5 comments about A Rock'N'Roll Christmas, Vol. 2.

1. Okay so it has some great tracks like "Christmas time" but then you get to the Beach Boys! (seems like they are on every christmas complilation these days.) I wish it had more oomph like the first one that had "Christmas is the time to say I love you" Find the first albulm and stay away from this one!



2. "Rock N Roll Christmas 2" is an awesome CD, with tracks such as "Christmastime" by Bryan Adams (How often do you see that one on CD?), and "Run Rudolph Run" by Dave Edmunds, which just happens to be my all-time favorite Christmas song. This CD also has "The Twelve Days Of Christmas" by Bob & Doug McKenzie, which makes me laugh every time I hear it. For these three alone, this CD is worth the money. Also found here are rarities by Chris Deburgh, Angel, and Squeeze. Put them all together, and what do you have? The answer: An AWESOME CD! If you liked "Rock N Roll Christmas" (the first volume), you'll want to pick this one up as well. GET IT NOW!!!



3. Why do we hang a stocking upon the mantle anyway? Because the enjoyment of discovering our favorite goodies and trinkets is instant joy, no wrapping paper to take off, no waiting for your turn, and no dissapointment because it is filled by those who know you best. This comYULEation reminds me of a Christmas stocking. The liner lists a few well known artists playing yuletides which have become Rock`n Roll seasonal standards. If you have listened to vol. 1, continue to be assured those tracks less recognizable will also be compiled from among the best goodies of the 6o`s,7o`s,and early 8o`s. As with most 2nds, you`ll find a wider assortment of sub-generas and a few less ring`ers.Merrily mix~ 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,and 10 ~~ no bahhumbugs Post Script : As with vol. 1 the load is too short for a five star ranking and no instrumental.***buyit*saveit*sharemost*giveit*donateit***



4. Just as good as the 1st volume. Great cd & would highly recommend!



5. Purchased to get the Run Run Rudolph song, the rest aren't really that good.

No comments about Dallas Christmas Gala (Hybr).

4 comments about I Sing the Birth.

1. This is not your ordinary Christmas music! The four men of New York Polyphony sing music from the pre-Renaissance period in hauntingly beautiful tones. The blend of their voices,intricacy of the music, and their sheer musicianship yields a CD where each track is a delight. Bravo!



2. I couldn't be more impressed with this group or this beautiful cd. Not only will I be playing this cd during the holidays, I will be giving them to friends and family as gifts. I can't wait until the next New York Polyphony cd!



3. I couldn't agree more with the five-star rating given by the previous two reviewers. However, they labeled this, "Christmas Music". Well, I say: don't wait until Christmas! This CD of early polyphonic music is fabulous, any time, anywhere. The material happens to draw on the Christian tradition, but what stands out is the amazing artistry of the performance. This is a stunning debut; any one who appreciates polyphonic singing would want to own this exceptional CD.



4. I'm not from NYC but heard these guys in New York a few weeks ago and bought their CD and have listened to it many times since. True, it's not Christmas as I write this, but that really doesn't matter--this music doesn't cover jingle bells and snowmen but many hundreds of years of sacred music from Perotin, Clemens non papa, Cornysh to Leighton and Andrew Smith, born in 1970. Smith's two pieces, by the way, make beautiful bookends for this CD.
   
   You can listen to single tracks of this, but I suggest listening to it as an album--it seems carefully laid out from beginning to end, and great liner notes explain how/why plainchant and polyphony tracks are interwoven and give an overview of composers' times and intentions. I like the three settings of "Lully, lulla"--Leighton, Coventry Carol, and 15th c. English carol. Never heard such a beautiful setting of "Away in a manger" (Normandy traditional) before, and the "The Feder of Heven" by Peter Maxwell Davies is goosebump-inducing (actually, most of the CD is!). I should add that I've not heard many of these pieces before and love discovering new--mostly old!--music.
   
