Christmas in London
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (09 October, 2001)
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Reviews (1)

"London performers ring in the Holiday Season"
Talented artists from the London stage take a time out...bringingour favorite Christmas carols and songs that we've come to love over the years...supporting each selection is the world renown "City Of Prague Philharmoic Orchestra", conducted by Paul Bateman...sharing this spotlight is ~ Crouch End Festial Chorus, Tito Beltran, Helen Hobson, Jason Howard, Jill Washington, Mark Wynter...each giving their individual attention to lyric and melody, making this Holiday Season memorable for every member of the family.

Total Time: 58:23 on 20 Tracks ~ Silva Screen STD-5026 ~ (2001) ... Read more

Asin: B00005NNKO
Sales Rank: 261493
Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Christmas    3. Christmas / Chanukkah    4. England    5. Film    6. Miscellaneous    7. Music Theater    8. Pop    9. Vocal   

Christmas Adagios
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (09 October, 2001)
list price: $17.98 -- our price: $17.98
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Reviews (5)

wonderful
Many, many classic recordings of favorite christmas carols and pieces.I must say that the reviewer who said that Leontyne Price's vibrato was "too wide" should have his ears examined.Leontyne Price recorded her classic Christmas album (which, by the way, any lover of Christmas music or anyone who wants to hear pristine singing, should own) in the 1960's when she was in her absolute prime.A fast spinning vibrato is indicative of a NATURAL, healthy sounding voice, which is quite the opposite of what most uninformed choral conductors ask for these daysOK, I'll get off my soap box now!

A classical music lover's tranquil Christmas
A Fascinating compilation of classical Christmas favorites. With 45 selections, you certainly get your money's worth!

And boy is this calming, relaxing music! A rather odd mix, however, of different recording qualities, which makes me think that some of these recordings are quite old. I wonder if Decca simply went through their catalog of classical music and just grabbed whatever was slow and had something to do with Christmas.

However, some of my very favorites are on these CDs, so I guess it doesn't matter what Decca's method was. Some of the recordings are quite nice.

The first recording of Leontyne Price, "O Holy Night," just doesn't fit our modern tastes for sopranos as she sounds a bit out of control and with a "vibrato you could drive truck through," as we say in my choral group. Perhaps this recording was made when she was past her prime?

However, the recordings by the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields are marvelous. In particular, Berlioz' "Shepherd's Farewell," is superb.

We are also treated to the Bach Choir, the Choir of King's College, Renata Tebaldi, Marilyn Horne, Vienna Boys Choir, Monteverdi Choir, and Pavarotti.

In addition to great orchestral pieces by Vivaldi and Bach (Pastoral Sinfonia from the Christmas Oratorio), we also have wonderful carols and hymns such as "Es Ist Ein Ros Entsprungen," Stille Nacht," "Once in David's Royal City," and "In the Bleak Midwinter."

While wonderful pieces, there are several selection that are puzzling as Christmas selections: "Laudate Dominum" by Mozart, "The Lamb" by Tavener, and "Panis Angelicus" by Cesar Franck.

The CD ends with an inspired rendition of "White Christmas" by Irvin Berlin performed by Kiri Te Kanawa, whose warm soprano certainly does it justice, although it is the only non-classical piece on the CD.

A splendid collection
If you want a gorgeous, inexpensive two-CD set of classical Christmas music (vocal and instrumental), this is a splendid compilation.It offers great performances by outstanding artists in both well-known and lesser-known works that range from the ethereal to the sumptuous, and would be a delight worth having even at a considerably higher price.If you're starting a Christmas collection or are on a tight budget, this may be all you'll need to purchase--and if you already have a large collection of seasonal music, don't miss the chance to add this beautiful set. ... Read more

Asin: B00005NY7D
Sales Rank: 13111

The Holly & Ivy
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (30 May, 1990)
list price: $9.98 -- our price: $9.98
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Editorial Review

