5 comments about Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album.

1. UPDATED REVIEW
   
   This is a 2 disc set and includes the same songs on disc 1 that have been on the previous snowfall cds however this one includes some songs not previously released on disc 2.Disc 2 is a dvd of a couple of songs off of Bennett's Family Christmas that was released on vhs in the 1980s but is now out of print.The dvd has 5 songs out of the 19 that was on the vhs tape.On my previous review I mentioned this was a 2 cd set but I was wrong I didn't know the second disc was a dvd.
   
   How does the dvd look you might ask?
   The 5 videos on this disc look much better then I have ever seen them.They look good and are sharp.The snow scene is just beautiful.I have the old vhs and it looks grainy compared to this dvd.Once again this is just beautiful looking with no grain.The disc is about 18 minutes long.On the dvd you can either pick the songs you want to play or use the play all feature.It also offers a resume feature.
   
   How does it sound?The dvd is encoded in Dolby Digital and sounds great.The music sounds like it surrounds you.
   
   Now for the bad news
   Why wasn't the whole holiday show put on the dvd?This disc could have held all 19 songs.I would rather them have put all 19 songs on the dvd then just 5.I wonder why this whole show has never been released on a dvd.
   
   The cd sounds the same as previous snowfall cds maybe a little better if you have surround sound.The disc says 360 degree sound.
   
   I recommend this two disc set especially if you don't have A Family Christmas.I also recommend Johnny Mathis Home For Christmas dvd.



2. Tony Bennett is a singing legend and his classic Christmas album is very well-known. Sony Legacy Recordings has re-released the album with a re-mastered version of the music and a bonus DVD. The Tony Bennett Christmas album features him singing some of the season's most well loved songs. "The Tony Bennett Christmas Album" features Tony singing holiday favorites such as "My Favorite Things," "Santa Claus is Comin' To Town," "White Christmas" and "Winter Wonderland." The new edition of the album comes with a special bonus DVD. The DVD, which has a running time of twenty minutes, features a portion of Tony's performance from the television special "Tony Bennatt: A Family Christmas." The DVD features five performances from the special. This CD/DVD combination is a perfect addition to your holiday music collection and will be a favorite for Tony Bennett fans.



3. This CD is a 2 disc CD. Although we like the music, the 2nd of the 2 disc set does not work and gives an error message. Hopefully Amazon will replace it.



4. This is great Tony Bennett Christmas flare. If you're looking for that cool, laidback, jazzy - swing holiday feel this is the album. He gets better with age, so relaxed, so effortless, so perfectly comfortable with this style. It's a timeless collection. He's also in great voice.



5. I love Tony Bennett and really enjoyed this album. He still has his wonderful voice and can really belt out those songs. If you enjoy classic Christmas songs, sung by one of the best, it has to be Tony Bennett.Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album

4 comments about Memories of a Winter's Night.

1. Personnel: Dave Koz (alto saxophone); Gigi Worth (vocals); Ray Parker, Jr. (guitar); Michael Thompson (guitars); Doug Pettibone, Phil Parlapiano, Bruce Watson (acoustic guitar); Paul Jackson, Jr., Tony Maiden (electric guitar); Jeff Koz (nylon-string guitar); Jim Culbertson (trumpet); Nick Lane (trombone); Eddie Miller (Hammond b-3 organ); Brian Simpson (keyboards); David Piltch (acoustic bass); Bill Sharpe, Alex Al, Fernando Perdomo (bass guitar); Gerry Brown, Stephen Theard (drums); Brian Kilgore (percussion); Brian Culbertson (drum programming); Ester Nicholson, Sandy Simmons, Bridgette Bryant (background vocals). Additional personnel: Brenda Russell (vocals); Peter White (acoustic guitar); Rick Braun (trumpet); David Benoit (piano); Kelly Sweet, Kimberley Locke (background vocals).
   Good music ability by Dave as he expresses his ability in the Christmas songs.
   A little too predictable and...a product of mass Christmas destruction...
   It's light jazz to sell his stuff...That's pure commercial music.
   Why is this talented guy following Kenny G's footsteps ?
   Funny enough: he started so well with a great album titled Off the Beaten Path....
   Golden Slumbers: A Father's Lullaby
   Smooth Jazz Christmas
   December Makes Me Feel This Way
   Peter White Christmas with Mindi Abair and Rick Braun



