2 comments about Hammered Dulcimer Christmas.

1. This is a nice enough collection. The CD itself is quite short, and the songs include only dulcimers. It's not exactly what I wanted, but it will serve.



2. Nice collection of holiday music for the fan of hammered dulcimers. I especially loved God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman, which has a particularly rich sound.

4 comments about The Best of B.B. King: Christmas Collection: 20th Century Masters.

1. This is my favorite Christmas CD, hands down. I'm a little biased, as I've been a BB King fan for years, but I was blown away by the production quality of this album. I expected something more along the lines of Andy Williams, but this is one hot blues CD. I would rate this right up there with Blues on the Bayou, which in my opinion is BB's all-time best (I prefer his later albums).

   I don't know why they reissued this CD under the 20th Century Masters label, only two years after the first CD was released. It appears to be the same album, except that they apparently substituted Merry Christmas Baby for What a Wonderful World. But if you love the blues, then you will want this in your Christmas CD collection. My favorite tune turned out to be Merry Christmas Baby, where BB demonstrates that he's still got the pipes, and Lucille can still sing, too.




2. Well produced, with BB sounding like he is enjoying himself. "Back Door Santa" similar to Johnny Winter's "Back Door Friend" in its meaning.



3. This CD has a very warm sound throughout. You can't go wrong riding with The King this holiday season.



4. I pick this up the day before Christmas because I had gotten sick of "standard" Christmas music. I really enjoyed BB (as I usually do) and I liked the selections. My wife is not a big blues fan but even she remarked about how much she enjoy this set. This was definitely worth buying!

5 comments about Celtic Christmas, Vol. 2 [Windham Hill].

1. This cd is very relaxing. The bagpipes are great I recomend this cd to everyone!



2. Beautiful listening but badly named. The only seasonal piece on the album was James Galway's arrangement of the Wexford Carol. There are songs about fish, unrequited love, the Great Famine, defeat in battle... heaps of Celtic stuff well worth listening to, but not if you want holiday music. For midwinter celebration you'd do well to give this album a miss and try Celtic Christmas III instead.



3. I love this music--it is so relaxing--I listen to it all year



4. This 56 minute CD contains beautiful Celtic music. It is not your typical hodge podge of "various artists". This CD flows nicely from song to song. One especially nice feature of this CD is the 8 page booklet with liner notes. This includes the lyrics (and English translations, if needed). The liner notes also list musicians and other credits. I especially enjoyed Muladach Mi Is Mi Air M'Aineol by Capercaillie. Recommended to anyone who enjoys Celtic music.



5. Volume 2 of the Celtic Christmas Series is awesome. If you have any or all of the other albums in this series, you have to get this one. Like all the others, the moods of the album range from mellow to exuberant, from wanting to sit & meditate to wanting to get up & dance. Yet this album in itself is as unique as the rest. It has familiar tunes like the 'Star of County Down' & new haunting melodies like 'The Dove's Return'. It completes the set of wonderous Celtic music found in the series. I highly recommend it.

4 comments about Noël: Carols & Chants for Christmas - Anonymous 4 (4 CD Set).

1. This is a great compilation of Anonymous 4 Christmas music - but it is NOT new. It simply boxes 4 existing CDs together. The CDs are Legends of St. Nicholas, Wolcum Yule, On Yoolis Night, and A Star in the East. If you already have those CDs, there is nothing new here.



2. The previous reviewer is correct - this isn't new music, so if you already have these albums, do not buy this set.
   
   However, if you don't have these albums (or have never heard of the Anonymous 4), this is a BEAUTIFUL collection of their Christmas music. These women have amazing voices and, on top of that, a wonderful way of bringing to life music that had been thought dead since the Middle Ages. I am particularly fond of their music about St. Nicholas, being deeply interested in medieval hagiography. You simply must add this collection to your personal stash of music!



3. I will just reiterate that this is a compilation of 4 existing CDs- Legends of St. Nicholas, Wolcum Yule, On Yoolis Night, and A Star in the East. If you don't own any of them, or even if you just own one of them, I would strongly suggest buying this set, since you'll save a lot of money from buying each disc individually.
   