Initially released in 1979, this album built on the success of the legendary Carols for Choirs volumes in establishing John Rutter's name with the wider public, and it gave a strong hint that he was more than just a talented composer-arranger. As the many subsequent releases on the Collegium label have also shown, Rutter is a deeply sensitive and musical conductor, alive to the color of words, always allowing phrases to breathe naturally. The accomplished Clare College Choir features male and female voices, the latter providing a more rounded alternative to those world-famous neighbors in Cambridge. Included are many of Rutter's own easy-listening carol arrangements ("King Jesus Hath a Garden" and "Wexford Carol," for example), plus others by the likes of Vaughan Williams and David Willcocks, while "Donkey Carol" and "Mary's Lullaby" are quintessential Rutter originals. Only a few numbers can be classed (statistically) as all-time Christmas faves--the likes of "The Holly and the Ivy" and "Ding Dong Merrily on High"--but this needn't deter anyone from snapping up what is the perfect album to accompany Christmas pud mixing (preferably by candlelight, imagining the twilight scene in Ely Cathedral's Lady Chapel, whose glorious acoustic graces the sound). --Andrew Green ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Blissful
As many have mentioned here, this is a simply beautiful cd.The selections are some you may not have heard before, but they rapidly become old familiar favorites.Everything is perfect, from the blissful arrangements to the choir's and orchestra's soothing timbres to the enveloping emotion the performances convey.The flow of the first five tracks just completely sucks you in - Up! Good Christian Folk and Listen, Gabriel's Message, Donkey Carol, and Wexford Carol are wonderful back to back.Mary's Lullaby is, as others have described this disc, abosolutely Heavenly.I, as well, am thankful to the other reviewers whose words encouraged me to give this disc a chance.It is undoubtedly a holiday favorite I listen to repeatedly; often, I even go right back to the beginning and play it again.I'll definitely be looking for more similar discs this year to round out my collection.

************* BEAUTIFUL ******************
If you are looking for a good solid traditonal Christmas CD to add to your collection this is it.

If you can only afford one Christmas cd and you want a soothing, uplifting, beautiful and magical cd........this is it.

Simple yet complex.....The voices are pure ethereal, like angels.Words to discribe this album would be magical, beautiful, light, pure, spiritual, moving, comforting, joyous.

This album captures the true essence of the season.

I have spent almost double on most of my other Christmas cd's and yet this is destined to be one of my very favorite.

A reviewer from Georgia said "breath taking" and I agree.

************* BEAUTIFUL ******************
If you are looking for a good solid traditonal Christmas CD to add to your collection this is it.

If you can only afford one Christmas cd and you want a soothing, uplifting, beautiful and magical cd........this is it.

Simple yet complex.....The voices are pure ethereal, like angels.Words to discribe this album would be magical, beautiful, light, pure, spiritual, moving, comforting, joyous.

This album captures the essence of the season.

I have spent almost double on most of my other Christmas cd's and yet this is destined to be one of my very favorite.

A reviewer from Indiana said "breath taking" and I agree. ... Read more

Asin: B0000041VV
Subjects:  1. Choral    2. Christmas    3. Christmas / Chanukkah    4. Classical    5. Keyboard    6. Miscellaneous    7. Vocal   

Christmas Day in the Morning
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (05 November, 1993)
list price: $16.99 -- our price: $16.99
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Reviews (6)

Top 10 Christmas Album
Any true lover and connoisseur of Christmas music would put this in their "Top 10" of Christmas recordings.Why?Few modern Christmas recordings genuinely revere the Birth Of Christ.John Rutter literally worships at the feet of the Christ Child.Rutter offers 23 choral selections, most his compositions, others of European tradition, that imbue the rootedness and wonderous awe that is the spirit and 'magic' of Christmas.

Noteworthy are 'Mary's Lullaby,' a Rutter original and 'Fantasia on Christmas carols,' the 1912 compilation by R. Vaughan Williams that balances a baritone soloist against the choral discipline of the Cambridge Singers to invoke several spine-tingling and misty-eyed moments.

A Masterwork among Chrismas recordings.

A Beautiful and Rich Collection of Christmas Music
The Cambridge Singers, led by John Rutter, certainly add joy to the Christmas season. This recording has familiar standards, lesser known carols, and some Rutter originals. Rutter's "Jesus Child" had a contagious calypso flair, his "Star Carol" has a feel of innocence and beauty, and his reflective "Very Best Time of the Year" can put a person in the mood for the holiday. The ensemble's is beautiful. It is easy to see why so many people add this disk to their music collection.

A great soundtrack for Christmas morning
The Cambridge Singers, led by John Rutter and tastefully accompanied by the City of London Sinfonia, highlight works and arrangements by English composers, including Rutter, Vaughn Williams, Peter Warlock, David Willcocks, and John Tavener. The result is a beautiful mixture of carols that is not your average choral Christmas album. Still, the Cambridge Singers are a very accessible (i.e. easy to listen to) choral group who know how to sing well. I would also recommend their Christmas Night: Carols of the Nativity compilation as a nice companion to this CD. Chances are you'll want to hear more after this album, anyway. ... Read more

Asin: B0000031HZ
Sales Rank: 64763
Subjects:  1. Christmas    2. Christmas / Chanukkah    3. Classical    4. Holiday   

