Mariah Carey: Auld Lang Syne (The New Year's Anthem) [Rosario Traditional Radio Edit]

I am listening to Auld Lang Syne (The New Year's Anthem) [Rosario Traditional Radio Edit] oddly enough and it's crazy.  I am getting very excited for 2013 at this point however there is still plenty of 2012 left.  I am writing this in the middle of November but that means less than 40 days until Christmas and 12 days of Christmastide following that essentially means around 50 until the end of the year.

Celine Dion: O Holy night

I am about to listen to O Holy Night, performed by Celine Dion and I am extremely excited.  It's the first time I have heard this song performed by her this year and I must say it's my favorite even though Mariah Carey gives her some stiff competition; recording it twice.

Amy Grant: Joy to the World/For unto us a Child is Born

I just finished listening to Joy to the World/For unto us a Child is Born recorded by Amy Grant and it was amazing. I had listened to this amazing performance of For unto us a Child is Born on YouTube twice preceding my review of Amy Grant's rendition so hers was like icing on the cake.

Mariah Carey: Joy to the World

Joy to the World recorded by Mariah Carey is sick.  She didn't include this song on her most recent Christmas CD which is her second.  But she did perform it on a Christmas special that she produced in support of that album and it was crazy as it makes several references to nature and earth in it.  I actually love that and it inspires me to listen to it more and more.

Mariah Carey featuring Patricia Carey: O Come all ye Faithful/Hallelujah Chorus

O Come all ye Faithful/Hallelujah Chorus is amazing.  It features Patricia Carey who is Mariah Carey's mother.  Mariah Carey is the cream of the crop when it comes to Christmas music and I love that.

Mariah Carey: O Holy Night – Live from WPC in south central Los Angeles

I am sitting in the Library and I am listening to O Holy Night performed by Mariah Carey at the WPC in south central Los Angeles.  This is a live performance which is needless to say but it completely blows me away and I am in love with it every time I hear it, more and more.

Mariah Carey: All I want for Christmas is You

I just finished watching a live performance of All I want for Christmas is You performed by Mariah Carey.  This is Mariah Carey’s signature song at Christmas as it is original to her, having recorded it many times.  Most notably, the original version is included on her first Christmas album entitled Merry Christmas and the extra festive version which is included on her second Christmas album entitled Merry Christmas II you.

Mariah Carey: The first Noel/Born is the King interlude

The First Noel/Born is the King interlude is a great song.  I am listening to it right now and I am thrilled.

Mariah Carey: O Little Town of Bethlehem/Little Drummer boy medley

I just finished listening to the O little Town of Bethlehem/Little Drummer Boy medley and it was exciting.  This is one of my favorite renditions of these two songs, if not my favorite.

Josh Groban with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, under the direction of Craig Jessop: O Come all ye Faithful

O Come all ye Faithful performed by Josh Groban with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is stunning.  I like Mariah Carey's version with her mother Patricia Carey as well but it's a little different with the Hallelujah Chorus.  So I would have to say I like both but Josh Groban is refreshing after listening to Mariah Carey my whole life.

Amy Grant: Joy to the World/For unto us a Child is Born

Joy to the World/For unto us a Child is Born performed by Amy Grant is pretty sick even after all of these years.  I received this Compact Disc is the early 90s and have honestly listened to it every Christmas, twenty years later.

Yolanda Adams: Little Drummer Boy

I have literally been dying to listen to Yolanda Adams since Easter.  It didn't go over very well when I played her then because she talks about the Devil and Satan a lot in her songs and not everyone is into that.  But Little Drummer Boy is amazing and there is no mention of that in this song.

Josh Groban featuring guitarist Andy McKee: Little Drummer Boy

Little Drummer Boy recorded by Josh Groban featuring guitarist Andy McKee is pretty crazy.  I just finished listening to Yolanda Adams' version, and so in comparison I would have to say it's pretty close.  But Little Drummer Boy is her signature song from the album I have of hers which is a Christmas CD and it is not Josh Groban's.  That is my opinion but I feel strongly about it.

Celine Dion: O Holy Night

I love listening O Holy night performed and recorded by Celine Dion.  It's the best.  I was wondering if either of Mariah Carey's versions were better but I think I am going to stick with Celine Dion's as the best because Mariah Carey has so many other hits from this time of year and Celine Dion's signature song from this Christmas album is O Holy night in my opinion.

Hamza Namira: Ya Hanah!

Ya Hanah! is a great song.  I always gravitate towards it when I listen to Hamza Namira.  It's always the first song I listen to.

Hamza Namira: Balady Ya Balady

Balady Ya Balady is a great song.  Hamza Namira is a great artist.  I am so glad I decided to support the Middle Eastern genre of Music.  I believe it is taking off and to prove that point, I have already downloaded songs from three different Artists and that says quite a bit considering I pay a high price for my Music whereas it has only been a matter of weeks at this point that I have been doing so.

Hamza Namira: Ibn El-Watan

Ibn El-Watan is a pretty good song.  It doesn't have the same beat that my other favorite songs have from Insan, but none the less it is pretty well-written.

Hamza Namira: Ewidooni

Ewidooni is a great song.  There are some guitar parts that I could do without, as a North American accustomed to guitar solos.  But overall the lyrics are interesting even though I don't understand them.