   Anonymous 4 performs all the music flawlessly. If you're looking for Christmas music that lifts up the spirit, you can't do much better than these recordings. Legends of St. Nicholas is an interesting and beautiful collection of chants devoted to the historical figure Nicholas of Myra (who became Santa Clause in our culture); Wolcum Yule is focused on Christmas songs from the British isles, some of them familiar and some not- after listening to Britten's "New Year Carol" on the "Wolcum Yule" CD, I wish people would replace Auld Lang Syne with that on New Year's celebrations; "On Yoolis Night" focuses on Christmas music from the Medieval period and is a must-listen for any early music lover; "A Star in the East" is a sublime and haunting collection of music from medieval Hungary- you won't find music like this anywhere else. What can I say? Highly recommended- this is perfect music to listen to this holiday season, and particularly when you're at home on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning.



4. I recently read that there are really two Christmas holidays: the federally-recognized secular "day off", and the true holy day. Quite true. If you seek to return to the latter, look no farther than this collection of music that harkens back to when Christians really understood the significance of the day. The angelic voices of Anonymous 4 will quickly become a seasonal favorite.

5 comments about Christmas With the Von Trapp Children.

1. I have been a progressive Hard rock heavy metal singer for over 19 years. I am a lover of harmonies no matter what instrument is doing them. I first heard this album (specifically the song African Gloria) while browsing in Yankee Candle's "Black forest" room. I was moved by that song and I still am when I hear the clip now. I immediately ordered it. What I can say is that these kids are not doing any easy tasks...I am a singer and I know what it takes to get the harmonies and dynamics what they are. I give them 2 thumbs up and urge them to always continue. Childrens choirs are wonderful and in my opinion spark a Holy part of us. 5 stars!



2. What a great album - fun arrangements, beautiful harmonies. This is one of the best Christmas albums I have heard or bought in a long time. "Gloria" will be one of my favorite tracks from now on. This album is all I expected and more. If you love Christmas music then you need this album.



3. These kids sing like angels! I am so glad I purchased this CD for my holiday collection.Great price also!



4. Love the cd! Their voices are so pure and clear - I listened over and over.



5. The item was exactly as discribed and arrived in good condition. I would gladly buy from this seller again...anytime!

2 comments about Welcome Christmas: Carols and Lullabies From Around the World.

1. It is getting more difficult each Christmas Season to find discs that offer Christmas choral music that is infused with a sense of "rootedness" borne out of time-hewn tradition and at the same time compliments--rather than rehashes--the existing repertoire of age-old Christmas choral music.
   
   This is one of those rare discs that accomplishes this difficult task of offering a different approach to Christmas choral without slipping into the secular/contemporary (which usually strips all meaning and "rootedness" from Christmas). It does so by continuing to mine selections from Christmas traditions; however, the traditions are beyond the historical milieu of Olde Europe.
   
   At least half the selections here hail from Hispanic origins. If I know anything about Hispanic culture (not much, but I live in the American Southwest), it is nothing if not traditional and rooted, yet passionate and alive.
   
   If you are looking for a Christmas disc that can compliment (i.e., blend with but not duplicating) existing Christmas choral traditions, this is a "must-have" disc for your Christmas collection.
   
   To be sure, several of the tracks are from the European Christmas choral traditions. But even these are executed with



2. This is simply the most enchanting Christmas recording I have ever owned. I can't recommend it highly enough for those who love Christmas and some of the finest choral music. You'll love it too!

5 comments about America's 25 Favorite Christmas Songs.

1. There are 25 songs on this cd even though it shows only 14. This is a good bargain because you have 25 songs for the price of one cd (which usually contains 10-14 songs). I bought this cd and it is very beautiful! Both young and old can enjoy because they sing traditional christmas songs compared to modern songs today which is usually revised or changed in some way. Young,teens,middle-aged,etc can enjoy too because it DOESNT sound too much of boring church music or something really really old. No need to skip tracks!There is NOTHING boring on this cd and it never drags because some of the songs seem short but all are worth listening too--most of the songs you may be familiar with/grew up with. It's great for the family and/or just for singing/listening along with..if you're looking for traditional xmas songs, this is GREAT! Voices are beautiful and music is fun! Below is the complete list of the cd that the review left out:

   1. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing ,2. O Come All Ye Faithful,3. Silent Night, 4. O Little Town of Bethlehem,5.Angels we have heard on high, 6.O holy night, 7.Away in a manger, 8.Good Christian Men Rejoice, 9. What child is this?, 10. It came upon midnite clear, 11. Go tell it on the mountain, 12. Joy to the world, 13. The first noel, 14.We Three Kings, 15. Little Drummer Boy, 16. I'll be Home for xmas, 17. Deck the Halls, 18. White xmas, 19. Let it snow, 20. Jingle bells, 21. O xmas tree, 22. Have yourself a merry little xmas, 23. Silver bells, 24. Winter Wonderland, 25. We wish you a merry little xmas




2. This is one of the most wonderful Christmas CD's that I now own (and I own many). There is a great collection of songs on one CD. The singers are so talented! What beautiful voices they all have that make this CD a real winner!



