5 comments about Harry Connick Jr. - Harry for the Holidays.

1. I bought this CD -Harry Connick Jr. - Harry for the Holidays and I love it. The music is to die for and makes you feel warm, loved and special for the upcoming Holiday Season. A remake of "This Christmas" originally sung by the late Donnie Hathaway made tears well-up in my eyes. It's jazzy, soft and unique as Harry takes this song to a new level. The first song "Frosty the Snowman" is a big-band song, with a big-bang sound. It's a fun rendition of all Frosty songs. Harry has the charisma and knows just how to do it when he sings, "I'll Be Home For Christmas." Get this for the Holidays and buy it for the special people in your life they will thank you for seasons and seasons to come.



2. I'm a Connick fan, and think his Christmas CD's are great. But this was disappointing. Very short for the money, but I guess it was a TV show.



3. This DVD may be shorter than any true Harry fan would like, but is still Harry and the Band at their best, as always. Anyone who loves Harry's music will love this DVD. If you have seen Harry in concert, you will miss his great banter with the crowd, as they've cut it out. This is absolutely worth the money, and a must-have for fans of Harry and the Holidays!



4. As a Harry Connick, Jr. fan, I already had good expectations for the DVD before buying it. Having purchased the "Harry for the Holidays" CD quite some time ago, I had put in that corner of my mind where I keep the memory for good records. I really love the choice of standards and the renditions, not to mention the original compositions from Harry's musical vault. However, I have also experienced some let-downs along the way, given the unconventional musical path Harry has trodden in the last ten years or so (Star Turtle would be, in my opinion, a remarkable flop).
   With that scenario in mind, I harbored some misgivings about the consistency of the performances, because sometimes Christmas specials are anything but special. Yet, as I went through the songs, my doubts vanished and I just got carried away by quality of the arrangements, specially those of Auld Lang Syne, in which both Harry and Marc Anthony prove how a very traditional, melancholic song can be transformed into an upbeat work of art. Way to go, guys.
   I definitely recommned this DVD.



5. I love Harry, I love this DVD, was disappointed the Xmas CD wasn't the actual songs on the Christmas DVD with guests and all, but it is awesome anyway. His version of Blue Christmas is better on the DVD than on the CD. That Trio needs to release "Silent Night" from the DVD and record more together! The harmony is so fabulous it makes you cry!
   Of Course, I would like Row, Row, Row Your Boat if Harry sang it!

4 comments about Sleigh Ride! Classic Christmas Favorites.

1. I was looking for arrangements of many traditional Christmas carols done by orchestras. This album hits the spot. It is not uniquely orchestra carols, the Canadian Brass is mixed in as welll. The highlight of the album for me is the back to back track of "Sleigh Ride" pieces. It begins with W.A. Mozart's "Sleigh Ride," followed by Leopold Mozart's piece of the same name, and then finnished with the ever popular arangement of "Sleigh Ride" by Anderson. It is a really good mix of carols, and can be listened to for hours.



2. I love the traditional carols on this CD. The Carol of the Bells is my favorite!! I also love Silent Night which is one of my all time favorite Christmas carols. This album is great to put on a at a Christmas party and hit repeat. It has a nice mix of songs that you don't get tired of hearing! This is a must have and I would highly recommend this CD for anyone that enjoys Christmas songs and the holiday season. You will catch yourself humming the songs through out your day! It will definitely get rid of any "BAH HUM BUG" moods!



3. I've owned this for years and never tire of it. Guests ALWAYS ask what I'm playing. I've purchased several copies as gifts. If you're sick of the stuff they play in malls and pine for some big, inspiring, classical arrangements, this is the CD for you.



4. Great CD for background music when entertaining. Has great classic Xmas music with upbeat songs.

5 comments about Christmas the Season of Love.

1. This CD by 4Him has been out a number of years now, but it still is one of my favorites. It starts with an original song by the singer/songwriters that make up 4Him, called "Season of Love."

   Other favorites on this album are "Little Drummer Boy" and "Do You Hear What I Hear". 4Him's characteristic tight harmonies lend themselves well to these classic Christmas songs.

   But my favorite song on this album is the last track "Strange Way to Save A World". It is subtitled Joseph's Song and it is guaranteed to touch your heart! So many times we hear about Christmas from Mary's viewpoint (in songs such as Mary Did You Know, Breath of Heaven, etc). It's great to have this new insight into what Joseph might have been thinking.

