3 comments about Swingin' Christmas Party.

1. I bought this album for the Larry Clinton track "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" and rapidly found the Fats Waller "Swingin' them Christmas Bells" and the Freddie Martin version of "Sleigh Ride". Some of the tunes are the ones you hear over and over, like Guy Lombardo and Spike Jones, but others are just unknown to those of us born after 1960, and that's a shame, because there is some great music on this album!



2. Swingin' Christmas Party is a great CD of hits by many artists who were famous "back in the day." We get excellent tunes from greats including Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Fats Waller and more! The CD had room for another song or two; but what we get is such good quality I can ignore this minor issue.
   
   Glenn Miller and His Orchestra start things right with a jazzy, swinging rendition of "Jingle Bells." While they keep the bells in the musical arrangement, the flavor is distinctly jazzy and full of that great swing sound! Great brass, too! Listen for Tex Beneke and the Modernaires to provide some updated lyrics for this awesome number.
   
   Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra perform an electric version of the standard "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town." Cliff Weston and Edyth Wright do great vocals on this number; and although there's some surface noise this tune will make you smile! In addition, the melancholy "White Christmas" gets the royal treatment from Sammy Kaye and His Orchestra. Johnny Ryan and the Kaye Choir harmonize to perfection. "White Christmas" is one tune that doesn't feel like swing music; but it's wonderful nonetheless.
   
   "Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers" by Larry Clinton and His Orchestra sparkles brightly. Listen, too, for Fats Waller and His Rhythm to perform a smashing rendition of "Winter Weather." Excellent! Fats plays piano on this number; and he sings beautifully.
   
   Spike Jones and His City Slickers perform the novelty song "All I Want For Christmas Is my Two Front Teeth;" and Guy Lombardo wraps it all up nicely with his classic interpretation of "Auld Lang Syne." Very sweet.
   
   The liner notes give us the song credits and the artwork impresses me.
   
   Overall, this CD of Christmas tune with a swingin' style is bound to entertain you over and over again! Don't be surprised if you want to listen to this great set of numbers even next July!



3. The music is great! A nice holiday collection from the bid band era worth buying.

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 Home for Christmas.

1. I'm pretty finicky about Christmas albums. I hate most of them. This one is probably in my top 5, and I'm not even much of an Amy Grant fan. It's one of those extremely rare Christmas albums by a popular artist that actually sounds like Christmas. The arrangements are very traditional without being boring, and even the nontraditional songs fit in very well and aren't too "pop-y". Amy Grant's voice is perfectly suited to this kind of music and she knows how to sing a wonderful song and just let its natural beauty speak for itself. I shudder to think of this same set of songs mutilated by Christina Aguilera's relentless moans and gratuitous runs.
   
   The bottom line: you could put this CD on in July and it would bring visions of snowy lamp-lit streets, sleigh rides, mall Santas, manger scenes, and people being inexplicably kind to one another. And that's the way it should be. I'm talking to you, Ms. Aguilera.



2. I have about 20 Christmas albums in my CD collection and none comes close to this one by Amy Grant. The ONE holiday album that my family requests each and every holiday season.



3. This collection is a rare gift to listeners..when this album first came out, on a tape, I played it Christmas morning as my son came down to open his presents. That was many years ago. Now,as a teenager, he asks us to put on this cd, before he comes into the living room. This from a guy who is definitely not a country fan. In our home, it is simply not Christmas without this cd. It is a gentle, beautiful Christmas collection every family will treasure because Amy Grant shines and makes every song her own. Our family has gone through two tape version and about two CD copies..I am now ordering another one!!



4. I love this CD!! I have to listen to it every Christmas. Amy Grant puts a new spin on some old favorites and brought to life some new songs that I love. "Mary's Song" is probably my most favorite song on the whole disk, but I just love it and would recommend it to anyone and everyone!!



5. I own all of Amy Grant's Christmas albums, but I think this one is my favorite. My favorite song is "Emmanuel (God With Us)" and then "Breath of Heaven." Wonderful lyrics, beautiful arrangements of the songs... an all-around FANTASTIC album. I highly recommend it! :-)

3 comments about Home for Christmas.

