5 comments about Perry Como Christmas.

1. This CD was well worth purchasing as it contains all the songs I remember from his Christmas specials.



2. I have a lot of Christmas LPs & CDs. I rate this one near the top. Christmas Dream may be rather simplistic but is a favorite of mine and one of the reasons I bought this CD.



3. Even though Perry Como is gone,the magic of the Christmas season perseveres in this collection of his recordings from RCA Victor. Two of my personal favorites are on this DVD collection..."There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays" and "Christmas Eve". It just isn't Christmas without listening to the melodies from Mr. C!!!



4. Backstory: I was preparing to host my annual holiday party, which had swelled to 40-50 people. I realized that I would need music to cover the full range of guests from 8 to 80 year olds. This CD was purchased to appeal to the 50 - 60 year-olds.
   
   Review: One way to measure the quality of a vocalist who is no longer performing is to gauge how much of their music is still relevant today. Though Perry Como hasn't recorded in roughly 20 years, over half of the tracks from this album were selected for my party. This is saying something since I lumped cultural giants like Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra in this same grouping!
   
   Another way to judge a vocalist is by the quality of their voice. Perry Como's delivery is robust, his voice is a rich 2nd Tenor and his interpretations are heart-felt. To my ears, he places more emphasis on classical musicianship than the other leading male vocalists of his day.
   
   So what's the rub? Why was only half of his music selected? Well, first of all, his was one of eleven albums used to create a five-hour mix. This means that no artist--contemporary or classic--could have had all of their work selected.
   
   However, the other reality is that robust, well-sung and warm interpretations no longer stand out in this age of digital perfection. The listener today expects a level of sound and recording quality that was frankly difficult to achieve in the 1950's through the 1970's. Perry Como delivers these modern expectations, but it just doesn't stand out anymore when compared with the same songs by more contemporary artists.
   
   Also, what performers such as Bennett and Sinatra (...arguably) ...lacked in classical musicianship, they more than made up for is style and energy. Perry Como's style is his noticeable lack of affect--and that's just not enough to entertain anymore.
   
   My last criticism is that the songs that were left out were usually either overtly partisan (...for lack of a better word) ...or just not holiday-oriented.
   
   To the first point, perhaps the culture in Perry Como's day was more overtly religious and conservative. Today, a party mix has to--at a minimum--not offend. Some of the music on this CD (e.g., 'The Story of the First Christmas' and 'I Know What God Is') implies a world view which is rarely welcome in public anymore.
   
   The other point is represented by tracks like 'The Bells of St. Mary's" and "The Father of Girls". These tracks have maybe one oblique reference--if any at all--to the holidays, and they're just plain downers!
   
   Bottom line: Perry Como's musicianship and tone are well-worth the price of this CD. Half of the tracks are still relevant today and a real comfort to listen to. There is likely someone on your gift list who would welcome the other half too--like my mother-in-law, who practically burst into tears upon seeing this album in the CD format. (I left the CD with her and bought a second for my collection!)
   
   Happy holidays and happy listening!



5. As a Christmas all year round person and a Perry Como fan, I absolutely love the CD. A fabulous addition to my Holiday music collection. Wonderful!

5 comments about Celtic Christmas III.

1. This cd is a favorite of mine. I love it so much, because I can listen to a song in spring and I can see flowers blomming and then when I listen to it at Christmas, I see trees lights and snow. My favorite song is "A Raven in the Snow", but they're all great. I recemend this with a smile, for all times of the year!



2. While equally beautiful and broader in its approach than simply presenting holiday songs in a Celtic style, this particular collection does present two distinctly Christmas songs: The Wexford Carol and Lully Lullay. As such this CD is somewhat more specifically holiday oriented. However, one should certainly not be put off by that. The two carols, as well as the other 10 selections, are most beautifully performed, and the light, lilting quality of the music is most enjoyable.



