5 comments about Christmas Time with the Judds.

1. The first thing that strikes you about this is the picture, which was taken in Switzerland and is still the best Christmas album picture I've come across. The music is also brilliant. Although it is country, there are no fiddles or pedal steel, so it appeals to some people who don't normally like country, something confirmed by previous reviewers.

   This is a generally laid-back album with the music kept to a minimum, putting the focus firmly on Wynonna and Naomi. Most of the songs are carols, though they also do excellent versions of Winter wonderland and Silver bells. Who is this babe? is an original song, while Beautiful star of Bethlehem is a lovely song which has been covered quite a few times, but nothing like as often as the other seven. Perhaps more imagination could have been made in song selection, but you won't mistake a Judds cover for any other, as their style is unique.

   Despite my reservations about the song selections, this remains one of the best Christmas albums ever recorded - and it's a bargain at the price.




2. I just saw that Wynonna lost her license for drunk driving. Isn't Naomi on the board of Mother's Against Drunk Driving? Hope she spanked Wynonna and restricted her to her room. Wynonna is too funny! She's always been her own person and done her own thing.

   This music is beautiful! The Judds are incredible as always!!




3. This Christmas album is a classic in my family, so I am sure that my love for it is in part nostalgia. Even above and beyond nostalgia, however, this is a fantastic Christmas album.
   
   The songs are mostly classics that everyone can sing along to, which I prefer over most new Christmas tunes - and are also sung in a classic way, not re-mixed or changed in an attempt to make them unique. The album also avoids all the typical country music instruments, so there is no twang involved, just pure Christmas tunes.
   
   The strong, clear voices of the Judds are beautifully suited for Christmas carols. And Naomi and Wynona complement each other well - Naomi's sweet melodies blend wonderfully with Wynona's grittier voice.
   
   This is, and will remain, one of the best Christmas albums in my collection.



4. Christmas Time With the Judds is packed with absolutely beautiful Christmas songs that ANYONE would love. I bought the CD for my mom for her December birthday, and she adores it. She still plays it, even though Christmas has come and gone. The Judds' version of "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem" is magnificent. GET THIS CD BEFORE NEXT CHRISTMAS!



5. One of my favourite Christmas CDs, partly because we listened to it a lot when I was a kid, but mostly because the music is great.

5 comments about A Winter's Night: Best of Christmas.

1. I really enjoy listening to this album. Its a nice change from the traditional Christms music (eg. Bing Crosby), with a good selection of artists. The BNL and Sarah McLachlan song is excellent, but so is most of the album.
   The iTunes version has 19 songs - not sure why the difference.
   
   Buy this and the new Diana Krall christmas CD.



2. For those of you who have been faithfully collecting the Nettwerk Christmas compilations (Christmas Songs, Maybe This Christmas, Maybe This Christmas Too, Maybe This Christmas Tree), you already have most, if not all, of these songs. That doesn't change the fact that it is an excellent Best of, it's just a shame it isn't otherwise noted as such. These are still some great alternatives to the holiday music you get inundated with every time you leave your house from November through mid-January, and if you don't already own the original compilations, this is a great place to start.



3. This was a good addition to my Christmas collection and I have listened to it many times in the short time I have had it. There are some more cheerful songs but I would say overall it seem to me to be more of an emo Christmas collection. There are several songs that speak to unhappy or emotional experiences at this time of year. If you like unconventional Christmas music you should enjoy this album.



4. I ordered this cd based on what I heard on Itunes, and for some reason many of the best tracks included there are not actually on this cd. I was very disappointed by the lack of tracks: it really detracted from the overall album. Songs like The Weepies' "All That I Want" would have made the album a little more heartfelt and fun. The cd is not without its merits though: Dido's track is beautiful, and the Barenaked Ladies are always entertaining .



5. The music is good, but I guess I'm confused by this collection. Even the "big" CD choice of the 2 Winter's nights CD's here don't have everything on the iTunes selection, which is annoying. But, what you hear is great and a nice variety. "God Rest Ye...." is probably my favorite track and the reason I bought the album.

5 comments about Pops Christmas Party.

1. The Boston Pops have always made orchestral music more appealing to a wider audience, and Arthur Fiedler was the genius behind that success.

   Released in 1959, this album is full of everything from traditional selections from "The Nutcracker" to sing-along favorites like "White Christmas," "Rudolph" and "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" to the most famous recorded version of "Sleigh Ride," a Boston Pops classic.