2. Like his last Chritmas cd, Dave Koz repeats a few songs instead of letting go and creating an album of unrecorded performances. "December Makes Me Feel This Way" is a fine album of carols, his Christmas follow-up "Smooth Jazz Christmas" features songs from his live show, basically a studio soundtrack featuring vocalists Kenny Loggins and Brenda Russell performing repeats from the first disc, two sides from that cd, "Little Drummer Boy" and "Boogie Woogie Santa Claus" are here and truthfully they serve no purpose. I think Mr Koz is in search of the perfect Christmas cd and will keep trying until he gets it right so expect more releases, maybe enough to fill a "Best Of" holiday edition similar to Kenny G's and Dave will have what he's pining for, the perfect cd. About this cd's overall performance, it is classic Dave Koz.



3. We saw Dave for the first time in December - it was a Christmas show. It was one of the best concerts we have seen in y ears. This cd is great!!!



4. I love the way Dave Kozz handles his music; it is well constructed and very honest!

5 comments about Celtic Christmas: A Windham Hill Sampler.

1. My husband gave this CD to me in 1995. I fell in love with it then, and love it just as much today. I even listen to it in the middle of summer when I long for cold weather and the holiday spirit. It is music of ethereal transport.



2. This is one of my favorite Christmas discs. I actually listen to it all year long.



3. Nice variety of Celtic songs for the Holidays and all the days after! Perfect for playing in the background during dinner and a bit louder during clean-up!



4. A very nice, relaxing cd and one that can be played all year long.



5. The good thing about any of the Celtic Christmas CDs is that they don't feature any traditional, commercialized Christmas Carols. Therefore, you can play them as soon as Fall comes around and continue until the last snow melts.

5 comments about Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits.

1. Vince guaraldi often gets a bad wrap from jazz critics, claiming that his music is soft and not deep enough to be considered great. I couldnt disagree with them more, after thelonius Monk he is the easiest jazz pianist to recognize upon listening to. His playing sings with a sense of joy unlike anybody else. And his best music was written for the peanuts cartoons.
   However, this is not the peanuts disc to get. Most of the songs while charming and fun are short and underdevolped, surfin snoopy for example is energetic and catchy, but it sounds like it is just one short riff being played over and over again for 1:30. the songs that will best bring back the Holiday memories can all be found on " A Charlie Brown Christmas". I would also recomend that you buy " A Boy named charlie Brown " if you want even more peanuts music.



2. Don't waste your money. I would send it back but my dad threw it away.



3. Excellent disc, something you can listen to not only during the holidays. I would recommend this purchase to anyone. We like this disc more than the Charlie Brown Christmas one.



4. If you love Vince Guaraldi's music for the Peanuts shows as much as I do, you'll probably enjoy listening to "Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits." But as some reviewers here point out, this is certainly not the CD to start with if you're new to this music. I'm making my own compilation of Guaraldi's Peanuts music, so this CD is valuable to me for providing some tracks I didn't have, especially since there is not a lot more of this music on the market other than "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" and "A Charlie Brown Christmas." However, start with those two soundtracks if you don't already have them. Also, the 1989 CD "Happy Anniversary, Charlie Brown" on the GRP label, which is music mostly by Guaraldi re-recorded by other artists, is also worth considering. "Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits" is good for completing your collection, but 5 of the tracks on it are from those earlier soundtrack CDs, and of the 9 new tracks here, 7 are in mono, some are quite distorted too, and overall the music is not as good. Still, I'd say this is an enjoyable CD, and helps to complete your collection if you've already got "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" and "A Charlie Brown Christmas."



5. I bought this for my Dad (89) and he just loved it. He plays it in the background while he does most everything. Guaraldi's style on the piano is upbeat without being overbearing.

5 comments about Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics.

1. Listen to this every year and it always makes me laugh. If you're a fan, you will love it.



2. Love this CD with much of the Christmas songs from many of the South Park episodes. However, the CD is missing the song featuring Jesus and Santa singing in a nite club. Still a Super CD!



3. There is not one bad song on this hilarious CD. If you're a fan of the extremely funny SP antics, you will love this CD. Hysterical!!!!!!!



4. This CD was released to coincede with the South Park episode of the same name. However, this CD includes most of the songs from the episode (except for the Holiday Medley performed by Jesus and Santa Claus) and several more songs that were not featured in the broadcast.
   
   It's funny funny funny. My favorite song is Cartman's song, "Swiss Colony Beef Log" where all he tells us the only thing he wants for Christmas, as Swiss Colony Beef Log. It also includes his popular butchering of "O Holy Night".