   The individual voices are beautiful in timbre and expressiveness but together they are simply transcending (and a great antidote to rush hour traffic if you play it in your car!). I'm not a musician but a words-and-graphics person, but I do love music and have no reservations in giving this gorgeous CD 5 stars (excellent graphics and type choices, too--easy to read, useful translations).

3 comments about Christmas.

1. Edward Gerhard has provided my family with the warmth of his music. His acoustical renditions of classic Chistmas carols and seasonal favorites are lyrical and clean. There is no big band here, just a great guitarist and great music. This CD gets a lot of air time on our kitchen CD player during the yule season. Buy it. You will not be disappointed!...P.S. my sisters are all getting one for Christmas!



2. Simple, beautiful acoustic guitar renditions of many well known Christmas songs. It's not jazzed up, reggae'ed up, rocked up, rapped up, or schmaltzied up. You can listen to it over and over without getting annoyed by it. HIGHLY recommended.



3. I don't mind putting this CD on repeat because it is lovely and non-intrusive. Nice for playing in the background as you go about your business.

5 comments about 40 Years: A Charlie Brown Christmas.

1. We enjoy this CD very much in the car and as a relaxer in the evening. It's smooth & jazzy and we like the variety of talented performers and performances mixing vocals and instrumentals. It's a pleasant addition to our holiday collection and we'll enjoy it for many years. Kudos & Thanks to David Benoit for producing this CD.



2. I was really excited to get this CD, being such a fan of everything Charlie Brown and Vince Guaraldi. But, all this CD did was make me want to go find the "Happy Anniversary Charlie Brown" CD and listen to it, instead!
   
   I'm not sure what the producers were thinking about when they were developing this drek, but it clearly was not Charlie Brown OR Christmas. It is the swishiest-cheesiest-smoothjazziest-elevatoriest piece of junk and I'm appalled they were willing to let it out of the studio.



3. If you're looking for anything remotely resembling the songs that were in Charlie Brown Christmas you will hate this. If you're looking for random artists to listen to for easy listening you would like it. But I bought this CD being a big fan of the Vince Guaraldi Trio. I thought this would be a great remix of the awesome music they created. I listened to this entire CD 3-4 times, and out of all the songs on the CD only 2 were half way decent to listen to. I actually threw it out my balcony in the pond about an hour ago. I swear to God.
   
   Save your money.



4. Heard this on the radio, could not find in any store. It is a great addition to my Christmas collection. My family knows that is my favorite thing to do is play Christmas music during the holidays.



5. This album/recording is ok,but I like the original 100 times better! Some of the artists here are not to bad,but I think some of them were looking for a way to make a 'fast buck' and should be ashamed they did what they did on this recording! I will always be a fan of Peanuts and the gang,but this recording is not on my top lists of remembering Charlie Brown. Like I said above,I don't hate it,but I really don't appreciate it either!!

5 comments about Elvis' Christmas Album.

1. One of the few "rock and roll" Christmas albums I can stomach, "Elvis' Christmas Album" was recorded in the heat of summer 1957 and was regarded as an act of blashphemy upon its release later in the year.

   How dare this ducktailed rock and roller with his pink Cadillacs and sexually suggestive performing style...this pelvis thrusting pied piper of indecency...this...this...multi-millionaire juvenile delinquent, record "White Christmas"? Even the song's composer, Irving Berlin, was upset and asked radio stations not to play Presley's version.

   There are moments on this disc when the King seems to playfully mock the sentiments of some of these songs as if to taunt his critics, but for the most part he sounds sincere and never fails to be anything but superb. He breathes startling new life into "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem" and makes "I'll Be Home for Christmas" his own. "Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane") is delightful, and "Santa Claus is Back in Town" is as raunchy in its way as his recording of "One Night."

   The album is padded out with four sublime gospel recordings originally released on the "Peace in the Valley" EP that break the lighthearted mood a bit, but also place the focus on the season's true meaning.

   This is a true classic, but Elvis fans who can't get enough of the King in yuletide mode might be advised to pick up one of the Christmas compilations (there are several) that include all of Presley's seasonal recordings.




