Not So Silent Night

The stores are packed, holiday decorations abound, and there's a cheery spirit in the air. Another holiday season is in full swing!

One sure sign of the upcoming holidays is the fact that holiday music is blaring over the airwaves. In fact, some radio stations are even playing it exclusively. These radio offerings consist in large part of classic recordings by singers such as Bing Crosby, but several contemporary musical artists are also helping us get into the holiday spirit this year with new holiday-themed recordings. These artists range from relative newcomers like David Archuleta to well-established acts such as Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, and one of my favorite bands, REO Speedwagon.

When I heard that REO Speedwagon was making a holiday album, I had some trepidations. Although I very much like the band, I was not sure if their sound would work well with holiday songs. I am happy to report that my doubts were unfounded. The album, which is called Not So Silent Night, features fresh, upbeat versions of several classic Christmas songs. These new arrangements, along with REO Speedwagon's excellent musicianship, make for a fine album.

The album begins with a relatively simple arrangement of "The First Noel", which features lead vocalist Kevin Cronin in great form. The second song is a blues-influenced version of "Winter Wonderland", complete with a fine guitar solo by Dave Amato. Mr. Amato also provides a soaring guitar melody on next song, "Silent Night". In addition, this song features strong background vocals which complement Mr. Cronin's lead singing.

The fourth song is a rocking version of "Deck the Halls", which showcases the powerful guitar sound that REO Speedwagon is so famous for. Next comes "The Little Drummer Boy". The entire band shines on this song with powerful vocals, excellent guitar work, and great drumming. Other highlights include rocking arrangements of "Children Go Where I Send Thee", "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", and "Joy To The World". There is also a beautiful version of John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (Was is Over)" which I think would make Mr. Lennon proud.

Anyone who is a fan of REO Speedwagon or who enjoys contemporary holiday music will surely find something to enjoy on this album. Check it out, and enjoy your holidays!

Vocabulary

Abound (verb) - to exist in very large numbers

Blare (verb) - to make a loud noise

Exclusively (adverb) - only

In large part (idiom) - very much, mostly

Contemporary (adjective) - belonging to the present time, modern, new

Newcomer (noun) - someone who has recently arrived somewhere or who has recently started doing something

Trepidation (noun) - a feeling of doubt, fear

Unfounded (adjective) - wrong, not based on facts

Vocalist (noun) - singer

Highlight (noun, can also be a verb) - an interesting or enjoyable part of something

Vocabulary Practice

1. Lions, tigers, and bears _________ in the forest.

2. Steve Perry is a great singer. He is one of my favorite __________.

3. Car horns __________ on the busy highway.

4. Bob is a _________ to our school. He just arrived here yesterday.

5. Seeing the Grand Canyon was the _________ of our trip.

6. This product is available _________ in this store. It cannot be found anywhere else.

7. This war was due _________ to the president's actions.

8. The police investigated the rumors and discovered that they were _________.

9. I didn't know who was knocking on the door, but I opened it with some ___________.

10. I enjoy the _________ art that has been produced in the past few years.

Grammar Point

Discourse markers are words and phrases that are used to transition from one thing to another. They often clarify the relationship between things, and they can be used to show order and sequencing. In this blog entry, I used discourse markers like first, second, third, and next to help you understand the sequence of songs on the album.

Grammar Practice

a. Write a paragraph explaining what you did yesterday. Use at least five discourse markers to demonstrate the sequence of events.

b. Imagine your paragraph without these discourse markers. What would change?