3. I enjoyed the happy music of "deck the halls" it was beautiful but I still like the ray conniffs christmas songs. they are excellent songs for winter seasons.



4. I was looking for a basic CD of classic Christmas songs that could easily be sung along with. While I enjoy other types of instrumental Christmas music, often sung collections are either particular artists' "interpretations" (and thus hard to sing along with unless they're the original modern era) or are simply lacking in breadth (ten songs and that's it). This CD, however, contains a solid collection of classic songs, with no gimmicks, sung nicely by a full choir. The bright and briskly paced arrangements make it easy to sing along with, and I like the variety of familiar religious carols and some modern songs. All in all, a collection I'll be happy to play with my children around so they can learn all the verses to the classic carols. Recommended!



5. We love our hymns and good Christmas music. Too old for the new pop stuff. Great Tape, very uplifting.

5 comments about American Christmas.

1. The Boston Camerata is the foremost group dedicated to early music performance in the country ... This recording is one of my favorites, and it always gets heavy rotation around the holidays. The tunes are all American, taken from 18th and 19th-century sources, and definitely remind modern audiences of the religious heart of Christmas. Some of the tunes are familiar ('Joy To The World'), and some have unfamiliar texts ('The Watchman' and the evocative words sung to 'Adeste Fidelis'). Many of the tracks feature the beautiful harmonies of the shape-note traditions. The performances are, of course, stunning. Don't miss the terrific liner notes by Joel Cohen, calling Americans to reclaim our musical heritage from the classical and ethno-musicologists.



2. There are many delightfully refreshing tracks on this CD. While I'm not a fan of soloists, there are many tracks with a chorus. Many of these selections have a real Civil War-era sound to them. I especially like track 18: While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks, done in the form of a round. I've become addicted to track 24. This is a CD for all seasons.



3. A note to non-early music fanatics (as, contrary to the Mr. Cohen's notes, this CD mainly attracts early music fans):

   This album is decent provided you don't listen to the entire CD in one sitting. It is a nice break from the run-of-the-mill Christmas music, whether it be of the "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" or "Jingle Bell Rock" variety. However, the arrangements become tedious after a while. There are only so many open-fifths one can hear... Most people will find themselves gritting their teeth 2/3 through the disc. The non-early music fanatic would do well to listen to several tracks at a time.

   The classical enthusiast will not be pleased with Mr. Cohen's notes as he tends to disdain most "classical" music as pompous, "stuff shirt" nonsense. He seems to believe that the music on this disc is FAR better than that of, say, Handel's Messiah, simply because it is the music of lower/middle class (18/19th Century) America. He laments the Europe's influence on American music; after all, we should not be following the horrible examples set by Bach, Handel, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, etc. Good four part writing, where--gasp--the tenor parts are not constantly following the sopranos?? And--Beautiful, full, varied instrumentation?! Counterpoint?!?! Hpmh!...what unmitigated gall! What sheer snobbery!

   ...Please don't misunderstand me. I respect both Mr. Cohen's expertise (his sentiment is a different matter) and this music, and I do agree that the music presented on "American Christmas" is an enjoyable break from "Santa Claus is comin' to town. And, yes, SOME of this music deserves more credit than it is given nowadays (it sure beats anything sung or written by Britney Spears...) But lets be realistic: Handel's Messiah this is not.

   So, with that said, buy this CD... and remember, extreme moderation is the key to enjoying this album; if this sort of music was played as often as that oh-so-awful "music of reindeer," as Mr. Cohen puts it, you (provided that "you" are not an early music fanatic or Mr. Cohen) would find yourself desperately longing for the return of "Santa Claus is comin' to town."




4. While some tracks may be a bit tedious, there are some real gems here - enough to make you wonder why they remain mostly forgotten. The performaces are spectacular.



5. I happened to hear this in an mp3 newsgroup and immediately bought it for my folks and several other people. It is an incredible performance and unlike anything usually heard around Christmas . I listen to Classical music all day while working and yet I've never heard this before . Everyone who received it loved it.

5 comments about Mary Engelbreit's The Night Before Christmas.

