Vonda Shepard

A Very Ally Christmas

Secret passion

Review Score:

(10/10)
Like many who have already reviewed this album, I agree that "River" stands out as the best track and alone makes this a five-star album. I had already liked Downey's character on the show prior to the scene in which he sings this song, but once I heard him singing I became much more interested in not only the show and his character, but who he is as a person. I was surprised to find out that this isn't the first time he has recorded a song and that he seems to have a desire to produce music in addition to acting, which is something I've experienced myself (with music becoming something of a secret passion for a number of reasons). I had already thought of him as a talented and intelligent person, but finding out more about his musical self showed me that there's even more to who he is, and because of that I've come to greatly admire his abilities both as an actor and musician. Rarely does a song inspire me as much as "River" has and I still find it surprising that all of this came from a person I had only known through news stories prior to the show. As far as the song itself is concerned, I love the grittiness of his voice, the way he's able to easily sing on the higher notes, and the emotion that comes through in his voice... which is another reason I love the song so much. Every time I listen to it I feel like he's relating to the song because of experiences he's had, and I almost feel like he's showing the world a very private and/or intimate part of himself. I also like the song because it applies so perfectly to the show and what's going on with Larry and Ally. When I first heard the full version of the song shortly after the show in which it was aired, the second verse really hit me because it seemed like a premonition of sorts... we all know Larry has to leave Ally at some point because Downey's contract will end, and the lines about being hard to handle, losing "the best baby that I ever had," and saying goodbye all sounded like things Larry would soon be saying about Ally. There are just so many layers to the song, which is why I think so many people like it.

Other than that song, the rest of the album is great for the most part. The only songs I don't like are Vonda's "Silver Bells" and "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" just because I don't think her voice is the right sound for either song. And even though I love Robert Downey Jr, I do not particularly like "White Christmas," not because of anything he does but because I don't like the way he and Vonda sound together. I REALLY don't understand why Calista didn't sing the song with him since she did on the show and they sounded a million times better together (especially with Downey's harmony and the different things he did with the song).

Besides those three tracks, the rest are good. One of the things I especially love about this album compared to the last two Ally albums it that more of the cast members sang on this one, which in my opinion makes the CD as a whole lot more enjoyable to listen to all the way through. I love Lisa Nicole Carson's voice and I'm glad that she's doing more singing this season. I also disagree with someone who said in their review that Macy Gray's song seems out of place, because I like that someone contemporary is being brought in for once (not that I don't like Al Green or Barry White or whoever, but it's nice to have someone current mixed in with them). I also think that her voice goes well with Vonda's and Robert Downey's (the same kind of grittiness and all). One last comment is that my second favorite track on the album is "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve," which I think Vonda does a great job with. The singing on that song is some of the best singing she's ever done.

It's an excellent CD that matches an excellent season of the show!

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