5 comments about In the Christmas Mood, Vol. 2.

1. This CD will carry you away to the Christmas memories you have of the late 30's and early 40's. All of the Miller greats are featured in stirring solos, the arrangements are great; if you are in any way a fan of the big bands you should get this one. Five stars plus+

   Fred Yale




2. "In the Christmas Mood II" is disc 2 of a three-disc box set titled "In the Christmas Mood" that I recently got from Amazon.

   Glenn Miller always wanted to put out a Christmas album and more than twenty years later, his old band members and arrangers made that dream a reality.

   These discs were recorded in stereo so that didn't have to be remastered or digital or any of that stuff.

   They are the best an American orchestra can give to the yuletide repetoire. If you like the Big Band sound, you cannot miss out on them.




3. I don't know exactly what it is about this cd, but I enjoy it more than the original "In The Christmas Mood". The big band/swing stylings and vocals (on the few tracks that feature them) sound just like they did on the original, the magic is still there. Perhaps it's the song selection itself which seems to weave more spiritual carols into the mix. Whatever it is, it works, as this cd always entertains me and my guests at holiday parties. Invariably, someone asks me where I got it and they wind up purchasing a copy themselves. Glenn Miller would be proud.



4. This is a fantastic cd that will surely have your toes tapping to the swinging beat. This is one of the classiest Christmas cds you could possibly own. The Glenn Miller Orchestra sounds absolutely fantastic, and the sound quality can't be beat.
   
   The Orchestra takes some traditionally slow songs like "Good King Wenceslas" and kicks them up a notch putting an upbeat drum beat and adding all kinds of horns so that surely even Wenceslas himself can't resist dancing. And then there are tracks like "White Christmas" which are still slow but are "jazzified". The selection of songs is wonderful with a good range of both traditional and modern carols.
   
   This is an excellent cd to have in your car or for playing at Christmas parties.



5. Not a substitute for the original Glenn Miller recordings but nice combination well-known holiday tunes with the big band sound. Sound quality is well above average. If you enjoy 40's, 50's big band sound, you'll like this album. Good price and well worth the money.

1 comments about Snowman.

1. It'd been years since I'd seen or heard this movie. We used to have the movie on VHS and the soundtrack on vinyl, so you can imagine how much I've seen and heard it in this digital age.
   
   This 25 year anniversary CD is everything I hoped it would be. Given that it is a soundtrack to a short film, all the music here really only come to 25 minutes. The first half of the CD is the story narrated over the music (synchronized, of course) and the second half is the stand-alone score. Both times "Walking in the Air" appears on the CD, it is sung by the boy, Peter Auty.
   
   The music itself embodies the mystery of Christmas better than any other music I've heard. It's not very often music brings tears to my eyes, but this CD did it. You'll find the best music is from the second half of the film, especially dancing in the boy's playroom, riding the motorbike, "Walking in the Air", and the snowman dance.
   
   In short, this CD is a must in any Christmas music collection!

5 comments about Joy for Christmas Day.

1. I absolutely love this CD. Around the holidays you get tired of listening to all the traditional christmas music. This CD has some oldies that are rearranged and sound beautiful but there are mostly original songs that are terrific.



2. I love Christmas...and the sounds of the season really set the tones. I love the traditional songs and carols, but am thrilled when I can find new tunes that relay the Christmas Spirit in a fresh new way. Joy for Christmas Day does both wonderfully.
   
   The musical styles vary dramatically from track to track, which is a testament to Ms. Mattea's vocal abilities. Traditional, soulful, spunky, soothing....this CD has it all.
   
   I first purchased this after my dad passed away, and could barely listen to the title track without tears welling up in my eyes. We wondered about the hidden song that plays after that track...now to find out that it is her own father who also has passed makes it even more special.
   
   This is truly a wonderful Christmas album. You won't be disappointed in it!



3. In no way does this compare to kathy's 1st christmas album, but is still kathy and good in ot's own right. (only my opinion)



4. this christmas cd is every bit as good as her "good news" release of a few years back.



5. Even though I did not know a lot of the songs KAthy chose, I loved everyone. As always, her vocals were strong and soothing. Her arrangements on the classics wewre lively but not too avante garde.