   I highly recommend this CD - it will be a family favorite for years to come!

   Here are the lyrics to "Strange Way To Save The World":

   I'm sure he must have been surprised
   At where this road had taken him
   Cause never in a million lives
   Would he have dreamed of Bethlehem

   And standing at the manger
   He saw with his own eyes
   The message from the angel come to life
   And Joseph said:

   CHORUS
   Why me, I'm just a simple man of trade
   Why Him with all the rulers in the world
   Why here inside this stable filled with hay
   Why her, she's just an ordinary girl
   Now I'm not one to second-guess
   What angels have to say
   But this is such a strange way to save the world.
   ~~
   To think of how it could have been
   If Jesus had come as He deserved
   There would have been no Bethlehem
   No lowly shepherds at His birth
   But Joseph new the reason love had to reach so far
   And as he held the Savior in his arms
   He must have thought:
   CHORUS

   Please check out my other reviews of Christian music and Christian books.




2. There's something about the holidays, Christmas in particular, that makes many of us just a little misty eyed. Whether it's the cookies, the gifts, the time with family and friends, or the music, something about it tugs at the heartstrings and makes us take notice. 4Him in their only Christmas album has done just that. Combining secular and sacred, old and new, they have created an offering that can appeal to all the various facets of our holiday experience. As with any album, some songs are better than others, and the preference for each should be left to the individual. However, the mix is quite well done, and the update of updated arrangements of several Christmas favorites will leave you wanting more. It's an all around good album, one you defiantly don't want to miss.



3. My title says it all. We get this album out on Thanksgiving while we're putting up our million trees and listen to it throughout the season. We've lost the cd in our move and are now back for another. 4 Him's incredible harmonies are so highlighted here in this album it just really feels like "Christmas" when you listen to it. I wasn't sure about "Do You Hear What I Hear" since it's one of my favorites and they do an upbeat version, but I really like it now and find myself singing it throughout the year. Make sure this one is in your collection of Christmas albums. I'm sure it will become a family favorite.



4. 4HIM's exquisite harmonies make The Season of Love a must-have Christmas album. 4HIM breathes new life into Christmas classics and contribute new originals that are destined to become classics. Up-tempo renditions of numbers such as "Do You Hear What I Hear" may initially seem strange to those used to a more traditional sound, but 4HIM's innovation brings a freshness to oft-rendered favorites. They effectively capture the warm spirit of Christmas without ever seeming cliched. The biggest highlight of the disc is the closer, "Strange Way to Save the World", a rumination on Christ's birth from Joseph's viewpoint that drives home the true meaning of the "season of love."



5. This is my favorite Christmas music and I have hundreds of tapes and cds! I originally bought this many years ago in cassette and now am buying it in cd. I am so afraid I will wear it out and not be able to replace it! Strange way to save the world is the best and should be as classic as Silent Night. Very beautiful song. I LOVE every song on this disc and how many times can you say that?? I have given this away as a gift A LOT. I think everyone needs this in their collection.

4 comments about Christmas in America.

1. I highly recommend this to anybody who loves Christmas music. It has some of the best christmas songs of all time and Kenny Rogers does a incredible job on this album.



2. Kenny Rogers has released a plethora of Christmas albums, and of the ones I have this is the best. The title song is a very appropriate mix of patriotism and Christmastime-a seemingly odd combination that works very, very well.

   Except for this genre-bundling selection which is reprised throughout the disk, all the other songs are well-known Christmas standards.

   In addition to the title track's uncommon concoction, the disk also departs from the norm by featuring a snippet of this tune between all the other songs and having the music play constantly; there are no silent pauses between cuts.




3. As another reviewer has already said, Kenny Rogers has released many Christmas CDs, and this is probably the best with "Once Upon a Christmas" with Dolly Parton a close second. I have this album from its original release on tape, and I was pleased to find it now on CD; also, it is because it came out at the time that CDs were young that "Christmas in America" has a reprise--on the tape, it's the beginning of Side 2. It's also interesting to note that the title song was written by Dolly Parton. This is a great collection of mostly traditional Christmas songs sang as only Kenny can.



4. I have admired the contributions Kenny Rogers has made in music through the years. This Christmas collection proves just that. The title track gets me a little emotional at times when I hear it. I do enjoy his rendition of Winter Wonderland. Good Christmas sounds from The Gambler!