Hamza Namira: Ya Muhawwin

Ya Muhawwin is pretty much the number one song that sold Hamza Namira to me as an artist and therefore the album Insan.  It's a great album and I love it.

Hamza Namira: Taghreeba II (Tazkarti)

Taghreeba II (Tazkarti) is a pretty amazing song.  It's great the love I feel for supporting the Middle Eastern genre of music.  When I go out in public and listen to it, I can tell that my Muslim brothers and sisters are grateful for the support.

Hamza Namira: Hansa

Hansa is one of my favorite songs from Insan.  Insan is Hamza Namira's second Studio album and I highly recommend it.

Tiësto: Louder than Boom

I am sitting at the Library and I am listening to Louder than Boom because there is literally nothing else to do.  It's pretty amazing though because Louder than Boom is really exciting.

Tiësto: Ten seconds before sunrise

Ten seconds before Sunrise is ok.  It starts off really slow but once it gets going it is pretty good.  I like listening to it while I am walking as it is motivational.

Tiësto: Carpe Noctum (Spencer & Hill dub)

The Spencer & Hill dub of Carpe Noctum is pretty good.  I have nothing to compare it to other than songs on the album on which it's from.  That album is Magikal Journey: The Hits Collection 1998-2008 and it's great.

Tiësto: Elements of Life (Radio edit live from Copenhagen)

I am listening to the Radio edit live from Copenhagen of Elements of Life by Tiësto and it's pretty great.  I just met someone from Denmark so that excites me because Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark and I am making my way over there on my pilgrimage to Mecca and because I am doing that I am learning German as a result; which is the most popular language as far as the amount of native speakers in Europe goes.

Tiësto vs. Junkie XL: Obsession

Obsession is pretty good.  It is produced by Tiësto and Junkie XL, which is exciting but I am not as familiar with Junkie XL's work as compared to Tiësto's so it's not as exciting as the tracks on this album that are purely produced by Tiësto however I can dig it.  Obsession is great, like I said, but not my favorite of the tracks I have chose to Blog about thus far, from this album.

Tiësto: Adagio for Strings

Adagio for Strings is pretty out of this world.  I love listening to it on the bus but my favorite time to listen to it is while I am going for my morning run, which isn't really a run and more like a walk, but it is barely a walk either.

Tiësto: Flight 643

Flight 643 is the first track on Magikal Journey: The Hits Collection and it is somewhat good.  I haven't heard it as many times as I have heard the other tracks on this CD but so far it is pretty good, like I said.  I say CD because I bought the Compact Disc of this Compilation album as opposed to digital format as it was that good-looking.

Mariah Carey: O Holy Night – Live from WPC in south central Los Angeles

I just finished listening to and watching the Live performance of O Holy Night on YouTube, from Mariah Carey’s ABC special.  I then came home and listened to the recording that inspired that performance which ironically enough was from a live performance as well.  The live performance I am referring to is the one included on Mariah Carey’s second Christmas Studio album which in turn was actually inspired by her original recording of this song from her first Christmas Studio album.

Mariah Carey featuring Patricia Carey: O Come all ye Faithful/Hallelujah Chorus

I just finished listening to the most amazing version of O Come all ye Faithful that I have ever heard.  It is so good that I would rather listen to it above any other version and there have been, and are many.  The reason I say that is because this particular version actually features Mariah Carey’s mother, Patricia Carey, singing the Hallelujah Chorus; which to me is the icing on the cake.  The rest of this version is actually amazing in and of itself.

Mariah Carey: The first Noel/Born is the King Interlude

The First Noel/Born is the King interlude is a pretty good song.  The First Nowell is actually a traditional classical English carol and Born is the King is a Mariah Carey original interlude, as far as I know.  They are both pretty good united as one track on the album.  But I do actually prefer The First Noel for sentimental reasons however the interlude attached to The First Noel on her album entitled Born is the King is a pretty good modern Christmas song or what have you.  But I still have my favorite.

Mariah Carey: O Little town of Bethlehem/Little Drummer boy Medley

The medley entitled O little town of Bethlehem/Little Drummer Boy is a great Medley.  It actually blows me away but I wrote the previous sentence before I got to the good part.  It is produced extremely well, care of Randy Jackson most notably.  I have not heard an arrangement like that from him in a while.

Mariah Carey: Hark! The Herald angels sing/Gloria (In Excelsis Deo)

I am just sitting here listening to Hark! The herald angels sings/Gloria (In Excelsis Deo) and it's crazy.  I couldn't feel more holy right now.  Having said that I am a sinner but listening to this song is thrilling.

Mariah Carey: Joy to the World

I just finished listening to Joy to the World at a pretty loud rate on my stereo at home, immediately following putting up some Christmas lights.  It was exciting and I will never forget it.  Joy to the World is one of my favorite Christmas songs because it talks about Heaven, which is God, and Nature, which is Mother Nature; also known as Mother Earth.  I love that because I love Mother Nature.

Mariah Carey: O Holy night

I just finished listening to the original version of O Holy night performed by Mariah Carey and it’s pretty exciting.  I like this particular version because it was recorded in a Studio instead of being a Live performance.  I like live performances but I generally prefer album versions or songs that have been recorded in a studio.  They just provide more clarity.