We Three Kings (The Roches album)

The album was produced by the Roches and Jeffrey Lesser. It marked a return to the sisters' roots, as they had first sung together as carolers in Manhattan. Due to their familiarity with the carols, the sisters did many of the songs in one take. We Three Kings was recorded in New York City during a July 1990 heat wave; the sessions were slightly delayed while Maggie Roche got over laryngitis. Most of the tracks are sung a cappella; it took the Roches six weeks to obtain the vocal strength to get through "For Unto Us a Child Is Born". Suzzy Roche wrote "Christmas Passing Through". "Winter Wonderland" is sung using stereotypical New Jersey accents; "Frosty the Snowman" employs a chorus of children. Other songs incorporate elements of Middle Eastern music and Caribbean music. ==Critical reception==

The Globe and Mail thought that "the avant-garde folkies play it pretty straight this time out, using their sisterly harmonies to wade through a generous selection of Christmas favorites." Newsday stated that the Roches "adorn two dozen yuletide standards with their trademark harmonies, skating vocal figure-eights around each other with the navigability of Dancer, Prancer and Vixen." The St. Petersburg Times deemed the album "wonderful listening" and "an instant classic." The Boston Globe determined that "the sometimes silly sisters take their tongue out of their collective cheek and come up with a classic." The Windsor Star noted that "We Three Kings, while containing the obvious, is definitely not-so-obvious in its arrangements." The Seattle Post-Intelligencer deemed it "a perfect showcase for the trio's crystal-clear harmonies and offhand humor." ==Track listing==

• "Break Forth O Beauteous Heavenly Light" – 1:35 • "For Unto Us a Child Is Born" – 3:56 • "Angels We Have Heard on High" – 1:26 • "Deck the Halls" – 2:10 • "Christmas Passing Through" – 3:41 • "Sleigh Ride" – 2:34 • "Away in a Manger" – 2:09 • "Here We Come A-Caroling" – 1:31 • "The Little Drummer Boy" – 3:18 • "The Holly and the Ivy" – 1:53 • "Frosty the Snowman" – 2:09 • "Do You Hear What I Hear?" – 3:04 • "We Three Kings" – 5:30 • "Star of Wonder" – 1:51 • "Winter Wonderland" – 1:55 • "Joy to the World" – 1:15 • "O Little Town of Bethlehem" – 2:55 • "Good King Wenceslas" – 3:30 • "Jingle Bells" – 1:44 • "The First Noel" – 1:53 • "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" – 1:15 • "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" – 3:05 • "O Come, All Ye Faithful" – 1:24 • "Silver Bells" – 2:46 ==Personnel==

Musicians • Maggie Roche – vocals, keyboards, hooves, whistling • Terre Roche – vocals, guitars, piano • Suzzy Roche – vocals, guitars, keyboards • Vince Cherico – drums, drum programming, percussion • Paul Ossola – bass guitar, upright bass • Victor Lesser – saxophones • The Hallmarks (David Roche, Jeffrey Lesser, Vince Cherico) – vocals on "Silver Bells" • Lucy Roche, Jeannine Schmeltzkopt, Dara Schatt, Lucy Lesser, Kelsey Lesser – vocals on "Frosty the Snowman" Technical • Jeffrey Lesser – producer, engineer • Jeff Lippay – assistant engineer ==References==