5 comments about On Christmas Night.

1. I first became aware of Cherish the Ladies when Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops released a collection of Celtic music which features the group as guest soloists. I later saw a slide show of images of Ireland set to their music. It was at that point I was hooked on their music. The music of the group has an authentic Irish feeling to it, but it's not the same old same old that so many recording artist claiming to be Celtic produce. The ballads, jigs, and reels are authentic and original, and in the case of works that the group did not compose, performed in a new manner. The group brings these same qualities to its Christmas collection ON CHRISTMAS NIGHT.
   
   The arrangements of the holiday music are similar to their other recordings. Some of the music is grouped in medleys while others are stand alone works. The arrangements vary in content. Some contain vocals while others are instrumental, and as always, the familiar is blended with the lesser known which creates a great listening experience.
   
   Ireland may not be known for its rich treasury of Christmas music. There is the "Wexford Carol" and "Christmas in Killarney" but while risking blaspheming the name of Bing Crosby, I'm not sure the latter can be considered immortal. This recording demonstrates how Christmas music is truly at home in Irish music and listening to it can almost transport a person to a pub in Ireland during the Christmas season, enjoying the company of friends and quenching thirst with a pint of Guinness. I suppose I sound like one of the "all of the folks at home" mentioned in the song "Christmas in Killarney," but the music of Cherish the Ladies can transport me back to Ireland and this collection can give the listener a feeling of Christmas in Ireland.



2. I played this cd all through the month of December and really enjoyed it. I never tired of it. I saw this cd advertised in a magazine. The review of it caught my attention, so I checked it out on Amazon. I purchased three, one for me and gave the other two as gifts. The music is lively and soft when it needs to be. On Christmas Night gives a new sound and tempo to the old carols. It also reminds me of the music of colonial America.



3. I love this CD. I'm on Amazon checking out other 'Cherish the Ladies' CDs because I adore this CD so much. I received it as a gift last year and it is my favorite Christmas CD. Enjoy!



4. I'm not a huge fan of Cherish the Ladies and all their music, though no one can say they lack talent. However, their Christmas album is exquisite, with very lively tunes that we all know, and a few that most people have never even heard. Being an extreme traditional Celtic music fan, this is the Christmas CD I had been looking for.



5. The singer's voice on this cd is incredible. I had never heard of the group, went to see them at the UMASS Fine Arts Center and decided to buy the cd. ($20 at the concert, $10 at Amazon!) They were awesome in person with lots of stories and dancing to accompany but the music does speak for itself also!
   
   My only disappointment was Amazon. Not up to their usual great selling process. I actually ordered 3 cds then opened the package to wrap gifts and only found one, with a broken case! That was a bummer but the music did not disappoint. If you ever get a chance to see the ladies in person, do not pass it up!

No comments about 15 Christmas Music Box Favorites.

5 comments about Kids Sing Christmas Best.

1. I have just heard this CD for the very first time. I am touched and impressed by the very professional job done by these kids. In particular, I enjoyed Travis Clayton's renditions of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" and "Winter Wonderland." Take a listen; I am sure you will enjoy it!



2. This CD is one of the worst I've heard. It sounds like a bad Al Albert's Showcase. A few of the songs are ok, but overall it was not money well-spent. "Winter Wonderland" is by far the worst. The male singer (who sounds more manly than boyish) talks his way through it. My 2 year old daughter and I can't even get through the song. My advice would be to look elsewhere for Christmas music.!



3. I am a music teacher and I just bought this CD for my students to sing along with in class. I can't even bear to listen to the vocals and will not be sharing this one with my classes. I have many other CDs where the chidren singing are in tune, which I cannot say about this one.



4. This is a briliant Christmas CD. Sung by kids it appeals to children. The non professional singing is especially charming. Your kids will love it!



5. I have never written a review of any product before but I just felt it would be criminal not to warn you. Do not buy this CD!!! I should have known to listen to the teacher's review. She is right. These kids can't carry a tune and the arrangements are horrible. My grandkids and I sound better. Here We Come A-Caroling is the only song that I can listen to even part of the way through. As for the rest, the 15 to 20 second preview that you can listen to before you buy is all you will ever want to hear. Save your money!!!

No comments about The Plays the Music of the Rolling Stones.

No comments about Hymns from Hereford.

5 comments about When It Snows.

