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.

1 comments about Christmas Memories Are Made of This.

1. A few of the tracks on this compilation were recorded at other times, but the main focus is on the fifties and sixties. As well as Christmas songs, this set includes several songs that were hits in the UK charts over the Christmas period. I prefer Christmas music and other music to be kept separate but I'm sure that many people like this broad definition of Christmas memories and I'll admit that the compilers have made some great choices.
   
   The non-Christmas songs include Mister Sandman, Moon river, From Russia with love, Never do a tango with an Eskimo, Swinging on a star (credited only to Big Dee Irwin, this is actually a duet with Little Eva of Locomotion fame), You belong to me, Somewhere my love, Lily the pink, One day at a time and a few others. Looking at the titles, they cover a wide range of songs from slightly silly but enjoyable novelty party songs to lovely romantic ballads. And if you remember the particular Christmas when one of them was a big hit, it may bring back Christmas memories for you.
   
   Even with all those songs, the majority of the tracks here have a Christmas theme. Again, there is a wide choice of material with a good mix of carols and fun songs though this collection seems to focus more on the festive side of Christmas than the religious side. Some of the songs here have been included on plenty of Christmas compilations but there are some real gems here that don't come round too often such as Man with the bag (Kay Starr) and I'd like you for Christmas (Julie London).
   
   So this is a little different from most of the Christmas albums out there. If you enjoy the music of the fifties and sixties, this will add to the festive spirit.

5 comments about Santamental Journey: Pop Vocal Christmas Classics { Various Artists }.

1. This little collection has it all-the traditional White Christmas by Bing; Perry Como's classic Home For The Holidays; The Christmas Song as interpreted by The Drifters and an outstanding version of Let It Snow by Jo Stafford & The Starlighters. A Christmas cd to enjoy for many years to come!



2. Fantastic vintage Christmas music. No matter what generation you are from, if you love big band music you will love this. Excellent



3. I'm really surprised to see so few reviews of this great collection as compiled by those fabulous folks at RHINO. I found every song to be a major winner, with the exception of Jack Jones' version of Jingle Bells. Now don't get me wrong, I've always liked Jack Jones & even have some of his cd's in my collection; but this is one of the worst covers of Jingle Bells I've ever heard. Maybe it's the arrangement but it sounds like he just couldn't be bothered recording the song. Oh well, it shouldn't matter-every other song is golden & are original versions. Highly recommended.



4. Where else are you going to find a Christmas album with songs by Doris Day, Joni James, Rosemary Clooney, Jo Stafford, Judy Garland, and Peggy Lee (some of the greatest female singers of all time)? Excellent male singers are represented, too, with carols sung by Dick Haymes, Perry Como, and Billy Eckstine. This is a well-chosen selection that features songs and recordings that are not the same old ones that are on dozens of other compilations. This one will be a holiday season favorite at your house.



5. This is a collection of pop vocal Christmas songs. It's the kind of pop music that was popular in the pre-rock and roll era, as sung by the likes of Bing Crosby. Most of these songs are terrific, including some classics by the likes of Bing Crosby and Judy Garland, as well as some good lesser known recordings. But I don't really care for the songs by Jack Jones and Johnny Desmond(who?). And where are Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr.? Despite those minor complaints, this is still a very good collection.

3 comments about The Yule Log DVD Gift Set.

1. My wife and I were pleasantly surprised with this product. We'd been joking sometime about getting a digital fireplace. Both the fire and music are very nice. You can turn off the music and just listen to the crackle of the fire. The package credits TIME-LIFE for the music.
   
   There is only one fireplace sequence (it lasts about 90 minutes I believe) which is enough for us, the logs don't appear to burn down but that is a minor thing IMHO.



2. This was not a very good fireplace video.I was very unhappy with it.It is just a picture of a fireplace from a distance.I was expecting the fullscreen version which makes you TV the fireplace.I think they should have put that on the box so you know.



3. I recieved this for a Christmas gift. It's okay, but I am searching for a better one. I think this one is cheesy compared to other ones I have seen. (There is a reason it was at a well known dollar retail place) It is so dark, you can ONLY see the bottom part of the bricks and not ALL of the bricks in the fire box like others. So,it doesn't feel that realistic. The popping is okay, but it isn't that realistic. It does make you relax though, and if your not that picky, it might work for you. It's okay, but I wouldn't pay $12.00 for this one.

