4 comments about A Child's Hanukkah.

1. Nice sounding renditions of the traditional holiday favorites. Some songs are in english and some in hebrew or yiddish. There is a bit of patter with brief hoiday explainations which would make this a good CD for non-jews but I found the patter annoying after a bit. My kids (4 and 9) enjoyed trying to mimic the accents. I liked Just In Time For Chanukah (Margie Rosenthal and Ilene Safyan) better.



2. We bought this on the recommendation of a friend and my daughter loves it. We got it when she was 3, but her interest in it has definitely grown over the past couple of years. She listens to it year round, and I like it too!!



3. A friend sent us this CD and all of us (children were 3 and 6 years old last year) love it. Musically beautiful, and fun for the children, too.



4. What a mechayah! This CD is a great mix of old and new Hanukkah songs, in the form of a family home celebration that is not some tedious preachy trip. The kids joke around with each other, explain a lot of things to the adults, and vice versa, in normal conversation.
   
   As for the songs, there's a nice rendition of the Dreydel song with FIVE VERSES (in English) that explain the meaning of each letter in the game. Plus you can learn to count to 8 in Ladio with "Ocho Candelitas." Other songs are in Hebrew and Yiddish, while their original new song, "Hanukkah at Home" is in English with an Israeli-sounding tune.
   
   Among the other new songs are "In the Darkest Days," which tells how we light the candles in that long nights of the winter solstice, at the dark of the moon. Think about it -- Hanukkah begins on the 25th of Kislev, so Rosh Chodesh (New Moon) of the month of Tevet always falls in the middle of the holiday. Even if you live in the Southern Hemisphere (where it is summer at Hanukkah time) you still light the menorah at the dark of the moon. I'd never even thought about that until I heard this song. What a great insight!
   
   Another winter song on this CD is "In The Window," which tells how Jews in the villages of Europe (and also today) lit thier menorahs on the windowsill. The song goes through lighting the eight candles of Hanukkah and how they reflect onto the newly-fallen snow in a mellow, reflective tune that is very catchy. It's another counting-to-8 song, too.
   
   Not all the songs are so serious. There's plenty of fun and some silliness here, too. The "Hanukkah Waltz" is "lighter than latkes and smoother than schmaltz," and you can "kiss the maydl with the ladle" (Mom in the kitchen?) before you do "The Hanukkah Hop." If you are a gullible little kid who falls for the tale of the "Dance of the Leftover Latkes" your older siblings tell you, then at least "We've Gotta Lotta Latkes."
   
   The last number on this CD, "Hanukkah Remembered," is an instrumental medley of all the old favorites -- enjoyed by the parents after the kids have fallen asleep at last. All in all, it's a wonderful CD -- highly recommended!

No comments about It's Christmas Again at Longwood Gardens.

1 comments about Performs the Music of Sting.

1. I thought that The London Symphony Orchestra did a FANTASTIC job! I hope that they decide to do more of The Police and Sting's music. I hope someone of authority sees this and recommends that this be put on a CD because it would be so much easier to listen to it in my car. If it were a CD I would give it 5 stars, but it is an old fashioned audio cassette so BOO..4 stars..:)

2 comments about Martha Stewart Living: Home for the Holidays.

1. I just got this cd the other day and have already listened to it several times. I like the variety of the tracks and can picture this as background music for wrapping presents, baking (which I dont do) or for Christmas gatherings. I especially like the Nicolette Larson singing One Bright Star. I personally would have added the O Holy Night from Jewel- but Martha didnt ask me.



2. OK, so you think Martha Stewart is evil and you certainly wouldn't want anyone to know you bought a Martha Stewart Living CD. Throw away the covers and use your Sharpie to cover up her name on the CD, but listen to the music. Whoever at Rhino is putting together these compilations for Martha knows what he or she is doing. These are excellent compilations -- top artists -- terrific recordings -- really. Think of it this way -- you're contributing to the Martha Stewart Defense Fund and getting some great music in the bargain.

2 comments about Claymation Christmas Celebration.

1. THis is a great album, but be warned, don't let other sellers make you think it is a rare album and sucker you into buying it for $100! You can still get this album at Target for around $15.



2. This is the soundtrack to the Claymation Christmas special. The music is pretty good, but I have to point out that the California Raisins version of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" is a note for note copy of the Temptations version of that song. Of course, if you haven't heard the Temptations version, that won't make any difference to you. Anyway, if you enjoyed the special, you will probably also enjoy the album.

5 comments about One Family: A Christmas Album.

1. Let me start by saying that I love Kelly Price's voice and music. Unfortunately, this CD was full of one lackluster performance after another. I'm sure that she enjoyed putting these works together. The CD lacks the professional polish that it should have, however. The thing that really put it over the top as a CD that I will not keep was her performance of "Ave Maria". I simply cannot overlook the repeated and overtly mispronounced words in the song. I also don't feel that there are many songs on the CD that use all of the great qualities of her voice to it's best advantage. If you're a big Kelly Price fan, buy it used and keep it on the shelf.



2. Clearly the worse she has ever came out with! Only one good song on entire CD....



3. Kelly Price, with this Christmas album, showed once again that she can sing over any track given to her. Unfortunately, the same CANNOT be said for her guest stars. Though Mary Mary and Winona Judd turn in great performances on "Mary's Song" and "In Love At Christmas" respectively, her family on the title track show that they aren't the best singers in the world. This is especially true when Kelly's kids sing on "If I Lose Christmas", which made me lose my appetite. A rule of thumb: If your kids can't really sing, don't put them on the album!

