5 comments about American Idol: The Great Holiday Classics.

1. Aside from Clay Aiken's spectacular vocals for "The First Noel," Clay Aiken and Kimberley Locke's "Silver Bells," and the ensemble's "O Come, All Ye Faithful," the other songs are merely mediocre. Tamyra Gray's "Silent Night" would've have been much more beautiful if she hadn't lisped on "Christ the Savior is born". As I've said, the rest were merely mediocre and become tiring after listening to the CD a few times. They could've done much better.
   
   I recommend Clay Aiken's Christmas CD much more over this CD, unless you really love some of the singers on this CD.



2. There is just something about a Christmas song; it puts me in a good mood, no matter where I am. Sure, I have heard better versions of some of these songs, but it's still nice to listen to. My personal favorites on this album are Tamyra Gray's Silent Night (it's very soulful) and the extra disc with Kelly Clarkson's versions of O Holy Night and My Grown-Up Christmas List is just amazing. Another good one is the Group on O Come All Ye Faithful, and Ruben and Tamyra's Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Clay Aiken's The First Noel is OK, although a little on the boring side. Over all, it's a pretty good Holiday album, I would recommend it. :)



3. This was a great CD for any fan of American Idol. I still play it every season for Christmas and then some. Great CD, nice Christmas music



4. I GOT BORED WITH THIS AL THOUGH GOOD , TIRED OF THE SONGS



5. My favorite Christmas CD. Wish other American Idol winning groups would produce a Christmas CD.

5 comments about Healing from the harp.

1. The title of this CD is quite misleading. The collection of simple tunes played by Ms. Fletcher is not by far as interesting as "Healing..." implies. For some people this music may very well be a source of relaxation, I find it a far cry from what reviews and synposis suggest.



2. These well known pieces take my mind to a place of tranquility and relaxation. The healing resonance of the harp eliminates the stress of the day.



3. This is an absolute wounderful CD. Ms Fletcher has brought the harp to new hights of excellency. I am an RNC in a level 3 neonatal intensive care unit(NICU) with very sick and premature infants. I brought this CD to play softly in the NICU for the infants. The parents, the staff and the babies love it. Crying babies are soothed, parents are comforted and relaxed upon entering the room where the music is played softly. In some cases I have seen little heart rates steady and labored breathing be come easier upon hearing this CD played softly. I am going to purchase one for my home. All parents of newborns should have this cd for themselves and the baby.



4. I loved the first one so much that i am giving this one as a gift.



5. I was a tad disappointed - this is well played music, but not something that takes you to another place... There are several songs that are trite and so well known they make you mind want to sing along - rather than travel to another place in your mind and meditate or really relax.

3 comments about Halloween: Monster Mix.

1. I was lucky to find someone at work who had this. I was contemplating buying this and thought that I would giive it a listen first. I am so glad I did! A few songs and a bunch of sound effects that are neither scary or alarming. Chip Davis must have thought that this would would be good for something but I can't figure out what. The songs either have that drum machine sample beat played throughout the song just making it sound so synthetic and cheap. Like something played at the mall on a $50 casio keyboard. I am glad that I didn't waste my money on this and am telling you to be careful and do the same. I wonder if the double CD Halloween is any better at 23 songs over 2 discs than this at 16 tracks. I doubt it. This clocks in at just over 40 minutes, could not both discs been combined on one, we really don't need two different versions of this. It is neither scary, spooky, nor exciting but it is boring. You can find a way to spend 40 minutes better than this.



2. This CD was hyped as an excellent ,'Halloween Treat'.Well,I was one of the many who were 'Tricked' into buying this crappy CD.Listener Beware!Recycle it! Avoid It ! Nuff said.



3. Good seller. Item was shipped quickly. It was damaged, but the seller was willing to replace or refund.

5 comments about Christmas Comedy Classics.

1. I found this record very funny the first time I heard it. After that it was mildly amusing. It is okay in moderation. However, My eight year old son got a hold of it and he loves it. I can't get him to stop playing it. As you can imagine, it gets incredibly annoying after a while.