3. This remains one of my favorite compilation albums of any genre, despite the fact that it isn't very Christmas-sy in tone or content (at least not in a traditional sense), and really doesn't seem all that Celtic either. Actually, I would consider this more of a Wintery album, with primarily New-Agey and neo-Celtic selections that are gently minor, reflecting the stark beauty of a cold snowy day or, in contrast, the warmth of home and hearth. It is that combination of moods that is most compelling here. Some of the tracks are sweet and soothing, others moody, but all are beautiful and all are moving. Particularly intriguing are the compositions by whistle player James McNally ("Black is the Color"), flute and keyboard duo Brian Dunning and Jeff Johnson ("A Raven in the Snow"), harpist Lisa Lynne ("Circle of Joy" & "Home"), guitarist Snuffy Walden ("Sails of Galway") and multi-instrumentalist David Arkenstone ("Angels in the Snow"). Don't buy "Celtic Christmas 3" if you're looking for yet another batch of tired interpretations of stock Christmas Carols. There are plenty of those out there already. But DO buy it if you like mellow, high-quality compositions that will sooth your soul and transport you to a place of peace, grace, and more than a touch of mystery--rather like the beautiful, haunting ruins of Tintern Abbey that seem to grace the album cover. Sounds like a perfect Christmas present to me! If you enjoy the tone set by "Celtic Christmas 3", you may also like another interesting Windham Hill compilation CD, "The Renaissance Album".



4. I never tire of this music. Favorite tracks are the haunting "Lament" and "Sails of Galway". I played this CD for a Muslim coworker who was enchanted and wanted to introduce this music to her children.



5. It's a good Cd with some great songs, although I prefer the first one.It was delivered on time and in perfect condition.

5 comments about Tidings.

1. One of the most beautiful Christmas albums I have ever heard. You have to hear her sing Angel. Her music will take your breath away. If you like Sarah McLachlan, you'll like this.



2. Received this as a gift over the holidays, and wow.... just, wow. Allison's singing is remarkable in a way that is difficult to put to words. There's an essence to her singing, a vitality that you can appreciate only in the experience. It hit me while sitting in a candle-lit living room on a cold night sipping tea with my lover, and finding that we both were suddenly moved nearly to tears by this great CD. (Yes, I'm referring here to the hauntingly good rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah").
   
   The song selection is great (doesn't hurt that Allison's included "In My Life" -- one of my favorite Beatles songs), and this has certainly made it into my stack of favorites. Buy it. You won't be disappointed.



3. Tidings grows in popularity each year. As noted, the album contains traditional carols and songs of the season, alongside not-so-traditional songs from the secular, popular music, canon. The music, passionately performed by a singer and pianist of rare beauty, is simple and powerful. This collection, called "the Yule-tide find of the year" by a Canadian reviewer, has proved to be popular year-round - as well as during Christmas season. It's recorded most naturally, live-off-the-floor, on Winter's eve in Canada.



4. An on-line review recommended Allison Crowe's version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah as the best of the cover versions. It's not. Crowe has a powerful voice and excellent taste in her material, but her approach lacks either sufficient bombast or sufficient subtlety to be comparable with Janis Joplin or Kate McGarrigle. These are plain and predictable readings of good songs and have the sense of a talent being squandered.



5. Allison Crowe has the most amazing voice I've heard in almost 40 years of concert-going. Her Tidings versions of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah, Joni Mitchell's River, The Beatles' In My Life, as well as renditions of traditional carols, such as Silent Night, are definitive and, simply, beautiful. (It's simple music as in pure. There is virtually no production and very little instrumentation apart from voice and piano on this CD.) Crowe's sound is powerful, yes, but, really, it's also the distinctive texture, timbre and color of her voice that makes for the intense joy in her music. Her piano-playing equally is strong and moving. This album is a modern classic. I'm thankful to discover an artist with such immense talent and taste - especially today!

5 comments about Cowboy Christmas.