5 comments about The Essential Leontyne Price: Spirituals, Hymns & Sacred Songs.

1. This is a great CD. The only problem I have with it is that on some of the selections there is a boy's choir screaming in the background, and this takes away (a bit) from her performance. That said, her best selections are those that are either unaccompanied or those where her voice is not buried. Songs that strike me are - His Name So Sweet, He's Got The Whole World, Were You There, I Wonder as I Wander, Lift Every Voice and Sing, and my all time favourite Summertime. Enough said.



2. IMMACULATE, SUPERB vocal range and style! There's no other words that can complement Miss Leontyne Price's vocal arrangements. Miss Price's voice is strong, and shrills very nicely to the instruments played on many songs listed on this double CD which is a joy to treasure; every song listed are songs I was raised to hearing and singing. Miss Price is the reason why many of these songs remain in popularity and presently used. Miss Leontyne Price has been incredible in many of her past performances. This is my fourth CD of Miss Price and I am glad to own this particular CD forever and ever. Many thanks to the executors who found this remarkable album and upgraded it to a CD format! **Angi**



3. Agreed this is a good cd for a beautiful voice, but this is not, repeat not, for someone who wants to hear that old-timey religious fervor that you think of when you've been to a Black Baptist hand-clapping, standing, swaying, and singing service.



4. Leontyne Price (still alive) and already passing into immortality amongst vocal artists, both classical and popular. Leontyne Price stands at the pinnacle of her classical art, but those who only know her work in La Forza del destino or the Verdi Requiem are in for a heart rending treat with this album where Leontyne Price goes home to her roots in Mississippi and gives an unabashed account of the classic spirituals she sang as a young woman. Like John Mc Cormacks rendering of Irish songs there is a personal longing and devotion expressed here that reveals a side of the artist not known in the bulk of their "classical" repetoire. A sense of going home like Citizen Kane's rosebud, or as Dorothy Gale observes at the end of the Wizard of Oz "everything I could ever have wanted was right in my own backyard "



5. "I am here," said Leontyne Price when interviewed as she opened the new Metropolitan Opera with Samuel Barber's underrated ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA, "and you will know that I am the best and will hear me. The color of my skin or the kink of my hair or the spread of my mouth has nothing to do with what you are listening to." Back in the 1960s Price was one of the greatest divas in all of opera, and it wasn't just her voice but her magnificent stage presence, combined with her social activism. All of the above come into play in this collection of secular songs and ditties, some of them traditional plantation chanties and others, art songs and a scattering of pop music. And some of them, like Gershwin's "Summertime," cross the ever-permeable boundaries between Broadway and classical. These recordings were made at different times in Price's career, and her voice, while always angelic, has different shadings and reaches a different range of timbre in each separate recording date, but there is no question that, as time goes by, she is able to impart a richness of life experience noticeably absent from some of her earlier work.
   
   "Ave Maria" sounds heavenly no matter which way you slice it, and as for "I Wonder As I Wander," it brings tears to your eyes. If you have a heart that's beating you will be moved by this rendition. "Ein feste Burg" is pretty strong, but Price seems more comfortable with the traditional spirituals, though perhaps it is the slightly off-kilter sounds of the Ambrosian Singers (what a name) who back her up on many of these tracks, that detract slightly from the experience. Compare "Lead Kindly Light" for a clear sense of what constitutes authority vs. what is a wee bit overproduced. If you had this compilation, and perhaps one of Leontyne Price's Christmas albums, you could attain nirvana any time you wanted to, just flip a switch and close your eyes, let her lift you up on wings of song.

5 comments about Angels Embrace.

1. As much as I like some of Jon's music, I mostly appreciate his lyrics. This album totally disappointed me. It's just another new age album, to me plain boring. I'll stick to "toltec" and what he did with Vangelis, most of which I find extraordinary.



2. With the music of Angels Embrace Jon Anderson manages to create a loving and relaxing atmosphere that fills your entire body with calmness and piece. As a fan of both Yes and New Age music in general I find this record to be very suiting for relaxing and dreaming. Jon manage to put a more spiritual side to the music at the same time as it's relaxing like the New Age music from Steven Halpern and Vangelis. With the mixes of the typical Jon Anderson melodies like we find in songs like "Change We Must", and an overall instrumental spiritual sound that really has no melody but a spiritual, relaxing and light sound it fits perfect to get your soul and heart lighter after a stressful day!



