4 comments about Händel: Messiah (Highlights).

1. This recording of 1978 is an admirable and enjoyable one, but by no means the best Messiah of the hundreds available on the market. For period performances, high in contention should be Christopher Hogwood`s DECCA and L Oiseau-Lyre rendition, created with the Christchurch Choir, Oxford and Academy of Ancient Music in the height of their powers. The choir is electric, the orchestra first-class and the quality of the recording also superb.

   This recording, though, will largely please those many fans'of John Eliot Gardiner - the speeds are fast, the quality of elocution and life typically excellent, and the soloists very accomplished. A slight complaint would be the dominance of the bass in the recording. But the CD is excellent value and a very good introduction to the Messiah.




2. This was one of my first CD's. I am replacing it after 10 years of annual heavy use. We play it as we rise many Sunday's during November and December. You can put it on and hear the Christmas story and favorite parts without having to program selections from a 2 disk full Messiah. The Baroque presentation gives you a feel of what it was like to hear it played on the instruments and with the voices Handel had in mind and used in the 1700's.



3. This recording of Messiah highlights is an excellent example of the lighter, more baroque sound that we now prefer for Handel. The recordings of the late 20th century, with their all-forte choruses, are not as beautiful and delicate as this.
   However, the soloists were disappointing to me. If you like Kathleen Battle, Samuel Ramey, Sofie von Otter, and other big voices on the Messiah arias, the voices on this recording will seem inadequate.



4. I cannot fathom why anyone would settle for a handful of "highlights" from John Eliot Gardiner's magnificent recording of Handel's "Messiah," when the entire performance is available, in all its glory, on a two-disk set: Händel: Messiah
   
   I give the full performance five stars. Too many critical passages are omitted from these "highlights" for the collecton to warrant more than three stars.
   
   Many high points of the full performance are excised from this horribly truncated presentation. The bass aria "The People that Walked in Darkness" for example, has gone missing. Many moving choruses are gone too, including "His Yoke is Easy," and "Lift up Your Heads/He is the King of Glory."
   
   Most of the movements we associate with the Christmas season are here. But those associated with Christ's passion have simply vanished. The chorus "With his Stripes we are Healed," is gone, and with it "All We Like Sheep." This is not a "highlights" collection for Easter.
   
   With the single exception of "I Know that My Redeemer Liveth," passages relating to salvation from sin and death are gone too. The chorus "Since by Man Came Death," and the duet "O Death, O Death, Where is thy Sting," for example, are away without leave, along with the bass aria "The Trumpet Shall Sound." The dead do not rise in these "highlights." Salvation from sin and death get short shrift.
   
   I'm sorry, but there is no reason to waste your time and money on these "highlights" when the full performance is readily available. Buy it instead. Händel: Messiah
   
   Eric Alan Isaacson

5 comments about Cafe Europa.

1. As is true of David Wilson's previous CD's, this one is wonderful too. In searching for words to describe this music, the ones that comes to mind are "sweet" and "relaxing." Though I've never been to the tropics, I can almost picture myself in a chaise lounge by the ocean, sipping a pina colada and listening to David Wilson. I've always been partial to the older songs and would never have thought I'd be attracted to violin music. My sister heard his music in a boutique in Florida, bought the CD and got the whole family hooked!



2. I have always had a special place in my heart for Liberace and his interpretations of the older wonderful songs, but since his passing I have looked for a replacement for my musical yearnings and I have now found it in David Wilson. His style, his interpretations and his feel for the beauty of the song are so completely expressed in his songs that it takes my breath away! I absolutely love everything he plays. I would really love to hear him in person and I do hope to be able to buy each and every one of his cds as they become available. Buy all of his recordings and you will be swept away believe me!!!!! .



3. I really enjoy David Wilson's musical interpretations of some of the old and new classics. It's soothing and reminds my husband and I of some great fun times.



4. David Wilson makes the violin talk. The result is breathtaking. Those who appreciate artistic expression will love hearing this master. Each piece is stunningly alive. A must for anyone that has ever had a feeling, sense of rhythm, or memory of something wonderful. David Wilson brings it all into incredible focus. A true and rare talent. So glad to have found him!



5. Heard this CD in a Bed and Breakfast. Makes nice atmosphere. Pleasant music.

5 comments about Merry Christmas...Have a Nice Life!.