1. I purchased the Mary Engelbreit DVD recently for my grandchildren. All three -- two girls and a boy -- love the story, the darling characters and the catchy songs. My daughter told me that the children are telling everyone to "just believe" and "never,ever, ever give up!" That's quite a Christmas message! My grandchildren have not stopped calling to say "thank you". It's exciting to have found a little gift they like so much.



2. I've always loved Mary's illustrations ... and seeing them "come to life" is incredible! I purchased the movie a few weeks ago, but this weekend shared it with my 9 year old niece. She LOVED it!!! After it was over she said ... "Can we watch it again?" And, we loved the extras of reading the book on the DVD and the coloring book. Fabulous! Bravo to Mary and the entire Mary Engelbreit Studios team. You did an incredible job, and have touched the lives of many who will celebrate Clement C. Moore's story in a new tradition!



3. I bought this DVD because I have a two and a half year old at home and my wife is a huge M.E. fan (killed two birds with one stone). The artwork and story line were wonderful. Unfortunately you have to constantly adjust the volume (up - during parts where the characters are speaking) as the characters voices are constantly drowned out by the loud music.
   After watching it about ten times I still haven't understood half the words Impelstick says (especially in his spells). And if I didn't know Clement C. Moore's story before, I still would not, as you can barely hear Kevin Kline's narration (his voice is just above a whisper). Overall I was disappointed with this DVD. I don't know what it would cost them to redo the soundtrack, but it would be worth it to create a true Christmas classic.



4. We've had so much fun with Mary Engelbreit's DVD over the holidays. Our kids played it over and over again, in fact they're playing it now. They're captivated by this wonderful telling of the Night Before Christmas story and it's easy to see why. Everything is first rate. Beautiful animation, great characters, great songs. And of course it's hard to beat Kevin Kline. But most of all I like the message. Anyone can be a child at Christmas, all you have to do is believe. I think open hearted adults will love this movie as much as kids do. It's already on my gift list for friends next year.



5. I waited til after Christmas to settle down with my 5 year old grandson to watch this DVD. We had watched other holiday videos together, many to involved to keep him interested. He loved everything about this DVD, including the singing! He wanted to watch everything listed on the video's menu and the story twice! Truely, the fantasy every grandmother dreams of for her grandchildren!

5 comments about Christmas with the Smithereens.

1. It's already beginning to look (and sound) a lot like Christmas with the Smithereens "Rockin' Around The Christmas tree" on their own "cool yule" holiday album. And they really do rock the house here. Listen to Dennis "The Little Drummer Boy" Diken "bash away, bash away all" during the intro to the Smithereens' own version of "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" while Jim Babjak's electric guitar decks the halls with reens riffs, Severo's bass pumps along at full "thrilla throttle" and Pat DiNizio croons in maximum rock `n' carolling mode. This is obviously not your average piped-in holiday music at the mall snoozefest.
   
   There is much to enjoy on this Christmas album beginning with its majestic opener "Waking Up On Christmas Morning" written by lead guitarist Jim Babjak. It is one of three Smithereens originals on this CD that also includes "Christmas (I Remember)" and a rerecording of their song "All Revved Up" that's been re-revved up and revamped as "Christmas Time All Over The World". The Smithereens also add their own holiday dressing to some Christmas classics and semi-rare covers. Pat contributes some exuberant harmonica playing to Elvis' "Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me)" while the guitars chug along like a runaway "Polar Express" train. The Smithereens also surf the yule tide with an excellent cover of the Beach Boys' "Merry Christmas, Baby" and do a really rollicking version of Chuck Berry's "Run Rudolph Run". The album later takes a side trip to Who-ville when Jim Babjak sings "Christmas" from the Who's "Tommy" album "and you know that can't be bad" when the Smithereens joyously revisit fab four territory with the Beatles' "Christmas Time Is Here Again". They even salute the Ramones with a catchy punk vs. Motown re-arrangement of their holiday song "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)". The band also rocks in the New Year with their Christmas carolers on steroids version of "Auld Lang Syne".
   
   "Christmas with the Smithereens" delivers a much needed kick in the Christmas balls to an often tired and tiresome holiday music industry. It's the perfect antidote to overly treacly Christmas "pap music" and sugar shock inducing holiday elevator music. If you like your seasonal music "sugar free" rather than piped-in and played-out, then you should spend your "Christmas With the Smithereens".



2. It seems like every season we come to accept the force-fed nostalgia of Christmas originals we've heard a zillion times or worse, treacly covers of these same done by "contemporary" artists (you know who you are - paging Sting,Celine and you "American Idols"). Not since Ray Davies and the Kinks snuck "Father Christmas" under our proverbial tree has a set of holiday tracks rocked this hard -- and good.
   
