Secret Of Giving

Amazon.com
Reba the redheaded rein dear delivers a mixed bag of cheer on her new holiday record. Secret of Giving gets off to a great start with "This Is My Prayer for You," an upbeat, fairly unvarnished country tune with a lively little fiddle break. But unless you're a full-on Reba fan, it's pretty much downhill sledding from there as McEntire falls back on the Nashville formula for many of the originals penned for the album. While her voice is always in good form--and she suggests Brenda Lee and Loretta Lynn in "I Saw Mama Kissing Santa Claus"--there are too many predictable chord progressions and decorative shadings in songs such as "Santa Claus Is Coming Back to Town," a heartbreak Christmas song. What she needs is more tunes like the closing cut and the title track, a sparsely arranged acoustic number that avoids maudlin sentiments and faux cheer. No amount of children singing ("The Angels Sang") or pretty playing can get her out of the deep ruts that Nashville has got most of its stars stuck in these days. --Martin Keller

Tracks:

This Is My Prayer For You
I Saw Mama Kissing Santa Claus
One Child, One Day
Mary, Did You Know?
Up On The Housetop
The Angels Sang
Santa Claus Is Coming Back To Town
The Secret Of Giving
This Christmas
'Til The Season Comes 'Round Again

Amazon.com

Reba the redheaded rein dear delivers a mixed bag of cheer on her new holiday record. Secret of Giving gets off to a great start with "This Is My Prayer for You," an upbeat, fairly unvarnished country tune with a lively little fiddle break. But unless you're a full-on Reba fan, it's pretty much downhill sledding from there as McEntire falls back on the Nashville formula for many of the originals penned for the album. While her voice is always in good form--and she suggests Brenda Lee and Loretta Lynn in "I Saw Mama Kissing Santa Claus"--there are too many predictable chord progressions and decorative shadings in songs such as "Santa Claus Is Coming Back to Town," a heartbreak Christmas song. What she needs is more tunes like the closing cut and the title track, a sparsely arranged acoustic number that avoids maudlin sentiments and faux cheer. No amount of children singing ("The Angels Sang") or pretty playing can get her out of the deep ruts that Nashville has got most of its stars stuck in these days. --Martin Keller

Customer Reviews:

Heart, Soul, and Holiday.......2006-11-28

Between this album and Reba's first Christmas album, "Merry Christmas to You," you have all you need for the holidays! The first album has more traditional Christmas favorites, and this one has a couple with a lot of great new material that captures the true spirit of the holiday.

1. This is My Prayer for You--This is a great way to start off the album. With a great country up-tempo, it may not have snow and sleigh bells, but it does offer the hope for a season filled with joy, peace, and love.

2. I Saw Mama Kissing Santa Claus--A Christmas favorite that Reba's voice is perfect for; very enjoyable song!

3. One Child, One Day--An upbeat country tune that celebrates the true meaning of Christmas--Christ coming into the world!

4. Mary, Did You Know?--This has always been a favorite song of mine, and Reba's voice is PERFECT for it. It really helps you to reflect on not only the significance of Christmas from the lens of Christ's birth, but also from Mary's courage in saying "yes" to God and allowing all of this to happen.

5. Up on the Housetop--Another Christmas favorite with a really upbeat tempo that is a lot of fun to listen to!

6. The Angels Sang--Another great song that focuses on the true meaning of the Christmas season....and the children's chorus is a nice touch!

7. Santa Claus is Coming Back to Town--The saddest song on the album, telling the story of a divorced couple and the mother who decides to let her ex-husband play Santa Claus for the kids despite how hard it will be on her to have him there. While it may not be the most uplifting song in the world, Reba's voice is crisp, clear, and beautiful as always and it captures the reality of a lot of family situations around the country. Beautiful.

8. The Secret of Giving--Perhaps the most "un-Christmas" song on the album in tone, but it's another song that captures the true spirit of the season----giving from the heart!!

9. This Christmas--Probably my favorite song on the CD. This song really captures three big things about the season: 1) The courage of the Wise Men to seek the Christ child despite the fact that "logic told them it was crazy," 2) Mary's courage in facing the long, winding road ahead of her, and 3) the love Christ felt for the world even though he came into it knowing people would not believe him. Wonderful.

10. 'Til the Season Comes 'Round Again--The best way to end the album! The first song on the CD was a great opener, and with this song, it all comes to a nice, complete circle. This beautiful lyrical song focuses on the beauty of having family and friends around you during the holiday, and the hope that we can all retain that love through the new year...until the season comes around again! "One night, holy and bright, shining with love from our hearts! By a warm fire, let's lift our heads high, and be thankful we're here until this time next year."

This album has faced a lot of criticism on here because it does not have a lot of traditional Christmas carols. While I love the traditional Christmas carols as much as the next guy, I am so grateful to have a Christmas album that is so full in faith, hope, and love. Reba McEntire delivers another masterful work with ten songs that in different ways all capture the true spirit of the Christmas season, and I find it to be very inspiring. Her voice is as wonderful and beautiful as always, adding her special touch (her own brand of holiday magic!) to a collection I will cherish forever.

And I will certainly be pulling this one out all season long and I will do the same "when the season comes around again!"

SCARY STUFF FROM REBA; SHE'S CROSSEYED!!.......2005-11-15

She's crosseyed on the CD cover and she must also have been crosseyed when she picked out the songs for what is supposedly a Christmas CD! That's a laugh.

WITH CHRISTMAS COMING, BEWARE OF THIS CD!!!.......2005-11-08

You really have to like Reba in order to get this CD. Its really awful. More pop ditties with a couple of Christmas classics thrown in there for good measure. This is one of the worst CDs I have ever heard in my life. If you want to hear Reba do Christmas get her first Christmas CD "Merry Christmas to You" because that one, while not outstanding by any means, at least has some Christmas sounds on it. This one does not.

THE MUSIC HERE IS NO DIFFERENT THAN ON ANY SECULAR CD!.......2005-11-01

This CD, a supposed Christmas CD, im most cases does not resemble anything Christmas at all except the theme of the songs. The production values and content here are NOT CHRISTMAS! I'm going to listen to "Bing Crosby's White Christmas" for a taste of what REAL CHRISTMAS music is!! I'm sorry Reba.

I LOVE CHRISTMAS MUSIC BUT THIS CD MISSED.......2005-10-29

I love Reba's first Christmas CD! But her second one (this one), misses the mark on most counts. When the sounds of the season come on at Christmas I want to hear sleigh bells and chimes and something that makes me feel like its snowing outside (even if it isn't)so that I can curl up by a warm fireplace and watch the Christmas lights glow in the dark with beautiful music in the background. This CD does not do that for me, unfortunately.

Music Album:

Music Album