John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John
“This Christmas”
Label: Universal Music Enterprises
Tracks: 13
Release Date: November 13, 2012
Running Time: 44 minutes
Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars
John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John are back. It has been 35 years since their last duet “You’re The One That I Want” in “Grease”. The track in fact just became the best-selling duet in pop music history, so it is only right that they join forces again. “This Christmas” is a newly recorded album featuring some great Christmas favorites with guest appearances from amazing talent including Barbara Streisand, Tony Bennett, Kenny G and James Taylor! So is this reuniting as sharp and hot as it was in “Grease”? Not really, but it is Christmas, so I have to give this duet some points for at least sharing their Christmas spirit. It is a little cheesy here and there but that is what Christmas is about and this album really captures it and aims to deliver a smile to everyone listening.
The CD includes twelve classic covers of Christmas songs and even a brand new original track titled “I Think You Might Like It”. It is composed by John Farrar and set as a sequel to their famous smash hit. I got to tell you the track is worth the price of the CD alone. It is a really fun up-tempo pop track. Olivia Newton-John’s voice sounds great still. John Travolta is not at his prime since “Grease” but still sounds decent, though I can’t help but smirk a little when he comes on. Other great tracks are “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” with Kenny G on horns. “Silent Night” is nicely paced and beautiful duet. Barbara Streisand joins in for the jazzy take on “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”. “Winter Wonderland” is a real gem and big-band feel with Tony Bennett and the Count Basie Orchestra and of course the best Christmas duet is “Baby It’s Cold Outside”, it is a great album opener.
So this might not be the best Christmas album ever, but it does what it is suppose to. With Christmas right around the corner, it spreads some great Holiday cheer. I also love the reuniting of John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John, they are really cute together and seem to be having a lot of fun together. I have a feeling that this album will be a yearly revisit each year. What makes this worth wild is that Travolta and Newton-John are donating the artist proceeds from the album equally to their respective charities, the Jett Travolta Foundation and the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Melbourne, Australia. So not only is this a cheesy-yet fun collection of Christmas songs but it is also helping a good cause. I recommend this for sure!
Track Listing:
1. Baby It’s Cold Outside
2. Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree
3. I’ll Be Home For Christmas
4. This Christmas
5. Silent Night
6. The Christmas Waltz
7. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
8. Winter Wonderland
9. White Christmas
10. I Think You Might Like It
11. The Christmas Song
12. Deck The Halls
13. Auld Lang Syne/Christmas Time Is Here (Medley)