Christmas Night: Carols of the Nativity
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (20 January, 1993)
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Editorial Review

"The theme of this album is the birth of Christ, reflected in the words and music of 22 carols spanning more than six centuries." This description might also say that the program contains some of the best and best-loved Christmas choral pieces of all time, presented in a pleasing mix of familiar carols and lesser-known original works. Among the best-known selections are Darke's "In the bleak mid-winter" and Howells's "A spotless rose." Several original pieces by John Rutter appear here for the first time--"Christmas Night," "There is a flower," and "Nativity Carol." Other notable highlights are Peter Cornelius's "The three kings" and the lively Willcocks arrangement of "Tomorrow shall be my dancing day." Of course, the singing is among the best on the planet--in fact, there may even be a few heavenly angels in the soprano section. --David Vernier ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Beautiful Music, Beautifully Sung
This compilation of Christmas carols both traditional and modern stands in stark contrast to much of the bubble gum, soda pop Christmas music so often heard on popular radio these days.There are no divas or over the top performances or attempts to make "a moment".What there is are beautiful songs sung by talented singers.

So many of these carols are so beautiful that it's hard to pick out which are the best.More likely than not, that's going to be a highly personal choice but if you see one of your favorites on the track list you can be sure that it's well performed.

In short, this album should be part of your Christmas collection.It's best listened to in the quiet time on Christmas Eve.

A bleak Mid-winter
This CD contains the usual Rutter mix of gorgeous traditional treatments with a few incredibly schlocky arrangements. Fortunately, I can just leave the schlock off my iPod playlist (otherwise I'd return the CD).

The real letdown is my own fault: I didn't notice that "In the Bleak Midwinter" is the Darke version, not Holst. Ugh. If only the RealAudio samples had stretched one song further down the song list.

If you own one Christmas Music CD--this is it
You can't beat the polished ensemble sound of the Cambridge Singers and John Rutter has devoted his life to celebrating the joys of Anglican Christmas music. This is a coherent program of carols that you can play without skipping tracks. The selection is well-balanced and covers a broad historical range. Although there are some interesting alternatives out there for purists (such as Kings College Choir and the Tallis Singers)if you own just one CD of English Christmas music--this should be the one. ... Read more

Asin: B0000031H5
Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Choral    3. Christmas    4. Christmas / Chanukkah    5. Classical    6. Miscellaneous    7. Vocal   

Ultra-Lounge Christmas Cocktails, Pt. 2
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (23 September, 1997)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $11.98
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Reviews (14)

Ultra-Lounge Christmas Cocktails Pt. 1 is much better
This was a disappointment after hearing the fantastic Christmas Cocktails Pt1.Not much new here -- have heard these same renditions on many other compilations.

Let's toast a
Both Vol.1 and Pt.2 of the ULTRA LOUNGE CHRISTMAS series consists of a great musical holiday soundtrack for child raised during the cocktail 1960s.
Upon listening to both CDs, your memories will transport you back in time to tinsel clustered trees drowned in multi-color lights & wasted uncles with a plastic baby jesus' lying under an artificial tree.

This collection of holiday CDs are the perfect tool for entertaining & injecting "kitchy" ambiance into your holiday festivities.
The sound is retro and currently very trendy.

It's fun listening to these long forgotten classics dusted off and delivered in with a "LOUNGE" packaging.

Both volumes should be added into your collection!

Raise Your Holiday SPIRITS!
Leave it to the geniuses at Ultra-Lounge to put together the Christmas Album you always wanted but could never find.This is Christams through an ironic lens.So cleary not "cool" that its ridiculousness makes it so.Very paradoxial.This is Christmas music devoid of any real sentinment but still shiny with a glossy venner of wholesomeness--underneath one can see (as with all lounge music) the seedy side of the 1950's.This IS Cocktail music after all.(Dean Martin ONLY sang Cocktail music, ask his liver!) Highlights of this edition include Mr. Martin's BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE, The delightful Bonus Track "What is a Santa Claus" and Lena Horne's spellbinding JINGLE ALL THE WAY.To hear her sing the word "Horse" with no less than six vowel sounds is worth the price of the album alone.As always the album and jacket art are first rate and the liner notes by RJ SMITH are amoung the best in album commentary EVER!Smith captures the period, the music, and the modern attraction to it in a stylish and comic essay.Once again the Ultra Lounge gives us everything we want from lounge music and more.So sip some spiked egg nog, light the yule log, and have a swinging holiday season. ... Read more