1. What a relief to add a new CD to my Blenders collection! I have enjoyed these guys since the beginning back in Fargo, North Dakota. Their music seems to get better and better! I especially enjoyed the peppy re-mix versions of some old Christmas classics. This CD will make a nice addition to anyone's holiday collection, whether they are a Blenders fan or not.



2. When It Snows is a MUST HAVE for your collection! Filled with The Blenders incredible arrangements and harmonies, this CD will make you laugh, cry, and sigh with utter contentment. If you love NOG you will love this CD as well, it is every bit as good and (if my kids' reactions are any indication)even more fun. If you don't own NOG yet, you are totally missing out, you need to buy both of them right away! As an avid collector of Christmas music (a cappella and otherwise) I can assure you, it just doesn't get any better than this!!!



3. I have to admit that I'm NOT a big fan of Christmas albums. But, these guys give it an extra upbeat kick. And their voices do, uh, blend (sorry, had to say it) so well. Had me tapping my feet and singing along the first time I heard it. Very proud of these guys who grew up where I did.



4. If you enjoy listening to ridiculously tight harmonies, and a splash of hip hop every once in awhile, you'll love this CD. A few carols are sung quite traditionally, others are punched up nicely, many are a cappella, many have a pleasant musical accompaniment.

   It will make a nice addition to your Christmas music collection!




5. The Blenders have hit all the right notes. Every time I have played the CD "When It Snows" my friends have wanted to go out and buy the CD for themselves, AND they want to buy a CD for all of thier friends.

5 comments about Andrea McArdle's Family Christmas.

1. I bought this CD the minute I found out about it's existence. Once again, Andrea McArdle has a winner. This time she shares the stage with her daughter Alexis, her brother Michael, and a wonderful childrens chorus. My kids and I have been listening to this CD non-stop for the past two months -- and Christmas is long gone. The selection of songs is fabulous, the arrangements are great, and anything Andrea sings is pure heaven.



2. Andrea McArdle's Family Christmas is a wonderful Christmas CD. The most obvious reason to by this CD is that you are treated to the clear, powerful, beautiful voice of Andrea McArdle. Ms. McArdle's voice is absolutely mesmerizing from the high energy opening "We Need a Little Christmas" to her absolutely gorgeous rendition of "The Christmas Song." Ms. McArdle has the ability to fill a song with an array of emotion. She has complete control of her voice with the skill to go from a breathtaking whisper to an unbelievably strong belt. Ms. McArdle is truly one of the most gifted artists of our time. Not only is Ms. McArdle extremely talented, she is part of a very talented family as well. The music on this CD is beautifully and creatively arranged by Ms. McArdle's husband Edd Kalehoff. Ms. McArdle's daughter Alexis Kalehoff has a beautiful, natural voice that is sure to become even more enchanting as she matures. Michael McArdle, Andrea's younger brother, is very, very good. Michael has several high energy Christmas songs that show off his impressive tenor voice. I would not be a bit surprised if we hear more about Michael in the years to come. I strongly recommend buying this CD. I have owned the CD since December 1999 and I still find myself popping it into my CD player in April! If anyone needs one more reason to look forward to Christmas, well here it is, Andrea McArdle's Family Christmas. This CD will bring you and your family pleasure for years to come and will be an excellent addition to any Christmas CD collection.



3. Andrea McAredle's Family Christmas is a fabulous Cd and a must have for any holiday collection! Her voice is amazing and I belive that she has more talent than most artists out there. Andrea and her family need more recognition than they recieve because they truly have the power to leave you awe-struck and inspired! This Cd will definitly have you rokin around the christmas tree!



4. ...is that Michael, Andrea's brother, is a bit fey. Since there are already two stunning women's voices featured, did we really need what seems like a third? There are some lyrics where clearly it's clearly a man singing, yet it sounds like Andrea's daughter. All I'm saying is Michael could use some testosterone injections.
   
   And it would have been nice had there been one Hanuchakah song added. (My personal choice would be "L'chaim!" from Fiddler on the Roof)



5. I could go on all day about this album, but i don't have the time.It's the ultimate x-mas and holiday album!!!
   and with the fantastic voice of A Mc A how can you go wrong !!
   Henrik

3 comments about Christmas with Roger Wagner: To Catch a Christmas Star.