1. I had high hopes for Luther's Christmas CD. Not great...I got weary of it after the second song.



2. Luther can do no wrong. He puts a special spin on these songs. They really inspire and motivate throughout the holidays. Wrap those gifts and bake a little with Luther in the midst....



3. This is an alright product but not as good as I thought it would be.

3 comments about Most Fabulous Christmas Album Ever.

1. I'm glad this album came out, I've worn out the tape I had with 2 hard to find songs that are on this collection-Sleigh Ride by Merv Griffin backed by the Freddy Martin Orchestra, and Silver Bells by the Fontane Sisters. The album is enjoyable, with the exceptions of Baby, It's Cold Outside by Ann Margret & Al Hirt-too light & fluffy for my taste, the version done by Johnny Mercer & Margaret Whiting is the best(in my opinion anyway), The Christmas Song by Carmen McRae-Nat King Cole's version is the greatest, and Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer by Hilton Ruiz-the original version by Gene Autry is the most popular. Otherwise, a fun holiday collection to get you in the mood for shopping, gift wrapping, decorating, etc. etc.



2. I love Christmas music and own several albums, cassettes and, yes, even CD's. This is my favorite compilation to date. It's upbeat, fun and happy. It really puts me in the spirit of the holidays and I love singing along in the car (okay, I rock out a little, too, but don't tell the other drivers). I highly recommend this CD!



3. This is the third nostalgia type Christmas collection I've reviewed this year, the others being "The Spirit Of Christmas Past" and "Have A Nostalgic Merry Christmas", both from Living Era. This one centers solely on the big bands and vocalists of the '40's and as such, is highly enjoyable. Another reviewer pointed out that there are better versions of some of the songs here, and I agree. The true classics in this collection include: Kate Smith singing Meredith Wilson's "It's Beginning To Look Like Christmas"; Claude Thornhill's "Snowfall"; Spike Jones' "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth"; Larry Clinton's "Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers"; Jose Feliciano's "Feliz Navidad"; and, of course, Guy Lombardo's "Auld Lang Syne". However, it's great to hear the big bands like Glenn Miller, Freddie Martin, Tommy Dorsey, Sammy Kaye, Benny Goodmon, and Charles Spivak with their versions of mostly familiar Christmas songs. Likewise with the vocalists such as Vaugn Monroe, The Fontane Sisters, Perry Como, Ann-Margaret, Carmen McRae, and Dinah Shore. And I quite enjoyed Hilton Ruiz' piano on a jazzy, boogie woogie type rendition of "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer", even if Gene Autry (who actually saved Rudolph from extinction after all the pop singers including Bing turned the song down) sang the definitive version.

   Well, the upshot is if you enjoy big band music and '40's era vocalists, you'll like this.

5 comments about Merry Christmas from Doc Severinsen and the Tonight Show Orchestra.

1. Hands down the best CD in my extensive collection of Christmas music. There are very few "must own" CDs, but this is one of them!



2. Anyone who is a fan either of Doc, big band, brass or Christmas music must own this CD!!! I Have looked for years for a Christmas CD to top this one with no luck. The Tonight show band was one of the most powerfull big bands of all time!! This CD clearly confirms that, it can be a beutiful ballad one moment and turn into a powerhouse the next. Words can not express how awesome the CD is. A must have for any Christmas collection.



3. The Tonight Show Band does a great job with all these numbers. All the numbers are arranged by Tommy Newsome or John Bainbridge. If you buy this CD for only the great arrangement of "Jingle Bells", you won't be sorry. You'll recognize all the selections. They're different slightly but performed tastefully. Snooky Young has some nice moments, too. There are vocals by the LA Children's Chorus and instrumental flavorings by the Pacific Brass and Desert Bells International. A fine addition to any Christmas CD collection.



4. I have listened to this album several times every year since I purchased the cassette in 1992. It is simply that good. Colorful, varied, and powerful are just a few words I would use to describe this classic. Doc Severinsen does not disappoint!



5. One of the best Christmas CDs I've purchased to in a long time. Sit back, relax, and just listen.

4 comments about That's Entertainment.

1. I got this box set for my birthday from my daughter and was so eager to open it up and start listening. i have most of these sings but on old vinyl records, they sound so good on CD remastered. I'm really happy i have the collection in one place and the liner notes are fabulous. So many interesting tidbits from my era. The reason to buy this set is also because of the outtakes and demos. it's really cool to hear the raw versions of these songs. I can't praise this enough, i think i'm going to get it for my mother for her birthday.



