5 comments about A Holly Jolly Kids Christmas.

1. So glad I grabbed this CD now before it's sold out! It's perfect! I'd been looking for a CD that has all the classic Christmas songs to share with my kids. And I wanted the ORIGINGAL songs - none of those annoying renditions that you hear around Christmas. Turns out this CD is the real deal! I put it on today while starting to cook for Thanksgiving and my 4 year old is already learning the words to "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer"! Perahps the best part about this CD is that I don't have to listen to The Wiggles this holiday season! Merry Xmas to ME!



2. Finally a kids CD that doesnt drive me INSANE! These are actually songs i know and the versions i remember from growing up! I love this CD. I hope they make more like these.



3. It's hard to argue with most of the tracks collected here, all but one (Raul Malo's rendition of "Marshmallow World") are bona fide Christmas classics. And as new holiday albums pile up each year, you'll be surprised at how fresh some of these chestnuts can sound to your ears. Sure, you'll hear Bobby Helms "Jingle Bell Rock" and Brenda Lee's "Rockin' About the Christmas Tree" on oldies stations, Elmo & Patsy's "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" could use a rest, and this year's Alvin & The Chipmunks movie will bring back their "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)." But the Jackson 5's "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" is as charming today as it was when first released in 1970, and Ella Fitzgerald makes "Jingle Bells" as hip as a Christmas song could possibly be. Mavericks lead-vocalist Raul Malo appears here in opportunistic cross-promotion of his recent Christmas album, and while his track is fine, it's not the time-tested classic of the other nine. These selections are sure to keep kids humming and won't tax the patience of adults, but at eleven tracks that run only 28 minutes, this is too short to keep a holiday party going. [©2007 hyperbolium dot com]



4. My 15 month old loved this CD. It says for 2 years plus but I gave it a go. We loved it also (husband/ I). The only thing is that my baby still points to CD player and wants to hear it. So we will be listening well after Christmas now, he likes to sway back and forth to it. Get it and enjoy next year!



5. I bought this CD for my 4 year old son, who LOVES it. The songs are fun and catchy and done by the original artists. I personally don't care for songs being re-recorded in a cutesy "kid style". No complaints whatsoever about this collection. It's my son's favorite CD and he was quite upset when we had to put it away after the holidays.

5 comments about A Very Special Christmas 3.

1. I found many songs I like on the other "Very Special Christmas" albums, but front to back this is easily my favorite. Maybe because it includes alot of "adult-alternative" artists, but probably just because the songs are sooo good. Just look at the tracklist. Sting, Natalie Merchant, and Sheryl Crow all do great covers, and I also love the songs done by Tracy Chapman and Enya. As far as originals go, I was really impressed by the tracks from Smashing Pumpkins and Blues Traveler, both are excellent, and both sound very seasonal. My reason for purchase however was for "Ave Maria". Chris Cornell (Soundgarden/Audioslave) does an amazing job with it, and it's really quite moving. The rest is good at the least. As the holidays approach, I already can't wait to play this. I also suggest "The Edge Of Christmas" and "You Sleigh Me: Alternative Christmas Hits".



2. The artists who stuck to the classics always come out better on these albums. It is a dangerous thing to write a new one unless you can come up with something really significant. Sadly "Christmas Time" by Smashing Pumpkins is not. It's maudlin (meaning sickly sweet and whingey) and the words are worthless. "Christmas time is fun presents for everyone" Ohhh please. Perhaps Bob Geldof and Bono could teach some wealthy rockstars that not everyone gets presents at Christmas and it ain't always fun for those whose families have difficulties or who are under persecution or war. Better to teach the real meaning of Christmas- that Christ was born to offer a new start to everyone. This makes every difficulty you are under fade and is a much better message than "presents for everyone".
   Sorry for the diehard pumpkins fans. I actually like their stuff, but Christmas Time is pumpkin pulp. hohoho



3. This cd is very good and should be in anybody collection



4. This is obviously the third volume in the highly successful Very Special Christmas series. It came out in 1997 and most of the performers here are ones that were popular at that time. Most of the performances are good, with nothing being flat out terrible, which is always a bonus. Which ones you like best will depend on your taste of course. Personally, I think I like the songs by Sting, Natalie Merchant, No Doubt and Chris Cornell the best. But that's just me, you might like some of the others better.



