Halloween has come and gone once again and that means one thing: the annual holiday season is officially in full swing. Yes, haters, the holiday season starts with Halloween, not Thanksgiving. And with the season being here once again, so too come the unending ads on television with the holiday music beds selling this, that and the other thing. Also comes the annual flood of holiday music offerings. One of the earliest of this year’s new holiday music releases came Nov. 1 courtesy of famed Christmas music act, the Wizards of Winter in the form of Live! Volume I & II. Spanning two discs, the band’s first-ever live recording is a positive offering from the veteran Christmas music act. That is due in no small part to the songs featured across collection, which was recorded over the course of the band’s 2023 tour. The recording’s production adds to its appeal and will be discussed a little later. The recording’s packaging rounds out its most important elements, completing the presentation. Each item noted is key in its own way to the whole of this special holiday music offering. All things considered they make it one of the more welcome of this year’s annual holiday music offerings.
Live! Volume I & II, the first-ever live recording from The Wizards of Winter, is a welcome offering from the veteran Christmas music act. Being the band’s first-ever live recording, its appeal comes in large part through the songs that make up its body and the performances thereof. The songs lift from all of its albums. That includes its lesser-known 2011 album, Tales Beneath a Northern Star. The band’s most recent album, 2019’s The Christmas Dream is the most heavily represented of the band’s albums across the recording, with no fewer than eight of its songs performed here. The band’s 2014 self-titled album is represented with at least seven songs. Even the band’s 2014 album, The Magic of Winter gets some nods at points. So in short the songs performed throughout the recording are a largely rich representation of the band’s catalog so far.
The performances of the noted songs make for just as much to appreciate as the songs themselves. Tony Gaynor provides a certain warmth that is difficult to put into words as he offers his narration at points. His rich baritone in his own performances presents so much enjoyment from him at getting to do what he does. This alone makes for so much appeal. Meanwhile the vocal prowess of Sharon Kelly (wife of band founder and keyboardist Scott Kelly), Alexis Smith, Guy Lemmonier, and Manny Cabo provides just as much for audiences to enjoy. Between the power in the soprano performances and the equally controlled tenor and other notes, the vocals are controlled and equally powerful from one song to the next, fully exhibiting each vocalist’s talents. Of course, their band mates — guitarists Fred Gorhau and Steve Brown, drummer John O. Reilly and bassist Greg Smith — are just as deserving of their own praise. At times being full-on power metal compositions and at others more prog. The work of each musician puts just as much talent on display as the performances from their fellow performers. Wha’s more that talent shines through because of the love that each individual clearly displays for what he and she does in each song. Keeping all of this in mind, the performances of all involved make for just as much for audiences to enjoy as the songs.
The songs and their performances are just a portion of what audiences will appreciate about Live! Volume I & II. The recording’s production adds its own share to the enjoyment herein. Audiences will note regarding the production that there is something very unique herein. Unlike most acts’ live recordings, it does not have that spit shined sound. Rather, listeners are left to feel like they are actually there among other audiences taking in each performance. Now that is not to say that it sounds like some bootleg recording. Far from it as a matter of fact. That is because there are no overdubs. The result is that the production makes for such a unique, immersive sound. It is like having that concert experience whether one is taking in the concert in one’s car, at home or elsewhere. To that end, the production of this recording makes for just as much appeal as the songs and their performances, giving listeners all the more reason to take in this presentation.
Rounding out the most important of the items to examine in WOW’s first-ever live recording is its packaging. This may seem minimal on the surface but this year, there have been a lot of live recordings (and even albums) out there whose packaging has been problematic, as this critic has already pointed out in previous reviews. Later this month, Peach Records will release another of those records that has problematic packaging when it releases The Allman Brothers Band’s last ever concert. The gatefold packaging is fine but the actual placement of the concert’s three discs inside the very tight cardboard package leaves too much chance of the packaging ripping. By comparison, the packaging for WOW’s two-disc recording places each of the discs in its own plastic “plate” inside the gatefold package. This protects the discs from marring one another. It also eliminates the possibility of the packaging being damaged as the discs are removed and replaced in the package. At the same time, the overall package is pretty ergonomically designed so as to save maximum space in audiences’ racks. Keeping this in mind, the packaging is far more important to the recording’s presentation than some might think. The positive herein works with the positive of the songs, their performances and production to make the whole a fully enjoyable debut live recording from The Wizards of Winter.
On a side note, there is no full audiovisual companion to this recording because the band did not have control of the rights for that portion of the presentation. According to the noted representative, the rights for the audiovisual portion of the concert are owned by officials at another agency. Said agency has a contract with PBS to air a special featuring the band’s performance this month on PBS stations nationwide. Interestingly enough, PBS’ online store is apparently no longer running. A check of the agency’s store revealed a notice stating that PBS’ store has ceased operations. This is a shock. So, until or unless The Wizards of Winter get the rights to this part of the recording, it will likely be very difficult to get this released. Again though, this is by no control of the band. Maybe one day. Until such time, at least audiences have this audio recording to enjoy.
Live! Volume I & II, the debut live offering from The Wizards of Winter, is a largely positive offering from the veteran Christmas rock act. The expansive recording’s appeal comes in part through its featured songs, which are pulled from each of the band’s albums. This includes even the band’s 2011 album, Tales Beneath a Northern Star. It is a relatively impressive representation of the band’s catalog in other words. The band’s performance of said songs adds another layer of enjoyment to the listening experience. That is because of the energy that the band puts into the performance of each song. Each member of the band gives his and her all to each performance, making for so much enjoyment. The recording’s production puts its own touch to the whole with a unique presentation that is not the spit shined sound that audiences get from so many live recordings. It leaves audiences feeling that they are right there without sounding like a bootleg. This is a great positive in its own right. The packaging rounds out the most important of the recording’s presentation. That is due to the fact that the discs themselves are well-placed within the “case” and that the case itself saves plenty of space on any audience’s CD rack. Each item examined here is crucial in its own way to the whole of Live! Volume I & II. All things considered they make this recording a successful first live offering from The Wizards of Winter.
Live! Volume I & II is available now. More information on the recording is available along with all of The Wizards of Winter’s new at:
Website: https://thewizardsofwinter.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/TheWizardsofWinter