2. Rhino Records and Turner Classic Movies Music present - "THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT - THE ULTIMATE ANTHOLOGY OF M-G-M MUSICALS", some of the long ago musicals and stars that will never be forgotten...a 6-CD-Set --- a comprehensive guide to classic performances from the great Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musicals and a celebration of the Motion Pictures Documentaries --- from 1929 -1957 with many of the show stoppers of that time --- some rare moments from entertainers that you haven't heard or thought of in sometime --- with 135 selections all in one neat package --- "That's Entertaiment" --- "That's Entertainment, Part 2" -- "That's Entertainment III" --- plus addtional rarities from the M-G-M Musical Dream Factory.
   
   The lineup is fantastic and gives the listener a variety of what musicals were all about in the "Golden Age of the Hollywood Musicals"
   India Adams, June Allyson, Arnet Amos, Kay Armen, Louis Armstrong, Fred Astaire, Ann Blyth, Ray Bolger, Ralph Brewster, Fanny Brice, Jack Buchanan, Jim Burroughs, Louis Calhern, Bobbie Canvin, Leslie Caron, Carleton Carpenter, Cyd Charisse, George Chakiris, Maurice Chevalier, Ruth Clark, Jud Conlon, Joan Crawford, Eugene Cox, Bing Crosby, Dan Dailey, Vic Damone, Doris Day, Barrett Deems, Yvonne DeCarlo, Gloria DeHaven, Rex Dennis, Jimmy Durante, Nelson Eddy, Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards, Trudy Erwin, Nanette Fabray, Mel Ferrer, Connie Francis, Lee Gotch, Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, Jimmie Garland, Judy Garland, Hermione Gingold, Dolores Gray, Kathyrn Grayson, Georges Guetary, Ed Hall, Hal Hopper, Lena Horne, Betty Hutton, Dorothy Jackson, Jerry the Mouse, Louis Jourdan, Howard Keel, Gene Kelly, Elva Kellogg, Grace Kelly, Billy Kyle, Betty Jaynes, Allen Jones, Johnny Jonston, Charles King, Marjorie Lane, Mario Lanza, Peter Lawford, Bill Lee, Oscar Levant, Alice Ludes, Betty Lynn, Jeanette MacDonald, Marjorie Main, Claude Martin, Tony Martin, Judy Matson, Dorothy McCarty, Joan McCracken, Douglas McPhail, Ann Miller, Mary Moder, Ricardo Montalban, Polly Moran, Jules Munshin, Loulie Jean Norman, Margaret O'Brien, Virginia O'Brien, Donald O'Connor, Page Cavanaugh Trio, Janis Paige, Charles Pavalato, Jane Powell, Elvis Presley, Debbie Reynolds, Carol Richards, Ralph Rlane, Pete Roberts ,Ginger Rogers, Mickey Rooney, Kenneth Rundquist, Connie Russell, George Sanders, Arvell Shaw, Winifred Shaw, Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra, Harry Dean Stanton, Jimmy Stewart, Robert Taylor, Kay Thompson, Sophie Tucker, Nancy Walker, William Warfield, Ethel Waters, Lee Wiley, Dorothy Wilkerson, Esther Williams, Dooley Williams, The Williams Brothers , Keenan Wynn and Trummy Young.
   
   On Disc Six: 25 Outtakes from M-G-M Musicals - all tracks never before released in the order they appear on this CD:
   
   1. Swing Trot {From the Barkleys of Broadway - 1949)
   Extended Version, Partially Unused - MGM Studio Chorus
   
   2. The Lock Step {From the March of Time - 1930}
   Outtake - performed by The Dodge Twins
   
   3. Poor Little G-String {From the March of Time - 1930)
   Outtake - performed by Bing Crosby
   
   4. Fly Away to I-Oway {From Hollywood Party - 1934}
   Outtake - performed by Jimmy Durante and Polly Moran
   
   5. Buds Won't Bud {From Andy Hardy Meets Debutante - 1940}
   Outtake - performed by Judy Garland
   
   6. Let's Pretend It's True {From Vacation from Love - 1938}
   Outtake - performed by June Knight and Male Chorus
   
   7. It's Fun to Be in Love {From Meet Me in Las Vegas - 1956}
   Outtake - performed by George Chakiris, Dan Dailey and Betty Lynn
   