5. Several very good songs and many forgettable ones. I enjoyed songs from Sting, Natalie Merchant, No Doubt, and Chris Cornell...and found myself skipping the others to listen to the favorites.

5 comments about Hodie / Fantasia on Christmas Carols.

1. The other reviewers have it right in giving this disc five stars, at least for Hodie. First the bad news: the Fantasia is given here in a slightly bloodless version for baritone, chorus, strings, and organ, which can't quite match the original.

   Now the good news: the performance of Hodie on offer here is amazing. As good as Hickox is in his later EMI recording, he and his team of soloists are clearly outmatched. We have captured here early recordings of both Dame Janet Baker and John Shirley-Quirk, two of the great British singers of modern times, each in gorgeous voice and both deeply committed to the work. If you need much convincing of this, try "It was the winter wild" or "The Shepherds sing"; you won't be disappointed. Of course, we shouldn't leave Richard Lewis out, even though he has a somewhat smaller role in the proceedings than the other two. In exchange, he has the challenging hymn "Bright portals of the sky," which he delivers with seeming ease. Their trio in the "March of the Three Kings" is the crowning moment of the work, until topped a few minutes later by the bank-holiday fervor of the finale.

   The choral and orchestral work is on pace with that of the soloists: I would say that one can hear more orchestral and choral detail on this disc remastered from the mid-1960's than is available on the Hickox recording!

   So, in short, this disc is a must-have for Hodie; if you want the "Fantasia" too, go for Matthew Best's recording with Thomas Allen, the Corydon Singers, and the English Chamber Orchestra on Hyperion.




2. It is always a wonderful thing to find a beloved recording transfered to CD. My old LP is still on my shelves and has been there since 1973, though the recording dates from 1965. It is a fine performance of an unjustly neglected Christmas work.

   Vaughan Williams was 81 when he wrote this. It is a portmanteau piece, a form pioneered by Britten, with narrations alternating with chorals, hyms and songs enclosed within a prologue and epilogue. The words set range from the biblical to Thomas Hardy. The narrations, sung by a boys' choir accompanied by a chamber organ, tell the story of the Nativity, and are often followed by a short tenor solo with full orchestral accompaniment. These brief, melismatic sections are of extraordinary emotional power. They still make me go all funny after 30 years. Set in this regular framework go the assorted numbers which vary in character from a gentle lullaby to the glittering March of the Three Kings (the words of which were written by the composer's wife). The work has been criticised for the disparate styles of the settings - some songs like early RVW, others set to the glassy, late orchestral style of Sinfonia Antartica. To me it adds variety as well as demonstrating the sheer breadth of his music. This is a gorgeous piece to play on Christmas day and it will refresh your spirit no end.

   The performance is first rate, with a trio of distinguished soloists. The recording is remarkably good for its age.

   The Fantasia on Christmas Carols is a much earlier work and its title is self- explanatory. It is a very attractive work which is given a perfectly acceptable performance here. A mystery is the name of the band : "String Orchestra", which sounds alarmingly generic. Guildford, a town to the west of London, does have a semi-professional orchestra so maybe the players are from this.

   The insert notes are by Michael Kennedy, who was a close friend of the composer and is the leading authority on his music. Full texts are included for Hodie.




3. I first became aware of Hodie when I performed the work in high school. While it is true that Vaughn-Williams does use a variety of styles, this is much more than a compendium of musical approaches. Each style is well chosen to provide an appropriate context for the words in a way matched by few composers - intimate in "The Oxen", hushed and reverential in "No sad thought his soul affright", and imposing and even majesterial in "The March of the Three Kings". I can't imagine how anyone could listen to the Epilogue (especially as performed here) with it's quoting of the beginning of St. John's gospel without being utterly undone.
   
   Because of the beauty of the work and the quality of the performance, it quickly became one of my most beloved recordings, defining for me how this work should be performed just as Karl Richter's Mass in b Minor and Colin Davis's Mozart Requiem have. The singers all have incredibly beautiful voices and each use their voice very sensitively. Just listen to John Shirley-Quirk's simple yet eloquent singing in "The Oxen", describing the animals in the manger on their knees at cradle of God incarnate or Janet Baker's "Lullaby" with a beauty that can bring tears to your eyes. Richard Lewis likewise provides a good range from the heroic to the sensitive - one of the best performances of his I have heard. The choral work is likewise fantastic. I have been searching for this work on CD for years to replace my well-loved but somewhat worn-out LP copy and am delighted that it is finally available again.
   