3. As an artist I paint while listening to music. I ordered this only because I knew of Jon Anderson's music. I had no idea that this would become my favorite CD. I almost can't concentrate on painting as I listen to the rich, full, beautiful sounds. If ever there was music from heaven this is it. How anyone who takes the time to listen could not be transported to another universe in peace is beyond me. I wish I could thank Jon for making life richer for me.



4. The Album is up to Jon's High Standards. Suitable for a lazy Sunday afternoon, or on a rainy day. Don't drive listening to this.



5. Don't buy this to hear Jon's wonderous voice. It's mostly instrumental.
   It's as good as any other New Age music out there, very peaceful, relaxing, worth having. I've heard about 70% of his solo albums, and I'd rank this just after Olias and Change we Must. Worth buying.
   P

4 comments about Mob Hits Christmas.

1. While there are a couple of gems from classic Italian swingers like Vic Damone, Al Martino and Jerry Vale, the rest of the album is full of second- rate singers and horrible versions of Christmas songs (Dion especially!). And how can you have a definitive Mob Hits Christmas Collection without the big paesans like Perry Como, Sinatra, Dean Martin or Tony Bennett???? This is one offer you can refuse!



2. No this cd doesn't have Como, Sinatra, Martin or Bennett but none of the artists included are second rate losers. So if you're looking for a solid collection of Christmas classics with an Italian flare then this is the perfect disc. Of course it reminds me so much of my favorite little restaurant, perhaps I'm biased!

   Highlights include "We Wish You A Merry Christmas/Silver Bells", "Shake Hands With Santa Claus", and "Jingle Bells". The lesser of the tracks would have to be "The First Noel" and "Merry Christmas Baby" though neither are bad.

   If you're like me and just outright love Christmas music then you have to add this one. But if you're more a fan of "mob" music I'd maybe go for a Sinatra or Como holiday disc.




3. This CD was a quick release in 2000 to go along with the popularity of the TV show "The Sopranos". The main disappointment with it is the lack of discography in the liner notes. There at least could have been the release dates listed for all the songs.



4. It is just OK. Not GREAT like Mob Hits. Not long enough to be worth it.

3 comments about Christmas: A Time for Joy.

1. The Gaither Homecoming albums always make me wish I could be there singing with them, so I do the next best thing which is learn the words well and sing along to the top of my lungs! This album has some real toe tappers and some reflective cuts - a good mix for keeping on the player all Christmas season.



2. I know josh cobb is no longer with legacy five but he is my favorite singer & on christmas a time for joy he sings a song with legacy five( Holy Is Thy Name) that is my favorite song on here . but there all great I think everyone should purchase this video .



3. Great fast service. Purchased for my MOM for Christmas, and was pleased with the quick delivery.

5 comments about Christmas Album.

1. Those of us who grew up in the '50s and '60s can't help but have a certain nostalgia for Burl Ives, and it's almost impossible to avoid associating him with the Christmas season. We all remember him from Captain Kangaroo and numerous other TV appearances. And of course, we were a generation who would recognize his voice and the somewhat caricatured appearance of his actual person that was narrator Sam the Snowman in the 1964 Christmas classic RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED-REINDEER. (And although that TV special has become something of a perennial favorite, I can't imagine today's tykes associating Sam with an actual person, as delightful as they may find him here).
   
   Four years after that celebrated special, Ives released this Christas album, which fans will certainly find charming, but which may have to be presented with a few caveats for more casual listeners. First off, his most celebrated Christmas song (from RUDOLPH) "Holly, Jolly Christmas" is NOT included here. Scan through the Amazon listings, and you will find it elsewhere, of course. But this is not the place.
   
