5 comments about Christmas with Yolanda Adams.

1. Christmas with Yolanda is truly an amazing work of art. Although I'm just getting around to writing a review, I had to take a moment to let all of you know what a terrific cd this is. Yolanda is not only an amazing singer, she is a person who truly blesses the Lord with her musical abilities. If you're looking for a good Christmas cd this year, then definitely purchase this one! You and your family will be blessed! I promise :)



2. Born this Day, the song is quite beautiful so I was upset when I heard- "Christ The Lord He's God the Father, God the Son and Holy Spirit [Jesus]." This is all sung on the song as one phrase. Note, the "Jesus" at the end is in the audio but not in the lyrics I found online.
   
   Christianity teaches that Jesus Christ IS God, but NOT that He ~is~ the Father, NOR that He is the Holy Spirit. Yolanda is teaching the ancient heresy called "modalism" which is rejected by Christians of every stripe... protestants, Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Eastern Orthodox....
   
   Her doctrine destroys the importance of Christmas itself because if true we would no longer have the incarnate Christ, our great High Priest interceding for us. There are other implications, but that particular one seems to kill the meaning of Christmas itself.



3. What sheer delight listening to this, one of the finest ever Christmas CD's. Could listen to this one 12 months of the year and keep the Spirit of Christmas gloriously alive. Yolanda's voice simply radiates with beauty, clarity and that motivating energy of pure love. This is one of those "must" albums you have to buy for yourself and then for your friends - just maybe in that order!



4. I was poking around the holiday section of the local library's CD collection, just hoping to find something a little different, when I came across this collection by Yolanda Adams and thought,"Hmmm. "Get Here" was a powerhouse song, so how bad can this be...?"
   
   How embarrassing to get my Adams(es?) confused, but then I had the same problem back in high school when I'd constantly be mixing up John and John Quincy. Call it a mental block. Or something. All I know is there are two soulful, powerhouse singers named Adams out there (more, if you count Ryan, Bryan--still more confusion--and Edie).
   
   I always tell folks that if there's a singer whose work they DON'T know, check out their holiday album (if any). It's often cheaper, and it does provide the ultimate test. I mean, if you can breathe new life into some of the standard Xmas warhorses, you can pretty much do anything. So believe you can fly, Yolanda, cuz it's clear you can.
   
   Adams is never less than professional when attempting the standard holiday fare, and much of the album is just that: soulful but not overwrought interpretations of songs like "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," the umpteenth version of "The Christmas Song" (nicely done, if not exactly a revelation) and, yes, even "The Little Drummer Boy." But the gospel inflected original (I believe) "Born This Day" truly soars. There is also an imaginative medley of "Carol of the Bells" and "What Child Is This?" And while soul versions of "Oh Holy Night" are hardly unheard of, you'd better be worth your salt, frankincense and myrrh to even attempt it. Yolanda Adams is up to the task.
   
   Good stuff. And a great stocking stuffer.



5. Yolanda's first christmas project (the second one was released today - What A Wonderful Time) is very well crafted soft project. She does what she does best on this project. That is sing well and provide great variety of gospel music (pop/r&b/contemporary gospel/jazz/traditional gospel). Standout tracks are: HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS, BORN THIS DAY, CAROL OF BELLS/WHAT CHILD IS THIS MEDLEY, OH HOLY NIGHT, IT CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR!
   
   Get it, you'll enjoy it. Great for family and party gatherings. Excellent to have around the house. It'll lift your spirit and bring you to a place of gladness.
   
   Kudos Yolanda~

5 comments about Winter Dreams for Christmas.

1. If you are looking for simple, relaxing, peaceful Christmas music with a Native American influence, this is it! Simple and classic--without sounding too "new-agey," this is my favorite Christmas album. I play it over and over and never get tired of it.



2. I bought this CD a number of years ago to add to my Christmas music collection. It immediately became my favorite. Nakai's and Eaton's interpretations of these mostly sacred songs was superb. When the final song, Silent Night, came on with the Navajo Chorale singing in the Navajo language, I was blown away. Now, when the Christmas season is over, I put this CD on as the last CD of the season, and let the season end with the echoes Silent Night being sung in the Navajo language.



