Our Review
Lead guitarist Mike Campese is a former member of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and The Meaning of Christmas is a hard-rockin' homage to the holiday season, in a scintillating synth sort of way. Campese does everything here, and he does it very well. This instrumental album showcases Campese's considerable guitar talents; his lightning-fast fingerwork amazed me from the very first cut (Deck the Halls).
Most of the album consists of Campese's raucously outrageous takes on popular holiday fare. He does, however, present his own creation--The Meaning of Christmas, and this title track contains the album's only vocals. The sheer power of Campese's instrumentation, overpowers his voice in spots, making the words difficult to track. No worries--the liner notes contain the lyrics describing the frequent lament that the holiday's true meaning may have been forgotten.
Overall, The Meaning of Christmas is rugged electronica. Campese forges ahead with his impressive guitar prowess. I particularly enjoyed his interpretation of Joy to the World, from its jingling-bells opening to its explosive layers of sound at the close. Campese can really rock that electric guitar, and he truly excels on Grinch, presenting perhaps the best rendition that I have ever heard. Campese's wailing guitar conveys the Grinch's jaded soul in a way mere vocals usually cannot. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Campese's driving treatment of Carol of the Bells is an uplifting experience. His synthesized strings provide a repetitive cycle of classical excitement that morphs into a modern frenzy that strongly suggests Campese's Trans-Siberian Orchestra association.
Mike Campese's The Meaning of Christmas is a radical holiday offering that worships the guitar gods, with a heavy dose of sythesizer magic. Rock on, Mike Campese, rock on!
--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2009)
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From the liner notes:
Produced by Mike Campese
All songs produced, arranged, recorded and mixed by Mike Campese.
Recorded and mixed at Campese Studios.
From the artist's Website:
An all-around music performer, session artist and teacher competent in many musical styles, electric, and acoustic.
Mike Campese
The Meaning of Christmas
Artist link
Label: Mike Campese Music
Length: 56 minutes
Genre: Rock
Release: 2008
Track List
| Song Title |
|---|
| Deck the Halls |
| Joy to the World |
| Little Drummer Boy |
| Grinch |
| Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas |
| Chestnuts |
| The Meaning of Christmas |
| Carol of the Bells |
| Silent Night |
| O Come All Ye Faithful |
| Christmas in Maui |
| Auld Lang Syne |