   8. Weekend at the Waldorf {From Weekend at the Waldorf - 1945}
   Demo - performed by Kay Thompson
   
   9. Golly Me {From Torch Song - 1953}
   Outtake - performed by Joan Crawford
   
   10. You Won't Forget Me {From Duchess of Idaho - 1950}
   Outtake - performed by Lena Horne
   
   11. Too Beautiful to Last {From Ziegfeld Girl - 1941}
   Outtake - performed by Tony Martin
   
   12. I Have a Dream {From Jupiter's Darling - 1956}
   Outtake - performed by JoAnn Greer (for Esther Williams) and
   George Sanders
   
   13. And There You Are {From I Love Melvin - 1953}
   Outtake - performed by Howard Keel
   
   14. A Message from the Man in the Moon {From a Day at the Races - 1937}
   Outtake - performed by Allan Jones
   
   15. Baby Doll {From Take Me Out to the Ballgame - 1949}
   Outtake - performed by Gene Kelly
   
   16. Some of These Days {From Broadway Melody of 1938)
   Unused Complete Version - performed by Sophie Tucker
   
   17. A Woman Without a Man {From Cairo 1942}
   Outtake - performed by Ethel Waters
   
   18. Make It Another Old Fashioned, Please {From Panama Hattie 1942}
   Outtake - performed by Ann Sothern
   
   19. You Belong to My Heart {From Sombrero 1953}
   Outtake - performed by Yvonne DeCarlo and Bill Lee (for Vittorio Gassman)
   
   20. Something's Gotta Happen Soon {From Ice Follies of 1939}
   Outtake - performed by Joan Crawford
   
   21. Deep in My Heart, Dear {From the Student Prince 1954}
   Demo - performed by Jane Powell and Vic Damone
   
   22. Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man {From Show Boat 1951}
   Demo - performed by Lee Wiley
   
   23. My Man {From the Great Ziegfeld 1936}
   Complete Version - performed by Fanny Brice
   
   24. I've Told Ev'ry Little Star/The Song Is You {From Till the Clouds Roll By - 1946)
   Outtake - performed by Kathryn Grayson and Johnny Johnston
   
   25. End Credits {From That's Entertainment! III - 1994}
   Finale - performed by The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
   conducted by John Mauceri
   
   It was once said by the songwriters of that era - "There are two artists you want perform your songs on the big screen, they are Fred Astaire and Judy Garland, they sing it just the way we wrote it, for which you will have a guaranteed hit on your hands" --- well, this collections certainly has some merit to that statement --- because with Judy Garland and Fred Astaire performing more songs in this ultimate deluxe edition, there must be something to it.
   
   This collection of musicals still has the magic that we remember from those bygone years --- but as long as we have the labels and networks who play and show these wonderful films of yesteryear, they will never be forgotten --- hats off to Rhino Records, George Feltenstein (producer) and Doug Schwartz (engineer) and Turner Classic Movies for sharing newly updated with 25 remastered tracks and an entire disc of previously unused, never-issued outtakes material appearing on CD for the very first time, plus major upgrades in sound quality --- celebrating decades of the tunes and artists that gave it their all...from what it commonly called "The Hollywood Dream Factory" --- The Golden Age of Hollywood Musicals is still among us --- and "That's Entertaiment", gotta love it!
   
   Total Time: 6-CD-Set ~ Rhino Records 73192 ~ (4/25/2006)