3. I recently discovered Nakai and Eaton, and I enjoy their music greatly, but they are much better at doing their own compositions and improvisations than trying to cover standard melodies. There are some gems on this CD, such as "Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming", "Silent Night" (sung beautifully in a Navajo translation by a children's choir) and "Coventry Carol", but they tend to be the ones that feature Eaton's stringed instruments, because he can tune his instruments to the orthodox scales of these Christmas tunes. Nakai's flutes, beautiful as they are, often don't match this standard tuning: frequently he sounds a little off-key in the tonal scales that he plays in (which is, truth be told, one of the charms of the instrument). But sometimes his flute is jarringly off-key. I mean, like fingernails on a chalk-board off-key. It's not something he can help; it's the nature of wood flutes. But I'm not sure that they should even have attempted to match these instruments on such standard, familiar tunes.
   
   What I'm going to do with it is rip the tunes I like and add them to one of my easy-listening Christmas CDs (as a Christian I appreciate anyone who honors the holiday), but then this CD is going bye-bye, because I can't bring myself to play it all the way through.



4. This is one of the most beautiful Christmas CD's ever produced. Although an obscure artist Carlos Nakai always creates an enchanting dreamlike environment for his listeners.



5. I have owned this CD for years. I still buy it as a gift for friends. It remains one of my all time Christmas favorites. The music is hauntingly beautiful. It melts away the stress that sometimes comes along with the season and helps me remember what the season is all about. Treat yourself and your music loving friends to this great CD.

3 comments about My Christmas Favorites.

1. I have a decided preference for choral versions of Christmas carols, whether we are talking the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the Ray Conniff Singers, or the Chipmunks. But if there is one seasonal soloist I always work into the music rotation while trimming the tree or wrapping the presents it is the Canadian songbird, Anne Murray. "My Christmas Favorites" is an extremely sparse collection, with only ten tracks, but it is still a choice selection of treats. If you are looking for a reason to add this one to your Christmas collection when you already have Murray's superb 2001 2-CD collection "What a Wonderful Christmas," there are two of them: "Christmas Song" and "White Christmas." Simply because those are not included on the other obviously superior collection. Overall, "My Christmas Favorites" does tip a bit more toward contemporary secular songs that traditional religious hymns and carols, but that does not especially matter since Murray is equally adept at either type of Christmas music.



2. I was married seven years to my first she passed away and the last Christmas Music she wanted to listen to was Anne Murray,a lot of the same songs are on this collecetion she loved to listen.I purchased this title because of those memories of my first wife.



3. Great condition when it arrived and fast service. She has the voice of an angel.

5 comments about Nancy Wilson Christmas.

1. Nancy Wilson is a great lady, but her voice was never one for everyone. This album has some great stuff, but also has some that is unlistenable. The NY Voices, the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni Orchestra are great. I just think that this album should have been edited more and some tracks should never have made it to the final cut.



2. I love this Cd, Nancy's vocal stylings and phrasings are so unique. The songs make me feel good and put me in a sophisticated mood. I recommned this Cd for all jazz enthusists. I will hate to store it away after Christmas. Add it to your Holiday collection and you will be glad you did.



3. Nancy departed from the shackels of Sony records and what did she do first? She went into the studio of Telarc Jazz and produced one of the finest Christmas albums I've heard. The names of guests on this album reads almost like a who's who in the world of jazz and when you thought it wasn't to get better, she donates all the profits from this album to charity. Nancy is a class act and that class is evident on all the tracks contained here in. For me a stand out track is the Broadway inspired arrangement of "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow." Nancy sounds like she had a great time recording this album and the various arrangements ranging from Big Band to Trio all flow seamlessly. Nancy is a song stylist, her interpretations sometimes don't follow the standards set by other artists performing and producing traditional Christmas albums so do not expect mundane versions of these carols, they belong to Nancy.



4. Leave it to Nancy to do a tasteful classy Christmas album. I'm jewish but I'm a big fan of Nancy's and this is the one Christmas album that I listen to.



5. THIS WOMAN HAS AS SENSATIONAL VOICE,STRONG AND VERY SEXAUL.
   I BELEIVE,NO I KNOW YOU WILL LOVE THIS.I'VE BEEN LISTINING
   TO NANCY AT A VERY YOUNG AGE,NOW AT 46 I CAN REALLY APPRECIATE
   HER VOICE AND TALENT.I TRUELY THINK EVERY ONE SHOULD LISTEN
   TO THIS REMARKABLE WOMAN AS SHE BELLO OUT HER UNIQUE TONES.
   MY ALL TIMES FAV (GUESS WHO I SAW TODAY)SINGSATIONAL,I
   LOYAL FRIEND ALWAYS,RT

3 comments about All-Time Greatest Christmas 1.

