1. After the Gold Rush (Young) 2. Simple (lang/Piltch) 3. Helpless (Young) 4. A Case of You (Mitchell) 5. The Valley (Siberry) 6. Hallelujah (Cohen) 7. One Day I Walk (Cockburn) 8. Fallen (Sexsmith) 9. Jericho (Mitchell) 10. Bird on a Wire (Cohen) 11. Love Is Everything (Siberry)

Was it homesickness that compelled long time Los Angeles resident k. d. lang to fashion her one woman campaign for north of the border nationalism, or just plain good sense? As an organizing tool, all Canadian content has long been a mainstay of the Canadian Broadcasting System but few have selected their material with such a fine hand and a high aesthetic. The expatriate singer has taken great pains to create a sophisticated homage to her Canadian roots, elegantly reinterpreting 11 songs penned by some of her more illustrious countrymen (and women) such as Jane Siberry, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and Leonard Cohen. The idiosyncratic chanteuse turns Cohen s Bird on a Wire into an aching monochromatic lament, exploring new tributaries of pain that didn t exist in the original, while recasting Neil Young s Helpless into haunting anthem of memory and comfort, all the while sounding anything but helpless. A gorgeous love letter to her brethren, complete with an intelligent and understated ...

#Hallelujah (2006-10-12) I will be honest I wanted Hallelujah off of this album. It is fantastic! However this album is also a great choice for anyone who loves Leonard Cohen s songs. K. D. Lang s voice is of course, phenomenal!

#WOW! (2004-11-07) What an exquisite voice kd lang has and what an album to showcase it! Her voice and phrasing are so seamless, so absolutely perfect, the effect is spellbinding (so much so that my spine literally tingles to listen to it!). In our age of processed, fast food music, here is a truly genuine and compelling album with songs sung by one of our very finest and most talented artists.

#Velvet Voice is awesome (2004-09-22) kd lang is one of Canada s best female vocalists. The confidence and polish is evident in these familiar Canadian classics. Total command and precision in every song invites the listener to play this CD over and over. lang is a treasure and this album shines with her mastery of these beautiful songs. Looking forward to seeing her in concert this year with any of these songs.

#Magnificent (2004-08-09) Although the songs are not new on this album, the concept is - trying to plumb the soul of the Canadian songwriter. And to offer renderings of those exquisite songs by Mitchell, Cohen, Young and some carefully selected others. Does it make sense? Yes, I think so, because I know of no attempt like it before. Yes, because the interpreter is an authority and a great Canadian singer in her own right. And yes, because these recordings sometimes reach the sublime, as is the case with Joni Mitchell s incomparable A Case of You - perhaps better than the original,...

#Boring (2004-08-05) What a boring piece of junk. I could not wait for this CD. With great anticipation, I opened the jacket, put it in the CD player and started to listen. From the first song to the last, this was one of the most listless pieces of music ever recorded. There seemed to be none of the passion that Ms. Lang has shown before. One song flowed into another song and eventually they all sounded the same, which is not what I expected.

1. No One Mourns the Wicked - Cristy Candler 2. Dear Old Shiz 3. The Wizard and I - Idina Menzel 4. What Is This Feeling? - Kristin Chenoweth 5. Something Bad - William Youmans 6. Dancing Through Life - Michelle Federer 7. Popular - Kristin Chenoweth 8. I m Not That Girl - Idina Menzel 9. One Short Day - Kristin Chenoweth 10. A Sentimental Man - Joel Grey 11. Defying Gravity - Kristin Chenoweth 12. Thank Goodness - Kristin Chenoweth 13. Wonderful - Idina Menzel 14. I m Not That Girl (Reprise) - Kristin Chenoweth 15. As Long as You re Mine - Norbert Leo Butz 16. No Good Deed - Idina Menzel 17. March of the Witch Hunters 18. For Good - Kristin Chenoweth 19. Finale - Kristin Chenoweth

One of the most common complaints about musicals is that the books are flimsy pretexts from which to hang numbers. Wicked runs into the opposite problem: it has a great plot but too often the songs just get in the way. Based on Gregory Maguire s novel of the same name, Wicked tells us what happened between Glinda the Good and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, before Dorothy showed up in Oz. And the show is lucky to boast a pair of ace leading women in the main roles. As Glinda, Kristin Chenoweth delivers a sensational star turn, displaying a crystal-pure voice and sharp comic timing, Idina Menzel lends her powerful pipes to the tricky role of Elphaba. Unfortunately, you wish they had better material to work with. Stephen Schwartz s pop score is often dragged down by overly synthetic orchestrations and sentimental lyrics (think Chicken Soup for the Witch). Still, at its best Wicked is a seductive slice of popular entertainment that could well give a younger audience a lasting taste...

