Watching the Snow

0000 studio album by Michael Franks
Watching the Snow
Studio album by
Michael Franks
Released
  • 2003 (2003) in Japan
  • 2004 (2004) in the U.S.
Genre
  • Smooth jazz
  • Christmas
Length49:03
Label
  • Columbia
  • Sleeping Gypsy
  • Koch
Michael Franks chronology
The Michael Franks Anthology: The Art of Love
(2003)
Watching the Snow
(00000002)
Love Songs
(2004)

Watching the Snow is a jazz album by the American singer Michael Franks. It was released in Japan by Columbia Records in 2003, in the U.S. by Sleepy Gypsy in 2004, and again in the U.S. by Koch Records.[1]

Watching the Snow was Franks' first Christmas album. Rather than covering other holiday music standards, he wrote all the songs. According to the liner notes, sales from the album were donated to Hearts United for Animals.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Michael Franks

No.TitleLength
1."The Way We Celebrate New Year's"6:23
2."Watching the Snow"5:41
3."Christmas in Kyoto"4:50
4."My Present"4:30
5."I Bought You a Plastic Star (For Your Aluminum Tree)"3:36
6."Said the Snowflake"4:51
7."The Kiss"4:41
8."When the Snowman Sings"4:21
9."Island Christmas"5:44
10."My Present (Reprise)"4:28

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

Writing for AllMusic, Christopher Monger described the album as "comfort food with all the trimmings" and that each track was "lovingly crafted, astronomically inoffensive, and wine-drunk silly and sincere". Comparing the album to the holiday-themed releases of Franks' peers, he concluded it was a "testimony to Franks' laid-back demeanor and subtle humor that an entire record of original holiday songs can complement a snowy December day rather than accentuate its forced seasonal cheer".[1]

Personnel

  • Michael Franks – vocals
  • Veronica Nunn – vocals, background vocals
  • Alex Sipiagin – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • John Clark – French horn
  • Chris Hunter – saxophone, flute
  • Charles Blenzig – keyboards, percussion
  • Jay Azzolina – guitar
  • Romero Lubambo – guitar
  • Jay Anderson – double bass
  • Billy Kilson – drums

References

  1. ^ a b c Monger, James Christopher. Watching the Snow – Michael Franks at AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-02-18.

Bibliography

  • Watching the Snow (CD booklet). United States: Sleeping Gypsy. 2004. 76544.


  • v
  • t
  • e
Michael Franks
Studio albums
Independent albumsLive albumsCompilations
  • Indispensable (1988)
  • The Best of Michael Franks: A Backward Glance (1998)
  • The Michael Franks Anthology: The Art of Love (2003)
  • Love Songs (2004)
  • Michael Franks: Original Album Series (2010)
  • The Dream 1973-2011 (2012)
Notable producers
Related articles
  • Jazz Portal
Authority control databases Edit this at Wikidata
  • MusicBrainz release group