5. Before I could anticipate the delivery of the CD, it was already in my hands. The CD was in great condition and I couldn't stop listening to it.

3 comments about John Rutter: Music for Christmas.

1. This is just an outstanding collection of choral, Christian selections. The majority are composed by Rutter, who it turns out was led into this field for which he is so well known and loved when in school, he was motivated by a fellow student who was composing a Christimas carol to do the same. Thanks be to God for that motivation!

   Rutter's work simply in this humble reviewer has no other contemporary peer. He is reverent, fresh and excellent theology to boot! This collection has his best, including my favorites: "Shepherd's Pipe Carol, What Sweeter Music, The very best time of year, Angels' Carol."

   To his compositions, added is Kirkpatrick's "Away In a Manger" and of course, Gruber's "Silent Night", both skillfully arranged and performed. Bonus selections of traditional pieces such as "I Wonder as I wonder."

   The City of London Sinfonia conducted by Stephen Layton provides the orchestra background marvelously for Polyphany, the outstanding choir on this work.

   You will be delighted to add this CD to your collection, and it will rise in most collections to near the top.
   Well worth




2. Anyone who truly loves the choral and carol traditions of Christmas cannot miss Mr. Rutter's work. He is truly possessed of extraordinary talent and this fine recording puts it on proper display. The collection here houses the best of Mr. Rutter's original/edited works for the Christmas season, and one can sense the composer's affinity for the spirit of the holidays of which he has written so prolifically and well.



3. Excellent Christmas CD. I especially liked the "Angles Carol" track!
   Would recommend this CD to one and all.

5 comments about Dr. Demento: 25th Anniversary Collection.

1. The Doctor is back after 25 years of comedy records. He still is making us laugh as we go through life.



2. The King of Kitsch, Kraziness and all things Kooky deftly rounds up an asylum-full of novelty nincompoops, just as on his long running weekly syndicated radio show. If you like this sort of thing (and who, short of the deceased, doesn't?), the spoils are almost embarrassingly endless here. Weird Al Yankovic (a Dr. Demento apprentice) jump-starts the fun with one of his best song titles (and parodies) ever, SMELLS LIKE NIRVANA. Then there's that timeless tribute to everyone's fave knucklehead, THE CURLY SHUFFLE...Trekkie wet dream HIGHLY ILLOGICAL from Leonard ("I am not...ahhh, the HELL with it! I really AM spock!") Nimoy, not to mention Bobby "Boris" Pickett's spot-on satire STAR DREK...TIMOTHY, The Buoys' macabre ode to cannibalism (penned by Rupert PINA COLADA SONG Holmes)...Brownsvile Station's twisted blues-clashes-with-sci-fi feast MARTIAN BOOGIE...Da Yoopers' hilarious stinker SECOND WEEK OF DEER CAMP...Meri Wilson's double entendre delight PETER THE METER READER...The Chips' original gobbledygook version of the Blues Brothers-associated RUBBER BISCUIT...even the rare as a porkpie hat SONG OF THE SEWER, courtesy one Art "Ed Norton" Carney, fer cryin' (laughin'?) out loud!!! Sicko oldtimers Tiny Tim, Spike Jones and Demento regular Benny Bell also share space with artists as diverse as folkie Christine Lavin and gross-out rockers Green Jelly, keeping the fun/pain threshold at an excrutiatingly high level. LISTEN WITH CAUTION!!! RATING: FIVE BELLY-LAUGHS



3. I liked this 2 CD set, but I think I overpaid. There are many cute older type tunes on the discs as well as some newer ones. I would say I liked about one in four songs. Do not buy this item just for one song!



4. The songs are great, with a mix of modern (e.g. Weird Al), and classic hits (such those old K-tel classics from childhood).



5. Great collection of songs played on the Dr. Demento show over the years. My favorites include 'Shaving Cream', 'Cause I'm a Blonde', 'My Dead Dog Rover', 'No, I Don't Wanna Do Dat' and 'Star Drek'. C'mon, embrace your inner nerd and order this CD!

5 comments about The Music of Christmas.