#It is Da musical of the year!!!! (2008-05-23) Well, the songs are GREAT!!! they sing well, I love how this entire musical can be related to so many people and its positive message. I love popular, it is funny, and great duet! I think it would be great if you listen to the musical first before buying CD so you can understand better. I love this show!!!

#Not Quite out-of-the-park, but stilla homerun (2006-12-15) Firs off, it is important to state that I am not, generally speaking, a fan of muiscal theatre. Indeed I would go so far as to say that, for the most part, I activley dislike it. That said, I adored Wicked. I have seen it live twice now, hope to see it at least once more while it plays here in Toronto, and simply cannot get the songs (well, most of them anyway) out of my head. There are two things that stop me rating this a five. First, that it is the original Broadway cast rather than the current touring company as I bel...

#THE BEST!!!! (2005-05-18) I saw Wicked in Toronto, sadly I didn t get to see the originals on broadway, but Stephanie Block and Kendra Kassebaum (as Elphaba and Glinda respectively) were perfect. It was fantastic and I can t wait to see it again. There are no words to describe how much I love this CD. It is perfect to belt out in the car. I hadn t heard Idina Menzel before but she shines in the role of Elphie and proves she can really sing. I mean, with some of the notes she holds, the girl has to have a third lung. Kristin Chenoweth is funny and lovable as Glinda, and the...

#Amazing... (2004-08-30) There are honestly no words to describe this recording. Ever since I first saw Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth perform ",Defying Gravity", at the 2004 Tonys, I ve been an absolute Wicked fanatic. No, I haven t seen the show (though I hope to before all of the original cast leaves), but I don t need to in order to love this recording. It s very easy to follow the story, even if you ve never heard of the musical, and so many of the songs speak to so many different people. Yes, they re about the citizens of Oz, but the character s feelings and proble...

#Sublime... (2004-07-17) Miss Kristin Chenoweth. . . If there is a greater star on the rise on the great white way I dare you to name her. I spend my days puttering around in my care listening to Ariella Vaccarino s must-have CD series ",Voice Lessons to Go", in preparation for the moment I put the real deal on here and try my best to match the vocal styling of Ms. Chenoweth. . . and fail (but maybe with these vocal CDs I ve been listening to. . . who knows). Anyway, the woman is a queen of the stage at the moment and this recording is a vocal photograph of a true sta...

1. O Holy Night 2. Don t Save It All for Christmas Day 3. Blue Christmas 4. Another Year Has Gone By 5. Magic of Christmas Day (God Bless Us Everyone) 6. Ave Maria 7. O Come All Ye Faithful 8. Christmas Song 9. Prayer - Andrea Bocelli, Celine Dion 10. Brahms Lullaby 11. Christmas Eve 12. These Are the Special Times 13. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) 14. I m Your Angel - Celine Dion, R. Kelly 15. Feliz Navidad 16. Cloches du Hameau

It s almost impossible to believe it didn t already exist, but now that it does, you can bet the sure-to-go-platinum These Are Special Times will turn up under many a Christmas tree this year (the perfect gift for the person who has everything?). The prolific princess of pop has thrown together a mixture of contemporary and traditional holiday favorites, bordering on too-cute and kitschy only on the intro to Feliz Navidad. For many, Dion is an acquired taste, but even naysayers may enjoy her rare moments of restraint on a smoky version of Blue Christmas. The Prayer, a duet with Andrea Bocelli, is set to become this season s Time to Say Goodbye, but it will have to battle it out with the R. Kelly duet, I m Your Angel, first. --Rebecca Wallwork

#Timeless. One of the best Christmas albums in a long time!! (2006-10-14) Celine Dion delivers the goods with this album. Celine Dion s voice shines on the beautiful ballads, I m Your Angel and the Prayer. Two amazing songs. Celine Dion delivers with this album that has to be considered one of the best Christmas albums in a long time. Celine Dion s These Are Special Times is an amazing collection of holiday classics. Celine Dion knows how to make a masterpiece!!