1. This is a great collection! It contains White Christmas (Crosby) and Christmas Song (Cole) in addition to other Christmas classics. These two songs are very difficult to get on the same CD. I have owned the cassette for years and had always hoped I would find the CD. This is a must have for your holiday collection.



2. This cassette has all the favorites- I never get tired of listening to it!!



3. I guess I should have known I would get what I paid for. This CD is filled with mostly unknown, low-quality Christmas music. The rest is just plain cheesy.

5 comments about Christmas with Dino.

1. This CD compiles the "best" songs from Dean Martin's two Christmas albums (1959's A Winter Romance & 1966's The Dean Martin Christmas Album), plus the 1953 single "The Christmas Blues". Some songs appear twice on this disc, because Dean recorded them for both of his Christmas albums. The songs from A Winter Romance are "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!", "White Christmas", "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm", "Baby, It's Cold Outside", "A Winter Romance", "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and "Winter Wonderland" (don't ask me why "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" was on an album of "romantic" songs). The songs from The Dean Martin Christmas Album are "Silver Bells", "Winter Wonderland", "Blue Christmas", "Jingle Bells", "A Marshmallow World", "Silent Night", "I'll Be Home For Christmas", "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" and "White Christmas". Dean was a great singer of traditional pop songs, who projected a boyish sense of fun with his singing voice. He does quite well with these songs. His version of "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" is the best version of that song I've ever heard. Avoid the newer version of this CD, which has a contemporary remix of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" with Martina McBride dubbed in (nothing against her, but why tamper with a classic?).



2. Just a note on sound quality. Sixteen tracks are wide true stereo. Only track eleven is mono. Great fidelity.



3. THIS A WONDERFUL DEAN MARTIN CHRISTMAS CD. VOICE IS IMPECCABLE AS USUAL AND THIS IS A FESTIVE HOLIDAY CD. DEAN MARTIN IS WONDERFUL.



4. Excellent Christmas / Dean Martin album. Much better than a Frank Sinatra Christmas album I bought last year.



5. If you love Dean Martin, you will love this. His smooth, easy way of singing is a joy to the ears. If you're unfamiliar with Dino's music and are just looking for some Christmas music, watch out. You will fall in love with this fabulous singer!

5 comments about Christmas with Julie Andrews.

1. This is a lovely, enchanting Christmas album featuring Julie Andrews singing both traditional and obscure carols. Highlights include "The Holy Boy," "O Little Town of Bethlehem," and "I Wonder As I Wander." All of the songs have beautiful orchestra arrangements and some also feature a choir. In "O Little Town of Bethlehem," the choir sings the traditional melody while Julie sings an entirely different melody, which adds new dimension to this classic carol. In "I Wonder As I Wander," Julie sings both the lead and harmony on overlaid vocal tracks, which gives a haunting effect. This reminds me of a similar technique used on Barbra Streisand's Broadway Album in "The King And I" medley. One song that seems somewhat out of place is "The Secret of Christmas" since all the other selections refer to the spiritual meaning of the holiday and this is the only secular song.

   The reason I gave this album four stars instead of five is because I think her "Sounds of Christmas" album she made for Hallmark in 1990 is superior. That album features a perfect mix of sacred and secular songs and overall is a bit more upbeat than "Christmas With Julie Andrews." However, this album is still very enjoyable -- Julie's voice is always a pleasure to listen to and will give you a touch of Christmas spirit anytime throughout the year!




2. I don't mean to be cynical, but the editorial review on this CD was a hoot. Does the editorial reviewer actually listen to Miss Andrews singing Christmas carols for GRIT?! He sounds like one of those folks who simply can't accept that vocal beauty and clarity are perfectly appropriate and preferrable in many musical genres--including musicals, which now seem to be full of people who can belt out a tune, but can't actually sing it with any sensitivity. This is a lovely CD; try also her Greatest Christmas Songs and her Christmas Treasure, even more beautiful if possible--taken from the early Firestone LP's.