1. This excellent cd was released in 1998 and I'm just now getting around to buying it in 2004. After just a few listens I know all the songs and can't wait to hear them again.
   
   1. Home on Christmas Day - vintage 80's Cyndi pop song. Sweet with a bit of an edge. Catchy chorus.
   2. Early Christmas Morning - Catchy song with a children's chorus.
   3. Rockin Around the Christmas Tree - You know this one. Done in a fun style.
   4. Christmas Conga - goofy fun, lots of humor.
   5. Minnie and Santa - Bawdy little sea shanty with a great sense of humor.
   6. Feels Like Christmas - This was previously released on another album, great any time of the year.
   7. Three Ships - Here's where the tone changes. Really interesting take on a song you don't hear much on pop Christmas albums.
   8. New Year's Baby (First Lullaby)- This is so touching and beautiful - the lyrics seem odd at first and then you get caught up in the moment of her singing to her new baby, and get to hear him gurgling in the background. Just a gorgeous song about the passage of time.
   9. December Child - Lovely spiritual song, telling her newborn son about another baby whose birth is celebrated in December.
   10. In the Bleak Midwinter - Haunting, beautiful.
   11. Silent Night - Beautiful rendition.
   
   There is such a range of emotion in these 11 songs from this multi-faceted performer, but the album as a whole flows beautifully. Do yourself a favor and don't let any more time pass before you get it for yourself.



2. All the credit should go to that vastly underrated performer with the crystal clear pipes- Cyndi Lauper. Most of the songs on this CD are written by Cyndi, including the already classic rocker "Home On Christmas Day," the beautiful "December Child," and the reggae charged "Christmas Conga." I even put this CD in my player throughout the entire year, whether it's Christmas or not, it's that good. While most of my other Christmas albums have been collecting dust, Cyndi Lauper's is on constant play. You have to check this one out.



3. When Cyndi Lauper's MERRY CHRISTMAS...HAVE A NICE LIFE was first released back in '98, I remember reading some capsule review in some popular magazine or other (maybe PEOPLE?) to the effect that it was surprisingly good, better than it "had a right to be," in fact. Huh? Is that a compliment?
   
   I imagine the reviewer thought he was being pretty darn generous to a performer, whom he no doubt recalled as being basically a novelty act from the early MTV days. What's frustrating about reviews like this is that they seldom reference any previous recording other than SHE'S SO UNUSUAL (or, if you're lucky, TRUE COLORS). Cyndi's 90s work(HAT FULL OF STARS and SISTERS OF AVALON) had demonstrated a maturing talent (not that the "immature" stuff was bad--far from it). It's just that, had anybody been bothering to listen, they would have known that she was an artist to be taken seriously and a force to be reckoned with.
   
   Unfortunately, too many had written her off prematurely. And by 1998, her record company was pretty much ready to show her the door. She had one record left on her contract with SONY (who hadn't been offering much in the way of support anyway). Cyndi had gone out touring in '97, opening for Tina Turner, and giving it her all while visibly pregnant...and the record company could scarcely be bothered to promote her excellent SISTERS OF AVALON. A Christmas album seemed like a handy way to meet the terms of the contract and for artist and record company to bid each other adieu.
   
   Christmas CDs are usually lower budget affairs (I'm told) and as it happened, Cyndi already had a couple of Christmas themed tracks in the can anyway. Actually, "Feels Like Christmas" from HAT FULL OF STARS is really more of a love song than a true holiday song, but it had the Noel thing going on in the title and a nice bounce (one of the more upbeat tracks on what was otherwise Cyndi's most serious record to date). "Early Christmas Morning" had appeared on the Japanese version of SISTERS OF AVALON, so that only meant eight or nine new tracks at the most.
   
   It could have been a knock-off, folks, but Cyndi Lauper's sense of artistry and adventure knows few if any bounds, and musically, HAVE A NICE LIFE (the title obviously being something of a kiss-off to SONY) continues to explore the same musical terrain as the previous two records. Queens born Cyndi comes by her multi-culturalism naturally, You've got a little Zydeco here, a little Island music and her version of "Silent Night" starts off with some Mid-Eastern strains, which only begs the question, why hasn't anybody done anything like this before. But that's the closer, let's go back to the beginning.
   