2 comments about Classical Christmas.

1. This cd answers the need for top-quality, musical performance of Christmas carols and classical music - suitable for active concentrated listening as well as background music. It offers a superb and tasteful variety of selections and is perfect for a black tie party as well as music to play in the home for holiday cheer or relaxation. I'd even go so far as to say that it would benefit infants and pre-schoolers too- any age group.
   This cd offers professional musicianship. The carols do not demand the proficiency of the classical selections. That's when the Lumiere String Quartet reveals is conservatory training! Stellar performance!
   I highly recommend this cd.



2. I loved this CD!!! I used all but 5 songs from it for the prelude music for my December 23rd wedding!
   
   The quality of musicians and recording is incredible!
   
   I would without hesitation encourage all who are looking for an instrumental Christmas CD - to purchase THIS ONE - you will not be disappointed!

5 comments about Winter Light.

1. I agree with a fan from Texas. I want to listen to new songs, not recycled songs.. I gave this album 3 stars because they are beautiful pieces, anyway. Hope he will come up with new material soon since I start to think I've seen too many Yanni old albums already. That's why I bought this album on tape, not CD.



2. I found this CD to be a disgrace to mankind! I've never even heard it before but just by looking at Yanni on the cover, I can tell that it is totally bizarre and unheard of. I mean listen to Rage Against the Machine for crying out loud. Not this long haired freakazoid. Geez.



3. I was mainly a heavy metal fan until I went to the copy store. Everybody said that the manager (the hot guy with long flowing locks and a big moustache) looked like Yanni. I didn't know who Yanni was so I went and picked up the cd. Wow. I mean WOW. No really. WOW! These songs are so inspiring! The song "Only a memory" inspired me so much that I finally stopped sniffing glue and quit my job at the basket factory. Now I am a professional Auto-Cleansing Facilitator and I owe it all to Yanni! If it weren't for him, I'd be sitting at home with a paper bag full of crazy glue and one foot in the grave. You may not have these kinds of problems but I gaurentee that you will find this cd to be uplifting! Go get it!



4. I have been playing this CD in my ICU rooms since receiving it from a friend and have been asked so often for its title by the surgeons and nurses with whom I work and by the family members of my patients, that I think I can safely recommend it to everyone as a truly emotionally rewarding composition.



5. I liked some songs on this CD better than others, but its still Yanni so I love it anyway.

4 comments about Spirit of Christmas Past.

1. When I was growing up, my dad had recorded christmas music off of the radio stations on his old wallensack reel-to-reel recorder. That taped collection became known in our family as "THE christmas tape" and we were always begging to here "The Night Before Christmas". It was our favorite christmas song. Unfortunately, that tape didn't hold up too well so when I found this CD, I was thrilled. I have to say that I really like the whole CD. It has a mixture of the "popular classics" like White Christmas" to spirituals of "Mary Had A Baby, Yes Lord" and recitations from A Christmas Carol". If you long for the kind of music that takes you back to when you were a kid (assuming you grew up prior to the 70s) then this is a great CD. Word of warning: These songs were obviously recorded prior to the advent of stereo so many of the recordings are mono and not the quality that we have come to expect today. But to me, that's ok because that is how they were meant to be heard... Enjoy!



2. Well, maybe not all 23 cuts are great, but enough of them are to make this a good record to have. This is an earlier collection similar to Living Era's "A Nostalgic Merry Christmas To You," and covers a slightly narrower time span..the 30's and the 40's. I can't recommend one of these over the other, because each has many notable cuts.

   This one starts with Bing's "White Christmas", arguably the top commercial Christmas recording of all time. Also on this CD is Bing's "Silent Night" which was on the other side. Bing also came out with "Silent Night" on another single with "Adeste Fidelis" on the other side & donated his royalties for that single to charity.

   Also notable is the Lew Stone recording of "Winter Wonderland", one of the early recordings of the 1934 song, and also the first recording ever of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" from the Harry Reser Orchestra.

   Dinah Shore's "I'll Walk Alone (Thru Every Christmas)" and Fred Waring's "'Twas The Night Before Christmas" reflect the World War II years in that both cuts come from American Ward Dept. Armed Forces Radio Service recordings.