Asin: B000002TLS
Sales Rank: 36256
Subjects:  1. Big Band    2. Christmas    3. Christmas / Chanukkah    4. Cocktail    5. Cool    6. Orchestral Pop    7. Pop    8. Show Tunes    9. Swing    10. Traditional Pop    11. V/a Compilations    12. Vocal Jazz    13. Vocal Pop   

Ultra-Lounge: Christmas Cocktails, Part One
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (03 September, 1996)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $10.99
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Editorial Review

A perfect martini-and-mistletoe combo, Christmas Cocktails will gaily seduce you with its bevy of nostalgic and occasionally campy holiday fare. Vocal vixens Peggy Lee, Julie London (her "I'd Like You for Christmas" will melt the ice cubes in your fridge), Kay Starr, and Nancy Wilson join forces with perennial crooners such as Lou Rawls, Dean Martin, and the immortal Nat "King" Cole, along with a handful of instrumental big-band numbers and odd, at times cheese-ball-shaped jazz organ pieces from Jimmy McGriff and the flammable Eddie Dundstedter, among others. But the essential item that makes plunking down your pelts for this very chi-chi set is none other than Billy May's lovably kitschy workout called "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer Mambo." It's a scream. The package comes complete with its own cocktail minimanual and the recipes for Hot Toddys and Hot Tom and Jerrys. Garishly retro and naughtily nostalgic, this kind of slinky Christmas gift should probably be illegal in many prudish states. --Martin Keller ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Guaranteed Christmas Cheer from the Rat Pack Era
This CD makes me laugh out loud.

That's saying something. Christmas is often a stressful time.

I love the CD, I love the concept, I love the packaging, I love the liner notes.

I suppose if I lived in the "swinging" era of night clubs, pointy bras, martinis, and ashtrays on every table, I would find it all a big drag; I don't smoke, don't drink, and I'm a feminist.

But, at this safe distance, the swinging, Rat Pack era is an archaelogical trove of great fun.

And, heck, these people really knew their way around a song. Even as I'm laughing at the anachronisms in the CD, I'm enjoying the heck out of some really good music. Kay Starr, Nancy Wilson, Nat King Cole -- these folks had pipes, and the bands are tight.

I think that if this CD can't shake someone out of his holiday blues, then hospitalization might be the only route.

What the heck is the mambo?
This CD features Christmas music from the 50s and 60s that would have been considered to be "adult pop" at the time.That is to say, pop music for adults, instead of teenagers.There is some great music on this CD, and some not-so-great music, but it's all a lot of fun.The three bonus tracks are "I Brought You Violets" by the Continental; "Toys For Tots" by Peggy Lee, Nat "King" Cole and Nancy Wilson; and "Jingle Bells" by Billy May.I would recommend this CD to anyone who is interested in "adult pop" of the 50s and 60s.

Good Track Selection...Poor Sound
One listen to Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song" will give any avid listener and Nat Cole fan an indicator of how badly EMI/Capitol remasters their vintage recordings.Thanks to an overly heavy hand on the No-Noise, they've essentially stripped all of the ambiance and breath of life out of the music on this collection.In instances where I have older CDs or vinyl, the sound on this collection is just stripped of life, and very antiseptic sounding; the originals just live and breathe more.This might be OK for background listening, but anything louder than that, you notice that the music just doesn't sound *right*.If you absolutely must have these songs, by all means buy this disc.This and the other "Christmas Cocktails" volumes do have a great selection of claasic holiday tracks, even though the Lounge movement is far past its prime.If song selection were my sole criteria, I'd have given the set four stars.But given the sound quality, I dock it two stars.EMI should know better, but they're so obsessed with ridding the music of all that nasty tape hiss that they destroy the essence of the music in the process. ... Read more

Asin: B000002UFL
Subjects:  1. Christmas / Chanukkah    2. Pop    3. V/a Compilations   

Making Spirits Bright
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (22 September, 1998)
list price: $11.98
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Reviews (32)

Dean Martin has a great time making spirits bright
"Making Spirits Bright" gets to be the definitive Dean Martin holiday record because it is able to drawn on the crooner's recordings for both Capitol and Reprise and the producers of this 1998 collection seem to have culled the best of both worlds.The only song that seems out of play is "Silent Night," because it is the only religious song among the 15 tracks, and having Dino sing "round young virgin, mother and child" on the same album where he is doing "Baby, It's Cold Outside" strains the limits of my acceptance.The album does have the virtue of beginning and ending with the quintessential Dean Martin holiday songs, "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" (the Capitol versions starts the album and the Reprise version finishes it off).There is an inherent casualness to the way Martin sings most of these songs, such as "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm," "Blue Christmas," and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" that is rather charming.It is impossible not to think of Martin singing these songs with a drink in one hand.Then again, how many holiday albums show a couple of champagne glasses on the cover? (and what did you think was meant by the "Spirits" in the title?). But Martin is not always out to have fun with each song, as he shows on "Silver Bells" and "White Christmas."Dean Martin as a sing of Christmas songs is certainly not to everyone's tastes, but if you are open to this type of holiday music then "Making Spirits Bright" is as good as it gets.

