by Michael P Coleman
I’m typically not a fan of “deluxe anniversary editions” of recordings that have already become fan favorites. More often than not, they are uninspired retreads that include an unreleased song or two, and are primarily repackaged to move more product. They typically don’t contain anything revelatory — or even worth purchasing.
Mariah Carey has bucked that trend with the exceptional Merry Christmas Deluxe Anniversary Edition, marking 25 years since the initial release of her first holiday collection, Merry Christmas.
The original Merry Christmas album includes the perennial favorite “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” the underrated “Miss You Most (At Christmastime),” and Holy Ghost-filled versions of “O Holy Night,” “Joy To The World,” “Jesus Born On This Day,” and “Jesus Oh What A Wonderful Child.” This edition’s first disc also includes a fantastic bonus track, “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.”
The real joy of this anniversary edition, be it to Carey’s faithful, to anyone who likes singing over substance, or to the world lies on the second disc. Half of it is audio from a never-before-released New York concert, recorded just weeks after the album’s initial release in 1994.
Read MPC’s full piece, including details on the anniversary edition and the feat that Carey just achieved with “All I Want For Christmas Is You!”
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