#the christmas spirit personified (2005-11-05) this is always one of my top xmas albums,it has a great mix of tracks, new & traditional, classical, pop/rock & ballad, & really captures the essence of the season, it can perhaps sound a little melancholy, but is a great release from the manic christmas music where we re all supposed to be having such a mad, wild, time. for me, this is a true, traditional christmas, warm, loving, sentimental, thoughtful, reflective, magical, filled with hope & enchantment. for the record, my fave is ",the prayer", - this song is amazing, it send...

#amazing voice (2005-01-11) Celine Dion has an AMAZING voice which is just incomparable in the pop/contemporary universe. While not all the songs on this cd are very good, just a few make this cd all worth it. O Holy Night is already a good enough reason. She starts from a gentle voice but she goes Forte near the middle and just ravishes with power. Hearing the NoeeeeeeL is just mind blowing!!! O Come All Ye Faithful is amazing too and the most amazing song on this cd is ",The Prayer",. . . . . absolutely amazing amazing amazing song. . . . wow. . . . her singing is just so...

#She sings with her heart (2004-07-13) A wonderful Christmas album. Unlike those artists that feel ",compelled", to put out a token Christmas album, Celine sincerely believes what she s singing about. Highly recommended.

#Easily My Favorite Celine CD (2004-02-17) I asked my best friend for a CD this year--I knew Celine Dion had recorded one, but I didn t know what it was called. I just thought it would be nice to have. It came a little before Christmas, and I took it to work. I was drawn in immediately from the first strains of ",O Holy Night. ", This was a phenomenal CD! I loved hearing her record with her family. I have always loved ",The Prayer. ", ",The Magic of Christmas Day", was by far my favorite. I plan to try to have my students perform that song next year i...

1. Silent Night 2. All I Want for Christmas Is You 3. O Holy Night 4. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) 5. Miss You Most (At Christmas Time) 6. Joy to the World 7. Jesus Born on This Day 8. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town 9. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing/Gloria (In Excelsis Deo) 10. Jesus, Oh What a Wonderful Child

She s been hailed for her multi-octave vocal range--a tool that sometimes detracts from her pop recordings, but actually works quite beautifully in the context of this charming holiday collection. Fans will surely approve of Carey s renditions of slinky secular songs like Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) and a nicely subdued All I Want for Christmas Is You. But where she really surprises is in her unadorned delivery of a passel of traditional carols, highlighted by Silent Night (which she sings quietly, avoiding the temptation to wail those high notes) and Jesus, Oh What a Wonderful Child. A must for diehards, and a pleasant surprise for the unconverted. --David Sprague

#My favourite Christmas CD (2007-12-07) Every Christmas I play this album and love it all over again. I enjoy singing along to it while I drive. My favourite is O Holy Night where she sings so beautifully and causes goosebumps. I usually have this song on repeat. My second favourite is Jesus Oh What a Wonderful Child where she sings with a gospel choir and they sound so great together. Who knew Mariah could do gospel?! Basically the singing of both the traditional Christmas songs and the non-traditional ones is outstanding. I like the way she adds her unique singing style to t...

#A pleasantly old-fashioned Christmas album. (2006-11-26) Before Mariah Carey turned to R&B, she was primarily known as a pop artist with a huge voice. It s a good thing that she recorded this album at a time where her vocal range was its top - after all, many Christmas carols feature the most wonderful melodies of our times, and she was in total control of her amazing pipes when Merry Christmas was recorded. The result is a pleasantly old-fashioned Christmas album, mixing the secular with the religious and covering all the bases of seasonal music. This album most notably features All...

#An absolutely wonderful Christmas album (2006-07-05) Few commercial Christmas albums really appeal to me - too many of them mangle the traditional classics I love, especially the hymns, with all sorts of fancy modern sounds that ring hollow to my ears, and, loving the traditional songs so much, few modern Christmas tunes manage to win me over. Long after its release, though, Mariah Carey s Merry Christmas CD remains a perennial Christmas favorite of mine. Mariah s vocal talent puts her head and shoulders above every female vocalist out there, and she injects true feeling and spirit i...