3. Yes, there are 6 CDs in this new set, as there were in the last one. However, there are selections missing in the new set that were included in the old one. If that weren't bad enough, there are selections from the double LP of the first "That's Entertainment" that are missing from the first boxed set. In this new set, they've taken selections from the more famous movies (or, movies whose soundtracks have been released separately, like "Show Boat" and the Garland/Rooney musicals) and trimmed those back. One might miss them--I know I do. Some rarities from the first boxed set, like selections from "The Opposite Sex" and Nancy Walker's "Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet" song--among several others--are not in the new set. If this new set is being marketed as a 'complete' anthology of all three movies, that's terribly misleading--because it's not. I haven't had time to go disk by disk to discover exactly what's missing, but newly-published music on disk 6 clearly comes at the expense of other selections. (Why couldn't this have been 7 disks then?) I only listened once to all the selections of the "new" set to learn if they're worth having in place of the old selections, and it's a judgment call to decide which is more valuable to have. My anger stems from the fact that consumers of this specialty item even have to consider making that decision. Potential purchasers need to be warned that they may want to check very carefully the contents of each boxed set and decide from there. The old set is likely to be available for some time from used vendors, and for people who have an interest in music history, it may turn out to be a collector's item. This new set does not preserve the previous work of saving, remastering, publishing, and annotating; that seems rather ironic in a specialty item that centers around that very idea. This dampens my enthusiasm for the otherwise fine preservation work that everybody did for this set. I wonder whose decision it was not to make it as complete as it clearly should and could have been, because it's very disappointing to have selections disappear without any warning to the consumer.



4. Swingin' The Jinx Away [extended version; shortened version appears on 2006 edition]: Frances Langford, Buddy Ebsen, and the M-G-M Studio Chorus
   I'm An Indian Too (outtake): Judy Garland And The MGM Studio Chorus
   Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man (outtake): Ava Gardner
   Ain' It The Truth: Lena Horne
   Too Darn Hot: Ann Miller
   Doin' What Comes Natur'lly (outtake): Judy Garland And The MGM Studio Chorus
   Anything You Can Do: Betty Hutton & Howard Keel
   Mr. Monotony (outtake): Judy Garland
   I Got Out Of Bed On The Right Side: Esther Williams, William Demarest, Charlotte Greenwood, Barbara Whiting, and Donna Corcoran
   Please Don't Monkey With Broadway: George Murphy & Fred Astaire
   Buds Won't Bud: Ethel Waters
   I'll Take The High Note (extended version): Red Skelton, Jean Porter, Janis Paige, Carlos Ramerez, Helen Forrest, and Buddy Moreno
   How About You?: Judy Garland & Mickey Rooney
   The Opposite Sex (Prologue): Dolores Gray and the M-G-M Studio Orchestra
   Friendship: Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Gene Kelly, et al
   Too Late Now: Jane Powell
   Lydia, The Tattooed Lady: Groucho Marx and the M-G-M Studio Chorus
   Baby, It's Cold Outside: Esther Williams - Ricardo Montalban
   Did'ja Ever?: Tony Martin
   There'll Be Some Changes Made: Dolores Gray
   The Stanley Steamer: Mickey Rooney, Gloria DeHaven, Agnes Moorehead, Walter Huston, Denny Wilson, and Jackie "Butch" Jenkins
   Mr. And Mrs.: Rosemary Clooney and Jose Ferrer
   You Can't Do Wrong Doin' Right: Van Johnson, Connie Haines, Stumpy Brown, Tom Farrell, Bob Troup, and the M-G-M Studio Chorus
   I'm Gonna Live Till I Die: Julie Wilson
   Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet (extended version): Nancy Walker and the M-G-M Studio Chorus
   I Don't Care: Judy Garland
   There's Beauty Everywhere: Kathryn Grayson & The MGM Studio Chorus

5 comments about Harry Belafonte Christmas.

1. Harry Belafonte sings beautifully and with deep emotion on this CD. Some of the songs have no instruments but guitars, which is lovely. However, the orchestra and chorus on other songs is very Christmasy. Some of the songs are sung a little slowly, which contributes to a worshipful tone on the more religious songs. I especially like the song "Christmas Is Coming", which is very upbeat.

   This CD is 46 minutes long. I'm always concerned about the quality of the digital remastering of these older records. I found the audio quality to be acceptable, especially considering the age of these recordings. Harry Belafonte's smooth melodies come through loud and clear. Recommended for any Harry Belafonte fan.




2. I'm actually not sure what inspired me to purchase this CD, as I am only familiar with a few of Harry Belafonte's songs (though the few that I've heard I've enjoyed greatly). However, this is one of the (unfortunately) few times I've followed my instincts, and I am so profoundly glad I did. This is not only one of my favorite Christmas CDs, but one of my favorite CDs period.
   