1. No exaggeration, this is my favorite Christmas album of all time (and I own about 100). The selection of songs is perfect--some traditional, some familiar, and some new. The instrumental is just outstanding, as you would expect out of one of Michael's albums. The grouping of numbers into different aspects of a cowboy Christmas is unique. And then, of course, there's Michael's vocals, which are unlike any other. While it's all great, my favorite number is a duet with Suzy Bogguss on "Two-Step 'Round the Christmas Tree". This album is one-of-a-kind and completely enjoyable. I highly recommend it.



2. This is the single best Christmas CD I have ever gotten. I originally bought it becasue I wanted one song on it, but fell in love with all of the songs. It is a refreshing changed from people rehashing all of the old Christmas classics.



3. A treasure... yes there is a difference between country and western, and this is all classic western. We look foward to hearing these songs every year... they are captured in a easy sing a long not fatiguing way, love songs, dance along, you name it... full of imagery. A must have to round out any collection.



4. I am a long time collector of Christmas music, everything from classical to cowboy. Cowboy Christmas is my hands down favorite of the 250 or so Christmas albums I own. I own two copies, one for home and one in the car. I highly recomend this album.



5. Michael Martin Murphey nails what Christmas in the country is all about. I love the songs. This is my favoite Christmas CD.

5 comments about Good News.

1. What a fabulous Christmas album this is! No, you won't be twirling around the living room, stuffing candy canes into stockings, but you will find yourself reflecting on all things spiritual about the season. My personal favorite is "Brightest and Best", a rather obscure hymn brought to life here with simple percussion, octave harmonies, and the lush voice of Mattea. And the little white gal from West Virginia pulls off the spiritual, "Somebody Talkin' 'Bout Jesus" nicely. Not a weak track on the album.



2. This CD is one of the best I have ever listened to for Christian music.



3. Original Christmas songs that don't necessarily have to be put away after Christmas. Spiritually uplifting. Sounds a little country.



4. Most of Kathy Mattea's recordings are really good, but "Good News" is supurb. The selections are presented in just the right order to make this CD "easy listening". The song titles are both traditional and new. The traditional ones are "fresh" sounding and enjoyable. The new ones are really different and gives you a new perspective to enjoy your religious beliefs.



5. ...it is the best album of any genre -- period. Each track has a gravity and sincerity to it that is unique, particularly in today's musical climate. There is also a theological depth to some of the songs that, again, is altogether unique, especially in a world where songs that are (ostensibly at least) about the birth of the Son of God treat the occasion with anything but the reverence it/He deserves. (Pay particular attention to tracks 1, 3, and 10 in this regard.) I gave it five stars. I'd give it twice that if I could. Give it a listen. It puts Christ squarely at the center of Christmas, where He belongs.

5 comments about Bartok: Complete Solo Piano Music.

1. To put this set in perspective, for months I would go to my local Tower Records fishing for worthwhile classical CDs at least once a week. One of the discs that sat in the bins the longest was a single CD of Bartok piano music, played by Zoltan Kocsis. It was Volume 7 of a complete series. This CD listed for $17.99, and as long as I went to that Tower Records, it did not budge an inch, nor was its price amended.
   
   Now, Kocsis is one of the greatest pianists alive, and if anyone is worthy of commanding a premium, it is him. And to be fair, that CD is going to be re-released on October 11 as part of a Collector's Edition - eight CDs, $63.97 MSRP. But it's already going up against this little gem, which contains five CDs with all of the truly great solo-piano works by an internationally recognized Bartok specialist for $21 - not much more than the cost of one CD from the other set. This kind of value is not to be taken lightly.
   
   I came to this set with my impression of Sandor informed by his complete Prokofiev - ultra-hard, sometimes rhythmically slack, always melodically lacking in some way or another. But he held a very special feeling for Bartok, and saved his best playing for the great Hungarian. In passages like the first of the Three Csik Dances, the opening of the Improvisations Op. 20, or in the Ten Easy Pieces, there is a simplicity, charm and wistful homesickness that is quite touching. In pieces like the Out of Doors suite, the Sonata, or the Burlesques, there is a vicious, impulsive energy, a wicked sense of humor and an overabundance of overtones. It is never mindless, inappropriate or even overly harsh - it's just very, very loud.
   
