3 comments about Christmas with Juanita Bynum.

1. First let me start by saying that I love Prophetess Bynum. I think that she has an awesome anointing upon her.
   
   Secondly - After purchasing "A Piece Of My Passion" and being blown away by that awesome worship album, I was thouroughly dissapointed in this Christmas cd. It fell short with only 10 songs on the cd. In my humble opinion, it appears to be a rushed effort. As if they decided one weekend to record a cd and just ran with it. Her collection of standard Christmas classics were okay, I just expected more from this woman who's a mighty worshipper. In all honesty, it does not even sound like her. It's as if she is singing the majority of the songs in falsetto.
   
   Of the 10 songs, the only one that touched me was #5 (Oh Come Let Us Adore Him). She got into worship mode a little on that one and it really moved me. Her take on Oh Holy Nite is good also.
   
   On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best, I'd give this one a 4!!



2. Junanita bynum her voice soars & shines brightly on this awesome christmascd a must buy cd & one of the best christmas cds of 06. A must buy cd.



3. I bought this CD a few weeks before Christmas and was not as moved as I have been by her other albums namely because the majority are remakes of classics. I guess I expected more originality.
   HOWEVER, her voice is awesome; the renditions are great. Bynum will always pursue excellence in all she does and this is still a great item to add to your collection.

No comments about Reference Classics.

3 comments about Snow Angel.

1. I got this on cassette way back in it's "early days". I was so thrilled to see it released in CD. It is heart warming, loving and brings the holiday home to your heart where it belongs. So forget the hustle and bustle of the season, put on this CD, light a fire, uncork the wine and snuggle up on the sofa with someone you love!!! This is a must have for EVERYONE who celebrates the season! Way to go, Cris!!!!



2. One of the best holiday CDs ever. It takes you back into your childhood memories of holidays past. Cris' voice is awesome on every track. The medley is especially nice as is Hard Rock Candy Christmas.



3. I had this album as a cassette and loved it. It was my favorite Christmas album and has wonderful, warm songs Cris wrote that you can hear no where else. In addition to her writing ability, Cris has an incredible voice. I had not found the CD until now and have missed those songs. So, I am buying the CD.

2 comments about The Butcher Boy: Motion Picture Soundtrack.

1. A soundtrack that's short (under 40 minutes) but sweetly twisted, this CD includes all the familiar melodies from the film, as well as Eliot Goldenthal's nightmarish circus music and bawdy takes on the "Butcher Boy" theme. Essential listening, even if you haven't seen the movie. My only complain, why leave off Sinead O'Connor's version of "Bundoran"?



2. On my one there are 15 pieces but they are all brilliant.They bunged off Beautiful Bundoran because Sinead O Connor can't sing

5 comments about Personal Christmas Collection.

1. If you're a child of the 50's or 60's, this Christmas CD will absolutely delight you. No matter what your music preference is, Andy Williams drums up the best memories of Christmas. This CD will definitely put you in the mood for Christmas. My children fell in love with it!



2. When I was growing up, Andy Williams' "red" yuletide album was the quintessential Christmas record. The instantly recognizable opening chords of the joyful number "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" always greeted us first thing Christmas morning.

   Mr. Williams' "Personal Christmas Collection" combines the best of the red album (simply titled "Christmas Album") with hits from his very popular green album (entitled "Merry Christmas"). The Collection is a merry combination of both secular and sacred favorites, and an enthusiastic ode to some of the best holiday music ever written and recorded.

   Pick up a copy and start a new tradition of your own!




3. Can't decide on whether to pick up 1963s "The Christmas Album" or 1965s "Merry Christmas"? Well then this collection, from 1994, may be the way to go. It pulls together many of the best tracks from both those classic releases plus another four tracks from his 1973 third and final holiday release for Columbia, "Christmas Present". Andy Williams has always been a wonderful interpreter of Christmas music, able to handle both the contemporary standards and traditional numbers. His definitive recordings of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" and "Happy Holiday/The Holiday Season" are included here, along with other numbers that seem linked to Williams forever: "Silver Bells", "My Favorite Things" being two examples.

   My only wish is that they had included a few more tracks - while 15 selections may seem like a generous offering, with most of the songs clocking in under 3 minutes we're still left with less than 40 minutes of play time. Certainly there is room for frantic "Kay Thompson's Jingle Bells", "Some Children See Him", and the touching "Sweet Little Jesus Boy". Better yet release both "Andy Williams Christmas Album" (aka the "red" album) and "Merry Christmas" (the "green" album) on one CD. That's the ticket!

   Still this is the best of the best from one of the true voices of Christmas and certainly the way to go if you're only going to get ONE Andy Williams Christmas CD.