Cool Christmas
Dean may be gone, but he's still the coolest thing around.This is the music of Christmas.Of my 50 or so Christmas albums, this is the one I played over and over and over.Buy it...Dean won't let you down.

"I wait for it the whole year 'round..."
Lovely collection of Christmas music. I especially enjoy the songs we don't hear over and over on typical Christmas albums, such as "Marshmellow World" and "Winter Romance." In my ever-growing collection of holiday music, this is one that gets played over and over again. Pity Christmas comes only once a year. ... Read more

Asin: B000009RV8
Sales Rank: 56685
Subjects:  1. Christmas    2. Christmas / Chanukkah    3. Holiday    4. Pop    5. Traditional Pop    6. Vocal Pop   

A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (24 August, 1999)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $11.98
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Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (40)

Oh by gosh, by golly
This is, without a doubt, the best Frank Sinatra Christmas CD available.The album was originally recorded in 1957, when Frank was arguably at the peak of his singing ability.The first side featured secular Christmas songs, while side two featured religious Christmas songs.They are all well sung by Frank, although he didn't seem to have the affinity for Christmas music that Bing Crosby did.The CD has two bonus songs, which are "White Christmas" and "The Christmas Waltz".These songs were released on a single in 1954, three years before the album was recorded.If you want to hear Frank Sinatra sing Christmas songs, this is the CD to get.

close your eyes and relax
I never write reviews, but some of these people so missed the mark on reviewing this album, I had to say something.I've had this album forever--since it came out on LP and it is a cherished part of my Christmas listening.This is an album to sit back, drink a glass of wine ( or egg nog ), and muse about your great Christmas memories.It's not meant to be a ho,ho,ho,jingle bells kind of an album.As far as I'm concerned this is Frank at his nostalgic best!

Memories of Francis
I am very sentimental about this album. Once I had read about Frank Sinatra's enthusiam whenever he recorded a Christmas album. Francis always delivered. He wrote part of "Mistletoe and Holly." "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and "Silent Night" melt the heart of the listener every year. I am guilty of pulling this album out in July. Let's face it, "Jingle Bells" swings. Gordon Jenkins and Nelson Riddle make their imprint in their arrangements to this Capitol concept album. This was the selling Sinatra album of the 1950's. ... Read more

Asin: B00002DECG
Sales Rank: 45397
Subjects:  1. Christmas    2. Christmas / Chanukkah    3. Holiday    4. Pop    5. Traditional Pop    6. Vocal Jazz   

Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (11 July, 1989)
list price: $10.98
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Editorial Review

It'd be hard to imagine a happier wish than the one this jazz vocal legend wishes her listeners on this urbane-yet-homey collection of holiday favorites. The First Lady of Song recorded these tunes in 1960, at the peak of her interpretive powers. As such, she puts her singular stamp on everything from a sultry vamp like "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve" to the sweet and cozy "The Christmas Song." Even potentially shopworn standards like "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" sound fresher when they're coming from Ella Fitzgerald. --David Sprague ... Read more

Reviews (29)

Ella does really swing
Incredibly swinging big band, brilliant arrangements and Ella's smooth, perfectionate singing makes this album surely one of the best Christmas albums ever. You can just enjoy the jazz, the Christmas songs, Ella's grooove or everything together, it works!

not necessarily a must-have
I hate to disagree with so many reviewers, but I definitely don't think this collection is worth owning.I am a huge Ella fan, and own almost all of the songbooks, but this collection doesn't seem to capture the magic of Ella's voice the way some of those other albums do.I bought it, thinking no Ella album could be disappointing, but I was unfortunately wrong.The recordings seem tossed off and don't allow her voice to be fully appreciated.I admit that I generally prefer Ella's ballads to the more up-tempo jazz numbers, so I may simply be biased against this collection.But I find that Christmas songs by Bing Crosby and Burl Ives work better and are more universally loved because the songs compliment their voices more.

If you must own everything Ella ever recorded, by all means, buy this album.But for the more casual Ella fan, I think that Ella's talents are wasted on most of these songs, so I recommend that you invest in one of her songbooks and a copy of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" instead.