5 comments about Windham Hill Christmas: I'll Be Home for Christmas.

1. I have long been a fan of the Windham Hill Christmas collections, all the way back to the original 1985 release, "A Winter's Solstice". That, and all the subsequent CD's, have been successful to varying degrees in providing an easy, relaxing musical antidote to an often hectic holiday season. The stable of musicians has always been first-rate, from guitarists to pianists, from electronic composers to the occasional vocalist. Some releases, of course, have been less impressive than others ("Winter's Solstice on Ice" was a strange misstep). And the current "Windham Hill Christmas" series has been pleasant enough, if a bit bland. But this latest collection has a particularly warm, and yes, homey feel. Consisting almost entirely of piano and guitar compositions, it effectively conveys the peaceful mood intended. Most of the tunes are quite familiar, save the closing track by Samite, "Yazala Abambuti". Philip Aaberg's "Complete Nutcracker Sweet" is a whimsical five-and-a-half piano condensation of Tchaikovsky's familiar ballet music, and Barbara Higbie's rendition of "Angels from the Realms of Glory" (a carol not heard much these days) is sublimely beautiful. George Winston reminds us once again that he can play harmonica ("Sussex Carol"), but frankly, I would have rather heard him on piano. But just about every track here has a luminous and inspiring quality to it, like all the best Windham Hill music has. It's perfect for background, but even better for those rare moments when you can just put your feet up with a glass of eggnog, and watch the Christmas tree lights in the dark.



2. I love this CD, I'm sure I will be playing it all through the holiday season.



3. Played it for 3 weeks. Kept me calm in a hectic season.



4. This is one of my favorite Windham Hill Christmas albums. I really love the "Christmas Time is Here" rendition on guitar - brings me back to my childhood watching "A Charlie Brown Christmas" - there are also a couple of jazzy interpretations on this very beautiful album.



5. A lovely CD. We listened to it while driving, gift wrapping and tree decorating. Classic Windham Hill, evocitive moods and lovely musical settings.

4 comments about To: Kate - A Benefit for Kate's Sake.

1. A mighty fine Christmas offering, with a humanitarian twist... Kate Kirk is a 3-year old Nashviller with a rare genetic disorder called Niemann-Pick Disease, Type A/B; her older sister Caroline also has the disease and doctors say it is too late to treat the 6-year old, but believe that a marrow transplant may help in Kate's case. Hence, this tribute album, which seeks to raise the money to pay for the operation. You may quibble about the person-by-person, band-aid approach that a lack of a national health care plan has brought to so many lives (I have a friend here in the Bay Area who had an auto accident and has a similar album out in his honor...), but it's hard to argue with the artistic successes of this disc... A lot of high-powered Americana luminaries pitch in on this one, including Joe Ely, John Prine, Buddy & Julie Miller, Jim Lauderdale, Raul Malo and Rosie Flores, and the tone of the album is surprisingly upbeat and life-affirming, considering the downbeat nature of the album's origin. Highlights include a duet between Steve Earle and Allison Moorer on his "Nothing But A Child," Jim Lauderdale's "Holly And Her Mistletoe" and a Guy Clark song covered by actor John Corbett, who has a promisingly gruff "old man" voice (and an album coming out soon...) This is a really nice record, with only a couple of songs that seem out of place (like a jarring rock song from Jason & The Scorchers... A welcome addition to the country Christmas canon, and a nice choice a holiday stocking stuffer. Recommended!



2. If you're looking something to get you into the spirit you've found it! Besides the fact that all profits go to a more than worthy cause, this ecclectic CD is one no Christmas collection should be without! Plenty of classics, mixed with some new soon-to-be favorites. No joke, just listen to the rockin' sounds of "gift-wrapped boy" or the upbeat twang of "Holly and her mistletoe." Save the Elvis collection for next year, buy for Kate and you'll be glad you did! (...)



3. Truly a wonderful CD. The songs cover anyones taste and everyone will enjoy this CD. There's heart in every song.



4. Sometimes collections like this, for good causes, don't come through on the actual music. But this one does, splendidly...Excellent x-mas originals by top notch songwriters such as Jim Lauderdale and Henry Gross, mixed with very tasty covers by some beloved and supremely talented artists, like your Joe Ely, your John Prine...
   
   If only all x-mas CDs were this good...this, and the current McGarrigles' Christmas Hour have elevated the genre....