   More so than Messiah, this work has come to define Christmas for me. If you love choral music, Vaughan-Williams's work, works that can put you in touch with the Divine, or you just appreciate beautiful singing, I would STRONGLY urge you to purchase this recording while it is still available.



4. I have just downloaded one of EMI records' greatest Christmas recordings, Vaughan Williams's Hodie. I had lost the LP of this wonderful work and I was most happy to see that recording available as a CD and download. The music is as stupendous as ever, thanks to Willcocks and Rose. The recording is wonderfully vivid; it is as if one is in the actual recording location. It remains a valuable recording of a beloved Vaughan Willliams work that is a ' must have', not only as a 'Christmas' album but one for the archives. Hodie / Fantasia on Christmas Carols



5. I first encountered this recording over thirty years ago on an Angel LP. I listened to it at the time the university chorus I was singing in was preparing for a performance of the whole work. (We performed it with orchestra, organ, and boys' chorus; faculty members were the soloists.) This was in the early 1970s, and the music was a revelation to me as an undergraduate music student.
   
   This music has gotten under my skin and become part of me. I always listen to "Hodie" at least once in the run-up to Christmas, and sometimes during the twelve days after. The more I listen, the more interlinked all the sections seem--Vaughan Williams was a master of the craft of composition! I also defy anyone to listen to and absorb this whole work and not be moved by the mystical Epilogue and final chorus--this is the resolution of so much that has gone before in this work.
   
   This recording was valuable for me in the process of learning the work, and it's valuable now to have it available on CD and sounding much, much better than it ever did on that old Angel LP! There is nothing to take exception with whatsoever in the performance. I could wish for more sonic impact--in a live performance of this work, the battery of percussion and the full organ make a shattering impact when they're called for--but in terms of recording technique, this stays within the bounds of 1965 limitations. But the performance is truly wonderful, and it's good to have it back in the catalogue!

5 comments about Elvis Christmas.

1. what more can you say its ELVIS singing the best Christmas songs only like ELVIS can......



2. Great CD of a collection of Elvis Christmas songs in which I enjoyed very much. Great listening.



3. The CD is exactly what I wanted for a true elvis fan. The receiver loved all the songs and now has a true ELVIS christmas Album.



4. It just isn't Christmas until you have heard Elvis sing Blue Christmas on the radio. A must have for all Elvis fans!!



5. Known as the King of Rock and Roll,Elvis surely showed his musical talent
   in preforming these great Christmas ballads.A must for everyone who likes
   traditional and up beat Chrismas songs

5 comments about Playing Favorites.

1. I love Greg & Steve for my Pre-K classroom. My class favorites from this CD are "The Three Little Pig Blues" and "Down By the Bay". When you need a calm song nothing beats "Brown Bear". Just hand the kids the book and let them "read" the song.



2. I have lost our cassette but am buying this as a gift and for our new (adopted 6 year old) son. My now 8-year old wouldn't eat when she was 7 months old unless it was playing. It is the most pleasant kids music ever. A bluesy big bad wolf, a wonderful brown bear brown bear (Eric Carle book you should buy if you don't have it.)
   
   I can stand Raffi and Wiggles and some others, but these guys are actually pleasant to listen to. The kids LOVE them too.
   
   I've heard them hundreds of times and this is my favorite bar none.
   
   Signed, Mom of girl age 8 1/2 and boy 6 1/2



3. There is so much variety on this Cd; however; I must confess that Three Little Pig Blues is one of my favorites. I am an early literacy consultant and recently visited a college class where I played this for early education students. they also enjoyed it



4. Most of the songs on this CD are great. However, the lyrics of one song have been altered in such a manner as to make it ridiculous at best, and likely offensive to many. Instead of "He's got the whole world in His hands," it has been re-worded to "You've got the whole world in your hands." I understand that Greg & Steve may want this to be played in public school classrooms (which is where I first heard it), and some schools don't want any reference to God in the classroom, but then why not just leave this song off? Changing the words not only disassociated it from God, but the new words don't make any sense. And some children may grow up thinking those really are the words to that song. It would have been much better to have just chosen another song for their collection.