One of the Best Holiday CDs Ever
Most years I kick myself because I forget to get out my Christmas CDs and listen to them.This year I remembered and ended up overdosing on Xmas music.Just when I thought I couldn't stand another Xmas song, I put on this CD again.It's such a great and fresh CD that I can listen to it over and over again, even after I'm burned out on Xmas music.It just has such a terrific, swinging, urbane sound.When she sings, "Hang your head down Rudy," in "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer," I get tingles.It's the only Ella CD I have, but it makes me want to get more of her music.Highly recommended for people looking for jazzy Holiday music. ... Read more

Asin: B0000046YM
Subjects:  1. Ballads    2. Bop    3. Christmas    4. Christmas / Chanukkah    5. Holiday    6. Pop    7. Standards    8. Swing    9. Traditional Pop    10. Vocal Jazz   

The Christmas song
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (24 August, 1999)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $10.99
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Editorial Review

Like Bing Crosby's "White Christmas," Nat Cole's "The Christmas Song" stands as one of two or three pillars of holiday music. This collection of songs and greetings includes another technologically induced daughter-father duet on Mel Torme's classic hit as well daddy Cole's 1961 version of the tune. Fans of both Natalie and her dad will put this on the top of their wish lists. Two previously unreleased tracks--"God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman" and "O Come All Ye Faithful"--will prompt a lot of lovers of Christmas music to fall in love again with Cole's incomparable style and timeless voice. --Martin Keller ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (30)

"CHRISTMAS BELLS ARE RINGING"!
stuck on a tropical island on Christmas day?make a wish & you'll get this!that's right, the chorus to "Caroling, Caroling" might as well be the sound of a million gifts opening on Christmas day & yella cookies baking.i've heard this every year since birth & perhaps before...it's that eternal.nothing melts the heart like Nat's velvet voice, so it's custom-made for Christmas.besides being the finest Christmas record, it's also one of the finest records ever.i'd really love a copy of this on vinyl for added warmth.

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire" is the opening line of this album,originally released in late 1963. THE CHRISTMAS SONG is one of the late Nat King Cole's best all-time recordings next to RAMBLIN' ROSE,UNFORGETTABLE and I DON'T WANT TO BE HURT ANYMORE. This Capitol Records album still sells well every holiday season. Originally available in both mono and stereo,the LP had 14 tracks. It was re-issued in 1999 with six bonus previously unreleased tracks(posthumously,Cole passed away in 1965). On the cover,Cole is comfortably seated by a fireplace with a Christmas tree surrounded by wrapped gifts nearby. I hear THE CHRISTMAS SONG over the satellite feed at my workplace. This album won a gold Grammy because a minimum of one million copies,but less than two million,of the album were sold in 1963. Some copies of this album display the RIAA(Recording Industry Association of America) Gold Record Award logo on the cover.

All heart.
Singing traditional Christmas songs with dignity and feeling, this Nat King Cole holiday album gloriously captures the spirit of the season.Without fireworks, improvisations, catchy rhythms, or unusual variations, Cole gives us songs full of love in his relaxed and unpretentious style.Accompanied by two orchestras and choruses, which are directed by Ralph Carmichael, Cole still manages to keep his style simple and the songs "clean,"sometimes slowing the lyrics in order to make them more expressive of the meaning.

"The Christmas Song," written by Mel Torme has always been Cole's biggest Christmas hit, beautifully sung to an accompaniment of piano and strings."O Holy Night," with a 27-string orchestra, maintains its sense of quiet awe, instead of becoming loudly triumphant (as it is in many other recordings), while "Adeste Fidelis," sung partly in Latin, speaks to the listener on a personal level and invites him/her to "come, let us adore him," instead of demanding it.The jaunty "I Saw Three Ships" and "The First Noel" are sung with an a capella chorus, and two less-recorded songs, "A Cradle in Bethlehem," from England, and "Caroling, Caroling," written in the US by A. E. Burt add new songs to the Christmas repertoire.