   It's been said that the best Christmas music is tinged with melancholy, and Cyndi's opener "Home for Christmas Day," replete with ringing Byrds-like guitar, is something of a rock rewrite of "I'll Be Home For Christmas." (Ever notice how many holiday albums BEGIN with the latter song: Cyndi honors the tradition in her unique way by starting off with her own updated, similary themed carol.) Then it's off to Cajun-inflected "Early Christmas Morning" and Cajun-Caribbean mix on "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree (a wink and a nod to Brenda Lee--a singer she was often compared to back in the day). The fun continues with "Christmas Conga" and the winning, slightly ribald novelty "Minnie and Santa." Gradually, though, the all the spirited fun begins to give way to a more serious, solemn and (dare we say it?) spiritual mood.
   
   Two songs in row celebrating Cyndi's recent motherhood? Why not? It might be a little much for some artists, but for one as open hearted and honest as Cyndi Lauper, it works. I've had a few "Well, I dunno about this moments" with Cyndi's ballads before (including classics like "Time After Time" and "True Colors"), but they always win me over eventually. "New Year's Baby (First Lullabye)" and "December Child" are no different, delicate songs that avoid slipping into the precious by dint of Cyndi's sheer conviction.
   
   After starting out on such a sunny, tropical note, the album ends on an appropriately winterlike note with the Celtic flavored "In the Bleak Midwinter" and a relatively stark reading of "Silent Night." From the festive to the hauntingly fragile...Cyndi Lauper sums up the season. Definitely, not a knock-off.
   
   Fast forward to 2003-2004, Cyndi's back with SONY (at least for now), doing the standards thing (but definitely doing them her way), and now the record company has now come out with a remastered version of this album. I haven't heard the new version yet, but it did actually seem as though this yuletide offering, delightful as it is, could have used some brightening (of sound and spirit). Looks like everyone may just be having a nice life after all.



4. Cyndi Lauper's Christmas album is a real treat. It isn't "just another Christmas album". Seven of the eleven songs are originals that Cyndi co-wrote, and they are all fine songs. If you like Cyndi, you'll like this album.



5. This is not only a great holiday album, it is a classic Cyndi Lauper album. Her renditions of "Home on Christmas Day," "Christmas Conga" and "New Year's Baby" are treasures. Anyone who is a fan of Ms. Lauper's, or a fan of holiday music (beyond the same 20 tracks the radio plays over and over for weeks) should get this CD.

No comments about Love & Romance: Sunset.

4 comments about Don Ho Christmas Album.

1. This is a cool album, but it could have been even cooler.
   
   Don should have worn a Santa hat on the cover and called the album "A Don Ho Christmas Album: Don Ho Ho Ho!"
   
   Seems like a great missed oppurtunity to me.



2. My first Don Ho experience was in Waikiki just prior to Christmas in 1967. I bought this album in Hawaii on L.P. and over the years have played it till I nearly wore it out. When my turntable went kaput, I no longer had it available to play. I still have the original, but happily technology has taken over and it is now on CD for me to once again enjoy.
   It is truly one of Don's best and he said it was one of his favorite albums ever produced. There's no doubt about that; it was a rarity to find for many years until now. Hopefully his "East Coast/West Coast" live shows album will one day have technology save it too.
   
   I am not a Christmas music lover--but an old Don Ho fan...and therefore I find this album to be a true delight. You won't be disappointed.



3. My parents had this CD playing during the holidays when I was a child, so getting this was a top priority this year. Don Ho offers his own interpretations of many Christmas favorites. Super collection.



4. This is an oldie-but-goodie that should go on! I lived in HI when this album was released and it brings back such great memories. It still sounds good, has songs of the season you may not have heard before, and has Aloha spirit. Don died this past year; I miss him and his mellow tones. Try this CD; you'll like it!

2 comments about Christmas Dreams.

1. Guess what my wife gave me last Christmas? It was "Christmas Dreams" by Liona Boyd.We played "Christmas Dreams" over, over, and over.... Georges Zamfir plays pan flutes to provide a lovely blend with Liona's beautiful classical guitar playing of Christmas season tunes. Other guest appearances are by Roger Whittaker, The Toronto Children's Chorus, and The Orphius Choir. I enjoy all 14 tracks and highly recommend this CD for this Blessed Christmas Season.



2. This album contains some very pleasing music. There's a selection of famous Christmas carols, the majority of which are played as instrumentals, with Liona Boyd on classical guitar, Georges Zamfir on pan flute, and a fine team of other musicians, including Toronto's Children's Chorus and the Orpheus Choir.
   
