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The Christmas Carol Joy to the World was written in 1719 by Isaac Watts. The song is based on Psalm 98. The music was composed in part by George Frederick Handel. Watts wrote many hymns and carols. In Issac’s opinion church music was boring. When he complained to his father, he challenged his son to write something better. The result was a revolution in church music.
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.
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2121 is the eagerly awaited sophomore album from British singer-songwriter Adele. It’s the follow up to Adele’s critically acclaimed, Grammy award winning debut album 19 (both named after her age at the time the songs were written). Recorded in Malibu and London, 21 offered Adele the opportunity to work with such luminary producers and songwriters as Rick Rubin, Paul Epworth, Ryan Tedder, Dan Wilson and Fraser T. Smith, as well as continuing to work with Francis “Eg” White and Jim Abbiss. This new collection of songs showcases the growth of this incredible artist, who at the very young age of twenty two, exhibits the poise of a seasoned veteran. Adele’s music takes some new direction while staying true to her signature style. “I discovered lots of artists I'd never heard of, particularly Wanda Jackson, Allison Krauss, Yvonne Fair, Andrew Bird, Neko Case, Lady Antebellum and Steel Drivers who I fell in love with. Then I delved in to more from artists I've loved forever - Mary J. Blige, Kanye West, Elbow, Mos Def, Alanis Morissette, Tom Waits and Sinead O'Connor. There's something in every single one of these artists that have really really inspired 21.”
Little Broken HeartsNorah Jones has set a May 1 release date for Little Broken Hearts (Blue Note/EMI), her stunning new album produced by Danger Mouse (aka Brian Burton). Jones has also revealed the album cover and track listing of the 12-song set, which features original songs co-written by Jones and Burton.Jones drew the inspiration for the album cover from the vintage movie posters that adorn Burton's Los Angeles studio. "Brian has this great collection of Russ Meyer posters in his studio," explains Jones, "and this particular one, called Mudhoney, was right over the couch where I sat every day. I always was looking at it and thinking `that's so cool I want to look like her!' I remember staring at the poster the whole time we made the record. It's a great visual."
Little Broken Hearts is the fascinating next step in the artistic evolution of one of the music world's most consistently intriguing singer-songwriters. Jones first emerged on the world stage 10 years ago this month with the February 2002 release of Come Away With Me, her self-described "moody little record" that introduced a singular new voice and grew into a global phenomenon, sweeping the 2003 Grammy Awards and signaling a paradigm shift away from the prevailing synthetic pop music of the time. Come Away With Me has just become the #10 best-selling album of the Soundscan era. The album has sold 25 million copies worldwide.
Since then, Jones has released three more critically acclaimed and commercially successful solo albums--Feels Like Home (2004), Not Too Late (2007), and The Fall (2009)--as well as two albums with her country collective The Little Willies. The 2010 compilation ...Featuring Norah Jones showed her to possess an incredibly versatile voice by collecting her collaborations with artists as diverse as Willie Nelson, Outkast, Herbie Hancock, and Foo Fighters. Jones previously collaborated with Danger Mouse on his acclaimed 2011 album ROME, a valentine to classic Italian film score music that also featured Jack White.
Slipstream, Bonnie RaittBonnie Raitt's new album Slipstream is daring, bluesy, and steeped with the inimitable slide guitar and soulful vocals that could only be hers. Out April, 10, 2012, Slipstream marks her first new album in seven years, and the debut for her newly minted label, Redwing Records. While most of Slipstream is self-produced and features Raitt's longtime touring band, four of the album s songs were helmed by celebrated producer Joe Henry and showcase his usual crew of extraordinary musicians. Additional guests include Bill Frisell, Al Anderson, Ireland's Paul Brady and Maia Sharp. The album's twelve tracks feature Raitt's renditions of songs by such luminaries as Bob Dylan, Joe Henry and Loudon Wainwright III. An updated, reggae-fied version of Gerry Rafferty's 'Right Down the Line' leads the charge as the album s first single.