2. This was Elvis's first Christmas album, recorded in 1957. It's a certifiable classic. Side one featured Elvis doing secular Christmas songs. "Santa Claus is Back in Town" is an awesome blues song that features D.J. Fontana's best drumming ever, arguably. "White Christmas" is a fine performance that owes a lot to the Drifters' version. "Here Comes Santa Claus" is a cool rockabilly style performance. "I'll Be Home For Christmas" is a good ballad. "Blue Christmas" is Elvis's best Christmas song, and it made everyone forget the original Ernest Tubb version. Side one closed with the original pop rocker "Santa Bring My Baby Back". Side two of the album featured religious songs. However, only two of the songs are actual Christmas songs. The last four songs are taken from the previously released "Peace in the Valley" EP. But when the songs are as great as these four are, why complain? I highly recommend this CD.



3. When Elvis' christmas recordings were reissued on CD, there was apparently some mixing and matching going on. While I totally love this CD, it is not the same one I listened to that my mom had on LP when I was little. It has several additions and omissions from that one, most notably the lack of "If Everyday Was Like Christmas". That song can be found on a CD of the same title, but the track listing of another one called "It's Christmas Time" by Elvis looks more familiar as the one I liked as a kid. Elvis' stuff is always great, though, so I still recommend this one, too.



4. This is the original Elvis Christmas Album as released in 1957. It was considered very controversial when it was released (as were most Elvis releases during that time), but it was still a huge hit commercially, hitting number 1 on the Billboard album charts (before they created a separate category for Christmas albums).
   
   Eight Christmas songs were included in his original 1957 Christmas album along with the 4 Gospel songs from the "Peace In The Valley" EP. His original Christmas album was repackaged and re-released in 1970 with the 4 Gospel songs being replaced by "If Every Day was Like Christmas" (which was originally released as a single in 1966) and the non-Christmas song "Mama Liked The Roses". The 1970 edition was then re-packaged and released on CD as "It's Christmas Time" a few years ago.
   
   Elvis' performance on the songs here are excellent! Several of these recordings have become Christmas classics, still receiving significant radio airplay nearly 50 years after they were recorded!
   
   While this was a great album in its day, it has since been superceeded. All the songs on this album are currently available on the Elvis "White Christmas" CD along with "If Every Day was Like Christmas" and "Mama Liked The Roses" and every song from his "The Wonderful World of Christmas" album which was released in 1971. Unless you just want to buy this CD for its historical significance, I would recommend that you spend a few extra bucks and buy the Elvis "White Christmas" album instead. You will get a lot more Christmas cheer!



5. To reviewer Bon Jovi Fan a bit of history. This CD release contains the exact songs that appeared on the first Elvis' Christmas Album, released in 1957 on RCA Victor LOC-1035. The one you recall with the same title was released in 1970 on RCA Camden CAL-2428, containing a mix of some of the earlier tracks with new ones, including If Every Day Was Like Christmas. Written by Red West, it was recorded on June 11, 1966 in Nashville and first released that year as a single b/w How Would You Like To Be?
   
   As another reviewer points out, this one, when first released, became the target of that element of society self-righteously "scandalized" by the "vulgar hip-swinging degenerate" who was "corrupting our children" led by the son of C&W legend Hank Snow, one Jimmie Rodgers Snow, the most pious of them all. In other words, those yabos who were doing all they could to kill R&R at birth. Of course, the R&R DJs, when playing anything from the album, had zeroed in on tunes like Blue Christmas (which actually dates back to 1949 by Ernest Tubb, Russ Morgan, and Hugo Winterhalter) and Lieber & Stoller's driving Santa Claus Is Back In Town.
   
   Only when they eventually heard his mellow tones on White Christmas and I'll Be Home For Christmas, the carols Silent Night and Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem, and the four gospel tunes included (especially Take My Hand, Precious Lord), did some of them - not all, mind you, but a few - admit that they had perhaps over-reacted. Snow, thankfully, just faded into obscurity.
   