1. Awesome! The arrangements are fresh and solid and the choral work is breathtaking. I recommend this CD to all my friends. "Sweet Little Jesus Boy," with Steve Amerson, tenor, just about brings tears to your eyes. The rowdy "Wassail song" is superb and "E'en so, Lord Jesus Quickly Come" will melt your heart. This is a must have CD!



2. This group and its conductor definitely deserve their fine reputation. The selections are done beautifully with energy and precision. "No Longer A Baby" has become my favorite "carol" putting the celebration of Christ's birth into its proper perspective. And this version of "Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day" is right on!



3. This CD is marvelous. REALLY good music, not the same old thing.The singing is right on and of course Roger Wagner's selections are perfect. We need a 2nd one of these from his daughter Jeannine Wagner.

5 comments about Come on Christmas.

1. I love the combination of Country and Christmas music. However, Dwight Yoakam did not seem like the obvious choice, having a voice that's more suited to lonesome material, rather than the festive fare usually associated with Christmas. Being absolutely mad about Dwight and bit of a completist this album finally did wound up in my mailbox. And I'm glad it did! Trust Dwight to make this anything but standard material. The closing track "Santa can't stay" tells of a drunk dad dressing up like Santa throwing presents at mom's new boyfriend. See what I mean? Lyrically, the other songs are more conventional as Dwight resurrects some classic Christmas songs. However, it's the arrangements that make it really work. "Away in a manger" and "Silent night" prove that Dwight really ought to bring the world a Gospel album. "Silver bells" is hauntingly beautiful because of the harmony vocals of Beth Andersen. "Here comes Santa Claus" has a Rhumba feel to it, which can't help but make you smile. Overall, this is a surprisingly original Christmas album. If only more Christmas albums were this innovative.



2. Wow! I can play Dwight at Christmas time. Stellar performance, however, more traditional Carols please!



3. excellent CD, not available in shops. Fast and prompt delivery. Excellent service!!!!!!!



4. i bought this at a garage sale years ago, and lost it recently. It is by far the most fun christmas album that exists!! Dwight makes it so much fun, you have to have it!! My kids know when they hear this, mom is in the christmas spirit!!



5. Dwight brings the Christmas spirit to you via this CD. I would have given this 5 stars but the first song is slow and depressing. Who starts off a CD with a slow song? Anyway, the rest of the music is great and creative and it is priced right.

5 comments about Acoustic Christmas.

1. This is a wonderful, eclectic mix of accoustic interpretations of holiday music. It's become a favorite of my in the last 10 years and is worth owning just for Shawn Colvin's rendition of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and Judy Collins's version of "The Little Road to Bethlehem." Only dull spot is The Hooters doing "Silent Night," which sounds like they gave it all of 5 minutes of thought. Otherwise, a fine disc for holiday listening.



2. Kinda' without the glitz or pampering found among most other merry merchandized mirth mixes made for the masses, conceptualized this recording is more like the feel'n one gets slipp'n on a favorite worn~in pair of jeans. Eleven out of twelve tracks are of super seasonal standards, with now,less than 1\2 the songsmithing remaining exclusive to this collection since it's 89~90 holiday release . Though it remains pure in an "Acoustic" vein prevalent of that decade, most every qualifying sound making tool finds inclusion somewhere, I found the multiple angelic offerings and a tilt toward the piano and strings { which figures pretty prominently throughout } tended to lead the listener along a traditional sleigh ride pulled by a bare bones horse. ~~~Merrily Mix~~~ { 1 } s,s,s, ~ stark yet compelling~ slower~ Art Thou, folky~acou ~***~ { 2 } medley ~ love song + s,s,s,~ ch ~slow piano~ Ultra Lounge L or J ~ ***1\2 ~~ { 3 }s,s,s, ~ instru~tinsel ~ roadhouse peeanoobilly ~ Ultra Lounge L or J ~**** ~~ { 4 } s,s,s, ~ ch ~ others high ~ piano soft ~ *** ~~ { 5 } s,s,s, ~ ch~ quite, yet clear ~ Art Thou ~***~~{6}s,s,s,~ instu~tinsel~ pinao ~deep digg'r~****~~{7}s,s,s,~ accordion ~muddled~**1\2 ~~ {8}seldom ~ worldly ~ fun time jamm'n loungey ~ Toz, Ultra Lounge L ~**** ~~ {9 }seldom ~ch~ tradish ~ ** ~~ {10 } YULEridGEMal ~ ch~ simple coolness ~ down with the blue story ~ Ultra Lounge J ~****~~ { 11 }s,s,s,~ guitar ~ spacey quite ~ Rock'n ~ *** ~~ { 12} s,s,s ~ bar song shout rock ~ Art Thou~ ***~~~Post Script : Only a gaint house would end a com""YULE"ation with a tune " Featuring ~ Merry Merchant Circle of Men". Not a must have, but for many not a bad choice either . Despite being so safe, an YULEtide Treasure Seeker can still load 4 overlooked GEMS. ***buyit*safeit*sharemost*donate it to the local library ***