4. My husband surprised me with this record before Christmas and I absolutely love it. If you grew up in the 60s, it's hard to imagine a household from that era that didn't have at least one of Williams' holiday albums to enjoy. This one is such a nice combination of secular and sacred Christmas music and we just love it. I'm so glad that we found this record so that we can pass on the holiday tradition to our own children. What a great way to celebrate the season!



5. Add a little class to your holidays. Andy is as Andy does and he does
   bring cheer and a touch of yesteryear with this album.

2 comments about Christmas With Kiri Te Kanawa - Kiri Te Kanawa, Michael George,.

1. I was delighted with this DVD. Te Kanawa's voice is radiant, and she is beautiful and dressed elegantly for the season. The DVD has a great deal of variety featuring a singer with a marvelous bass voice, superb orchestra, and a boys' and men' chorus that are all well-trained. I plan to watch and listen to this wonderful DVD for many years to come. I love to hear the standard and familiar Christmas carols, as well as some more unfamiliar ones that are included. Thumbs up on this one.



2. I first experienced this concert six years ago in a television adaptation, where each carol was introduced by David Frost with an astonishing amount of misinformation. Even with that intrusion, Kiri te Kanawa's performance of such carols as "There is no Rose of Such Virtue" and "Of the Father's Heart Begotten" was superlative, and on this DVD, Christmas with Dame Kiri can be savored without commentary. She is well supported by the choirs of Coventry and Lichfield Cathedrals, by the BBC Philharmonic, and by the trumpet of Jouko Harjanne. She is perfectly complemented by bass-baritone Michael George, who deserves more acknowledgement in the packaging of the DVD. Kultur International is furthermore quite Scrooge-like in failing to provide any information about the versions of carols performed here, but that's my final "humbug" for this item. Kiri te Kanawa and Michael George perform with sincerity and art, the recording is good, and the camerawork and editing are satisfying, with panoramas of the cathedral juxtaposed with Graham Sutherland's Christ the King, and candle flames that resonate like the music itself.

5 comments about A Sesame Street Christmas.

1. Unlike some of the reviewers who are looking for more nostalgic reasons, I'm happy to hear Elmo, Zoe, and the likes because it's what gets my 21-month old's attention. Even better, I like the music as well. It has many classic Christmas songs that I can sing along to with my kids. It's good family fun.



2. I really enjoy this product with my kids. It wasn't the full length thing like my record, but enough to bring back some memories.



3. This was my first Christmas albumn 30 years ago and now my 4 year old daughter and I can enjoy it together. She loves it so much that we listen to it year round. Sesame Street never goes out of style.



4. I bought this for my 2-year-old daughter this year for Christmas. It has a few cute songs, and a few that she asked for by name, but others we skipped like Oscar's "I Hate Christmas," not because we are those freak type of parents, but because of our toddler's tendency to repeat words she hears repeatedly and I didn't want the word "hate" on her shortlist, even though she has no idea what it means.
   
   Maybe next year they'll come out with a new collection of holiday songs with more traditional songs for little ones just learning the words.



5. I saw the titles of the songs on this recording and was hoping to hear the original stuff from 1975, but was disheartened to find out that the CD has been sabotaged by Elmo! Yikes! Elmo is not in every song, but does sing in many of them. Sorry, we're just not an Elmo fan here.

5 comments about Our Favorite Things.

1. Placido Domingo has done several holiday concert special for PBS over the years. The ones I've seen usually pair him with Jose Carreras on the classical end and maybe one pop diva like Dionne Warwick or Diana Ross. That makes for a mixed bag, and maybe a few awkward moments when the vocal styles don't quite mesh. But with the visuals, the glitz and glamour of the stars usually make these spectacles enjoyable enough.
   
   I've never seen the DVD version of this concert, which also aired of PBS, as I understand it. But I'll wager it works better with the visuals. As a pure listening experience, OUR FAVORITE THINGS comes up short. Domingo is really the only singer who is in top form for the occasion, and his Spanish language carols (probably unfamiliar to most American listeners) are a real treat. Tony Bennett, who has been fine in other recent broadcasts and recordings, sounds a bit hoarse here. He improves as the concert progresses, but he relies more on phrasing than chops and is at a disadvantage when duetting with Domingo. (On the other hand, Domingo's noticeable discomfort with idiomatic American English weakens his performance on tracks like "My Favorite Things" and "I'll Be Home For Christmas").
   
   On the distaff side we have Charlotte Church and Vanessa Williams, whose work I am less familiar with. Church sounds a little nervous and out of her depth when duetting with Domingo. She has a pleasant enough voice, which I hope she does not subject to too much strain before reaching her potential. I am not an expert in these matters, but I have been told by classical singers that too much too soon can be disastrous for a developing voice.
   