The orchestra and choruses here, while large, are used to highlight Nat King Cole's vocal interpretations, instead of making their own statements, and the use of bells, bell lyre, flutes, and harp often add depth to the background while adding emphasis to the lyrics.Traditional and restrained, Cole's album honors the season and its message, an album one could listen to all day without tiring.Mary Whipple
... Read more

Asin: B00000JPM5
Subjects:  1. Christmas / Chanukkah    2. Pop   

A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (08 December, 1990)
list price: $17.98 -- our price: $14.99
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Editorial Review

This lavish holiday set has been called the greatest rock & roll Christmas album of all time. That's an opinion that's tough to argue with when you find yourself immersed in the massive sounds painstakingly crafted by legendary producer Phil Spector. His "wall-of-sound" technique is perfectly suited to the music of the season, as he proves with layer upon layer of piano, sleigh bells, buoyant percussion, and, of course, those legendary Spectorsound harmonies. The Crystals turn their sassy interplay into sheer magic on "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town," The Ronettes stroll sweetly through numbers like "Sleigh Ride," while Darlene Love delivers a real knockout punch with her yearning version of "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)." Sure to become the soundtrack for your holidays. --David Sprague ... Read more

Reviews (43)

Killer!!!
This CD really is excellent!!! I have never heard a killer production like this one. This really is a killer. Killer, killer, killer!!! Need I say more? Get it, there won't be any more releases by this producer!!!

A Christmas Gift for You-and you-and you-and you
It took me one year to find this CD after watching Darlene Love on Letterman December of 2003. I ordered one CD for my brother who has 3 girls ages 5-13 and took another CD to work. We couldn't wait until the day AFTER Thanksgiving: we cranked it up the day BEFORE Thanksgiving! THIS IS SUCH A GREAT SING-ALONG. You simply cannot have a "blue, blu-u-u-e XMAS" listening to this CD.

An Orginial Spector Devotee
I grew up in the 50s and 60s loving Rock 'n Roll and loving Phil Spector's Rock especially. His Christmas album is a yearly treat for me. I don't play my vinyl anymore (purchased just days before President Kennedy's assassination in November 1963); I don't play my cassette tape anymore; I've graduated to disc.And this will be my 41st Christmas with the Spector gang...they're family.
The greatest Christmas album to be sure.I would also put it in the league of a top-ten album of all time. The renditions and arrangements remain fresh after all these years.We hear Darlene Love and Ronnie Spector in their "glory days" with all the optimism the youth of the 60s shared before the realities of dead presidents and adulthood encroached on us.You hear Spector at his best muscially, before his productions become muddy or overwrought. Although each song on the album is a jewel, three stand out for me:Darlene's "Christmas Baby..." by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich stands out because it was written especially for this album and it is the surprise tour de force of this collection.Not only does it work with the traditional songs, but it has become Darlene Love's signature to this day when she apppears each Christmas season on the Letterman Show.My second pick is "The Bells of St. Mary's".A somewhat unconventional choice for a Chirstmas album --- because it's not a traditional Christmas song ... again, this choice works with Darlene and Bobby Sheen and Fatima James (known on the label as Bobby Sox & the Blue Jeans).It works in a spectacular way because the arrangement is inspired, the vocal lines and performances soar and the drum work (Hal Blaine, I believe) is brilliant.Listen to the final few bars and fade-out on this track---- have you ever heard drum work like that?
My third, and final, is "Silent Night".This was a discovery I made after years of ignoring this track.If you could remove Phil's silly narrative and listen soley to the music, what you would hear is one of the most beautiful renditions of this song recorded; it's silvery and transparent and yet we know that thechorus is peopled by the entire Phil Spector stable of singers (including Cher, who sang background in those days); the effect is transcendent.
This album is forever fresh, forever young and forever one of my favorites.If, God forbid, I had to leave my home for fire or flood or locusts, THIS album (vinyl, cassette and disc) would be among the possessions under my arm. ... Read more

Asin: B000003BD7
Subjects:  1. Christmas / Chanukkah    2. Pop   

Roomful of Christmas
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (09 September, 1997)
list price: $14.98
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Editorial Review

One of America's leading roadhouse combos covers a delicious batch of R&B Christmas songs, from Fats Domino's "I Told Santa Claus" to Jesse Belvin's "I Want You with Me Christmas" and Lowell Fulson's "I Want to Spend Christmas with You." Roomful of Blues give "White Christmas" a New Orleans sound and stay faithful to the rest of the tunes here, wielding their horns, guitars, and big beats in such standards as "Let It Snow" and "Run, Rudolph, Run." The only real surprise here is "Good Morning Blues"--and the fact that some of the covers sound a little too much like the originals. Odd given the fact that the coolest Christmas covers are the ones that have been reinvented. --Martin Keller ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Really 4.5 Stars ...Just an excellent Christmas collection
The previous reviews are certainly better than mine in giving you the various technical & artistic reasons as to why you should purchase or not purchase this CD.IMHO, I recommend purchasing this CD.While I don't give out 5 stars to anything, because I view it as a theorectical limit that can only be approached but never achieved, this CD is, without reservation, a 4.5 star CD.