2. The number one Christmas cassette in our family and circle of friends is "Christmas Comedy Classics" various artists. Gets us in the mood for Christmas. We clean, we cook, we talk, we laugh and we sing along. Very up beat. And we SHOP! All to the music from this cassette.



3. ...you can be sure those are Tiny Tim Chestnuts roasting!"

   My belief in Christmas comedy started about the same time as "me and Grampa"'s belief in Santa. Like many others, "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" was for me love at first listen. It is one of several guaranteed laugh-magnets on this CD.

   Another great track is the (more sketch-like than anything else) "Green Christmas" by Stan Freberg (see the title of my review). In it, an Ebenezer Scrooge who is overly obsessed with Christmas-commercialism tries to explain the greener side of the jolly holiday to a Bob Cratchit who is all about celebrating a Savior's birthday. This is the only track on the CD which represents the true meaning (or at least what ought to be and once was the true meaning) of why we have this holiday. And even this track will draw plenty of laughs.

   Clearly, not every song on here is intended to draw laughs. Some of the songs are simply classic children's songs, such as the Chipmunks' "The Christmas Song" (not to be confused with Mel Torme's song of the same title). At least one song is more or less a mix between classic children's Christmas and comedy, such as "Nuttin' For Christmas".

   One of my personal favorites is Yogi Yorgessons's "I Yust Go Nuts At Christmas". I especially enjoyed his classic line,

   On Christmas, I hug and I kiss my wife's mother.
   The rest of the year, we don't speak to each other.

   Most Christmas CDs are intended to leave the listener with a nostalgic feeling of Christmastime. The only problem is that the concept of "Christmastime nostalgia" can be interpreted in over a dozen different ways. But, make no mistake, this CD will also provide that/those nostalgic feeling(s).

   All in all, this CD will make a very unique and entertaining addition to anyone's Christmas collection.




4. Every year when my mother would bring out the Christmas decorations, she would also bring out all of our Christmas albums. Out of the ten CD's we had, we always ended up listening to this same cassette over and over again. I'm hoping to upgrade it to CD soon so that it will last forever since I absoulutly LOVE this album. It's good for a few laughs or just to feel good. But mainly I enjoy it because of the history I have with it. So in short...I reccomend it STRONGLY!



5. This is a decent collection of Christmas novelty records. It contains my personal favorite, Stan Freberg's "Green Chri$tma$". Other highlights include Freberg's "Nuttin' For Christmas", Yogi Yorgenson's "I Yust Go Nuts at Christmas", two songs by Mel Blanc and the rarely heard nowadays "The Happy Reindeer". But I do have some criticisms to make. Instead of the hit version of "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" by Elmo & Patsy, they use a poor cover version by the Irish Rovers. And instead of the hit version of "Monster's Holiday" by Bobby 'Boris' Pickett, they substitute Lon Chaney, Jr.'s inferior cover version (which does admittedly have a cool ending, with Chaney turning into the Wolf Man). And how exactly is "Auld Lang Syne" by Guy Lombardo a "comedy classic"? But this is still a pretty good, inexpensive CD.

5 comments about Merry Christmas.

1. I can't even begin to be rational about this cd. I first heard it as a child when my parents would play it every year at christmas. Yes, I'm old enough to talk about a classic - it was an album that my parents played for me. In fact, I still expect to hear a skip in "I'll be home for Christmas". Since then, I've owned this "album" as a tape and now a CD.

   For many of these Christmas songs on this album, Johnny Mathis's version is the standard. I can enjoy and appreciate the new versions of these songs, but this CD is the cornerstone of my Christmas collection.




2. ...in order to really feel any affection for this recording, in my opinion. Otherwise, this Christmas classic definitely shows its age. The young Mathis voice was nasal, not as high as some like to mention, but not yet rich, either. But, this was the first Christmas recording for the venerable Mathis, the people who are old enough to have bought the first one on vinyl love it. And it's true enough, the more familiar songs are here, although "Deck The Halls" remains sadly absent.

