5 comments about Christmas 2.

1. I think this album is gorgeous. My favorite track is "Joy To The World"... because I was a member of the choir that performed the song with Mr. Bestor. :-) Of course the rest of the disc is very very good. Kurt Bestor is brilliant!



2. I own all three volumes of Kurt Bestor's Christmas CDs. They are wonderful music that I love to listen to at many different times - late evenings while sipping hot chocolate and staring at the Christmas tree... wrapping presents... cooking festive goodies.. during holiday gatherings... His music is great background music or great when given your complete undivided attention. You can't go wrong with this pick!



3. Well, I have to agree with the Utah County Journal: Kurt Bestor HAS done it again, and yes, this second Christmas album IS unmistakably Kurt Bestor. However, I don't see those things as being good.

   Once again, Bestor has created a Christmas album full of corny and uninteresting arrangements. (See my review of Christmas, Vol.1 -- the same things apply to this album.)

   Please do yourself a favor and buy a Christmas album with musical integrity, instead of this one. If you really, really like this kind of musical arranging, you can save yourself some money. Instead of buying this CD, you can just take a tape recorder to your local K-Mart and record the stuff they pipe through their system at the holidays. Well, actually even their muzak would be of a higher quality than the stuff on this album.




4. Kurt Bestor's albums set the holiday mood wonderfully! Great background music to play during the holiday season while trying to unwind from the hustle and bustle Christmas can bring. I recommend this album to anyone looking for something new and different



5. This CD (along with Volume1) is my favorite holiday music. They are the perfect accompaniment to tree trimming or just relaxing by the fire. No far out synthesizers, no ecclectic jazz riffing, just beautiful arrangements of songs that focus on the reason for the season. If you like Fresh Aire, you will likely love Bestor. My highest recommendation.

1 comments about 60 Christmas Carols for Kids.

1. Excellent collection of Christmas and holiday songs. My girls enjoyed listening over and over again and singing along.

5 comments about Pretty Paper.

1. One of the best Christmas cds I've ever heard, and I've listened to dozens. Highly recommended..



2. This CD is my favorite Christmas CD. Along with the title song, there are nice traditional songs. Worth every penny and a small price.



3. Beautiful CD. Nice clear,simple,music and lyrics appropriate to Christmas.
   I love this CD.



4. I loved this album on vinyl. I am just updating my CD collection so I can use it anywhere!



5. This was Willie Nelson's first Christmas album, which was released in 1979. It reunited Willie with the musicians who worked on his classic Stardust album, including producer/organist Booker T. Jones. Most of the songs are traditional Christmas songs, with a couple of exceptions. "Pretty Paper" is a song written by Willie, although it was not written for this album. Roy Orbison had a hit with it in 1963, and Willie recorded his own version of it in 1964. The only original tune on the album is "Christmas Blues", which is an instrumental written by Willie and Booker T. This is a very good album, with Willie doing these songs in his own inimitable style.

5 comments about How Cool Is That Christmas.

1. Wow,
   
   I assume Rachel was trying to gather some of the worst Christmas songs together and she has succeeded (If "Zat you Santa Claus" doesn't convince you then "Dominick the Donkey" will). Stick to your EVOO and let some other folks compile the tunes.



2. I enjoyed this Christmas CD. It's great and if Martha Stewart can put out CD after CD. Why not Rachael?! Merry Christmas!!! Too bad "I want a hippotamus for Christmas" did not make the cut!!!Maybe the next one!



3. The ubiquitous Rachael Ray concentrates on mostly classic Christmas tunes by classic artists with the added inclusion of a few contemporaries like Hall and Oates and Buster Poindexter. I wasn't familiar with the jazzy Jane Monheit, but I enjoyed "The Man With The Bag" immensely. Willie Nelson's "Blue Christmas" is fine, but I would have preferred Elvis's or even Porky Pig's. Don't laugh too hard since Rachael chose "Dominick The Donkey," a light-hearted nod to her half-Italian heritage. Sinatra's "White Christmas"?, I'm not sure why- maybe a nod to the Chairman of the Board. He has an excellent "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," but Doris Day sings this one. What, no Dean Martin? The fellow Rat Packer would have fit in nicely as would have Brenda Lee's "Rockin Round the Christmas Tree." The inclusion of Billie Holiday, Aretha, and Elvis more than make up for it, though.
   
   All in all, this is an upbeat, catchy, fun party CD, just like its namesake. Rachael seems to pull off any endeavor flawlessly. Yum!



4. "Dominick the Donkey" is a classic! Kudos to Rachel for adding it to this excellent CD!



5. Very nice cd! Price was right, shipping was prompt. I am satisfied with everything. A lot of great hard to find songs on this cd!

5 comments about Christmas with Sandi Patti: The Gift Goes On.

1. This is a nice cd of Christmas songs that has a very strong Christian element. The non-traditional Christmas songs start out well but don't seem to go anywhere and just sound repetitious. The best part to me were the two medleys of traditional Christmas songs. Ms. Patti (Patty?)'s voice and technique always reminded me of other singers, they didn't sound unique. Unless you particularly want Christian songs, I cannot recommend this cd as more than nice. Onward with the quest to add new Christmas cds to the small collection of gems I've located over the years.



2. I loved this CD. Sandi's voice lifts you up and gets you in the Christmas spirit. The song "The Gift Goes On" is an excellent children's Christmas song and "Bethlehem Morning" which is my favorite, touches my heart and is very inspirational. This entire album is very upbeat and praises God. I highly recommend this CD.



3. This mid-80's release from one of the best female vocalists of our time is a charmer. It's been a family favorite since we got it several years after it came out.