Hello Marketing People .... read this... downloaded both of the free "Roomful of Blues" Christmas MP3s *and* decided to buy the CD!I was just going to purchase the CD single.But I took the dive and purchased the "Roomful of Christmas" CD, absolutely no regrets.I have been playing it every morning since I received it 2 days ago.I have been playing the free MP3 tracks longer than that.

Just good, solid, & pleasant...just wanted I wanted in a Christmas but not sugar-cuteness.Good music is timeless and worthy to be played and sung by different artists.For whatever reason, I love their spin on "White Christmas".

They are excellent muscians.The vocals are greats and love the brass!Can't wait to share with my son the budding trombone player!

I can't wait to buy another "Roomful of Blues" CD, but which one....

Marketing People Read : Free MP3 downloads work.

Have Yourself A Bluesy Little Christmas!!!
Roomful of Christmas is Roomful of Blues at their best---full of soul, full of horns, full of sound--and the incomparable Sugar Ray Norcia is singing lead!!! How good can it get? Just start with "The Christmas Song", quiet and ever so soulful, the famous horns giving Sugar Ray and his silken vocals all the room they need. Fabulous!!Chuck Berry's "Run Rudolph Run" is given a fresh, new workout, while "Christmas Celebration" features the classic Roomful arrangements and sounds as if it's been taken straight from their classic 1994 release Turn It On! Turn It Up!! Outstanding! "Let It Snow..." finds Sugar Ray and Co. at their most romantic and funloving, while "White Christmas" is given a New Orleans style treatment and a falsetto intro. (The falsetto is unnecessary; I think the song works better without it.) Best of all is Roomful's cover of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," first sung by Judy Garland in the movie Meet Me in St. Louis and featuring Sugar Ray crooning with all his might (and considerable polish, to boot!). Wonderful, simply wonderful!!! So, get Roomful of Christmas quickly before the holidays end, and fill up your rooms with their soulful yuletide sound!!!

Add a little R&B to your Christmas
For not being nationally known these guys have sustained for a very long time.You won't hear me complain about their longevity.If you just want to stick this disk in your machine and listen intently, or turn it down and have it as background music, it's just good to hear. When it's Roomful of Blues, you can count on some great sounds. ... Read more

Asin: B0000004CJ
Subjects:  1. Christmas    2. Christmas / Chanukkah    3. Holiday    4. Modern Electric Blues    5. Pop   

Cool Xmas Blues
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (07 October, 1994)
list price: $14.98 -- our price: $14.98
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

Charles Brown is responsible for one of the bluesiest Christmas tunes ever, "Please Come Home for Christmas." Countless individuals and groups have covered this heartbreak classic because it so readily embraces the theme of being home for the holidays with loved ones. Brown's golden hit is just one of the highlights on his 1994 Christmas album, along with "Merry Christmas, Baby," a blues tune almost as popular as "Please Come Home for Christmas." Some of the newer tunes he's written for this record are almost as savory, including "Christmas Comes but Once a Year," a rockin' little number featuring the legendary Johnny Otis on vibes; the jazzy, six-minute-plus meditation on the holiday "A Song for Christmas"; and a couple of forthright love songs, not to mention "Christmas in Heaven" and "Bringing In a Brand New Year." --Martin Keller ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Ten Stars
A great blues album that happens to be a christmas album. This is the best Christmas cd in my collection.

You will never regret buying this cd.

If you like Christmas and you like the blues...
If you like Christmas and you like the blues, then you'll LOVE this album.

I have something like a hundred Christmas albums (it's a hobby) and this one is right at the top of the pile.

It's great. Certainly one of the coolest Christmas albums ever.

com"YULE"ation Cleric :BigFlake YULE
This disc and it`s tracks compare closely to that first all day snowfall with big flakes, the kind you rush outside to try and catch with your tongue. Mr. Brown crafts Christmas Yuletides in the cool smooth blues style, timeless and classy.After 5o years of playing, his music flows freely between jazz,blues,and r&b with honesty and orignality that sets mastercraftsmen apart. Take the biggest flake " A Song For Christmas" at 6:15 in length the track was not intended for any radio airplay, rather as a testimonial from artist to listener tout`n the best virtues of the season.So when ya get a case of the blahs, pour youself a hot toddy, play this disc, and let Charles melt the worries away.Merrily Mix ~ 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,and 11 ~ no bahhumbugs here. Post Script: This is a National Yuletide Treasure, cherish it`s insight please.***buyit*saveit*shareit*giveit*donateit to the local library*** ... Read more

Asin: B0000004BF
Subjects:  1. Christmas / Chanukkah    2. Pop