   This is the kind of CD you listen to while drinking egg nog beside a fireplace with family as you watch the snow fall in the early evening. My Grandparents had a copy of the original vinyl releae and I was so glad to see BMG release the original RCA/Victor "Living Stereo" edition complete with full liner notes and the original cover art.

   The perfect album for your next holiday cocktail party appealing to classical and pop music fans alike.




2. What more can I say but "Wonderful"?

   The greatest orchestra (and conductor).

   The incredible Leroy Anderson versions of "Christmas Festival" and "Sleigh Ride". (Wow the memories of playing these two every year in high school band. The director tried to introduce something new but we would have nothing to do with that!!!)

   And finally music from my favorite record (and my first as a kid) "The Nutcracker".

   The fact that these were recorded 40+ years ago doesn't detract from the timeless appeal of these songs and the sound is terrific!

   A must have for your Christmas music collection.




3. For the people of Boston, Christmas music is synonymous with the Boston Pops, and its legendary conductor Arthur Fiedler. This compilation contains Pops classis arrangements including Leroy Anderson's medley of Christmas carols "A Christmas Festival. It also includes the Pops rendition of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," and the authentic rendition of Anderson's "Sleigh Ride." It also includes Fiedler's interpretations of excerpts from THE NUTCRACKER, HANSEL AND GRETEL, and Leopold Mozart's "Sleigh Ride."

   This is a re-release of an RCA Living Stereo recording. The collection has a nostalgic feel to it, and the cover, from an earlier Boston Pops recording, adds to the magic of this collection.




4. POPS CHRISTMAS PARTY, like Santa's bag of goodies, has a little bit of everything. You'll find traditional carols (Joy to the World, Deck the Halls, Silent Night, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, etc.), popular Christmas favorites (Sleigh Ride, Rudolph, Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, White Christmas), and classical Christmas pieces (selections from `The Nutcracker,' `Hansel and Gretel,' etc.)

   Whether you're listening while writing Christmas cards, trimming the tree, hosting a Christmas party, or any of a hundred holiday activities, POPS CHRISTMAS PARTY is a great way to bring you into the Christmas spirit.

   TOTAL TIME 72:38




5. First let me say that I was overjoyed to see that the original Vinyl album artwork was kept . This is an expertly recorded CD being it was recorded in the late 50's. The sound quality rivals any today. Authur Fiedler did an outstanding job with the arrangments on this recording.

5 comments about A Guitar for Christmas.

1. An enchanting, gentle, charming collection of popular and classical holiday tunes. NOT to be confused with those bland, boring new-age guitarists. Ms. Boyd is an accomplished artist, joined here and there by a variety of other sympathetic instrumentalists. One of the very best holiday instrumental CDs.



2. Guitar for Christmas is a wonderful and charming piece of work. It's my all-time favourite Christmas album. I own a lot of Guitar Christmas music and a lot of instrumental ones and this one is by miles the best one i've got. The arrangements are fantastic. Highlights include: What Child Is This? Blessed Jesus, Christmas Overture (O Come All Ye Faithful Medley) and it contains the best version of The Little Drummer Boy I have ever heard. Away in a Manger and Silent Night are also very interesting, and very well played.
   The Album has other instruments too. There are strings, flutes, oboes, a Trumpet and some minor percussions. Most of the songs are calm and relaxing, other songs are faster and almost dancable, like the fantastic Yuletide Garland (Holly and the Ivy Fantasy) and Parade of Toy Soldiers, both arraned by Eric Robertson. I recommend this Album to every one looking for good Christmas music. I give it five stars.



3. I purchased this CD for my own listening pleasure. I really enjoy Liona Boyd playing guitar, no matter what, and it was nice to find some Christmas music featuring her rendition of the Christmas songs.
   I do prefer to listen to her play solo, however. Her notes are so clear and quite beautiful to listen to, and I have found personally that the accompaniment of too many other instruments can detract from the simple perfection of her playing, rather than add to it.
   I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys guitar, Liona, and Christmas music....it's a lovely listen! Thanks Liona!



4. My brother gave this album (yes, ALBUM( to my parents one year, and I fell in love with her music. I bought the CD, and it kept me company on an 11 hour drive from Manhattamn to Erie, but I left it in the rental car and had no luck finding it anywhere until someone reco'd Amazon.
   This is a great gift idea for people you haven't a clue what to buy for XMAS. It truly is a guft that keeps on giving



5. We put this CD in our car on Thanksgiving and enjoy it for a whole month. We gave it as a gift to a friend who heard it in our car and loved it.

