Andrea Bocelli..."Christmas Album" is a joy! A must-have for holiday season...

One of my contacts at Universal Music Group graciously provided me with a coveted copy of Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli's new release.

The Christmas album - carols are my favorite, by the way - is a beautiful collection of traditional yuletide songs with a handful of modern favorites (penned in recent years by contemporary composers) tossed in for good measure which not only underscore Mr. Bocelli's versality - but also - his keen ability to unravel the very heartbeat of a song.

With a lot of verve and style, he nabs it musically with his renditions of "Santa Clause is coming to Town", "Blue Christmas" (accompanied by Reba McEntire), and "Jingle Bells" (Muppets back up).

A few tunes were recorded in French, Italian, and German:

"Oh Holy Night" is a haunting example which touches the heart.

A duet with Natalie Cole (A Christmas Song) is as smooth as butter!

Gosh, I'd love to share a few bars with you, but in receiving the exclsive watermarked copy e-mailed to me for purposes of getting the word out to my readers during the holiday season, I am bound by an agreement not to release any of the material to third parties.

Darn it!

Take my word for it, if you're an Andrea Bocelli fan (even if you're not) the enchanting recordings (enchanced by angelic choir-boy voices, heart-tugging strings, and whimsical musical interludes) are a must-have for the upcoming Christmas celebrations.

And, even though it's not December 1st yet (when the FTC rules kick-in for mandatory blogger disclosure) I'll wholeheartedly note for the record that if the album wasn't gifted me for review purposes, I would have laid down cold-hard cash for the listening pleasure anyhoo!

So, don't get your knickers in a twist - FTC officials - eh?

Bocelli was born in Lajatico, Tuscany (Italy) to Alessandro and Edi Bocelli.

In spite of his lofty world status today as a renowned crooner, Andrea grew up on a humble farm.

 As a young boy, Bocelli showed a great natural gift (and passion) for music.

"Music was the only thing that would comfort him," his mother fondly recalled.

At the age of six he first started-up with piano lessons, then went on to master the flute, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, harp, guitar and drums.

Whew!

What a musical whiz, eh?

Unfortuately, Bocelli was diagnosed with glaucoma in his early youth.

In 1970, at the age of 12, he completely lost his sight after an accident during a game of sports.

After he finished high school (1980) he studied Law at the University of Pisa.

He graduated as a Doctor of Laws and spent one year as an attorney (appointed by the court).

In his lean days, Bocelli performed evenings in piano bars.

It was there, in 1987, that he met his future wife, Enrica.

Although Bocelli has a large following - and can do no wrong in their estimation (musically or otherwise) - the handsome pop/opera singer has been overly criticised by classical music critics in opera circles (Bernard Holland/New York Times & Andrew Clement/The Guardian).

Some say  "poor phrasing, uneven tone and lack of technique", hinder Bocelli's chances of reaching greater heights in musical realms in a more serious vein.

My best advice to Andrea is to continue with his own style - since it has served him well - and brings much joy to music-lovers around the globe.

Who could ask for anything more?

In closing, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that there are upcoming concert dates on the boards for fans who are chopping-at-the-bit to catch the charismatic performer live! on stage.

The December engagement in Vegas may be sold out, but check it out, maybe you'll get lucky!

http://www.julianayrs.com

Mattel...settles toy lead poisoning lawsuit! Compensation for tainted items from China...

Last fall, just prior to commencement of the holiday season, I penned a post warning parents about potential hazards such as lead poisoning in toys crafted and imported from China.



A week or so ago, I obliged with a follow up feature on the issues, and provided links for web sites where parents could check for recalled toys and verify that other toys for tots were safe.



Post: 12/10/08



http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2008/12/toysat-x-mas-consumer-advociates-warn.html



On the heels of this post, Mattel announced it will pay $12 million to compensate 39 States for damages arising from tainted toys made in China and shipped to the U.S.



Last year, the Segundo-based manufacturer (along with the Fisher Price Division) recalled more than 21 million Chinese-made toys after fearing the items were tainted with lead paint and tiny magnets that children could accidentally swallow.



In order to shore up the agreement with Government Officials, Mattel agreed to lower the acceptable levels of lead in toys shipped to the U.S. to - 90 parts per million - which amounts to a hefty change from yesteryear's 600 parts per million (Federal Standard).



A Mattel spokesman noted that he was proud of the company for demonstrating its commitment to children's safety by pledging to meet standards more stringent than those currently required.



However, it should be noted for the record, the Federal Standard will follow the guidelines recently adopted by Mattel when new rules and regulations go into effect next year.



Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley applauded Mattel's lead which she asserted "will result in much safer standards" in the toy industry.



California negotiated a deal under the State's "Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act" (under a separate agreement) wherein nine toy companies - including Mattel - will pay the state $1.8 million over lead-painted toys.