5. Greg & Steve CDs have become the favorite music for me and my 4 year old grandson. All are good, but this one is truly a "favorite". We know it is good because we traveled for hours playing it and didn't want to scream after two plays or two hours....in fact, we found ourselves singing the tunes well after the music was over. And my grandson has learned the words because you can actually hear what is being said. A must have!

5 comments about Winter's Knight.

1. If you are in a holiday mood, but are heartily fed up with Irish (or even worse: Mariah Carey!) Christmas songs, then you might want to consider this album. It is not a soundeffect album, nor is it program music. A final touch is that it is not cheaply produced, as some more traditional holiday albums.
   The music conveys a feeling of cold, dark, and immensly lonely winter. The Christmas is there, but there are undertows of older and more sinister rituals, and whispers call the more unwary listeners to join in...
   This album could be a very good way to spice up the celebrations.



2. I am very satisfied with this product and recommend it to anyone who likes instrumental and haunting melodies.



3. Winter's Knight is the fourth album released by Nox Arcana and it is sure to become a favorite album for anyone who is tired of the overly played traditional music of the Christmas season. Considering malls start playing it sometime in November, by the time Christmas actually rolls around that's pretty much everyone. But rejoice! For Nox Arcana has given us this delightful present to enjoy. Winter's Knight tells the tale of lost souls who wander the earth at this time of year seeking redemption and one spirit in particular; said to haunt ruins on the edge of the Ebonshire Forest. This spirit only appears one night each year, the night of the Winter Solstice, to warn anyone who comes near to change their ways so that they do not share his lonely fate. He speaks a tale of hope and redemption, of dreams and spirit of this wonderful season. Once again the music is spectacular. "Crystal Forest" brings to mind going outside to dance under the falling snow; "Evening Star", with it's choral vocals accompanying the piano, is a stirring track; "Past Time With Good Company" is reminiscent of old time caroling parties, when people went around spreading good cheer to their neighbors. This album is sure to delight fans of Nox Arcana and would make a great gift for anyone with a taste for unique and quality music. Nox Arcana, Bless Us Everyone!



4. This is a great Cd for those of you who are sick to death of the traditional Christmas music played in malls. Every track is fun to listen to. This album is highly recommended.



5. Before I start on this beautiful album, I have just one question.
   Why, oh why does everyone listen to the overplayed Christmas music that you hear in the shopping malls? There has to be a reason why people would like such a thing. It's sad to listen to overplayed Christmas music, when you know that there is no substance in any of the songs you hear. Why do people listen to the overplayed Christmas music at the malls, while at the same time, ignoring Nox Arcana's "Winter's Knight" album? That is a veryy sad world we live in.
   
   This album by Nox Arcana is the most beautiful Christmas album I've ever heard. When I hear this, the music shows me how the world would be when we play this wonderful album. We wouldn't have to deal with overplayed Holiday songs at the mall, and nor would we have to put up with emotionless songs that have no substance when the holidays come around. Reason why? because this music by Nox Arcana has no saccharine lyrics, and no sugary, Pop-flavored singing on it. Every song on this beautiful Cd is packed with emotion. Just sit back, relax, grab a bottle of Sparkling Cider, and listen to this wonderful album with your friends and family around the fire when the Christmas season comes. Highly recommended.

5 comments about A Holiday Celebration.

1. This is a great CD to celebrate the holidays with. A wonderful compilation of seasonal songs.



2. I never tire of this Christmas collection of Peter, Paul & Mary. Have had this in cassette for many years, I needed to update!!



3. My parents bought this when it first came out in 1992 and I've been playing it every Christmas since then. In addition to playing the album, I've also learned several of the songs and play them for caroling, gatherings, and whatnot during the season. There's not a song I dislike in this collection.



4. Peter, Paul, and Mary's voices reach me in a special way. I've been listening to them since I was in high school and feel a soul connection to them. Their holiday album is one of my very favorites. It celebrates both Christmas and Hanukkah and brings to the forefront peace on earth good will toward all people.



5. This wonderful CD brought back memories of the Peter, Paul & Mary Christmas concert on PBS years ago. The sound quality is very good - my husband, a real music buff, had never heard it before and was impressed.