   Secondly, his readings of some of the standard carols are literally that: READINGS. Well, actually, he tends to talk-sing the first verse of "Silent Night," "Little Town of Bethlehem" and "O Holy Night" and then lifts his light tenor voice into song for the subsequent verses. It's actually an interesting approach, and may have had something to do with Ives' aging singing voice. (He was in his 60s at the time.) Whatever the cause, his talk singing had an interesting effect on this listener. I found myself paying closer attention to the lyrics of these versions than I do with most treatments of the classic carols.
   
   Listeners may legitimately expect their share of warm, folksy moments from the affably avuncular Ives. There are some here, such as "Santa Mouse," which could have become a CAPTAIN KANGAROO standard (and maybe did, but by '68, I was no longer watching). "Happy Birthday, Jesus" is another sweet natured "family" oriented track that should charm fans. And the sixty-something Ives pulls out a recitation he once performed as a child of four called "Oh, What A Lucky Boy Am I," which once again shows his deft skill with the spoken word.
   
   Yes, it's all just a bit sweetly corny. You want Ives with a little edge? Rent the DVD of CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF and leave me alone. This time of the year, I'll take my Ives with a little Currier...



2. This CD was everything and more than I had hoped for. It brought back great memories of Christmas with my children. It felt like old times decorating the tree listening to Burl Ives singing the Christmas classics as only he can.



3. santa mouse makes me wanna drink a 40 whilst stumbling around the christmas tree!burl always knew how to take any man,woman,or child on "a trip so light and airy"!!!!



4. Our favorite Christmas albumn is "Holly Jolly Christmas" by Burl Ives and we adore his many folk song albumns too. Burl has such a unique voice and a wonderful delivery that makes him one of a kind. I gave 10 "Holly" CDs to people for Christmas this year. We are HUGE Burl Ives fans. Having said that, I was a little disappointed in this albumn. I actually felt bad for him because it would seem that he just couldn't muster enough singing out of his voice and he narrates many of these songs. He was pretty old when he made this albumn. I don't mind some narration and I WANTED to enjoy this CD, but I didn't. We will continue to wear out our "Holly Jolly Christmas" CD but this one will probably get once-a-Christmas-season playing, if that. Maybe it will grow on me and I'll feel differently years from now, but in retrospect, I wish I hadn't purchased this CD. Sorry, Burl.



5. My assessment of this CD ranges right around the middle of those giving it 5 stars and the one reviewer who went as low as 1 star. Certainly, it's far from the best album of Christmas music ever released by Burl which, in my humble opinion at any rate, is his 1965 Decca LP Have A Holly Jolly Christmas.
   
   This one, which first came out on CD in October 1995 with this cover, and was re-released in September 2000 with a different cover, mixes narration with vocals, with tracks 5, 6 and 10 being solely narratives. There are also 12 tracks, not 11 as indicated. Although they indicate that track 11 is a Medley of Thy Rebuke from The Messiah, and Behold, written by the well-known orchestra leader Robert Mersey, it's simply the former, with Behold located at track 12.
   
   The sound quality for this material, all recorded in 1969 when Burl was 59 years of age and in great form, is excellent. The liner notes, however, are limited to four brief paragraphs written by author Fred Flanagan.
   
   A better bet on CD for traditionalists would be the Geffen release The Very Best Of Burl Ives which contains his three tunes from the 1964 animated TV show Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, the other two being Silver And Gold and A Holly Jolly Christmas.
   
   That last, incidentally, was his only Christmas charted single, first hitting # 13 on the Billboard Christmas charts in 1964 on Decca 31695 b/w Snow For Johnny (which never seems to be included in any of his compilations). It charted again at # 29 in 1968, and in 1998 a new version went to # 30 Adult Contemporary from the 1996 album Rudolph, Frosty And Friends Favorite Christmas Songs on Sony Wonder 67766. Another hard-to-find on CD.

5 comments about Christmas Island.

1. As a kid when my dad put this tape on, I dreaded it, because it wasnt for kids - my favorite was Alvin and the Chipmunks, obviously! Now that I'm older, I am so glad I found the cd version! It reminds me of christmas at my house, with the decorations and fireplace, everything. Very nostalgic for me. This 'Frosty the Snowman' is the best version I have ever heard.