1. Steven Curtis Chapman's first Christmas album, "The Music of Christmas," is an instant classic. Chapman, who is the master of Contemporary Christian music, created a masterful recording full of joy and peace that are an instant part of the Christmas season. Each song has the power and emotion that one comes to expect from a SCC recording, which makes this a CD that belongs in every collection of great Christmas music.
   Grade: A+



2. Well produced, but not the style of Christmas music I was looking foor



3. Steven Curtis Chapman proves why he is one of Christian music's most loved artists! My favorites on this CD are "Christmas is all in the Heart," "This Baby," and "O Come All Ye Faithful."
   Chapman brings a heartfelt quality to classic songs I have listened to for years, and really keeps the focus on the true meaning of Christmas. Definitely a must buy!



4. It's been said before that Amy Grant's A Christmas Album (1983) is the Nat King Cole of contemporary Christian Christmas albums -- the one that you always bring out year after year. I think that was true a decade and more ago, but I wouldn't be surprised if Stephen Curtis Chapman's The Music of Christmas (1995) has taken over that spot now. The Music of Christmas is just as inviting, inspiring, contemporary, and well-produced as Grant's album -- and some might say more so.
   
   This is no small feat given the fact that Christmas albums (like, in prior decades, live albums) seemingly are career requirements for successful contemporary Christian artists. Chapman started work on this project in 1993, just after completing his Great Adventure tour supporting the album of the same name that catapulted him into stardom. He abandoned work on it, however, in favor of releasing a live album that fall. He then came back to this album two years later, after the even bigger success of Heaven in the Real World.
   
   And the singer on this album sounds like the Steven Curtis Chapman of the Heaven in the Real World period. Oh, you'll only find only one purely pop song here ("This Baby"); this is a Christmas album, after all. But this album is still the work of the Steven Curtis Chapman who had not yet been stretched vocally, lyrically, musically, and just plain all-around artistically, on the Brown Bannister contemporary Christian music production rack. (The beneficial results of that stretching would be seen on Chapman's next pop album, Signs of Life.)
   
   Nonetheless, Bannister is here as co-producer on The Music of Christmas, his very first venture with Chapman. As he proved on Grant's classic, Bannister knows how to create a Christmas album that is both contemporary and traditional at the same time -- and how to make it lush, warm, and inviting. Partly this effect is achieved through photographs of cabins, snowy Tennessee mountains, and Chapman and his wife Mary Beth enjoying the winter rustic setting. The message is clear: come and join our family in the celebration of Christmas.
   
   The album itself begins with Chapman alone on guitar singing "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing." But just in case you'd forget that this is a contemporary Christian album, we only get the first verse and chorus before a nice musical segue leads us into the title track. With singing children, a large choir, beautiful orchestrations, and an incredibly catchy chorus, it's no wonder that this song was successful on contemporary Christian radio.
   
   From there, the album continues with a mixture of contemporary and traditional offerings. The old carols sport new arrangements that nevertheless mostly maintain a traditional feel. (The one exception here is a very modern arrangement of "Angels We Have Heard on High" with backing vocals from pop/rock band Chicago's Bill Champlin. Champlin also guested on Grant's first Christmas album and other Grant/Bannister pop collaborations.) The contemporary songs are pop in nature, but most of them honor the spirit of the season with some sense of reverence, awe, and even solemnity. There's even one instrumental medley of Christmas hymns that serves as an interlude. (Did Chapman and Bannister design the album with Christmas concert performances in mind?)
   
   There are also an amazing number of potential singles on the album. Beyond the title track, "Christmas Is All in the Heart" (a duet with guest vocalist CeCe Winans), "Our God Is With Us" (co-written with Michael W. Smith), and "This Baby" are all Christmas single material. These songs easily could have provided Chapman with a year's worth of contemporary Christian music chart toppers. "Our God Is With Us" is particularly impressive, with Chapman surveying salvation history and Christ's incarnation for signs of hope.
   
   The album does decrease in quality just a tad with its last two tracks. "Going Home for Christmas" tells the tale of a (fictional?) grandmother who died during one Christmas season. It's honest and emotional, but a little sappy and too pop country. (Chapman would tell a much more harrowing, and far better, story of a relative's departure on his next album's "What I Would Say.") "Precious Promise" concludes the album with a final telling of the Christmas story. It's not bad; unfortunately, neither is it memorable, since it sounds too much like a typical Chapman closing ballad.
   
   These minor flaws aside, The Miracle of Christmas truly is an excellent album. You probably will not get any better than this among Christmas albums from popular contemporary Christian artists.



5. I like the Music of Christmas by Steven Curtis Chapman. Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith are two of my favorite Christian artists. I want to thank the seller of this product for making it available and amazon.com for having their website.

5 comments about Twisted Christmas.