3. Since I was a little girl and my mother and I collected the Firestone albums (they cost $1.00!), I have absolutely loved to hear Julie Andrews sing Christmas carols. Her crystal clear soprano is the perfect accompaniment to the classic, traditional songs, lending an air of timeless authenticity that cannot be surpassed. My particular favorite on this CD is "In the Bleak Mid Winter", a soulful, melancholy song that captures the stark, gray, frigid beauty of winter. I would recommend this CD to anyone that is a serious collector of quality Christmas recordings and to those that are just starting that journey.
   S.Fletcher Edgewater, NJ



4. I realize that this album is very highly acclaimed by other reviewers, but I find it to be rather flat. Ultimately, this recording is all about Julie Andrews' voice. For many people, that is enough. However, I was extremely disappointed with most of the arrangements. Quite frankly, they are rather bland (and often extremely sloooooow). Of course, this provides Miss Andrews with the opportunity to do her thing, and she does have a dazzling voice. I am hard-pressed to criticize her performance, and she is remarkable, as always. But I can't ignore the fact that the accompaniments are so boring.
   
   If you could swoon over Julie Andrews humming a middle-C for ten minutes, then you will love this album. If you love all Christmas music, regardless of its quality, then you will love this album. But if you have somewhat higher expectations for professionally-produced music, then you will probably find this recording to be pleasant but largely unremarkable. I don't mind listening to it, but I do not particularly recommend it. I prefer most other Christmas albums and much prefer Julie Andrews singing Broadway tunes. This one just doesn't do much for me.



5. When I was in radio we featured this "record". It became my favorite traditional
   Christmas record. The beautiful perfection of Julie Andrew's voice combined with
   the truly magnificent arrangements and orchestral renderings represent the true
   spirit and joy of the Christmas season. I searched for this record for YEARS and
   finally found it at Amazon...different cover, exactly the same music. I bought 2
   copies as well as 2 copies of Julie Andrews "Greatest Christmas Songs". If you
   don't find your favorite carol on one CD, you will find it on the other!

5 comments about The Christmas Album: Vienna Boys Choir.

1. This wonderful collection of Christmas music is especially good! Many pieces are very well known standards, and have been rewritten in ways that keep the music fresh, interesting and new! Every holiday season (and even throughout the year) this CD is played by our family quite a bit! [I may be a little biased, since my 12 year old son from Cincinnati, OH is one of the boys singing in most of the songs!] It is awesome!!



2. When in Vienna we attending a Boy Choir concert.
   
   Gave an album to each set of grandchildren. They loved it.
   
   Harold KLlbertanz



3. With a fine combination of traditional and modern Christmas selections, this is the best Christmas album by The Vienna Boys Choir that I've ever heard, and one of the best Christmas albums still available by ANY artist. Included are very pleasant versions of John Lennon's perennial "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)", Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime", and Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree". Among the prettiest numbers are "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", "The Christmas Song", "Suo-Gan", "White Christmas", and "The Little Drummer Boy", but the best is saved for last - the seamless blending of the last three songs spread over the last two tracks of the CD is superlative.



4. Hello, Boy's Choir Fans,
   This CD is a holiday season must.The way these boys sings these christmas songs really puts you in that Christmas feeling.My favorite of course is track number 3-John Lennon-Happy Christmas(War is Over).But surely I will be playing this CD every day during the Christmas season.
   Also this CD sound quality is excelent.
   I fell in love with the Vienna Boys Choir a few years ago and in my opinion -I feel that the Vienna Boys Choir is the best Boys Choir in the world.
   But sometimes I wonder If these Boys are a Heavenly Host Praising God.
   Buy this CD and you will see what I mean.



5. Did you know the boys from Vienna also sing in English? In this album they do. Drat. I should have looked more closely before buying it.

5 comments about Christmas Treasures.

1. There is a unique, festive and well done instrumental CD, the music and arrangements are absolutely beautiful. This is a favorite in our home at Christmas. We start playing this holiday music around Thanksgiving. I use it to start the `trim' and `get into baking'. Often called new age music. God Rest Ye, Merry Gentleman is the reason I bought the tape, first hearing it over the speakers in a CD shop on the mall. Be prepared for the most beautiful version of God Rest Ye, Merry Gentleman that you will have ever heard. Enjoy. :-)



2. Christmas is time for sharing, families and celebration. Traditions like baking Christmas cookies, visiting Santa and singing Christmas Carols are no doubt a part of many families' holiday festivities.
   
   Speaking of Christmas Carols, there is certainly a great variety of albums from the classics to more contemporary titles, but there is one album that is truly unique...
   
   Before I go any farther, let me say that as a child my mother played Christmas records all day every day from December to mid January. If I had a dime for every time I had to listen to The Brothers Four singing The Little Drummer Boy, I'd be a gazillionaire. Other favorites were Perry Como, The Carpenters and even The Beach Boys.
   