   But I still can't front on the great performances that Kelly turns in, and as with most R&B singers, she sounds better singing gospel like on "Christmas Medley", "Go Tell It on the Mountain" and "Ave Maria". If you love Kelly's voice and can't stand her singing about people not accepting her weight size or about heartache, then this album is a good escape from her usual fare.




4. This is a CD that I feel will be worth playing for more Christmases to come. Every song is touching and very moving. The soul stirring Silent Night all the way to Ave Maria. Wonderful Kelly keep singing and you will always get my money.



5. This CD is absolutely Amazing! I purchased the CD a few years ago and have enjoyed every track, especially Ava Maria. I played my CD constantly and finally it just skipped Xmas 07...so here I am buying another one for Xmas 08! In short - I love this CD!!!

No comments about The London Symphony Orchestra Plays the Music of Abba.

5 comments about White Christmas.

1. I have really enjoyed listening to this CD, although the new CD, Christmas Peace has come out. I still thought this CD was pretty good.



2. I've read the reviews for this cd and disagree w/them. I bought this 2 years ago, and love to listen to it every Christmas. Not sure whats NOT TO LIKE?!?! Its fun, Elvis has a great voice, and it has some great songs. Please give it a try. Buy it used if you like, but this is a wonderful cd.



3. I've seen several people complain about this disc and I have to say, I don't understand it. This disc has all great songs, great sound, what more do you want? It does contain 4 of his '57 gospel songs and his '69 "Mama Liked The roses", which are non-Christmas, but I don't see the problem. They fit in well with the Christmas songs and all of his great Christmas songs are here. I highly recommend this disc.



4. I purchased this CD a few weeks ago. I didn't play it much at first. I had other Christmas CD's that I enjoy to listen to each year. However, the last few days I couldn't get enough of listening to the Elvis' White Christmas CD. I will probably listen to it for a few weeks after Christmas, since I enjoy it so much.
   
   One song that seems to strike a cord with me is "If I get Home on Christmas Day". The one line in the song about being half a world away reminds me of our troops abroad. I am surprised that this song has not gotten much, if any, air play due to this. I would have expected the radio stations to do some kind of mix of the song with holiday messages from their loved ones from abroad, as they have done with other songs over the past couple of years.
   
   Bottom line, this CD is a must buy.



5. This CD has all the songs that were released on Elvis' Christmas albums. Elvis recorded and released 20 Christmas songs during his career. All 20 Christmas songs are included here, plus 5 non-Christmas songs that were originally included on one of his Christmas albums.
   
   Eight Christmas songs were included in his original 1957 Christmas album along with the 4 Gospel songs from the "Peace In The Valley" EP. His orginal Christmas album was repackaged and re-released in 1970 with the 4 Gospel songs being replaced by "If Every Day was Like Christmas" and the non-Christmas song "Mama Liked The Roses." In 1971 his final Christmas album was released "The Wonderful World of Christmas" which included 11 Christmas songs.
   
   Elvis' performance on the songs from both versions of his Christmas album are excellent! Several of these recordings have become Christmas classics, still receiving significant radio airplay nearly 50 years after they were recorded! The songs and performances from "The Wonderful World of Christmas" are just not as strong. Elvis' voice seems to be straining on some of the songs and the material is just not as strong as the earlier recordings.
   
   If you are looking for every song that was included on an Elvis Christmas album (including non-Christmas songs), this is the collection for you. However, if you are just wanting a comprehensive collection of Elvis Christmas music, you would do better to buy the "If Every Day Was Like Christmas" CD. It contains all 20 Christmas songs found here in addition to 4 alternate takes not available anywhere else.

No comments about Children's Christmas Classics.

2 comments about Traditional & Modern Carols.

1. Paul Hillier, having lived in the U.S. for several years, developed a love for early American music, which shows in his release of the 2-volume "Early American Choral Music." This love continues in "Traditional and Modern Carols," a Christmas CD which includes several early American spirituals, as well as English songs from other eras and locales. Some of the American spirituals Hillier includes are several Shaker songs, such as the first track, "This is Jesus' Birthday," as well as "Babe of Bethlehem," and "Hail the Memorable Morn." These songs will show you why the Shakers are unjustly neglected for their contribution to American music (which includes "The Gift to be Simple" by the way). We get to hear some lovely renaissance songs as well, such as the 16th-century consort song, "Swete was the song the Virgin sang"; the beautiful 15th-century carol "Ecce, quod natur"; the immemorial "Coventry Carol"; and the beautiful French/English song "Nowell, Nowell". "Jesus Christ the Apple Tree" and a version of the Wassail ("Kentucky Wassail") are justly included as well. The Indiana University Children's Chamber Choir are a pleasure to listen to, and Paul Hillier brings out the artistry in the performers and the music as always. "Traditional and Modern Carols" is a great CD for fans of Chirstmas music who are looking for something a bit different.



2. This is a wonderful Christmas CD, especially for folks who like melodic singing that comes with songs that are not on the well beaten track. The Shaker and shape-note carols are especially invigorating. The price indicates this is a gem that hasn't been discovered. That is too bad for many traditional music lovers.