   In this set I like best the endless landscape of the Sonatina, the unusual colors and fragrances in the Etudes, the brilliantly conceived Bear Dance (the last of the Ten Easy Pieces), and the multifaceted, complex, gorgeous Improvisations. Any fan of Bartok should hear these.



2. I like the fact that Bartok is into the folk tradition and all, but he just tends to forget the fact that melody has to be SOMEWHERE in the music. I'm all for creative expression when you're sitting alone at the piano, but abstract music should be reserved for performance art. I like playing some of your stuff Bela, but I just don't want to listen to you.



3. I am not a Bartok expert by any scale, but I do like the way these pieces, without exception, are played. There are, however, a couple of other problems.
   
   As mentioned by an earlier reviewer, very few of the works are split into tracks - Mikrokosmos is divided into 7 for each of its six volumes, and to accomodate for a full CD. In these seven tracks there are 121 songs. I would have much preferred if the songs had been split into tracks. Almost the entire CD set is this way - Fifteen Hungarian Songs is one track, Fourteen Bagatelles, etc. It is very annoying when one wants to hear a particular song in those tracks and not the others.
   
   Another detriment to the collection is the recording quality. It is decent most of the time, but in loud sections the piano buzzes. One might be able to ignore it, but I think that it detracts from the passion of the forte quite a bit.
   
   Overall, for $18 it is pretty decent, but if you are like me and like to keep your music library neatly organized (and aren't extremely cheap), I would not recommend this set.



4. Sándor was a champion not only of Bartók's music but also of Bartók's style of playing. He often complained that people were too quick to see Bartók as ultra-modern, and to fail to appreciate the rich seam of lyricism that also runs through his music.
   
   The piano music is dominated by short pieces, many of them written for piano students, notably the collections "Microcosmos" and "For Children". These, together with suites of folk dance arrangements, make up the bulk of the solo piano output.
   
   Sandór plays these short, and often simple pieces, with neither too much nor too little art. As a gifted teacher, he knew unerringly how much music each of these small vessels held. The result is beguiling - but be warned: no-one can listen to the 153 short pieces of Microcosmos end-to-end. This is an anthology to be dipped into, not swallowed whole.
   
   The remastering is pretty successful (fortunately - some of Vox's CD reissues are plagued by severe deterioration of the original tapes). And it's for half nothing-what's not to like?



5. Gyorgy Sandor, whom I remember seeing in the halls of the University of Michigan School of music many years back, does an amazing job at recording all the Bartok piano pieces. It's really incredible when an artist is able to achieve this kind of scope and do this much work. Of course, having a good teaching job at Michigan and other places and his renown helped a lot, I am sure. In any case, I expected a couple of CDs in this box, but not FIVE of them! Bartok also, obviously, had the highest of aspirations. It's hard to get a grip on this, since each is over 70 minutes long so we're talking about 6 hours of music here. I've been purchasing almost all the sheet music as well to go with these. No better way to study the great composer.
   Joseph Pehrson

5 comments about Brand New Year.

1. I love this album and recommend it to anyone. I love the different styles of Christmas music that they sing. I bought it for their rendition of "Jingle Bells" that sounds like a romantic sleigh ride and absolutely love the other songs too. It's about all I listened to over Christmas and my kids all sang along in the car with me. They never do that.



2. I love this cd. SheDaisy puts some great twists on old classics plus give us some good new songs.



3. This CD is Amazing. Every song has a twist and is so creatively done. The harmonies are unbelievable!!!! The song's just make you want to get up and dance!!! For people who love music and want to hear something new and exciting, I so recommend buying this CD. My husband even loves it(which is a TOTAL shocker) and he likes mostly 80's metal, 90's alternative and today's Pop & Rock like: Daughtry, Maroon 5 and the Killers etc.... So When he likes it, it's usually pretty good! My kids love it too!!! It is so fun!!!! This seriously is one the best and newest Christmas CD's I found to date! I am even buying another copy just so I have a spare! Merry Christmas everyone!!!