5 comments about Merry Christmas From Doris Day & Dinah Shore.

1. I bought this CD primarily for the old Doris Day tracks on it. Unfortunately, they sound like they have never been remastered and they are underwater. Horrible sound and a big disappointment that Laserlight/Delta music put out. Why did they bother?

   I would recommend the new "Doris Day Christmas Album" which has been re-released (by either Columbia or Sony). You can find it on Amazon UK or Tower Records UK. It has been out of print for a long time, but finally was re-released in November 2003. It has all 9 original tracks of the Doris Day Christmas Album as released in 1964. If you prefer the "older" tracks like "Here Comes Santa Claus" as found on this CD, the Personal Christmas Collection actually has decent remasters of the same recordings on this CD. Either way, don't waste your money on this CD.

   One track on this CD has Doris' beautiful rendition of "Second Star to the Right" but again it is a bad recording. I recommend the "Secret Love" box set from Bear Family Records -- all the 1950s recordings sound like they were recorded yesterday - and this same song sounds great.

   Doris is a wonderful singer -- one of the 20th Century's best.




2. I agree with tallguy - this is bad. This CD sounds like it was recorded off of an old radio broadcast - and I don't mean at the station! The sound is awful and the quality makes me wonder if this might not be a bootlegged copy of the songs. It sure isn't a studio quality recording. I cannot believe anyone connected with any of the recording artists would have approved this release. A junior high student with a cheap cassette recorder and an equally cheap radio could make a recording this good.

   Even if you are a fan of the 40's-type music, DON'T BUY this one! Stick with the "Doris Day Christmas Album" because it is so much better.




3. They really need to remaster this because the audio is kind of awful, but there are songs here that you cannot find elsewhere, so you gotta take the good with the bad and roll with it.



4. Although I do agree with the previous reviewers in that the audio quality is sub-par for most of the tracks, I believe that the material rectifies this fact because of the rarity of some of the songs. Some of the Doris Day songs are easy to come by; you can find some on her "Personal Christmas Album" CD--and with much better audio quality. However, some of the tracks--particularly a few of the Dinah Shore tracks such as "The First Noel" are extremely rare and to my knowledge are only available on this CD; they are gems (I would really like to know where LaserLight gets these songs). Therefore, if you keep this in mind when listening to the recordings, you may be very pleased with this album.



5. OK, so this isn't a great-sounding CD. Or even a good-sounding CD. It's a historical document. Perhaps the manufacturer of the CD should have put something to that effect on the cover. But it's by no means horrible.
   
   Doris Day Christmas material is easy to come by. Not true for Christmas songs by Dinah Shore. While there are really only three Christmas songs sung by Dinah here (plus parts of a medley), these are rare and valuable additions to the Dinah Shore catalog.
   
   The poor quality of the CD obviously comes from the source material. I have no knowledge of the original source, but I'm guessing that this was taken from an acetate transcription of a radio broadcast from probably 1949 or 1950.
   
   So don't buy this if you're wanting some nice Christmas songs by Doris Day; stick to her Christmas CDs. But for the collector of all things Doris and Dinah, this is a must. And it's really cheap!

5 comments about Honky Tonk Christmas.

1. Hey, if only **all** holiday albums cound be this much fun!  Sure, there are several schmaltzy tracks, but that just goes with the territory... Good natured romps like "I Only Want You For Christmas" and "Honky Tonk Christmas" more than make up for it... And Jackson's voice is at its peak here, smooth crooning with a big-ole smile that comes out in every note.  Plus a goofy song sung with the Chipmunks and a cover of Merle Haggard's "If We Make It Through December..."  What more couldja want?  Recommended!



2. i heard a specific song on the t.v. and couldn't find it in any store around here. it is a wonderful song , very inspiring. i couldn't be more pleased with the service you gave me. norman w.haley,sr.



3. This album is such great fun. I am an Alan Jackson fan and had to add this one to my collection. This is my second purchase of this album as my first simply vanished and I found Christmas without it just wasn't the same.There are some very jolly up beat tracks to get you in the Christmas spirit.I love it! Recommended



4. I am not a big fan of the old fashioned chrismas carols, but i really liked this album. If you ignored the words, you would mistake it for one of alan's best country albums. these are christmas songs with a definate country twist, some funny songs, sad songs, melancholy songs, the whole spectrum of emotion. The only misstep for me was track 9, a duet with the chipmunks. I guess theres nothing wrong with the song, and the kids would like it so i cant complain. I'd rate 10 out of 10.