1 comments about Vaughan Williams: Hodie (Fantasia on Christmas Carols).

1. Ralph Vaughan William's Hodie is a fantastic Christmas work scored for soloists, choirs and full orchestra. There have only been a handful of recordings over the years and until this NAXOS release, there were only two versions available. Both are on the EMI label and are conducted by David Willcocks and Richard Hickox. The Willcocks is the benchmark recording and I was hoping that this new NAXOS version would be better, or at least equal to it, with improved sound. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
   
   Hilary Davan Wetton delivers a sluggish and uninspired interpretation of this choral masterpiece. His heavy handed conducting robs the festive moments of their power and creates overblown drama during the more medatative moments. I started to wonder if Wetton was aware that this is a celebratory work of the Birth and the season and that it was not a Passion Play. The soloist and chorus perform admirably but they cannot overcome Wetton's bloated tempi. I also found the sound below par. While it was nice to hear the organ, percussion, and brass clearly, this came at the expense of the strings. Many of the beautiful string lines are lost due to the poor balancing of instrument sections.
   
   Surprisingly the Fantasia on Christmas Carols fares much better, and had Wetton invested Hodie with the same enthusiasm, my review would be much different.
   
   So there you have it. Hodie should be part of your Christmas tradition as it will lift the haze of seasonal blues from your heart and remind you what the day is actually about. To accomplish this however, you need to steer clear of this recording and make your way to the David Willcocks EMI recording. It is at a budget price and costs less than this NAXOS fiasco. Hodie / Fantasia on Christmas Carols
   
   Wetton's version of Vaughan William's Hodie places a distant third in a three horse race. Not recommended..........

5 comments about American Indian Christmas.

1. I was very pleased with the CD, the music was lovely, familiar Christmas songs sang in the words of the different tribes of Native Americans. Made me really listen to the words and songs that I know so well I usually take them for granted and it was so lovely and calming. Jana has a beautiful voice, very pleasant and relaxing. I have always been interested in the Native Americans, reading and visiting the Museum in Washington, DC, but never had music by them before and I am very glad I purchased this CD and will probably consider buying more in the future. Thank you for helping make my Christmas enjoyable with your lovely version of the Christmas music. Pat Reiber, Reading, PA



2. I heard Jana on N.P.R. last year and went straight to Amazon and ordered her Christmas CD. What a breath of fresh air she is to the Christmas scene. The funny part is you find out that you don't know the lyrics to the Christmas songs like you thought you did. I recommend her to anyone who wants something a bit different to listen to at Christmas.



3. American Indian Christmas is a stunningly beautiful rendition of favorite holiday songs, sung in American indian languages. Jana, the artist, has an amazing voice that is a pleasure to listen to.



4. American Indian Christmas. The production was horrible. In the background you could easily hear popping and cracking sounds. It sounded like it was recorded off an old vinyl record. It was very distracting. I'm very dissappointed.



5. If you like native american music...you will enjoy this Christmas CD. Jana's voice is amazing. Highly recommend any of Jana's music.

2 comments about Broadway Christmas.

1. This has become my favorite Christmas CD. So many shows have Christmas songs and this CD brings some of them together. From the silly "Turkey Lurkey Time" to the poignant "I thank you for your love." This is such a nice change from the overdone traditional songs. I just wish they'd do a second CD with all the shows they didn't include.



2. I totally bought this CD for the first track, but found out I love the entire CD. If you like Christmas and broadway music, I HIGHLY SUGGEST you buy it!

5 comments about Christmas.

1. Awesome! 2 yrs ago I found the Low Christmas CD in a store called Secret Sounds. I have a decent Christmas music collection, but wasn't familiar with Low. Now I have a few of their CDs.

   Great songs like "If You Were Born Today", "Long Way Around the Sea" (made me feel like I was there with the wisemen), "Just Like Christmas", "Taking Down the Tree" and "One Special Gift". A must have and a great gift because most of your friends or family won't have it or even know about it.

   One question, in the song "If You Were Born Today", I can't make out one word, "We would kill you by a 'jade or gate'". Sorry, can't make it out nor can anyone else I played it for. Still, I think it's my favorite.




2. Anyone wondering why Christmas has become a spiritual wasteland should perhaps hear this a few times. Listen to "Little Drummer Boy" or "If You Were Born Today" as you drive past a shopping mall on a cold and lousy winter day- -say, after Christmas shopping. And keep going until you get home, or wherever your heart is.