   The collection is actually over half original songs, but still manages to feel Christmassy right from the start. It opens with the fun "Worship the King" and after a medley of traditional carols, goes to the equally fun title song. The version of "O Holy Night" on this CD is one of my favorites anywhere, and ranks above her rendition on her second Christmas CD. The other highlight is "Bethlehem Morning," which focuses on the impact of Jesus' birth on us today and always. I have heard other people sing the song, but this is my favorite version.

   If you're a fan of Sandi Patty's other 80's albums, you'll love this one because it's very similar musically to them. There are several songs that allow her to show off her amazing vocal range without overpowering the song or album as a whole.

   This is one album I look forward to listening to every year at Christmas time.




4. Sandi Patti's voice is so like Christine Wyrtzen's. Sandi Patti has touched the hearts of millions who buy her wonderful albums and this great Christmas Album "The Gift Goes On" is no exception! I love the "Christmas Was Ment For Children" is a wonderful song full of love to reach a child and I really like it. God has given us all great gifts and he has turely made the "Gift That Goes On" everyday in Sandi's life. Buy this album today if you are looking for a good Christmas album. Sandi will be sure to "warm" your heart right away as you listen to her voice! I am sure I have convinced you at this point to but the album so WHAT are you waiting for! Click on "add to shopping cart" now!



5. Sandi Patty's voice is pure, lyrical--simply gorgeous--and this remains my favorite Christmas album. She is a stellar musician, and no one has surpassed her yet for sheer vocal quality and ability. The songs are beautiful. "Bethlehem Morning" is reminiscent of Barbra Streisand in style, but its message reaches beyond anything Streisand ever dreamt of.

No comments about A Santa Cause Vol. 1 & 2.

3 comments about Wiggly Wiggly Christmas.

1. My son, almost 4, loved this CD. He listened to it over and over and knows most of the words. A great find for young kids.



2. Well, if you have a wiggler in your house, you certainly cannot do without this classic Christmas CD! It is absolutely wonderful. We just love it in our house and it even gets a listen or two during the lovely hot and humid July and August months. If you're not familiar with the Wiggles, this is a great CD to get. I personally love the songs they write on this one that has to do with the real meaning of Christmas. Most of these songs are their original songs and all are done extremely well. My personal favorite is "Go, Santa, Go!" I love the dance on the DVD too! We do that dance in the car whenever that song comes on. Boy, do we get strange looks! Anyway, of particular note, Greg does a very nice job on "Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer." My little one asks for that one over and over again.
   
   Highly recommend this one and grab the DVD too. You'll get a little giggle out of it too seeing those guys doing those disco dances to some of this music! Love it!



3. Our kids (ages 1, 4, 5) love the "Wiggly Christmas" DVD. This CD has more songs on it than the DVD does--some of the songs are from their DVD "Yule Be Wiggling." It has some classics, like Jingle Bells, but their original Christmas songs are adorable and very memorable. My husband and I sing right along with the kids, when we listen to the CD. It is a great choice for families!

3 comments about Leroy Anderson Christmas.

1. This CD should be wonderful, after all, Leroy Anderson was a fine composer and arranger, and three of the pieces on the CD have been unavailable for decades. However, it's a disappointment. The three Suites of Carols are for orchestra sections (brass, strings, or woodwinds) and are undistinguished. The recorded sound is mostly thin and harsh. Even though the CD includes two recordings of "Sleigh Ride", the total time is only 50 minutes. Even at the bargain price, I can recommend this CD only to the most fervent Leroy Anderson fans.



2. Finally, we North Americans have the great "A Christmas Festival" conducted by Leroy Anderson on CD. The whole collection, like the preceding LP of the 60's, is infectious and brilliantly played. The final sound is a little edgy... there seems to be a lack of sound space in the compressing. I would not hesitate to give this a 5-star rating. It will have you dancing for joy. The cackle and pop of the LP are gone. The sound is there, edgy as I said, but still quite musical. The next best version of "A Christmas Festival" is the one conducted by John Williams.



3. 
   
   Leroy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride" is one of the best known holiday melodies and is included on numerous Christmas music collections. It is a piece that captures a listeners imagination conjuring up memories of an old fashioned sleigh ride even though most of us who listen have probably never traveled over the snow covered land in a sleigh. It's quite possible that Anderson himself, a city dweller most of his life, never traveled in a Currier and Ives like sleigh ride, but his gifts as a composer make us all feel as if we have vicariously experienced this winter pleasure.
   
   "Sleigh Ride" is not Anderson's only contribution to the holiday season. As gifted as he was as a composer, he was a talented arranger as well. This collection, re-released by Decca includes "Sleigh Ride" but also three of his Christmas suites. His "Christmas Festival" was made famous by Arthur Fielder and the Boston Pops and was a staple of Pops Christmas concerts until a critic in the BOSTON GLOBE said it was old and stale. The disc also includes three other arrangements one for strings, one for woodwinds and one for brass. Each of the arrangements displays Anderson's gift for instrumentation.
   
   The arrangements of the suites for woodwinds, brass, and strings will probably be something new for many listeners and will certainly be enjoyed. People familiar with "Christmas Festival" from Boston Pops recordings may find this recording somewhat lackluster. The magnificent organ of Boston's Symphony Hall gives the piece a flair that seems to be missing in this recording. Also the recording of "Sleigh Ride" which is performed by the Pops under the direction of Fiedler is not as exciting other performances. My guess is that most people will purchase this recording for the brass, string, and woodwind arrangements and will find this disc adds something to a good collection of holiday music.

No comments about I Love Christmas.

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.