4. This is a different take on the same old christmas carols that everyone redoes every year with some new stuff thrown in. All in all, its a great album to put you in the holiday mood.



5. I love this cd - one of the best Christmas cds one can buy. Great arrangements on classics and the SheDaisy girls have fantastic voices.

5 comments about Snowbound.

1. Fourplay takes Christmas music a couple steps up to a whole new level. If you love jazz style Christmas music, this is the CD for you.Every member brings out their best. If you're a Fourplay fan, you won't be disappointed.



2. These guys are phenomenal. The arrangements are interesting and inventive, and the playing is flawless. If you like Jazz XMAS music, this is one of the best since Larry Carlton's XMAS CD from a few years back.



3. I absolutely love this CD. This is the best Christmas CD I own. In fact, it's so smooth and jazzy, you can listen to it in June. If you can appreciate Christmas classics with a jazzy twist, I strongly recommend this CD. A must have for FourPlay fans!



4. This is in my humble opinion,well forget humble,this is absolutely the Best jazz holliday album ever made produce what have you.This cd is so good that i listen to it all year even in the summer...highly recommended.



5. These guys are magic. Dont you love em?

5 comments about Light of the Stable.

1. This Christmas country classic has been enhanced by the addition of three tracks. Everything Emmylou touches turns to gold. She brings the same elegance and authenticity to Christmas that she always has to the varied genres her career encompassed.
   
   The hopeful and uptempo Christmas Time's A Coming opens the album, the familiar Away In A Manger with its beautiful mandolin is straightforward but touching, whilst Angel Eyes is a sad slow ballad. Her voice really soars on The First Noel, while Little Drummer Boy gets a sensitive, graceful treatment. Perhaps it's childhood nostalgia, but her renditions of The First Noel and Star Of Bethlehem really stirred my soul.
   
   Most of her best work has always been infused with a spiritual quality, and this is perfectly showcased on her deeply moving version of Silent Night. I was tempted to give this album only four stars since the albums Stumble Into Grace, Red Dirt Girl and Wrecking Ball have spoilt me. But I can't!
   
   Light Of The Stable is a brilliant album that perfectly captures the moods of Christmas, with lovely instrumentation and vocals. The best of the new tracks are Cherry Tree Carol and the moving Man Is An Island, composed by the Canadian folk legends Kate and Anna McGarrigle. Once again, Emmylou provides the perfect soundtrack to Christmas. Born is the King of Israel!



2. I really wish Emmylou had just gone and put together a whole brand new Christmas album and not tried to improve a perfect one. For me, the original issue is a 5-star classic: arrangements and sequence. I added this new one to my collection becuz I collect, no other reason.



3. As many other fans of Ms. Harris and Christmas music will attest to, it just wouldn't be Christmas without Emmylou. The sweetest voice this side of heaven, Emmylou Harris' "Light of the Stable" is so personel that it feels as if she's singing just for you. I cannot choose just one favorite amongst these tracks. Each one is an acoustical gem, from the bluegrassy "Christmas Time's A-Comin'" to "Silent Night." I must say, though, that the title track, with the most beautiful 'Hallejula's' I've ever heard, stands out just a bit above the rest.
   I have been listening to this album every Christmas since it was first released and never tire of it. And I must say I love the addition and rendition of "Cherry Tree Carol" - a particular favorite of mine for years (although the other two additions are only fair - Warner and Rhino could have done a bit better, I'm sure, than these two numbers).
   Buy this, and maybe a Robin Petrie Christmas CD or two (seriously - check her out... - Emmylou's and Robin's cd's sound great together!) and what a fine Christmas Eve you will have!



4. She has such a pretty voice. Maybe just a tad too "country" for me.



5. This is a fine album . Every track is worth listening to, and some are truly magical.Ths is a mix of traditional Christmas songs in beautiful arrangements, alongside some less well known but very fine Country Christmas tunes.Christmas alb ums simply dont get any better.

No comments about We Call It Christmas.