   Five of the selections include lyrics. The first is the title song, "Christmas Dreams," which begins "Christmas dreams are like rainbows." The others are "Song of Peace," "Silent Night," "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," and "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear."
   
   It's a good choice for the Holiday season, maybe even more so on the evening of, say, December 6 (Saint Nicholas' Day) or December 24 (Christmas Eve, of course).
   
   If you are a Pagan, the Holiday season is a great time to invite one's Christian friends over to celebrate Yule, sing "O Tannenbaum," and put presents under the tree. If you want to go, um, whole hog, you can even perform the sonargoltr (sacrificing the Yule pig) for the feast. But don't do that in front of the guests! Instead, get this fine album and use it to promote togetherness.

5 comments about Phil Coulter's Christmas.

1. I will never tire of this CD - it is by far the best Christmas CD of all times. I have a lot of Christmas CD's - this one still gets played the most.



2. We discovered Phil Coulter on a trip to England four years ago. Since then, we have bought almost every one of his albums. This Christmas one is outstanding - wonderful background for a party or perfect just for listening. No one will regret their purchase of this fine album.



3. I love "Phil Coulter's Christmas." His fun and love of the music shines through. His arrangements are pure, and you don't get lost in the "frills" that a lot of artists throw in. As with all of his recordings, he knows exactly which instruments to use to bring out the full emotion and richness of the song. No wonder my other Christmas recordings have hardly made it off of the shelf this year!
   
   I have the 2-disc version called "The Christmas Collection," which also includes "Winter Wonderland," "All Through The Night," "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town," "Fairytale of New York," "Morning Has Broken," and "We Three Kings." While I would rather have "Phil Coulter's Christmas" than nothing at all, I have to say the additional six songs make the double CD version worth looking for, as they are some of the best songs.



4. This is a fantastic listening experience.
   It does drip, it can be a little schmaltzy...but, for Christmas time, that's all the better.
   I cherish this performance.
   It is rare and special.
   I'ts one slight step away from being new-agey, but, it's dreamy
   and takes you far away from your worries.
   I have hundreds of Christmas Lp's and Cd's.
   If I had to pick only one....Phil Coulter's Christmas would be it.



5. After all the store jingling, mind jangling Christmas muzak faced on the malls and shops, the mad rushing crowds lined up waiting for cash registers and lines of traffic listening to this is a real treat. How refreshing to chill out listening to this CD while wrapping presents or putting up Christmas decorations; it is not intrusive, so provides a wonderful background sound for conversation with friends and family at a time of year so important for gatherings. Or enjoy it alone, allowing it to keep you company.

No comments about The Animaniacs Go Hollywood.

4 comments about Christmas Songs.

1. Great CD by the Eddie Higgins trio. Don't wait 'til Christmas time to listen to superb arrangements of some of your favorite holiday tunes. I bought the CD after listening to Sleigh Ride on a local jazz station. Wonderful! Makes a wonderful gift!



2. If you like jazz trios, or even if you don't like jazz trios, this is a really nice Christmas CD! While I change out CDs frequently, this CD stays in my CD changer the entire month of December. Great for dinner, talking with friends, decorating the tree, sitting by the fireplace, etc. To show you how much I enjoy it, I just purchased "Christmas Songs II" by the same trio, which is an import only, Korean Exclusive. I cannot recommend this CD enough.



3. Christmas is over, but I just have to review this remarkable CD before I forget. I love jazz, and despite a plethora of Christmas jazz CD's on the market, most are not good. I bought this CD after reading a review on Amazon (thanks everyone!) and was absolutely thrilled with it. My husband and I are both musicians and were blown away, especially by "Sleigh Ride" - excellent piano playing. This CD is warm, enjoyable, lively, smooth...it's a delight. I cannot recommend it highly enough. This album ranks up there with Oscar Peterson's Christmas, and Vince Guaraldi's Christmas; high praise indeed.



4. I heard snippets of this CD on Yahoo radio and fell in love with the mellow jazzy style of the Christmas favorites. Not melodramatic "smooth" jazz but simple, innovative versions that are beautiful and light. A great mix to put on during a Christmas party as people mingle with cocktails and twinkle lights. I love it!

5 comments about The Very Best of Bing Crosby Christmas.