   Many people are probably familiar with Belafonte's fun, fast-paced version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas"; however, the best tracks on the CD are, in my opinion, the lesser-known Christmas songs such as "Jehovah the Lord Will Provide," "Mary's Boy Child," and "Amen." I also really enjoy the rousing "Goin' Down," though it is not really a Christmas song. I highly recommend this CD -- if you are like me, you play it over and over and never get tired of it.



3. I recieved the cd's in quickly and in great condition. I have enjoyed listening to them very mucg.



4. Harry Belafonte's recording delivers "Mary's Boy Child", "The Friendly Beasts" and other Christmas (not holiday) songs as only he could sing them. His voice is rich and mellow, and the songs are sung with tenderness, and joy, and the wonder of the events of that night. It was a thrill to find my long-scratched LP re-released as a CD, with a lot of new songs added, including the rousing "Amen". If you love Belafonte and/or good Christmas music, you must add this to your collection!



5. I love Harry Belafonte's voice and I love having a different style of Christmas music to listen to. It's the first CD I play when Christmas is approaching. Then, I listen to the more traditional music. This is a wonderful, wonderful CD.

5 comments about How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1966 TV Film).

1. The Grinch has successfully displaced Ebeneezer Scrooge as the spirit of anti-Christmas for today's audience. And there are similarities. Just as Tiny Tim was a strong factor in Ebeneezer's redemption, the children are a strong factor in the Grinch's redemption.

   It's a pleasure to be able to hear the great Boris Karloff narration, along with the songs, and then afterwards to again hear the songs reprised.

   Of course, this is a short CD, just barely 30 minutes in length. One must realize that while the program was supposed to be a half hour long, nearly a third of the time was used for toy advertisements. The irony of it all, a beautiful story telling us that the joy of Christmas is in the spirit of Christmas, not in the getting toys is aired for the purpose of selling overpriced and non-imaginative toys.

   Anyway, this is definitely a 5 star CD.




2. This is the album version of the classic television special How the Grinch Stole Christmas. It is not exactly the same as the TV show. Boris Karloff's narration is still here, but the background music is different. None of the sound effects from the cartoon are included. Boris Karloff speaks Cindy Lou Who's dialogue himself, while on television those lines were done by June Foray. And the songs seems to be slightly different than they were on televison. These changes were no doubt made for the betterment of the album, since listening to an album is a different experience than watching TV. This is a wonderful listening experience. It chokes me up every time when the Grich learns the true meaning of Christmas and turns good (hope I didn't spoil the ending for you). The CD also includes the four songs from the show separate from the main story, although of course they are also within the story itself.



3. Here it is FORTY years after its premiere---and the "Grinch" soundtrack stands as one of the last of a great musical tradition that extends all the way from the 30's: completely scored in a colorful, very "legit" technical manner, based on a thorough grounding in classic song-writing and background scoring/orchestration. And this cd presents it all in bright, clean and detailed sound.
   
   What is puzzling and fascinating is this: considering that the production of "How the Grinch..." in 1966 was apparently not an especially lavish one, how is it that the soundtrack exists in TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT VERSIONS, each with its own similar but different background music, and each with DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT arrangements of the three songs??
   
   It's too bad that all of the major musical figures---Albert Hague (composer), Eugene Poddany (the guy who did the intense work of scoring the whole thing TWICE) and Thurl Ravenscroft (singer of "You're a Mean One..")---have all passed on; as institutional memory goes, we may never know why the work was scored and recorded one way for the film and another completely different way for the MGM soundtrack album. I can see some cutting and patching together of the film soundtrack and an EXPANSION of the songs for the LP---that would be logical---but an ENTIRELY new score?
   
   I know I sound like a broken (LP) record, but I will continue to wonder about this. In any case, the 21-minute version of the soundtrack contained on this cd is great. And I must say that Boris KArloff's narration is absolutely BRILLIANT; it's so easy to take it for granted, since we all know it practically by heart. But take the time to really listen to Karloff's reading---the subtlety, the nuance, the pacing---the amazing RANGE of sound and vocal color--and the sensitivity of "the Grinch's small heart grew 3 sizes that day"......GREAT stuff!
   
   And to think, Karloff could pull off this tour de force barely a year or so before his own death. (You will notice a frequent change in the audio
   quality of the narration--sometimes with much low rumble and surface noise; sounds like it was assembled from a variety of audio sources).
   