5. I rarely like all the songs on a CD and this one is no different. I don't feel like I overpaid for it.

5 comments about Songs of the Season.

1. Peter White is the best smooth jazz guitarist going. Every one of his CD's are total ear candy. I like this CD so much, I play it anytime of the year, especially when my homebased business problems seem to gang up on me. It soothes the overwrought nerves and clears the mind of the little things that have become big. Peter's newest CD, "Glow", is fantastic. "Songs of the Season" is much better than any smooth jazz Holiday offering. I feel lucky we have such a talent as Mr. White.



2. This is my favorite Christmas album. And, I own about 35 Christmas albums. Peter White's guitar is distinctive and emotional. You will never mistake another guitarist for Peter White. This album has some of the most magnificent arrangements of standard Christmas music. O' Little Town of Bethlehem is absolutely breathtaking; it is like an Elizabethan carol. My favorite of all is The River, a Joni Mitchell song. Peter accompanies Kenny Lattimore who offers a hauntingly aching version of this song. If you can buy only one Christmas album, buy this one.



3. I bow to the greatness that is Peter White. I am blown away by this album. My only regret is that it took me so long to purchase it. I have been a Peter White fan for years and somehow I neglected to purchase this one. The songs on this album are so pure they will stir emotions deep within you. "River" with Kenny Lattimore is exceptional in its innocent vocal sweetness.
   
   Peter White is a man who can strum a guitar with the finesse only someone who truly has passion for his art can do. He has enraptured me yet again with this CD. I am torn because I like to savior my Christmas music and only play it during Christmas time. However, there is no way I can only listen to this album around Christmas. Music this good must be played year round.



4. I bought this one because I was looking for a very hip Christmas album. Knowing Peter White, what else is there but hip music. Wrong. This wasn't Peter White at all (except for 'Jingle Bells') - or not the Peter White I've become familiar with. It was just another 'dime-a-dozen' Christmas album... boring.
   
   If you want some smooth jazz hip music.. look elsewhere. If you want to sleep.. this is the baby for you. Just try not to snore too loud!



5. Though I enjoy Traditional Christmas music at Christmas time, this CD is one of my new faves of "Holiday Music" that is enjoyable all year long

5 comments about Touched By an Angel: Christmas Album.

1. This is a great CD. Any listener should not limit it to airplay in November and December. With the exception of a few tracks, this is more of a spiritual rather than a purely holiday album. Among its srongest songs is Wayne Watson's "In Such a Time as This" and Della Reese singing "If I Can Dream." Any fan of spiritual music and the tv show will love this!



2. Shepherds awakened in the fields by angles singing in the sky, wise men seeking a child in a manger,peace and hope in the miracle of one life, one birth, one night from which we count all the nights that have come since. It's hard to close our eyes and imagine it as a real event at all. This disc offers a few seasonal standards and many untraditional songs to aid in feeling an angel`s touch and inspiring heart. The compiliers movement between style,tempo,and spirit is with an aim toward truth. I do rejoice in reciting the modern-merry-mirth-making and celebratory orginality that flows from the mouth, here and there throughout and pleasantly out this disc`s delta.~~Merrily Mix~ 1# , 2#1\2 , 3# , 4#1\2 , 6# , 7$ , 8# , 11% , and 13$ ~~Post Script: For those in the Know and\or YULEtide Treasure Seekers get a X out and place upon track 11 "Jingle Bell Jamboree" a bluesy accoustic strummer from Keb' Mo'and track 13`s benediction***buyit*saveit*sharemost*giveit*donateit to the local library***



3. This is an album which has unique Christmas songs you might not hear anywhere else, but more importantly, it is an album which has meaning and which can be listened to all year 'round. It has depth and can be felt peronally, something lacking in so much music today. It is at the top of my list for all CD's I enjoy.



4. This is my favorite Christmas CD!! I thought I had lost it this year, and it made me realize how much it meant to me. I'm buying it for gifts, to share the joy!



5. I bought this CD last year, when the show was still on the air. It took me a while, not being used to blues and so on for Christmas songs, but this year it hit me! Especially haunting is "Breath of Heaven", by Joan Baez - listen to it and you'll know how moving it can be.