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Our Review

Mary Had a Dream is a good song! I know I toss kudos around like candy and expletives, but Mary Had a Dream is a good song! And the remainder of Mother and Child, Songs of Christmas is delicious new Christmas pop!

Stylistically diverse, the record is chock full of surprises, not the least of which is the tremendous line-up of new songs, written and performed as an integral work, as what they used to call a "concept" album. Except for a song or two, Mother and Child was written and produced by Craig Richey. Interestingly, although the CD is thematically tight, all of the songs can stand by themselves. Mary Had a Dream, for example, has a new age ethereality whose vocal harmonies sometimes border on the gothic. I Think I Was a Shepherd Once is a countrified number with clever lyrics and beautiful vocals. Two Crows is straight pop, but with a hint of grunge. There is far more going on here than I can adequately describe or even list.

And something I always notice but don't always mention: the cover art, by Desserrie Ruptash, is exquisite. As a full-size painting or on an old-fashioned album cover, the art work would be extraordinary (I would love to see the original art). But it also works as a CD cover and as thumbnailed and iconized graphic, maintaining its integrity and power even viewed on a miniature scale.

A new Christmas concept album. Clever new songs. Wonderful production. Exquisite cover art. Gushometer off the scale on this one.

--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 2004)

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From the liner notes:

"Six or so years ago i was walking down eighth ave in ny a few days after christmas and saw a little christmas tree that had been tossed in the gutter. it was covered with snow and looked cold and lonely and forgotten. i was so moved by this image and i thought about the noble service this precious tree had just completed - to be cut down, decorated and lit up - only to be discarded so ungratefully. this began a series of songs i have written inspired by christmas."

--Craig Richey

Craig Richey

Mother and Child,
Songs of Christmas

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Track List