Well, why not a Roches Christmas album? It's actually perfect, if you stop and think about it -- there's always been something cute and childlike about their tone, and when they put their formidable vocal chops to work on tunes as potentially complex as "Angels We Have Heard on High" and "The Holly and the Ivy," the results can be as gorgeous as they are unique. Their Brooklynese versions of "Frosty the Snowman" ("Why, I oughta...") and "Winter Wonderland" ("Gone away is da blueboid") are a hoot, and the a cappella "Star of Wonder" is a fascinating obscurity. There are a couple of missteps -- the pseudo-Latin rhythm and soprano sax don't contribute much to "We Three Kings," nor does the synth really enhance "Angels We Have Heard on High." But overall, We Three Kings will make an utterly charming addition to anyone's holiday play list.
THE ROCHES WITH A HOLIDAY TWISTDECEMBER 7, 2006, 8:00 PMROYCE HALL, UCLA CAMPUSI have been a fan of the Roches for 20 years, ever since hearing them in a friend's dorm room at college. I was hooked. I've got all of their early works, (on cassette) including the 1975 release from Maggie & Terre, Seductive Reasoning on LP (thanks, eBay). I remember when I saw the music video for Big Nuthin' on...
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If you have a relative (or maybe it's you) who puts on annoying music at this time of year, you can make things more bearable by slipping the Roches' We Three Kings into the deck. To the mainstream ear it sounds mainstream. Always makes me smile.
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THE ROCHES WITH A HOLIDAY TWISTDECEMBER 7, 2006, 8:00 PMROYCE HALL, UCLA CAMPUSI have been a fan of the Roches for 20 years, ever since hearing them in a friend's dorm room at college. I was hooked. I've got all of their early works, (on cassette) including the 1975 release from Maggie & Terre, Seductive Reasoning on LP (thanks, eBay). I remember when I saw the music video for Big Nuthin' on...
More >
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 "We Three Kings")