   Then there's Fats Waller's fabulous reworking of a Christmas standard, "Swingin' Them Jingle Bells". Another jazzy number is Johnny Mercer & Jack Teagarden's "Christmas Night in Harlem. The legendary Paul Robeson is heard with the Christmas Spiritual, "Mary Had a Baby, Yes, Lord".

   There's much more here that reflects the era through the presentation of performances that were popular here in the U. S. and also in some cases in England.

   Yeah, there's historical interest here, but it's all darn entertaining too. Only real minus here is that of course, the sound fidelity is poorer than we're used to because of course, these were all monaural recordings. But that's as it should be, that we're hearing them as the original listeners heard them.




3. A nice break from modern Christmas music.



4. and buy " A Vintage Christmas Cracker" instead. It has all of the same songs, but you get two discs instead of one for almost the same price. Christmas crackers has songs from "Spirit of Christmas past" on it and also the songs from a "Nostalgic Christmas too you". The songs are very good, it just doesn't make sense to buy these when you can get that cd with 2 discs for the same price.

5 comments about Christmas with Eddy Arnold.

1. I just found this CD after having lost my LP back about 10 years ago. I couldn't be happier! This album was around from the late 50's to my early recollection. My father used to sing many of the songs from this and other Eddy Arnold music as far back as I can remember. But, the one I really missed was "C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S". I appreciate it even more now as an adult than I did as a child. This particular song has the meaning of Christmas tied up in one 2.28 minute message: C is for the Christ child, H for herald angels, R means our Redeemer, I means Israel, S is for the stars, T is for Three Wisemen, M is for the manger where He lay, A is for all He stands for, S means shepherds came.
   Even though I heard "Will Santa Come to Shanty Town" on the same LP, it never confused the issue for me. There was room for the plea of a poor child to ask if he would be remembered too on that wonderful day. I could identify with him.
   EA has another CD on which both of these songs can be found although it doesn't have just Christmas songs. It's called: "Eddy Arnold The Cattle Call". It has many of his older songs on it. Enjoy.



2. I'm not a huge country music fan but I love Christmas songs recorded in the 40's, 50's and 60's. Songs on this CD recorded 1960 and 1961. I like some of the less popular selections: "Christmas Can't Be Far Away," "Up On The Housetop," & "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas." Mixing some of these songs with other Christmas CDs wouldn't be so bad...but the tempo on every song is quite slow. Almost a bit depressing after 5 songs. If you're wanting to add to your "vintage Christmas collection," then buy this CD. Otherwise, I'd recommend Johnny Mathis, Perry Como or Al Martino.



3. From the start of the first song, it brings me back to my childhood Christmas. Must have Christmas CD!



4. Yes, its the one your parents listened to! Brings back all those old Christmas memories.



5. Eddy Arnold brings his warm and straightforward style to Christmas with this Christmas album. Eddy Arnold brings his warm smooth way with a song to the Christmas music. His voice was in its prime here. This is nothing fancy, which is what I like for Christmas music. He sings them simply and meaningfully. For me, this is the way Christmas music should be. It's a little old fashioned, but I love it. This is the CD I play the most at Christmas time. Eddy truly puts the meaning in Christmas with this good music and his warm way with a song.

3 comments about Winter Songs.

1. If you're looking for a CD that gets to the heart of Christmas without the glittering commercial wrap, then you've found the right album. Anuna impresses again with its renditions of traditional, and some not-so-well-known, Christmas pieces. The group's sound is other-worldly, and the close, weaving harmonies will give you tingles all over. I only gave "Winter Songs" 4 stars because at times Anuna's sound is thin and lacking in its usual strength and warmth. But its signature sound really shines on "Away in a Manger," "Silent Night," "Riu Riu," and "Ther Is No Ros." Slide this CD into your player and immerse yourself in a talent like no other.



2. I recently purchased Anuna's Wintersongs CD. It is so beautiful. Very soothing and relaxing. They have the best harmony I've ever heard. I especially liked Riu Riu and Winter, Fire and Snow. Wonderful CD. I will most certainly buy other Anuna CD's.



3. Great songs by an incredibly gifted lady! Will be a permanent part of my holiday season collection.

1 comments about Christmastime.

1. I have owned this album since 1991 and it has been and remains my favorite Christmas CD yet! I've taken it to work on various occasions and all of my colleagues have enjoyed it so much they now own it as well. If you are a lover of piano and jazz with a little RB rub now and then, well this is the CD for you. Happy Holidays!