All I Don't Want for Christmas

What a pretty sad thing to realize. For this first time in all the years I can remember, there is not one single new vinyl album or CD that I would add to my Christmas list. And I've got a pretty wide range of musical taste. Even glancing at the I-tunes store for ideas brought up absolutely nothing. Once you eliminate content that has explicit lyrics, the pickings get even slimmer. I don't dislike Taylor Swift, but I don't own a single song. Ed Sheeran? I'll pick and choose as I go. Sort of burned out on Christmas music- and if I never again have to hear All I Want for Christmas is You, I'd be ok with that. (I do like early Mariah Carey.) So, what's a guy to do? What would you suggest I give a listen to?

Missing Miss Whitney

Wrapping up this season's reality vocal competitions makes me think of what a tremendous loss it is to no longer have Whitney Houston with us. Sure, her life ended poorly, but I find when I watch shows like The Voice and American Idol, I find myself looking for the next version of her. And that will never be.

Mariah Carey sings wonderfully, and Christina Aguilera is a powerhouse, but something is missing when I compare both of them to a young and talented Whitney. There's a charm and wit that she had that cannot be duplicated. And when you put Whitney in front of the camera, she sparkled without having to be blatantly sexual. It had a mesmerizing effect on me... and it still does.

Whether it was I Will Always Love You, I Believe in You and Me or I have Nothing, (three of my favorites), Whitney was believable. If she was just a very good actress, well, she convinced me. Her latter years were filled with mostly mediocre material and relatively poor vocal abilities, yet nonetheless, Whitney will always be firmly implanted in my mind as she was at her peak. Rest in peace, Miss Whitney.

Candice Glover Sparkles on American Idol

Hardly seems right, but many are already predicting that Candice Glover will be passed over when American Idol crowns its next champion. It's a shame!

Here is a beautiful soul with a warm and amazing voice. Elegant, classy, and every bit as marketable as Amber Holcomb, Angie Miller and Kree Harrison. When Candice slides into her sophisticated version of Billie Holiday's "You've Changed", time seems to stand still. Just stunning. Harry Connick Jr. rightly praised her, and judges Keith Urban, Mariah Carey and Randy Jackson did as well. (Am I forgetting someone? Oh yes, Nicki Minaj, the most annoying judge to ever dis-grace the panel. Get rid of her and watch the show's ratings rise again.)

Candice is consistent week after week, yet sometimes she chooses just the right combination of song and arrangement to show that she is an artist and not just a contestant. A great artist at that. There's a hint of early Whitney Houston's gorgeous higher notes,  the "money's in the basement" lower tones of ADELE, (love that quote by Karen Carpenter!), and at times, the breezy delivery of old school jazz singers. Quite the combination.

Will I be buying her album? We'll see who produces her! But I want to. Will you?

Oz Soundtrack to Feature New Mariah Carey Song

While fans debate the pending success of Disney's "Oz the Great and Powerful", sounds like Disney is planning for Mariah Carey to record a new song, "Almost Home", for the soundtrack. It's the first time she's featured on a soundtrack since "Prince of Egypt" with Whitney Houston. Will James Franco make a great Oz as he works with Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams, and Rachel Weisz? Beats me. But the odds are getting more interesting for the film to be a hit. Hopefully, the pending Tony Baxter-less project for Disneyland will not be a botched job, full of the video screens Tom Fitzgerald loves so much!

Kris Allen's Vision of Love

American Idol's nice guy Kris Allen seemed this close to pulling a disappearing act. His Live Like We're Dying remains a pretty popular cut on radio, but the album seemed to tank. Time passed.

Now, he's back. Vision of Love is the new single- and it has all the energy and focus of Kris' earlier hit. No, Mariah Carey need not worry. It's not her vision, but one unique to Kris. Hope his album sounds as good!