   Williams is less distinctive a pop singer than, say, Dionne Warwick or Diana Ross, who could at least begin to hold their own against the classical singers in those previous holiday concerts. She has her moments, but even her duet with Tony Bennett on "White Christmas" seems a bit strained.
   
   Fans of the individual singers featured here may well want to purchase this CD, but (even without having seen it), I'm betting that the DVD would be a wiser purchase. With the visuals of Vienna, the concert hall, the gowns and the glitter, I'm guessing it holds up a bit better. Strictly on a musical level, though, this is none of the stars' shining hour.



2. ONE AT A TIME IF YOU PLEASE!!!!
   
   This disc includes four of the best voices of our day, BUT they simply do not belong together in one program!!!!Somehow hearing 'O Holy Night' by two classical sounding singers following 'The Christmas Song' sung by a jazz-pop singer doesn't 'light my fire'. Now if you offered me a complete album of anyone of these singers, I probably would take it and enjoy it. Obviously, this is a money-making venture of the extreme sort; after all(say the great commercial powers) if you don't like Tony Bennett, then you have Placido Domingo etc. etc. etc. As I recall the same type disc was recorded 2 years ago (1998) with four diverse singers, Domingo again included.
   
   Oh well, the individual contributions are, for the most part enjoyable, but you will notice I did say: for the most part.



3. Maybe you had to be at the performance to appreciate it. Perhaps the concert itself, with the presence of these four performers, had some sort of flow and dazzle.
   
   But this CD is merely a strange assortment of singers, songs, and stylings, in no particular order. For instance: Placido Domingo's Jesus de Nazareth (the reason I'm giving this three stars instead of two) - followed by Tony Bennett and Vanessa Williams warbling a swinging "Winter Wonderland." Which detracts from my enjoyment of both those pieces.
   
   And then there are the inexcusable versions of "Angels We Have Heard on High" and "Silent Night," in which Tony Bennett's voice is just not up to the music anymore. It should have been obvious during rehearsals, and Bennett removed from the ensemble or given easier solos, or other songs selected. (And I still love him as a singer, just hate to see his aging voice be bested by the wrong music. In public.)
   
   It is an odd little CD, as is suggested by the cover. I found it in a bargain bin and was puzzled by the selection of these four performers, and decided to buy it and find out how well it worked. I'm so glad I didn't pay full price.



4. My favorite holiday music performed by top professionals and the gifted Charlotte Church. The amazing abilities of the featured artists supported by the magnificent orchestra and chorus make this an album that I wait all year to hear.



5. An odd assortment of singers you never thought of putting together, come together to produce a truly delightful Christmas concert. The visuals are beautiful to look at as well.

2 comments about Christmas Everywhere.

1. The irresistable Petty Booka bring their warm, unintentionally wacky charm to a collection of perfectly chosen Christmas tunes. From standards like "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" to John Prine's unusual "Christmas in Prison" to a coconut-scented "Christmas Island," Petty Booka delight, bringing a bit of Christmas cheer to any day of any month. With instrumentation ranging from an island sparse ukulele, slack-key guitar and bass combo to orchestrations that would do any arranger proud, Christmas Everywhere is a joy of a record. My choice for stand-out hit single is a Cuban 40s big band mambo version (sung in Japanese!) of "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer." Incredible fun! This is definitely one "Christmas" record that can be played all year long!!



2. Petty Booka is a Japanese girl ukulele duo. On this CD they sing American Christmas songs. There is something cute about girls with Japanese accents singing in English. "Cute" is actually a good description for the whole CD. It's a lot of fun, and if you are looking for a Christmas CD that is a little "different", you should check it out. I should mention that the CD is only 30 minutes long, and the last two songs are duplicates of songs that appear elsewhere on the album, but this time with Japanese lyrics.

2 comments about Christmas Collection: 20th Century Masters.

1. What can one say about Boyz II Men that hasn't already been said? i remember i had this record in college, and used to always bump it @ Christmas, and through the year. This is one of those Christmas albums that should go down as timeless. I believe they were @ the top of their game, musically, vocally and mentally. And this is one of those albums that does not negate the real reason for Christmas, Jesus Christ. It's not a gospel album, but a love album and it'd be great for you and your signifcant other, a christmas party or driving on those cold winter days. The entire album is AWESOME! I highly recommend you purchase this to include in your holiday collection b/c u will listen to it throughout the year as well. Peace and love



2. Lovely, smooth R&B voices that bring these Holiday classics (and some new tunes) to the forefront of Christmas Music collections.