MercyMe, It's Christmas is the second Christmas album by MercyMe, released on October 9, 2015, through Fair Trade Services. The album was produced by Brown Bannister and Ben Shive.[1]
| MercyMe, It's Christmas | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 9, 2015 | |||
| Studio | The Beehive (Nashville, Tennessee); Townsend Sound Studios (Franklin, Tennessee). | |||
| Genre | Contemporary Christian music, pop rock, Christmas | |||
| Length | 41:18 | |||
| Label | Fair Trade | |||
| Producer | ||||
| MercyMe chronology | ||||
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Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| 365 Days of Inspiring Media |   [2] |
| CCM Magazine | [3] |
| Cross Rhythms |   [4] |
| The Front Row Report |   [5] |
| Jesus Freak Hideout | [6] |
| New Release Today |  [7] |
Awarding the album four stars at CCM Magazine, Andy Argyrakis states, "there’s basically something for everyone on one of this season’s most inviting."[3] Christopher Smith, rating the album four stars from Jesus Freak Hideout, writes, "MercyMe, It's Christmas! is a huge success and sets a high bar for the rest of the Christmas releases this year. Though you might not be ready for it, it is a spectacular addition to any Christmas music collection."[6] Giving the album four and a half stars for New Release Today, Caitlin Lassiter says, "It's Christmas is certainly a success as far as Christmas records go and is sure to be the soundtrack to many holiday festivities in homes around the country this season."[7]
Allocating the album a nine out of ten for Cross Rhythms, Brendan O'Regan writes, "Mind you they might also be moved to dance by the pacey numbers."[4] Joshua Andre, indicating in a four star review by 365 Days of Inspiring Media, says, "MercyMe have crafted a fine effort".[2] Assigning the album nine stars out of ten at The Front Row Report, Reggie Edwards responds, "MercyMe have outdone themselves".[5] Sarah Baylor, signaling in a 4.8 out of five review from The Christian Beat, replies, "MercyMe has managed to create a brilliant Christmas album that contains their own unique, spirit-filled sound."[8]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Newborn" | Traditional; Brown Bannister, Ben Shive, MercyMe | 5:30 |
| 2. | "Christmastime Again" | Bannister, Shive, MercyMe | 3:12 |
| 3. | "Sleigh Ride" | Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish | 3:20 |
| 4. | "I'll Be Home for Christmas" | Kim Gannon, Walter Kent, Buck Ram | 3:50 |
| 5. | "Hold on Christmas" | Bannister, Shive, MercyMe | 3:45 |
| 6. | "A Holly Jolly Christmas" | Johnny Marks | 3:23 |
| 7. | "Go Tell It on the Mountain" | Traditional | 2:14 |
| 8. | "Do You Hear What I Hear?" | Noël Regney, Gloria Shayne | 4:13 |
| 9. | "Our Lullaby" | Bannister, Shive, MercyMe | 3:05 |
| 10. | "Joy" | Traditional; Bannister, Shive, MercyMe | 5:08 |
| 11. | "O Come, O Come" | Traditional | 3:38 |
| Total length: | 41:18 | ||
Personnel
editMercyMe
- Bart Millard – lead vocals, backing vocals, arrangements
- Barry Graul – guitars, backing vocals, arrangements
- Mike Scheuchzer – guitars, backing vocals, arrangements
- Nathan Cochran – bass, backing vocals, arrangements
- Robby Shaffer – drums, arrangements
Additional Musicians
- Ben Shive – acoustic piano, keyboards, Hammond B3 organ, programming, arrangements, horn arrangements, string arrangements
- Mark Douthit – saxophones
- Barry Green – trombone
- Mike Haynes – trumpet
- Keith Smith – trumpet, arrangements
- Carol Neuen-Rabinowitz – cello
- Monisa Angell – viola
- Kristin Wilkinson – viola
- David Angell – violin
- Janet Darnall – violin
- David Davidson – violin
- Brown Bannister – arrangements
Production
edit- Brown Bannister – producer, overdub recording
- Ben Shive – producer, overdub recording
- Buckley Miller – engineer
- Joe Pisapia – engineer
- Crystal Burks – assistant engineer
- Aaron Chafin – assistant engineer
- Jordan Logue – assistant engineer
- Shane D. Wilson – mixing
- Lani Crump – mix coordinator
- Kyle Cummings – digital editing
- Ted Jensen – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York City, New York).
- Brody Harper – art direction, design
- Dana Salsedo – art direction
- Eric Brown – photography
Chart performance
edit| Chart (2015) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[9] | 38 |
| US Christian Albums (Billboard)[10] | 1 |
| US Top Holiday Albums (Billboard)[11] | 1 |
References
edit- ^ "MercyMe, It's Christmas - MercyMe : Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
- ^ a b Andre, Joshua (October 13, 2015). "Music Reviews: MercyMe – Mercy Me, It's Christmas!". 365 Days of Inspiring Media. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
- ^ a b Argyrakis, Andy (October 31, 2015). "MercyMe - It's Christmas!". CCM Magazine. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
- ^ a b O'Regan, Brendan (January 4, 2015). "Review: It's Christmas - MercyMe". Cross Rhythms. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
- ^ a b Edwards, Reggie (October 11, 2015). "MercyMe: It's Christmas! review". The Front Row Report. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
- ^ a b Smith, Christopher (October 10, 2015). "MercyMe, "MercyMe, It's Christmas!" Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
- ^ a b Lassiter, Caitlin (October 10, 2015). "Christmas Music Done Right". New Release Today. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
- ^ Baylor, Sarah (November 8, 2015). ""MercyMe It's Christmas!": An Unprecedented Holiday Album". The Christian Beat. Archived from the original on November 13, 2015. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
- ^ "MercyMe Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
- ^ "MercyMe Chart History (Christian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
- ^ "MercyMe – Chart history". Billboard.