   While these albums are okay, they are all essentially the same songs over and over and over again. Kind of tedious after the millionth time, especially when I'd much rather have heard John Denver and the Muppets, A Christmas Together. I was a kid after all, right. The Muppets featured dialogue, comedy and unique Christmas music, but my kids aren't really familiar with the characters and have no idea that John Denver was someone other than the author of Alfie the Christmas Tree.
   
   Not wanting to be a Scrooge, I knew there had to be a good holiday album that was neither boring nor too babyish. I was right, and I found it.
   
   MEHDl has two Christmas CDs and they are both good all the way through, which cannot be said of all CDs these days. They are entirely instrumental and maybe that's why they don't get tedious after listening to them over and over again. Buy both Christmas Treasures 1 & 2 you won't be disappionted !



3. Mehdi's composing style in Christmas Treasures I is truely mind soothing album featuring flute, guitar and piano interleaved with striking hand percussion which is one of the mehdi's techniques. My favorite tracks are "God rest ye merry gentleman", "The First Noel" and "O come all ye faithful". I listened to this album through my PC sound card (Creative SB X-Fi XtremeMusic) after ripping it into lossless APE Monkey's Audio format and using Sennheiser HD595 headphones for truely live experience. This album is way better than Christmas Treasures II in soothing the mind.
   
   I'm waiting for the real music of mehdi next release of instrumentals (probably Vol.8) of DVD-Audio version for absolutely live soul transportation experience.



4. I came across this album by chance. It is a fun collection of upbeat tracks of classic holiday tunes. Not a lot of heavy enstrumentation, but a good album for background music during the holidays.



5. If you need a good rhythm for cleaning toilets and Saturday housework, this will work. Musically, it was really disappointing. It had gotten such great reviews--even compared to Mannheim Steamroller--that I was expecting something really awesome. When I heard it the first time, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry (over my lost money). Let's just say, it sounds like an intermediate keyboardist on a cheap electronic piano, accompanied by a cheap electronic drum set. The whole CD sounds the same, just different tunes, and there is nothing musically challenging or inspiring. The kiddies will love hopping around to it as you clean the house.

5 comments about The Velveteen Rabbit.

1. This is one of the best, if not the best, children books out there. I grew up listening and reading this book, and everytime I re-read it I feel like a child again. I highly recommend this book to all those parents who wish to give their children a book that they will truely charish. The music, narration, and drawings are perfect and bring the story to life. This is a perfect gift for Christmas



2. The Velveteen Rabbit was introduced to me at a wedding -- the emphasis being on love that makes you "real" in a way that can never be changed despite the twists and turns of life. I read it to my grandchildren -- one who wanted it every single night of his week or two-week visit -- and I looked up on more than one occasion to find my husband sitting quietly in a chair, his ears, and obviously, his heart, tuned in to the increasingly familiar words. I began giving the book as shower gifts, wedding presents, anniversaries and the like. And then the CD came out. I grabbed it.

   The grandchildren are grown now and off making their way in the world. But, I reclaim the closeness and joy of their presence all the more by sitting down with a cup of tea and being "lullaby-ed" by Meryl Streep and George Winston. It is a reminder of how I became "real" to them in a way that never dulls. This CD causes my heart to "spill over" anew every time I listen to it.




3. "Once there was a velveteen rabbit, and in the beginning he was really splendid," says Meryl Streep with George Winston playing piano in the background. This recording delicately combines George Winston's incredible talent with the lovely tale of a toy rabbit who "longs to become real." This story is simple enough for children to understand but refined enough for adults to enjoy. I recommend it to anyone who wants to prolong the magic of imagination long enough to raise their children, grandchildren, or others' children. It's a great gift for any child or child-at-heart who is ill, going through a rough time, or having troubles calming down to rest at night. It's also ideal for the parent with a rush-hour life who needs a moment in George Winston's piano-magic world while their children get entertained by a story. My grandparents bought the cassette for me when I was just 6 years old, and I can still quote most of the first side from memory. Now, in adulthood, I continue to enjoy the comfort of a soothing piano and a good story. I love this recording, and I know it will warm its way into your heart too.



4. I was introduced to this recording by one of my piano teachers. The marriage of music and story on this recording works perfectly!! This recording is not just for kids, it's for grownups too! Highly recommended!!



5. the Veleveteen Rabbit has replaced the Alastair Sim version of A Christmas Carol as my annual pre-Christmas recorded entertainment.
   
   if you ever hear a better reading of a story than Meryl Streep does on this CD, please drop me a line and let me know what it is.