys have been making music together for OVER 60 YEARS! Their latter-year recordings have been in heavy rotation in my CD player ever since I saw them open for Peter Gabriel on his last world tour.

Don't believe me? Listen to the opening track, "Last Month of the Year" and just TRY not to start jamming out!

Blind Boys music is a little bit of blues mixed with a whole lot of gospel and the end result is music that nobody can resist (Unless you're extremely Jewish and just want that Dreidel song 24/7. Even then it is one tough feat!) They know how to deliver a song and are backed by some damn fine musicians! Even one who is not all that religious has no problem with the gospel feel and the toe-tapping, church-going sounds emanating from their speakers.

This CD was so beautiful to hear I quite honestly was brought to tears at the listening station. Building upon the Grammy successes the Blind Boys found with albums like "Spirit of the Century" and "Higher Ground", they take this blues/gospel hybrid to the limit and make old worn out classics like "Little Drummer Boy", "The Christmas Song", "Silent Night", "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" & "White Christmas" sound completely new and vibrant. As my own mother put it, "This is Christmas music like I've never heard before!"

While the first and last tracks are performed solely by the Blind Boys, the album also features a wealth of guest vocalists & musicians. The eclectic mix of artists includes such performers as Solomon Burke, Tom Waits, Chrissie Hynde, Mavis Staples & George Clinton. There is something for EVERYONE on this CD!

Please check this CD out. Click on the links I provided and listen to samples. I get no money from Amazon if you buy one. I just want you to be made aware of one great album of music.

What? You're still being some sort of no-Gospel-for-me-closet racist-likely Republican-Christmas music-snob? (Damn, I'm funny!) How about listening to "Silent Night" and then shutting the hell up! Go buy this Cd and play the daylights out of it between now and the big holiday. You'll feel great.

Like Cab Calloway said to the Blues Brothers, "You could do with a little churchin' up"