"He Is Christmas! is the best album Take 6 have ever produced (which is saying something!), and it's a shame I can only ever play it for one month a year without getting funny looks - which I endure bravely when I put it on in the middle of April! You will not hear a version of Silent Night that even comes close to this one, and it is the delicate balance between the radically reworked (Away In A Manger, Little Drummer Boy, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen) and the more straightforward renditions of anthems (Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, O Come All Ye Faithful) that makes this the pivotal seasonal recording. The tongue-in-cheek Take 6-isms in the latter two (the half-bar C7/b9/#11 chord in Hark!, the key change in Come) never fail to make me smile and shake my head in disbelief. And just listen to what they do to the high school choir staple Amen! A capella music doesn't get any better than this."
Take as much as you can get!
S Duncan | London | 11/23/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album is divine. It has the ability to evoke a Christmas feeling that I had years before the album even came out! 'Hark the Heral Angels Sing,' my favourite track on the album, reminds me of growing up, surrounded by family on Christmas Day with a turkey and ham in the oven... thinking "thank God for the joy this day brings."
Vocally they are impeccably harmonized and the genre ranges from STUNNING classical interpretations such as 'Hark the Herald' to a dreamy, bluesy number like 'Sweet Little Jesus Boy'...to jazzy 'God Rest Ye Mary Gentlemen'. Like all good Santas, there's something for everyone and yet we can still enjoy all of it. Magical!
Bring the spirit of Christmas home...or back home. Get this CD and then turn the volume up. God bless!"
Like Christmas -- This Album Stands Up
Charles F. Luce, Jr. | Boulder, CO USA | 12/10/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Listening to this album this morning as I add to my wish list, the vast majority of comments here echo my own. This album is fresh every time I listen to it. It stands ups. Timeless. Even the cuts I didn't like the first time grown on you. If you like Take 6, or just very smooth vocal jazz harmony, this will put a star on your musical tree every year."
"He is Christmas" is strong
Timothy P. Munyon | Wilmington, US | 11/21/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Despite an original release nearly 15 years ago, "He is Christmas" retains the sound and original harmonies for which Take 6 is best known and loved. The album sounds as fresh and original today as it did during my first listen.
Take 6 was criticized by many for "abandoning" their acapella roots and using instrumental accompaniment. Despite criticism, the album sound is full and offers a complexity not possible on acapella tracks. For that, I'm glad they changed.
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen is an especially good track. Complex harmonies, a smooth beat, and saxophone accompaniment make this an excellent track. Many others are the same. Listeners are treated to a strong album that redefines traditional Christmas tunes with a soulful twist."