By: R PalmaMariah Carey's Merry Christmas II You is as satisfying and ideally suited as her first Christmas release, only offering a different side of Mariah. Making the season festive and bright, it is cool, classy and uncalculated, confidently delivering holiday cheer.
Carey's 1994 Merry Christmas collection - which yielded "All I Want For Christmas Is You," perhaps the biggest hit of her career - was sprinkled generously with formal elegance and vocal bombast, although in welcome doses. Merry Christmas II You is not Carey's attempt to recapture that same formula but rather to offer a more festive, relaxed counterpart that complements the first album well. She no longer has anything to prove, so she can afford subtlety.
"Oh Santa!" revisits the theme of "All I Want for Christmas Is You." With its rhythmic handclapping and vibrant background vocal work it strikes a resemblance to Outkast's "Hey Ya!" It is endearing, extroverted and giddy-sweet.
"Christmas Time Is in the Air Again" is airy, breathy and delicate offering a softer side to Carey's delivery, it is an exceptional track - another fine original that, like "All I Want for Christmas Is You," shows Carey's gift for timelessness as a writer. It is romantic, elegant and soul-stirring enough to arouse emotions without breaking the yuletide mood. "One Child" is another cornerstone original - a serious moment worthy of working its way into church hymn books. It is dignified, restrained, sincere and devout, with a lovely children's choir.
On the likes of "The First Noel/Born Is the King (Interlude)" and "O Little Town of Bethlehem" Carey is blissfully understated. She sings the songs with grace, tenderness and maternal warmth rather than the youthful exuberance that colored 1994's Merry Christmas, unleashing those signature high notes only at climactic moments. Those who listen for vocal acrobatics will not find a surplus of them - rather, just the right amount. She also makes interesting song choices - such as "Christmas Time Is Here (Charlie Brown Christmas)" - which suit this style.
Carey's mother Patricia provides operatic vocals on "O Come All Ye Faithful/Hallelujah," which will surprise those listeners previously unaware that her mother's career as an opera singer gave rise to Carey's talent. The elder Carey sounds wonderful, and the blending of both their voices not only invokes sweet sound but the warmth of family.
The live rendition of "O Holy Night" is only partially live; some portions (generally, the most vocally challenging) of it are lifted right from the 1994 recording, while other moments are clearly live. It is fine listening, but it is also baffling. The updated version of "All I Want for Christmas Is You" is almost indistinguishable from the original - good news for those torn between which of Carey's Christmas albums to purchase.
Merry Christmas II You is a fine testament to Carey's enduring talent and generation-defining voice. The prospect of a recession-informed Christmas - one where fewer presents will be beneath the tree - is a very real one this season, but the presence of this album on the stereo will go a long way to putting smiles on faces, rejuvenating spirits and underscoring the real meaning of Christmas. My only complaint is; was it necessary to make Mariah look like a size 2 again, we all are quite aware that she is not a youth anymore, so in presenting a product that makes her look 20 (when she clearly is not) to me creates an imagery problem. Remember Island Records, we are not buying this CD because of how she looks, but because of how she sings.