3 comments about Don't Shoot Me Santa.

1. As far as I have been able to understand, Santa is sick of how people is doing bad things "just for fun". I like The Killers specially for their lyrics and of course all the music. My favorite part in this song its the part that goes like, In the sweet Mohave Rain the boy was on his own!



2. This video is great! I love the sweaters guys!
   My kids and my nieces love it as well as we all have twisted senses of humor. The Killers are an incredibly creative band and this is a great example of it!



3. I love The Killers for their clever and witty lyrics. They are a fantastic band, odd at times but fresh. Good track, would definitely recommend picking this up.

4 comments about Silent Night: The Greatest Hits of Christmas.

1. This is classic Mormon Tabernacle Christmas music. This is a must in everyone's Christmas collection. We have enjoyed them for decades on LP. We were not disappointed in this CD. Their voices are full and vibrant as ever. Their enunciation and diction is so clear you understand each word. Their selection consists of the classic carols, and modern Christmas songs. A choice between the CD,"Sleigh Ride" with the subtitle of the Mormon Tabernacle and this CD favors this one; as the other only has one selection actually song by the choir.



2. After listening to many recordings by this choir - and many of their Christmas recordings - I have come to the conclusion that their tendency to add elements such as a brass and percussion ensemble interferes with their presentation of music. (In this recording, they are joined by the Columbia Brass and Percussion Ensemble.) The programm here brings out the greatest hits of Christmas - and it is odd perhaps to hear them perform a number such as WINTER WONDERLAND. The singing is uniformly fair to good, becoming exceptional in HALLELUJAH CHORUS and FOR UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN. One thinks back to the great Christmas recordings they have done - two LPs come to mind - THE HOLLY AND THE IVY and THE MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR SINGS CHRISTMAS CAROLS. And their excellent LP under Leonard Bernstein. That is the sound that suits them best. The straightforward, unadorned sound that made them famous.



3. Wow!!! A tour-de-force by America's preeminent choir! Those people that can "feel choral music in their soul", rather than just listen to music, cannot help but to be impressed with this CD. Of especial power are "Joy to the World", "Silent Night", and the "Hallelujah Chorus". Hearing these songs sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has to be as close to listening to Heaven's Choir of Angels that you will get here on earth.



4. This album is a traditional Christmas Story and so good to experience. It takes me back to my childhood when Christmas meant so much more than Turkey, Ham and Presents.So good to listen to after all the rock and roll

5 comments about One More Drifter in the Snow.

1. This is a must for your music collection. Aimee Mann never sounded better.



2. This is an excellent, not so typical, Christmas CD that I think anyone can enjoy. I especially enjoyed the Mr. Grinch cover.



3. This, obviously, is Aimee Mann's Christmas album. It features mostly melancholy renditions of traditional and more recent Christmas songs. The album begins with a lovely version of "Whatever Happened to Christmas", which was orginally recorded by Frank Sinatra. Mann fans will be familiar with "Christmastime", which she orginally recorded as a duet with the song's writer (and Aimee's man) Michael Penn. This solo version is good, but not quite as good as the original version. "I'll Be Home For Christmas" is notable because Aimee sings the rarely performed intro to the song. "You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch" features Grant Lee Phillips reading from the Dr. Seuss book and helping with the singing. "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" is one of the best versions of that chestnut that I've ever heard. The album concludes with the only new song on the album, the lovely "Calling on Mary". Aimee's sings beautifully throughout the album, and the songs have simple, unpretentious arrangements that work well with her voice. A very nice album. The cover photo is great, too.



4. It's Christmas in LA! Aimee Mann offers her idiosyncratic, offbeat interpretations of holiday classics like "The Christmas Song," "Winter Wonderland," "White Christmas," and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." The highlight for me is her reading of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." The original cuts, such as "Christmastime" (written by her husband, Michael Penn) and "Calling on Mary," help make this an Xmas collection to keep.



5. I am not one normally for Christmas songs or CDs but this CD is an exception. I really liked Aimee's take on xmas songs. They weren't typically sugary and fake (like I find some holiday music to be) but I felt she really captured some of the bittersweetness of the holiday, but still didn't let things get too down. And I have to admit, I have listened to these tracks year round and still enjoyed them. So get a fire going, sit back, relax and enjoy this wonderful holiday CD.