2. This is without a doubt my favorite Christmas CD. I listen to it over and over again. Some people might not like it the first time they hear it because Leons voice is different then what many are used to but I guarantee if you give it a chance you will love it



3. This is my new favorite Christmas Album. I wish I had this years ago!



4. The only way to really get me in the mood for Christmas is to listen to this cd. Leon has a great voice and the renditions on this cd are great. Really fun, upbeat songs like Christmas Island, Let it Snow and Frosty the Snowman. The last song, Kitty Cats' Christmas, I could do without, but the rest of the cd I absolutely adore.



5. One of the best Christmas CDs I've bought in years. Almost sounds like Bing Crosby with a funk.

5 comments about Holiday Songs and Lullabies.

1. I am a HUGE Shawn Colvin fan, so when this album came out, I ran out and bought it, as I do for every new album Shawn Colvin records. I also love Christmas, so I was doubly happy. Somehow, though, this CD never got much play. I like the songs - I think Shawn Colvin's renditions of old and new classics are beautiful - but it's so mellow, and I always preferred to pop in more upbeat holiday tunes.
   
   Flash forward to 2005, when I had my first baby. My baby was born on September 29, so just around the time when I wanted to get her used to sleeping through the night, the holidays were approaching. I didn't have any baby lullaby CD's, but I remembered this CD being titled "Holiday Songs and LULLABIES"! So I put it on, and to my amazement, it worked like a charm. This CD is now part of our bedtime routine every night. Usually, my baby closes her eyes by the middle of "Christmastime is Here", and then I let the CD finish so that it can help her fall asleep if she happens to wake up soon after being put down.
   
   I know most people reading these reviews are looking for recommendations in terms of Shawn Colvin's artistry. I do love the songs on their own - and would rate the CD 5 stars just for that - but I love them even more because of how they help my baby. If you stumbled upon this CD while searching for "lullabies" for your baby, this really is a find. Christmastime or not, this CD will be lulling my baby to sleep year-round!



2. Soft, beautiful songs sung by the great Shawn Colvin. Listening to these songs gives you a very cozy feeling. "In The Bleak Mid-Winter" is a classic.



3. OK, before any of you Shawn Colvin fans out there slam me, I want to tell you that I too am a huge Shawn Colvin fan, and I eagerly awaited this CD's release. I am also a huge Christmas CD collector.
   
   So I was very disappointed when I listened to this CD for the first time, and pretty much every time since. Shawn was 8 months pregnant with her daughter Caledonia (the Latin name for Scotland) when she sang these tunes, and it really shows. Her voice is normally high-pitched and delicate, but on these tunes it was downright weak and often atonal. Her rendition of In The Bleak Midwinter is particularly grating, as she shuffles through it like she's about to fall asleep. This is most unfortunate in the initial track on the CD, as it ruins the effect of the rest of the CD. Her tone is cheerier but out of breath and staccato in Christmas Time Is Here, and sounds syrupy. To me it is a sacrilegious cover of Vince Guaraldi's masterpiece. Maybe she's trying to sound hushed and gentle, but it's annoying. Many of the songs are sweet but forgettable, and the first two tracks ruin the entire disc for me.



4. Almost 10 years after its initial release, Shawn Colvin's "Holiday Songs & Lullabies" wears well. "Chirstmas Time Is Here" goes down like a fine wine before the fireplace, "Snowflakes in the air, Carols everywhere, Olden times & ancient rhymes of love & dreams to share, Sleigh bells in the air, beauty everywhere." Colvin's delivery is timeless and wistful. She sings "All Through the Night," one of my favorite songs that is not often considered a Christmas song, but my family has often played it at holiday time, "Sleep my love & peace attend thee all through the night, guardian angels God will send thee." It's such a gentle lullaby with Colvin's tender reading. "Love Came Down at Christmas" is another sweet track, "Love be yours & love be mine, love to God and all of us." This quiet CD is soothing and gentle, a perfect disc to play while watching the lights twinkle on the Christmas tree. Enjoy!



5. I had never heard of Shawn Colvin, but I like Christmas music, so I picked this up.
   
   Weak, thin, shaky voice with limited range. Commonplace arrangements.
   
   Feh. I have close to 100 Christmas albums of all kinds, and this is the second worst of them.