3. And I mean that as a compliment. Extremely mellow and mind-bogglingly minimalist, Low stays in form with Christmas. Low performs Little Drummer Boy in such a way as only Low could envision it and make it sound not just nice, but actually cool. Sparhawk's vocals make the words sound as meaningful as I am sure they were intended to be. The sound of Drummer Boy is not indicative of the overall sound of the CD, as Drummer Boy features a Mazzy Star or possibly Slowdive-ish fuzzy drone and the rest of the songs are acoustic guitar-based, like most of Low's other works.
   It's nearly Christmas as I write this, and I realized that I haven't listened to this CD since last winter. The title, cover art and some of the songs may be about Christmas, or just winter in general, but the music itself is inviting any time of year (something I will have to remember myself).
   If you are a fan of Low, and you appreciate their sparse sound and the incredibly slow pace of their music, then you should like Christmas.
   Other great songs include the cover Blue Christmas, Long Way Around the Sea and If You Were Born Today, which is as depressing a song as I have ever heard possibly outside Leonard Cohen or Arab Strap, but is unquestioningly beautiful.
   By the way, to the reviewer from Shelton, I believe the lyric which you were wondering about was "by age eight." Like I said -- depressing, but beautiful.



4. but the line is - If you were born today - they'd kill you by age eight.
   
   do yourself a favor and get your hands on their music and let it whisper into your soul



5. My favorite of Low's albums. I do not celebrate Christmas, but can still appreciate their renditions of timeless classics. It also contains a few non-secular songs that are beautiful and have become classics of my holiday music collection.

5 comments about John McCutcheon's Four Seasons: Wintersongs.

1. I just wanted to assure any adults who dread the idea of listening over and over to "kid's" music, to have no fear of John McCutcheon. This is intelligent and heartwarming fare for any age. I'm 50 and maybe I'm a child at heart, but songs like "Soup," "Waiting for Snow" and "Footsteps" are balm for my soul. There's not a single track you won't enjoy. Promise!

   Wintersongs is part of a 4-album series and is my personal favorite. None of the four are bad, this one's great. And by the way, he's a TERRIFIC live performer not only in "family" concerts but in the "grown-up" world as well. He's a 25 year veteran of the folk scene (with as many albums to date) and a man of commitment and compassion. Your kids (and you) couldn't ask for a finer role model. Do yourselves a favor and enjoy this talented man's gifts!




2. Wonderful, as usual! My all timne favorite is "Soup". I wonder who likes it better, my 3 kids or me!!!



3. John McCutcheon is a great American treasure and one of the best folk artists around. He also writes and performs some of the best original children's music in the country.

   WINTERSONGS is part of a four album series celebrating the four seasons of a year. All of the songs on the album are original and evoke a playful spirit that is sure to bring out the child in everyone. Children really seem to enjoy "Tommy Don't Lick That Pipe", "New Boots", and "Soup" the most, but are delighted by each of the other songs as well. My favorites on the album include "Fly", "Groundhog Day", and "Footprints." A great album to listen to when it gets cold outside or if you just want to think about the wonder of winter.




4. A very good CD, particularly if you have young children. McCutcheon's songs are entertaining and diverse.



5. Wonderful odes to Hot Chocolate, Soup, New Boots, and Groundhog's Day. My kids, husband, and I all adore "Tommy Don't Lick That Pipe". And where else can one find a tango about the Flu? To my knowledge, John McCutcheon has composed the only Flu song ever. Wintersongs will definitely warm up your dreary winter. But it's also a cool listen in the heat of summer.

5 comments about A Christmas Album.

1. I always have and still do love this CD! I used to have it on cassette, then had the CD. This Christmas, I couldn't find it anywhere, so I had to order a new one!



2. I was given the cassette many years ago and it has been a favourite ever since. I'm glad I can now get it on CD as my cassette has just about had it!
   Let the music and words wrap you in the magic of Christmas! A must for any Christmas collection.
   
   Home for Christmas



3. All the songs on this album were great, it'll be the perfect idea to use in the show at my school that's coming up real soon.



4. This Amy Grant Christmas cd is really fantastic and it one of my absolute favorite Christmas cds. It has a great mix of uplifting and inspiring songs as well as some classics. My favorite is "Love Has Come" and Tennessee Christmas. This is a great cd for any collection and Amy's voice is fantastic.



5. This is simply my favorite Christmas album. Keep in mind this was 1980's but the production still holds today and the arrangements are superior. Amy Grant never claimed to be God's gift to singing but she does a great job of delivering just what the songs needed. An essential CD to own if you love Christmas music. It helps to be a fan already.