Search - Ricky Skaggs :: Skaggs Family Christmas

Harmony and string-filled country-bluegrass Christmas

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 12/20/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Ricky Skaggs' first Christmas album is a multiple family affair. In addition to vocals and picking by his children Molly and Luke, the album also features The Whites (Buck, Sharon, Cheryl, and Rachel) and members of Skaggs' band, Kentucky Thunder. The material leans heavily on American Christmas season standards, both high-spirited ("Let it Snow") and faithful ("What Child is This?"), with a focus on multipart harmonies (rather than bluegrass picking) that will add warmth to any holiday celebration. The playing swings lightly on "Let it Snow" and "Hangin' Round the Mistletoe," and the picking is sprightly on an instrumental rendition of "Deck the Halls." An Irish penny whistle combines with all-hands harmony rounds of "Do You Hear What I Hear" to close the disc with a flourish. [©2005 hyperbolium dot com]"

Outstanding Christmas music for bluegrass fans

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 09/07/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ricky Skaggs was, for a time during the eighties, a major star of the country music scene. Another excellent group from that period, the Whites (Buck and his two daughters, Sharon and Cheryl) had a few major country hits in that decade, but they never achieved the level of success that Ricky did, not that it mattered because Ricky married Sharon White. The union of their families provides a very strong cast of singers and musicians as a nucleus for this album.



Ricky and the Whites both eventually abandoned their mainstream country careers to return to their bluegrass roots. Free from the restrictions and pressures imposed by major labels, they record music as and when it suits them, and in their own style. Although I haven't followed their careers closely in recent years, I know that they can always be relied upon to deliver music of the highest quality. This Christmas album, teasingly sub-titled volume one, reinforces that belief. While there are plenty of familiar songs here, there are also some that you may not be familiar with. Maybe one or two of them are originals, but I can't be certain of that.



The set opens with an old chestnut (Let it snow let it snow let it snow) featuring Ricky as lead singer. Another familiar song (Little drummer boy) follows, this time with Molly Skaggs as lead singer. Rachel White maintains the familiar theme with her first lead vocal (What child is this?) before we hear the first obscure song. Sharon sings lead on a fine song that I've never heard elsewhere (Love come gently) about the birth of Jesus, which was written by Marty Funderburk - what a name!



The next song (Mary did you know?) dates from the early nineties. First recorded by co-writer Mark Lowry, Kathy Mattea covered it soon afterwards. Many other singers have since followed including Kenny Rogers (on his album The gift) and Reba McEntire (on her album Secret of giving). Maybe one day it will be considered a standard, but meanwhile Cheryl White sings lead on an excellent rendition of the song. Despite her brilliance, this is her only lead vocal on the album.



Next comes Hanging round the mistletoe, featuring Buck White as lead singer. This jolly song, written by prolific country songwriter Kostas, has previously been recorded by Alabama (on their second Christmas album) and by Brooks and Dunn (on their only Christmas album). Molly Skaggs gets her second lead vocal on Christmas time is here, a song that doesn't get recorded very often but you can find a version by Sarah McLachlan on her album Wintersong. We are then treated to an instrumental version of Deck the halls.



Buck narrates The Christmas guest, originally written and recorded by Grandpa Jones. Reba McEntire recorded it for her ultra-traditional album, Merry Christmas to you. Back on more familiar territory, Rachel sings lead on Have yourself a merry little Christmas, followed by Sharon's second lead vocal on White Christmas. Ricky sings lead on Go thee down, a song that I've never heard before. Rachel, the only singer here with three lead vocal tracks, takes lead on the closing track, Do you hear what I hear?



Although this sounds a bit like a various artists Christmas album, all the singers are related in some way on other and the whole album works extremely well. All bluegrass fans, and anybody who simply enjoys great Christmas music, can enjoy this album while looking forward to volume two, if and whenever it comes.

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