Published on Dec 15, 2004
Paul Janocha and the boys in Yes Virginia must think I don’t
like them anymore. After a mail snafu kept the band from sending me
their newest disc in 2002, I never got around to reviewing that
disc,
And So This Is Christmas, or last year’s release
Father Christmas in 2003.
It’s my fault, really, since I’ve been saying for years that Yes
Virginia is poised to be the next big thing in holiday music along
the lines of Mannheim Steamroller or Trans-Siberian Orchestra. This
eight-song disc caps that belief. (This disc is included on the
band’s compilation release
The Essential Christmas Treasury 1997-2003. Click
here to get more information on it — and when
you order it, tell them “The Daily Vault” sent you.)
Taking the four songs off their privately-released 2001 disc
My Favorite Things, the band — bassist Janocha, guitarist
Joe Merkel, keyboardist/vocalist Mario Padovani and drummer Gregg
Hoffmann – add four tracks to not only flesh out the previous
release, but kick it into an entirely new realm. While I liked
My Favorite Things, the additional tracks make it that much
better.
Since Yes Virginia was an instrumental band up until 2001, it is
understandable the band is still trying to find its place in the
singing department. The operatic style of “My Favorite Things”
isn’t quite the perfect fit, though Padovani does make it work well
on “Here We Come A-Caroling,” especially in the layered harmony
vocals. But their take on “Happy Christmas (War Is Over)” —
including sharing of lead vocal duties with Merkel – absolutely
seals the deal. Taking a respected modern-day Christmas song like
this is a risky proposition for any group, but Yes Virginia treats
it with the love and respect it deserves. The use of acoustic
guitar — if memory serves me right, its first appearance on any
Yes Virginia release — is perfect. If I had to find one fault with
this disc, though, it would be that the acoustic is underutilized –
it would have fit perfectly with their take on Vince Guaraldi’s
“Christmastime Is Here”.
The instrumental performances are still powerful, and shouldn’t
be discounted merely because of the addition of vocals. The merging
of “The First Noel” with Pachelbel’s “Canon In D” is inspired, and
both songs are reverently played, even with the hard-rock stylings
of the band. Their take on “Silver Bells” is still a lot of fun to
listen to, and with the continued war in Iraq going on, the almost
dirge-like take on “Silent Night” is that much more powerful,
though I don’t think this was ever the intention of the band.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: a Yes Virginia
release is one of the things I most look forward to every Christmas
season.
And So This Is Christmas, to this point, is easily the
band’s best work, and is one holiday CD that counts as a
“must-own”. Now that it’s combined with all the other releases from
the band, there is no excuse not to give them significant play on
your stereo.