   The sound reproduction is excellent, and although there are no liner notes with the insert, you do get nine pages of vintage colour photographs of Elvis. No collection of Christmas music is complete without this one.

5 comments about A Skaggs Family Christmas.

1. I am, admittedly, not a bluegrass fan, and I had never heard of the Skaggs family before this CD, but one of the internet streaming sites I listen to kept playing songs from this album, and they were great, so I decided to take a chance. The music is traditional Christmas songs, mostly religious, done really beautifully, including the best version of Mary Did You Know I've ever heard.



2. Ricky Skaggs and family provide knock-out entertainment with multiple instruments and singers to bring a Christmas present to every listener! Molly Skaggs' treatment of "Christmas Time Is Here" brought tears to my eyes. This CD is worth every cent.



3. Great Seller - This is one of my favorite cd's - Too, Too Cool!



4. This has now become an annual Christmas ritual for me, to search CMT for such a show, having first found real enjoyment with Alan Jackson's Family Christmas special found by chance (see his excellent CD "Let It Be Christmas."
   
   I was entranced by this bluegrass family special, switching as it did from family remembrances of Christmas among them to than performing the songs, a collection of seasonal favorites, but most important their uncompromising focus on The Christ!
   
   One could easily observe and listen to their committment to this music and to the Lord! I quickly fell in love witht his, and enjoy the music which varies from their stylized favorite carols to new pieces for me, such as "Love Came Gently" "Mary, Did You Know" "The Christmas Guest" "Go Thee Down."
   
   Especially knocked out by "Do You Hear What I Hear?" with its wonderful harmonies, Oriental sound and penny whistle.
   
   As others have related, if this is first volume, can't wait for others. Will be looking also for more of this on CMT and for local concert of this to take in.



5. I bought this CD less than a week ago on Amazon, and I was hoping for a great bluegrass album, but that's not really what I heard. As I looked through the booklet, I noticed there's only one song with Jim Mills playing the banjo. I listened to the whole song, "Deck the Halls", and I waited and waited for a great solo by him, and it never came. Someone else reviewed and said that a Kentucky Thunder Christmas album was a good idea, which I agree with whole heartedly. I guess I don't know what I was thinking when I purchased this, as I am not a big fan of the Whites, which is pretty much all that this is, and I would have liked to hear more of a bluegrass rhythm in this album, and AT LEAST one solo by Jim Mills. If you disagree with me, then there are a lot of other reviews that put mine to shame, but for a truegrass bluegrass lover like me, I would suggest another bluegrass christmas album for you, called "Christmas on the Mountain: A Bluegrass Christmas". It's got everything a bluegrass lover wants. If Ricky Skaggs decides to make a volume 2, I hope it is more bluegrassy. Oh well, off to eBay...

2 comments about Celtic Dreams.

1. If you like soothing bedtime music, you are in for a real treat. The wonderful music from the Celtic region will delight both young and old music lovers. I will be buying more for gifts!



2. I play this cd as part of the bed time routine with my daughter. I've heard it dozens of times and I still look forward to hearing it every night.

5 comments about Hymns for Healing.

1. Hymns for Healing is the most beautiful music I've heard! The selection is wonderful! I highly recommend it for ANY occasion, spiritual, or otherwise. Many favorite songs of everyone are included and played from the heart.



2. This is the most inspiring spiritual music I've ever heard! The artist's composition, Hymn of the Universe, is my favorite. In The Garden was my mother's favorite hymn, so it brings back special memories. Every person who received this CD as a gift from me tells me their favorite hymn was on the album.



3. This beautiful harp arrangement of Amazing Grace by Sally Fletcher brings to mind all the wonderful and moving experiences I've had when I heard it in the past. I get a spiritual uplift as I listen to everything on this heavenly CD.



4. The music on this CD is like a worship experience all its own. I can relax, turn on the CD and hear my favorite hymns fill the room. Of course, my favorite, "Amazing Grace," is unbelievable and so soothing played on the harp.



5. i love thiscd. i listen to it all the time at work. it is very soothing.

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.