Christmas: God with Us
Christmas: God With Us is the eighth studio album, and first Christmas album, from Christian contemporary musician Jeremy Camp, the album released on September 25, 2012, through BEC Recordings.
| Christmas: God With Us | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 25, 2012 | |||
| Recorded | May 2008 | |||
| Genre | Contemporary Christian music, rock, pop rock, Christmas music | |||
| Length | 36:32 | |||
| Label | BEC | |||
| Producer | Brown Bannister, Jeremy Camp, Ben Shive | |||
| Jeremy Camp chronology | ||||
| ||||
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Christian Music Zine |   [1] |
| Indie Vision Music | [2] |
| Jesus Freak Hideout |  [3] |
| Louder Than the Music | [4] |
| New Release Tuesday | [5][6] |
| The Trades | C+[7] |
| Worship Leader | [8] |
Indie Vision Music's Jonathan Andre said that "Jeremy's album is the first of many to release in the year of 2012, and with some commendable melodies full of heart and promise, Jeremy's first Christmas album is able to set us in the right Christmas spirit as we start to remember the reason for our existence on Earth. Though not necessarily right on the song selection, Jeremy's infusing of both holiday and Christmas songs will give some appeal to the mainstream market, and will definitely be a positive if he chooses to breakout in that niche market later on in his musical career. With Christmas: God With Us whetting my musical appetite for more Christmas albums,...Well done Jeremy for such an enjoyable record!"[2]
Jesus Freak Hideout's John DiBiase said that "Overall, Christmas: God With Us is a pretty good first holiday offering from Jeremy Camp. Fans of traditional Christmas songs will probably find a lot to love on here, while those looking for fresh and original material will most likely be disappointed. As for me, I tend to lean toward traditional covers delivered in a familiar form with a signature touch by current artists, and Jeremy has done a pretty good job at leaving his own mark on familiar songs. The additional lyrics don't always work, but it may be just enough of an update for some people to find these familiar songs fresh again. If anything, just hearing Jeremy rock out and have fun on a few songs here is worth checking out the record for alone. There should be at least a few songs on Christmas: God With Us that will be worth replaying each holiday season, while fans of Jeremy will certainly want to add this into their annual seasonal rotations."[3]
Louder Than The Music's Rich Smith said that "This album feels a little like a mix tape of favourite Christmas songs, which could be the intention, as Camp says that he wanted to pick songs that he listened to growing up and make them his own. He has selected the Christmas carols that he and his family love to sing, and who can argue with that...Overall this is a good Christmas album and has a prayerful, reverent feel to it, giving us a great reflection and reminder that Christmas is the time to celebrate Jesus' birth for us."[4]
New Release Tuesday's Jonathan Francesco said that "It's Jeremy Camp singing Christmas songs. That's what the cover advertises, and that's what you get. Nothing here is really shocking. Christmas music is a big draw and an artist of Camp's caliber obviously was bound to tackle a Christmas album eventually. It's just that an artist of Camp's caliber should have a release that's at least a little more "classic" than this."[5]
Worship Leader said that "...Camp's signature growl graces some of our favorite Yuletide tunes in Christmas: God With Us...Solid beats, a pop/rock production that keeps Camp's pipes front and center, and a song list that takes no chances make this an easy pickup for fans or anyone looking for a new collection of favorites (and one added original)."[8]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Jingle Bell Rock" | Joe Beal & Jim Boothe | 2:09 |
| 2. | "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" | Public Domain | 3:00 |
| 3. | "Joy to the World" | Public Domain | 4:14 |
| 4. | "O Little Town of Bethlehem" | Public Domain | 5:04 |
| 5. | "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" | Ralph Blane & Hugh Martin | 4:05 |
| 6. | "Let It Snow" | Sammy Cahn & Jule Styne | 2:10 |
| 7. | "Mary Did You Know" | Mark Lowry & Buddy Greene | 4:04 |
| 8. | "God with Us" | Brown Bannister, Jeremy Camp & Ben Shive | 3:07 |
| 9. | "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" | Public Domain | 4:56 |
| 10. | "Away in a Manger" | Public Domain | 3:43 |
| Total length: | 36:32 | ||
Personnel
- Jeremy Camp – lead vocals
- Adam Lester – guitars
- Ben Shive – piano, keys, additional guitars, string arrangements
- Tony Lucido – bass guitar
- Dan Needham – drums
- EMT – additional percussion
- Nashville Recording Orchestra – strings
- David Davidson – string contractor
- Luke Brown – backing vocals
- Ellie Holcomb – backing vocals
Production
- Brown Bannister – producer, engineering, editing
- Ben Shive – producer, engineering, editing
- Jeremy Camp – producer
- Brandon Ebel – executive producer
- Tyson Paoletti – executive producer
- Ben Phillips – recording at Superphonic, engineering, editing
- Jeff Pitzer – additional engineering
- Andrew Mendleson – mastered at Georgetown Masters
- Townsend Sound – overdub recording location
- The Beehive – overdub recording location
- Vance Powell – mixing (1, 4, 5, 8, 10)
- Mark Petaccia – mixing assistant (1, 4, 5, 8, 10)
- Shane D. Wilson – mixing (2, 3, 6, 7, 9)
- Justin Dowse – mixing (2, 3, 6, 7, 9)
- Lani Crump – mix coordination, for Showndown Productions
- Conor Farley – A&R
- Matt Balm – management
- Brad Davis – design
- Lee Steffen – photography
Charts
| Chart (2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[9] | 119 |
| US Christian Albums (Billboard)[10] | 6 |
| US Holiday Albums (Billboard)[11] | 1 |
| US Current Albums (Billboard)[12] | 170 |
References
- Kjonaas, Emily (September 24, 2012). "Jeremy Camp – "Christmas: God With Us" (Review)". Christian Music Zine. Archived from the original on October 6, 2012. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
- Andre, Jonathan (September 18, 2012). "Jeremy Camp – Christmas: God With Us". Indie Vision Music. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
- DiBiase, John (September 24, 2012). "Jeremy Camp, "Christmas: God With Us" Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
- Smith, Rich (December 14, 2012). "Reviews - Jeremy Camp - Christmas: God With Us". Louder Than The Music. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
- Francesco, Jonathan (September 24, 2012). "Jeremy Camp's Christmas CD is Exactly What You'd Expect". New Release Tuesday. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
- Wright, Jay (September 24, 2012). "Great Christmas album!". New Release Tuesday. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
- Schultz, Paul (September 25, 2012). "Music Review: Jeremy Camp, "Christmas: God with Us"". The Trades. Archived from the original on February 4, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
- Worship Leader (November 26, 2012). "Christmas Releases". Worship Leader. Archived from the original on December 2, 2012. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
- "Jeremy Camp Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
- "Jeremy Camp Chart History (Christian Albums)". Billboard.
- "Top Holiday Albums 2012-10-13". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. October 13, 2012. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
- "Top Current Albums 2012-11-24". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. November 24, 2012. Retrieved December 2, 2012.