3. In my opinion, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" sung by T Bone Burnett is worth the price of the CD. After hearing it, I looked for a Christmas CD by him alone. "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" was done in a very unique way. I wouldn't want an entire CD of this style of "shout" music, but it was the perfect ending to the CD. Several of the songs were excellent, including the songs by Harry Connick, Wynton Marsalis, and Shelleyan Orphan.

   The songs on this CD use many different acoustic intruments: piano, guitar, strings, harmonica, and so on. That is just about the only thing that these songs have in common. This CD is an eclectic collection of jazz, blues, country, folk, and traditional style Christmas carols. Some are upbeat and cheery, some are slow and soothing. The sound quality was acceptable.

   If this will be your only Christmas CD, Acoustic Christmas would not be my recommendation. However, if you have several Christmas CD's, and you are looking for something different, several of these songs will fit the bill. I recommend this CD for acoustic music lovers.




4. This is a nice compilation. My favorite by far is Roseanne Cash's lovely version of "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear." She sings it beautifully and the mandolin in the background adds a nice touch. The one that ruins it for me (and I have the tape, so I can't click past it) is the whiny and dreary "Ice" by Shellye Orphan. I was surprised that someone criticized the Hooters' "Silent Night." I thought it was an interesting version, pretty, just a bit more upbeat than usual, with nice harmony and instrumentation. Just shows you how subjective musical tastes are. Several other nice cuts from Shawn Colvin, Judy Collins, T Bone Burnett, Art Garfunkel, etc. Overall, I would recommend this CD, but get the CD version so that you can skip past that dreary "Ice" song if you hate it as much as I do!



5. "Acoustic Christmas" is a CD for the Holidays that has a mix of traditional and a few you don't hear on too many other albums. But the real treat of this album is the collection of talent to be found here. The music including the acoustical instruments and the vocals are beautiful. I think I would best describe it as easy listening that includes both spiritual and spirited Holiday tunes.
   
   T Bone Burnett opens with "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", and Laura Nyro's lovely voice does a medley of two, "Let It Be Me"(which you probably wouldn't even associate with holiday music), and then goes into a beautiful rendition of "The Christmas Song"(Chestnuts Roasting). Harry Connick doesn't sing, but does a delightful piano solo of "Winter Wonderland", taken from the sound track of "When Harry Met Sally".
   
   Adding their talents are Marcus Roberts, another piano solo arranged by Wynton Marsalis, and The Hooters doing "Silent Night" You'll immediately recognize Art Gurfunkel's style on "O Come All Ye Faithful"(2nd version on the album). Judy Collins, Shawn Colvin and Rosanne Cash, sound like the angels are singing to you. There is some wonderful guitar by from Randy Scruggs as well. (see buying info for complete list of tracks)
   
   Two others on the album that are not standards are "Ice", which is the one song on the album, I found a little depressing. Shelleyan Orphan performs, and it is quite a sad song. One that will bring the bring a definite downer to your Holiday spirit.
   But the other is lots of fun. It's "Mele Kalikimaka",a Hawaiian Christmas song, performed by Poi Dog Pondering with The Dirty Dozen Brass Band.It's a lively tune. You may remember it from "Christmas Vacation", in the scene in which Chevy Chase, is looking out the window and dreaming of what it would be like to have all his loved ones, around the pool he wanted to put in the yard. That song always reminds me of that scene and makes me smile.
   
   The CD is a good sound quality. It was too short though, at only 37 minutes. A little booklet with the names of the songs and the credits is included.
   
   Happy Holidays To Everyone....Laurie