   What if there was a Christmas record that you actually wanted to listen to for more than just teary-eyed nostalgia? Sure, there's nostalgia here with the boy's own covers of Chuck Berry, Elvis, Ramones, and Beach Boys Christmas tunes. But there are also some nice originals and surprises: a cover of the Who's "Tommy" set piece and their own take on the Beatle-fan-club-only "O.U.T. spells out" Christmas sing along. All this and great guitar riffs, thumpin' bass, killer drumming, and a chance to hear Pat and the other Smithereens show off their vocal chops.
   
   If you are a Smithereens fan, or just a fan of great straightforward pop a la the aforementioned Kinks, the Who, Beach Boys, Phil Spector, etc. you will enjoy this record. Speaking of Phil, his other recent troubles not withstanding, he should watch his back: the Smithereens have arrived with a collection of holiday tunes to rival his '63 classic.



3. Every year, we hear the same Christmas songs and although we know them and love them, it's always nice to hear new and rare versions of even the most loved favorites. The Smithereens are giving you both new and rare! Along with Pat DiNizio, we also get Jim Babjak and Dennis Diken taking over the vocals on a few songs.
   
   Just when you think you've heard every version you ever wanted to hear of "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree"....the Smithereens deliver their electric punch flavor of the classic. I love their version of Auld Lang Syne. It starts with acapella then turns into a full blown rock song. The new original songs along with the classics really make this well rounded. There is a little something for everyone on this "classic in the making" Christmas CD.
   Simply put, it rocks!



4. The Smithereens have been one of the most consistent and genuine no frills rock bands for over 25 years and have now produced a Christmas album in keeping with tradition of quality. In many ways, "Christmas with The Smithereens" can be considered a tribute to the rock legends that the group admires and by whom they have been influnced. But there are also 3 brand-new Smithereens songs that reflect their own unique blend of styles.
   One thing to keep in mind is that while The Smithereens are covering well-known versions of past Christmas classics they are not attempting to best the original hits. From start to finish they are simply having fun doing their own takes on songs. You'll hear songs originally done by the Beach Boys, Chuck Berry, Elvis, and The Ramones (you can tell the group has a real affection for the original punk band. There's a cover of the rare Beatles song "Christmas Time is Here Again" and if you've already heard The Smithereens Beatles tribute ("Meet the Smithereens") you'll know how well they cover the Fab Four. There's also a nice surprise in their sharp cover of The Who's "Christmas" from the rock opera Tommy. It's amazing that this song hasn't become a rock yule tradition--until now.
   As for the three original songs, The Smithereens make use of their own personal memories of Christmas and create songs that are lively as well as sentimental. These are not sing-songy compositions but they'll grow on you with repeated listenings.
   If you're looking to break from the usual tradition of well-worn holiday covers then "Christmas with The Smithereens" is a great NEW tradition to start.



5. Remember the two types of Christmas albums that you listened to as a kid? There was the 'reverential' album of devotional songs and hallelujah stuff. It was the one that you put on late at night during a soft snowfall and looked at the Christmas tree and remembered Christmas past.
   
   Then there was a the album that captured the fun and the joy of the holiday. You know what that was. It was the album that you put on when the cousins came over to visit. The one that you reached for automatically when the party started. The one that captured the fun and the excitement when the family was all together and the kids went one way and the parents went another. The album that was on when the kids would wonder what they would be getting when the presents were opened later on.
   
   Christmas With The Smithereens captures perfectly the feeling and the memories of that time and makes it fresh. The Smithereens bring new life to the old classics. You can tell that they aren't just going through the motions but actually enjoying themselves as they play common Christmas tunes like 'Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree' and not so common Christmas tunes such as their take on Art Carney's version of 'Twas The Night Before Christmas'. You can HEAR the Christmas Spririt Of Fun in these recordings. The band must have been smiling all the way through the recording sessions.
   
   As I write this we sit on the edge of summer. So what? What law says that you can't play Christmas songs past the 'Christmas season'? Who says that you can't rock out for the summer to The Smithereens playing Christmas tunes? Do you only play 'Autumn Leaves' in autumn? Do you only play 'Riders On The Storm' when it rains? Do you only play 'Here Comes The Sun' when it's sunny? No! You don't.
   
   Indulge yourself! Get 'Christmas With The Smithereens' NOW!!