Watching the Snow
Watching the Snow | ||||
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Studio album by Michael Franks | ||||
Released |
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Length | 49:03 | |||
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Michael Franks chronology | ||||
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Watching the Snow is a jazz album by the American singer Michael Franks. It was released in Japan by Columbia Records in 2003, in the U.S. by Sleepy Gypsy in 2004, and again in the U.S. by Koch Records.[1]
Watching the Snow was Franks' first Christmas album. Rather than covering other holiday music standards, he wrote all the songs. According to the liner notes, sales from the album were donated to Hearts United for Animals.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Michael Franks
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "The Way We Celebrate New Year's" | 6:23 |
2. | "Watching the Snow" | 5:41 |
3. | "Christmas in Kyoto" | 4:50 |
4. | "My Present" | 4:30 |
5. | "I Bought You a Plastic Star (For Your Aluminum Tree)" | 3:36 |
6. | "Said the Snowflake" | 4:51 |
7. | "The Kiss" | 4:41 |
8. | "When the Snowman Sings" | 4:21 |
9. | "Island Christmas" | 5:44 |
10. | "My Present (Reprise)" | 4:28 |
Reception
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Writing for AllMusic, Christopher Monger described the album as "comfort food with all the trimmings" and that each track was "lovingly crafted, astronomically inoffensive, and wine-drunk silly and sincere". Comparing the album to the holiday-themed releases of Franks' peers, he concluded it was a "testimony to Franks' laid-back demeanor and subtle humor that an entire record of original holiday songs can complement a snowy December day rather than accentuate its forced seasonal cheer".[1]
Personnel
- Michael Franks – vocals
- Veronica Nunn – vocals, background vocals
- Alex Sipiagin – trumpet, flugelhorn
- John Clark – French horn
- Chris Hunter – saxophone, flute
- Charles Blenzig – keyboards, percussion
- Jay Azzolina – guitar
- Romero Lubambo – guitar
- Jay Anderson – double bass
- Billy Kilson – drums
References
- ^ a b c Monger, James Christopher. Watching the Snow – Michael Franks at AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-02-18.
Bibliography
- Watching the Snow (CD booklet). United States: Sleeping Gypsy. 2004. 76544.
- v
- t
- e
- Michael Franks (1973)
- The Art of Tea (1976)
- Sleeping Gypsy (1977)
- Burchfield Nines (1978)
- Tiger in the Rain (1979)
- One Bad Habit (1980)
- Objects of Desire (1982)
- Passionfruit (1983)
- Skin Dive (1985)
- The Camera Never Lies (1987)
- Blue Pacific (1990)
- Dragonfly Summer (1993)
- Abandoned Garden (1995)
- Barefoot on the Beach (1999)
- Watching the Snow (2003)
- Rendezvous in Rio (2006)
- Time Together (2011)
- The Music in My Head (2018)
- Indispensable (1988)
- The Best of Michael Franks: A Backward Glance (1998)
- The Michael Franks Anthology: The Art of Love (2003)
- Love Songs (2004)
- Michael Franks: Original Album Series (2010)
- The Dream 1973-2011 (2012)
- Tommy LiPuma (1976–78, 1980, 1990)
- Rob Mounsey (1983–87)
- Jeff Lorber (1990–93)
- Gil Goldstein (1993–95, 2011)
- Ben Sidran (1993)
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