Review and More

Our Review

Some artists (a lot of artists, actually) make a Christmas CD, but when Earth Mama makes a Christmas CD, she really makes a Christmas CD!. Earth Mama is Joyce Rouse. Ms. Rouse has released a CD of ten original songs, most written by Earth Mama herself, all very impressive.

Though her music is unique, there were times when Earth Mama's arrangements reminded me of Anne Murray songs; her voice, of Karen Carpenter, and her lyrics of Christine Lavin. Her songs are romantic, sentimental, and sweet. Her arrangements have a richness to them, no doubt due to the full complement of instrumentalists and backing vocalists she used. Stylistically, the songs hew to the thin line between country and pop, though it would be possible also to classify it as contemporary folk.

The song I enjoyed the most was The Angel Tree. It's story brought tears to my eyes (though it is also true I had been burning hickory and walnut in the chiminea all morning). The liner notes say this song was co-written with Ruth Hummel during the period from 1991-2003, so it has been in the making for a long time. In fact, the ten songs that make up Christmas Heart have been written during the same period. That she would wait until an album's worth of songs were written before making the album is indicative of an artist who has the patience to spend the time and effort to get things exactly right. And she has gotten things right on Christmas Heart. Both musically and lyrically, all ten songs are "keepers". Earlier, Ms. Rouse had sent me another of her CDs, Under the Rainbow (a packaging error that worked to my benefit), and I had noticed the same thing. She is a very careful songwriter, singer, and producer. The production values of both CDs are very high.

Not only that, both Earth Mama records are the sort of music that is more enjoyable every time it is played. So, if you are in the mood for some serious Christmas music, but you've heard one too many rock and roll versions of Silent Night, you could do a lot worse than listen to Earth Mama's Christmas Heart.

--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 2004)

More

From the liner notes:

Welcome to Christmas eart--A gift of songs to celebrate the season more gently on this Amazing planet, closer to the heart and Close to the Earth.

Featuring the talents of:
Catherine Styron: keyboards
George Marinelli: electric guitar
Pat McGrath: acoustic guitar
Spady Brannon: bass
Paul Scolton: drums
Lisa Silver: backing vocals
Kerry Marx: electric guitar (1,2)
Frank Michaels: mandolin, fiddle (1,2)
Buddy Jewell: backing vocals (1)
Rob Matson: audio engineer (all except 2,3)
Chuck Pfaff: audio engineer (1,2,3)

Produced by Joyce Johnson Rouse at County Q Recording Studio, Nashville, Tennessee.

Earth Mama

Christmas Heart

Order from Amazon

Track List