1. I have all the Bob Rivers Christmas Albums and I love every one of them. I am a big collector of Christmas CD's and I'm impressed with the talent that Bob Rivers shows. He does more than put different lyrics to familer tunes; he duplicates the musical arraingments of the original recordings and even uses voice impersonators. I love his duet with "Bing Crosby and David Bowie"! I have the original "Little Drummer Boy" duet with Bing and David and the parody version nails the chorus perfectly! Check out his other twisted CD's.



2. I just love this Christmas CD. It's very funny and fun to sing along.



3. Hard to believe that it's been 20 years since Bob Rivers' first Christmas album came out. Since that time "The Twelve Pains of Christmas" has become a Christmas perennial on radio stations across the country. That's the best known and arguably best song on the album, but the rest of the songs are funny, too. The cuts about the Grateful Dead and Jack Nicholson are dated, and the Elvis bit is pretty tasteless, but the rest of the songs are timeless. Fans of funny Christmas music should enjoy it.



4. I have loved this album since the first day I heard it. I bought it in a pawn shop in either June or July and laughed my butt off driving home listening to it. This is my all time favorite Christmas album. The other Bob Rivers Christmas albums are great too, but like your first love, you never get over your first Twisted Christmas.........
   
   
   1. The Twelve Pains Of Christmas - This is the best version ever of this tired old song. I love the dude with his lights and the homosexual and his Christmas cards
   
   2. The Chimney Song - This song is totally retarded. Sung by a lisp impaired kid who sounds like a cartoon duck.
   
   3. We Wish You Weren't Living With Us - A take off of We wish you a Merry Christmas. This is a great parody worth of Weird Al.
   
   4. Wreck The Malls - Why Deck the Halls when you can wreck the malls? Release the beagles, blast Twisted Sister, and go to K-mart on a Harley. The girl who sings part of this is so sexy and sassy. I wish I knew what she looked like.
   
   5. A Visit From St. Nicholson - Twas the night before Christmas results in Jack Nichelson burning down your Christmas Tree
   
   6. O Come All Ye Grateful Dead-Heads - This is OK. NOt being a DeadHead myself, this tune doesn't do much for me. But it's part of the album and belongs here in a weird way.
   
   7. I'm Dressin' Up Like Santa (When I Get Out On Parole) - Here is the 'country western' song. It is original and pretty good.
   
   8. The Restroom Door Said, 'Gentlemen' - The laughs come again and this is one of my favorites. Watch out for those nuns!
   
   9. Foreigners - This song is way ahead of its time even though immigration has always been a problem. "Feed us slobs who live for free" indeed.
   
   10. Joy To The World - Here is a great instrumental. Hendrix would be proud.
   
   11. A Message From The King - This is a personal favorite of mine. My brother is a huge Elvis fan and I think of him every time I play this. "Helping...uh hand.... uh helping... can you pass me a helping of those mashed taters?"
   
   Enjoy folks. This is classic.



5. When you have overdosed on mall music and sentimental sappy songs, this collection of Christmas parodies will revive your "ho ho ho!"
   
   These songs are really fun music, sung well and with impeccable music renditions that recall the originals. You'll soon be singing the lyrics to such upbeat charmers as "The Restroom Door Said Gentlemen" (sung to the tune of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen") and "We Wish You Weren't Living With Us" (sung to the tune "We Wish You a Merry Christmas.") See the song list to get your imagination spinning.
   
   Not sure? You can sample some of the songs at Bob Rivers' website; just Google "Bob Rivers Twisted Christmas." If you like the collections of parodies by Dr. Demento, you'll be impressed with Bob Rivers. Believe me, you'll want your own album so you can play these winners for your friends and family - anyone who needs a refresher shot of joy!

5 comments about Christmas Collection: 20th Century Masters.

1. Everything associated with the purchase of this product was A-OK; the description of the product, the quality of the product, the delivery time, and receiving the product in good condition were all excellent. I would definitely do business with conficence with this company again.



2. Love this classic album. Glad it's still in "print". Couldn't find it anywhere else but Amazon. Thanks.



3. I have enjoyed The Statler Brothers music for many years. I had worn out my tapes of their Christmas music & was delighted to see that a CD had been made. This CD will be enjoyed all year long-- not just during the Christmas season.



4. Having the Stattler Brothers Christmas CD sure added to our enjoyment of Christmas. What a wonderful sound.



5. This is a great CD. I love the Statlers & this is a wonderful addition to my Christmas music.