#Lovely For Chritstmas and any time!!! (2004-07-14) I must admit I liked this CD very much. I even played it after christmas. The Asian Version has 11 tracks. The bonus track is God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. A very nice vocally performed song. Vocally done very nicely with the layering of vocals and is not boring to listen to. In fact most of this album is in her gospel singing. I just love it.

#Christmas in June?????? (2004-06-22) I bough this album last Friday it s amazingi love itSILENT NIGHT 10/10GoodALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU 10/10AmazingO HOLY NIGHT 10!/10Awesome!CHRISTMAS (BABY PLEASE COME HOME)10/10SadMISS YOU MOST 10/10Sadder than ",Christmas", I ll give an 11JOY TO THE WORLD 10/10Dance hit!JESUS BORN ON THIS DAY 10/10I love itSANTA CLAUS IS COMIN TO TOWN 10/10It s like ",All I want for christmas is youHARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING/GLORIA (IN EXCELCIS DEO)9/10GoodJESUS, OH WHAT A WONDERFUL CHILD!10/10FunnyGOD REST YE MERRY GENTLEMEN 10/10Bonus track, ...

1. All I Want 2. My Old Man 3. Little Green 4. Carey 5. Blue 6. California 7. This Flight Tonight 8. River 9. Case of You 10. Last Time I Saw Richard

Joni Mitchell would go on from this `71 recording to make more popular, more ambitious, and more challenging albums, but she s never made a better one. Working with minimal accompaniment (Stephen Stills and James Taylor are two of the four sidemen), the Canadian thrush summoned an involving song cycle of romance found and lost. Though Blue is an uncommonly intimate representation, it s also astonishingly open and gracious. Songs such as All I Want, Carey, California, and A Case of You work equally well as poetry and pop music. --Steve Stolder

#Unbelievably sweet (2008-10-21) Although it s almost forty years old, this album sounds so fresh. Mitchell s guitar and piano is wonderfully fluid. And then there s her voice. An instrument so fine, the notes send shivers down the spine. Part of the mystique of this album is the honesty, even fragility of emotions. But there s just as much artistry in Joni Mitchell s Blue. A melancholy beauty. A well-worked gem of an album. The kind of music I remember hearing in kitchens with granola in the cupboard. Or at dawn just as the first birds start to sing. Frost on the grass.

#Probably the Greatest Album.. Ever. (2008-07-05) Joni Mitchell sings a lot of jazz and her songs are so often layered with whimsy and flutes and seem quite thick. While I am overall, a fan of Mitchell s repetoire, none of her albums have managed to penetrate my soul like her masterpiece, the omnipresent, beautiful, spectacularly sad, rich, and of course, appropriately titled, Blue . Blue is a staple for so many reasons. It captures a kind of nostalgia that someone who, like myself, is too young to experience the cultural movements in the 1960s such as the move to California and ...

#Blue ....The most overrated album of all time! (2008-05-01) It may very well be one of the most overrated albums of all time. Yes, Joni is a legend, yes she is a great lyricist and a great musician but after all the accolades, I have to ask myself does her music talk to me? Does her grating vocal style make me want to listen to 3 consecutive songs without being annoyed. I love Joni and I own all her albums so please don t hang me to dry on this. If you want poetic, sparse, personal folk music with the Joni style vocal meanderings, this is the baby you are looking for. She has...

#Desert island record (2007-10-20) On CBC radio there once a program on which people chose the 5 records or books they would take with them if the were lost on a desert island for the rest of their lives. This album is number 1 on my list of 5 I would take with me. I could listen to this album every day, no problem. Joni Mitchell is a genius, plain and simple.

#the most addicting album ever (2004-07-15) ",Just before our love got lost you said, I am as constant as a northern star, and I said, constant in the darkness, where is that at? If you want me I ll be in the bar. . . ", -Case of You, BlueIt takes alot for me to listen to an album over and over and over and over. . . and still not get sick of it. i ve had ",Blue", for about 3 years and Joni still makes it into my cd player more than once every few days. There are at least 2 songs that most passerbyers would recognize: ",California", and ",River",, but m...