In spite of the fact Mattel's stock dipped 7 cents a share when the announcement was initially made public, an industry analyst pooh-poohed the notion that is was a bad sign from stockholders.



Anything that would put to rest the question of toy safety is a net positive, he concluded.



Amen!

Toys...at X-Mas consumer advocates warn about unsafe products!

The signs of Christmas are all around.



Retail stores have been invitingly decorated to lure consumers in - and once that task has been accomplished - managers are relying on the joyful strains of Christmas Carols overhead to seduce the whimsical shopper into a festive holiday mood.



Now, the consumer is all primed and ready to go!



Yes - buy, buy, buy - shop 'til you drop!



But, before you plunk down the big bucks for those attractive toys for the little ones, it may be wise to pay heed to warnings from consumer advocates about the dangers that may lurk around a handful of those precious purchases.



First and foremost, it's important to be mindful of the contents of the products.



For good reason.



After all, if lead is ingested or inhaled, it can cause neurological problems and interfere with brain development.



Although lead is banned in toy paint in the U.S., the deadly product often worms its way into the marketplace by way of popular imports.



One product, Aqua Dots, was pulled from the shelves last year when it was determined that it was coated with a toxic chemical that metabolizes into gamma hydroxy butyrate - or GHB - the date-rape drug.



Scary thought!



Parents of toddlers teething should be mindful of the fact that lead is still permitted for use in plastics; so, it would be wise to spring for playthings made of wood and cotton terry cloth, instead.



Bottom line, if your child has a favorite toy they tend to chew on, check to ensure the Consumer Product Safety Commission has not recalled it at:



http://www.cpsc.gov



But, you're not off the hook with soft vinyl toys, either; they may contain phthalates which may be wise to avoid as well. Although they are banned overseas, the jury is still out on their potential dangers stateside.



Be safe, rather than sorry, and buy items with "PCV Free" marked on the label because the toys are generally constructed of safe latex or silicon products.



Some note that avoiding popular toys made in large quantities is a good idea, as well.



Experts assert that items made in large batches - such as a myriad of fast-selling toys falling under the once-popular RC2 Corp banner - often slip through inspection easier and may escape the close scrutiny of consumer watchdogs.



Although the big guys in the industry say they've stepped up their inspections to ensure toys are safe, it is suggested that parents shop with the smaller more reputable dealers who may have more stringent individual standards to effectively weed out problem toys.



Savvy shoppers may check the following websites if they are concerned about safety issues:



http://www.discoverytoys.com

http://www.oompa.com

http://www.ebeanstalk.com

http://www.playstoretoys.com

http://www.nmctoys.com



Environmental safety groups currently rank 1500 top toys at:



http://www.healthytoys.org



Cruise on by their site and give yourself some peace of mind before you start shopping for the wee tots this Christmas.



Happy Holidays!

Josh Groban...knee-jerk reactions from fans. Mentally unbalanced, few!

Groban fans need to awaken from deep stupor...


Just before Christmas last year - as fans were savoring the strains of Josh Groban's Holiday Season album (which pushed the CD to No. 1 on the charts) - the young vocalist whined in a Los Angeles Times interview that he was basically fed up with warbling carols and wanted to move on.

In a response post, I noted that Mr. Groban appeared to be a bit ungrateful - and, that in essence - he was throwing a damper on holiday spirits because he lacked the ability (or maturity) to follow through.

Of course - this caused a knee-jerk reactions from fans - who criticized me for tearing down their musical God.

Since the opinions of fools means nothing to me, I ignored their angst and moved on.

This past weekend - the Los Angeles times singled out Mr. Groban as being "overrated" - on the heels of a performance on the 60th Annual Emmy Awards show which the Times' writers labelled a bit "cheesy".

In response, I penned a post noting - that while Mr. Groban's voice tended to fall upon the "ears" blissfully at times - he sounded too "trained".

I proceeded to point out that if he sang from the heart, his vocalizing might improve.

Currently, he sings from the "head" - from a structured musical foundation - which limits his appeal.

Hence, the criticisms from various quarters in recent days.

No, I'm not the only one to find fault with Groban.

Shortly after I posted those comments yesterday afternoon, there was a big flurry of activity on the Internet!

Yes, Groban fans were in attack mode now.

I laughed!

I am a big fan of this director or that actor - but when other enthusiasts in those areas of interest in the arts disagree with me - I don't get all bent out of shape.

Different strokes for different folks, man!

Notwithstanding the obvious - it appears that a handful of Groban fans - are a little emotionally out-of-whack.

Their wild erratic responses indicate to me - anyway - that they lack the ability (and intelligence) to put forth any reasonable argument to back up any grounds for their nonsensical angry tirades.

Go figure.

Music tends to inspire the emotions.

In the case of Groban fans, they've gone looney tunes.

Grow up!

I don't know how to "wing it"...