1. Nobody could transmit warmth through music (or acting) the way Bing Crosby could. His lighthearted style of singing is wonderfully matched with secular Christmas music, but shows its drawbacks with the old Christmas hymns and carols which require more empathy with the meaning of the words to be effective. However, this is a treasure trove of Christmas music. It all has an old-fashioned, nostalgic air that says "Christmas" to millions of people. Most of the recordings on this abridged album were made before high fidelity (not to mention stereo) sound recording was viable. These rather primitive recordings really showed their age on previous versions, but sound markedly better here. It's nice to have a restored version of White Christmas, Bing's signature Christmas song. So, if you are a fan of Bing or just want to experience "that Christmas feeling," this is the album to buy. Leave the other, poor-sounding CDs on the shelf.



2. This is my favorite Christmas CD. I have about 20 other CD's that I play at Christmas, but this is the best. Other people that have heard it love it too. It has all the best of Bing. I want to buy another one so I can keep one in the house and put on in my car. If you love traditional Christmas music, this is the one for you.



3. This is a great Cd...I recently purchased this Cd and it is wonderful. All the songs are excellent and the sound is terrific. I remember listening to Bing's songs as a child and this has a lot of great songs. It is a must-have for every Christmas collection. You won't be disappointed with this Cd.



4. Bing does a tremendous job in this CD. The songs are great and very well done. The ones with the Andrew Sisters are especially good. Definitely a CD you want for the Christmas season.



5. In the liner notes that accompany this CD, written by F.B. (Wig) Wiggins, American Representative, International Crosby Circle, we learn that Bing did not cut his first Christmas carol until 1935, well into his career, since he always felt that that was not a proper option for popular singers. In doing Adeste Fideles and Silent Night that year with the Victor Young Orchestra and The Guardsmen Quartette he did so only on the understanding that all proceeds would go to charity. That was Bing.
   
   However, the record became so hugely popular that he was soon obliged to include carols on his radio broadcasts each holiday season, and in 1940 and 1941 Silent Night made the Billboard charts at # 19 and 16. In 1942 he cut both sides again, this time with the John Scott Trotter orchestra and The Ken Darby Singers, and although it became a seasonal favourite, neither side charted until well into the 1950s, Silent Night in 1957 [# 54] and 1960 [# 54 again], and Adeste Fideles in 1960 [# 45].
   
   It was also in 1942 that he appeared in Holiday Inn with Fred Astaire where, for the first time, we heard Irving Berlin's immortal White Christmas. A record release, again with Trotter and the Ken Darby Singers, reached # 1, and would chart for the next four years, reaching the top again in 1945 and 1946. That is the version heard here, fully restored to its full glory. In 1947 Bing re-recorded White Christmas with the same ensemble and that version would chart for the next 20 straight years, b/w God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen.
   
   Other charted Christmas singles for Bing included I'll Be Home For Christmas (If Only In My Dreams), which peaked at # 3 in 1943 [track 11], again with Trotter's backing, and also reached # 10 in 1944. In 1950 he, along with just about everyone else, recorded Gene Autry's Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer and saw it climb to # 14. That same year he also had A Crosby Christmas, with sons Gary, Phillip, Dennis, and Lindsay, reach # 22, and A Marshmallow World peak at # 24 [neither, unfortunately, is included in this set].
   
   It was also in 1950 that Decca released Silver Bells [track 15], a duet with Carol Richards, and while it failed to chart that year, it did make it to # 78 in 1957 b/w That Christmas Feeling, also cut in 1950. Another charter for Bing that year was How Lovely Is Christmas [# 97] with the Arthur Norman Choir & Orchestra for the Kapp label [also not included].
   
   In 1963, for Capitol, he cut Do You Hear What I Hear? which reached # 2 on the special Billboard Christmas charts, and in 1965 had The White World Of Winter reach # 20 on the same charts for the Reprise label, seldom seen on his Christmas albums. Then, of course, there was his wonderful duet with David Bowie on the medley The Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth. First heard on his 1977 TV Christmas Special, Bing Crosby's Merry Olde Christmas, it was released as a single in 1982 by RCA Victor, but didn't actually charts until 2000 when it reached # 58 on Billboard's seasonal charts.
   
   But this CD gives us the best and most memorable of his Decca releases, including the fabulous collaborations with The Andrews Sisters on Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, Jingle Bells, and Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane). I still have the 78 rpm "album" my father purchased way back when with the five records intact and the wonderful cover graphics.
   
   This is one of the best deals you will find at Amazon when it comes to CDs. Order early.