   The cd also contains the songs themselves WITHOUT narration as additional tracks---so you can really enjoy the tunes and lyrics of Hague and Suess AND the fabulous work of Mr. Poddany.
   
   Yes, the CHORAL work is quite different from the TV version too. The women's voices are really pretty raw in this soundtrack version (Thurl says they only used 4 women total in the session), but at least you don't have to put up with that raucous, out-of-tune kiddie chorus which was looped over the adult voices in the TV soundtrack.
   
   All-in-all a delight, and a great tribute to the talent of the people who created and performed it.



4. I've been a fan of the TV show for years, but didn't even know this disc existed until last year. I immediately bought it, and I love it.
   
   It claims to be the soundtrack for the 1966 TV special of Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I see some reviewers say it is different. I've only noticed one difference. Whether it is note for note exactly the same or not doesn't matter to me. It's still a great disc.
   
   It only has 5 tracks. The first is Boris Karloff reading the story. It sounds remarkably like the TV special. It even has the songs edited into the story. The only change I noticed is here. Boris does all the narration, including Cindy Lou Who.
   
   The other four tracks are the songs from the special by themselves. "Welcome Christmas" gets two tracks, with the second being a longer reprise. That track has additional words and an instrumental bridge. "Trim Up the Tree" is just as nonsensical as in the special.
   
   Which brings us to "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." I love this song in the special, and it is preserved exactly as it is here, including Thurl Ravenscroft wonderful voice. It's one of my favorite parts of the special, and I love having it here. I'll confess, I often listen to it two or three times in a row.
   
   So if you are a fan of the TV show and love the songs, you'll be glad you got this CD.



5. This Christmas movie, along with the Charlie Brown Christmas Special and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is amongst my favorite things of all time. I love Christmas and have a special fondness for the memories of my 1960's era childhood. I try to watch "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" when it comes on TV each year, but the last few years I have missed it. So this year I decided to buy it and share it with my two year old nephew and hope that he would love it as much as I do. The voice of the Grinch, by Boris Karloff, is perfect and the songs are wonderful (I also purchased the music CD soundtrack). The animation is hilarious, especially the facial expressions that the Grinch makes. So this year I brought out the DVD and tried to put it in the machine because I couldn't bear to watch Spongebob Squarepants one more time. My nephew is very fond of watching Spongebob over and over and I thought he might scream if I tried to put on "my" movie. But he and grandma and I watched it together and we explained who all the players were and what was going on. He loved it! He especially enjoyed the part where the Who's were shown playing with all of their wacky musical instruments. Now my nephew realizes that there is more to life than Spongebob and that you cannot keep Christmas from coming.

5 comments about Poets & Angels: Music 4 The Holidays.

1. This holiday CD is great and something you can listen to all year long!



2. Heard this album at a holiday party last year, bought it, and now pleased to discover he has released many albums since this was released nearly 15 years ago. The music is upbeat and festive, and if you want a great album for your holiday party, this is the one. Enjoyed by all ages in my family (preschool up to retirees and inbetween). Happy Holidays!!



3. i was searching for a peaceful alternative to traditional christmas music--and wow did i find it?!! the soothing flamenco guitars are wonderful--i can't wait to hear his other music!



4. Something different for the holidays! "Poets & Angels" features gently spicy renditions of familiar holiday tunes played by nouveau flamenco guitarist Ottmar Liebert, along with five original compositions. The traditional melodies are in there, but the Latin-style percussion and improvisational interludes and percussion set them apart from the usual holiday renderings. "Poets & Angels" is a fun, upbeat way to celebrate Christmas. Try also the album "Christmas" by guitarist and keyboardist Tino Izzo for another take on revamping traditional carols.



5. Estoy muy emocionado al escribir esta critica: la guitarra es como una pequeña orquesta, y los que han descubierto ese significado se deleitan al escucharla, eso fue lo que paso cuando por primera vez escuche a Ottmar Liebert, especialmente en este album, la belleza y textura del sonido logrado, asi como los arreglos tan originales de los clásicos cantos navideños.... es como si por primera vez sonaran estos antiguos villancicos, agregado a ello las piezas inéditas de la propia creación de Otmar... Simple si verdaderamente quiere deleitarse esta época navideña, escuche esta grabación, verá que inicia el siguiente año y aún estará disfrutando cada melodía....