   To experience the voice of a more mature Mathis, buy Give Me Your Love For Christmas, with great Ernie Freeman arrangements, or listen to a couple of the songs on this recording get a fresh touch on the new Mathis recording, The Christmas Album.




3. I first heard this album on 8-track. I remember hearing it for the first time while decorating a tree over 25 years ago. I have not had a Christmas to date without it. The entire album has the feeling of Christmases long ago. The orchestra along with Johnny's voice makes you feel comfy and warm. You can count on hearing at least one of the songs on this album while your doing your christmas shopping. Everyone loves this album, and I am buying 2 for my children to have when they leave home.



4. This is my favorite Christmas CD of all time. It is the one I pull out and play above all others. It is Christmas to me. I like all the songs on it which isn't likely on most Christmas CD's. I hope they keep releasing it as I will keep buying it for others to enjoy.



5. What more can I say but this is a wonderful Christmas CD that has stood the test of time with Johnny Mathis. He is certainly one of the best in the industry. I especially enjoyed his rendition of 'Winter Wonderland" with the Percy Faith Orchestra. Good listening in time for the holidays!

5 comments about Solstice.

1. My favorite track is the 4th song, Improvisation on a Theme. Honestly, how many 12-minute long songs are out there that you can actually sit through without getting bored? This is one of them, although I seriously doubt that the song was actually improvised on a spot (it's too well conceived, structured, and crafted). It's a much better effort than Cristofori's Dream, the track that made David Lanz (and Narada label) famous initially. There are a lot of lame new-age CDs out there that tried to capitalize on its early success, but this is definitely not one of them.



2. For some reason, solo piano Christmas CDs have always been one of the things that I love about the Christmas season, and this is definately one of my favorites. Each of the pieces is superb, though "Good King Wencelas" stands out. The arrangement and performance are beautiful, and it's been a regular on my "most played during the season" list since I got it. I can't think of any one track that better captures the feel of Christmas than this.



3. This CD is just superb, especially the 3rd song, 'What Child is this ?'. Anyone would fall in love with Piano music after listening to these scores. Jones are especially good and deserves a major award on this. Only for tranquil people though, this is not pop music.



4. I close my eyes and get lost in David Lanz's Improvisations on a Theme (adapted from Pachelbel's Canon in D major) Guaranteed to sweep you away.....



5. I think buried in all the commercialism and over-stimulation that the Christmas season is a wish for some time for reflection on the year that just flashed by. This album serves as a small refuge from all the hype that is today's Christmas.
   
   I've had this album as a holiday season mainstay since I discovered it shortly after it's release. It is moving, thoughtful compositions full of nuance and so well composed I have yet to tire of it--17 years later. Mostly I play it during the holidays and it has aged along with me.
   
   Each year, it recalls more memories for me. While all the tracks are unique improvisations of well known themes, it is the the last track, the long track, that is my personal favorite. I would take it into the afterlife if I could.

2 comments about The Best of Freddy Fender.

1. This is a great album. All my pld favorites are on it.



2. 
   The label company indicates (on the front cover) that the songs were remastered of re-recorded "Studio" songs from the original singer (i.e., Freddy Fender). Therefore, you know that you are not dealing with the original songs and we will be hoping that the songs were recorded at the studio as indicated by the label company. Unfortunately, the songs are live remakes and not studio remakes as stated. The sound is not great but it is not bad either for a "Live" performance, however you cannot compare it to the original studio recorded from the MCA label.
   
   I recommend the "20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Best Of Freddy Fender by the MCA label or "The Best of Freddy Fender" by MCA label again.

5 comments about Home for Christmas.

1. This CD does everything well - the big orchestral arrangements that are fun and swingy, the hauntingly beautiful religious songs she wrote, the softer acoustic numbers. She doesn't make any bad choices here and there's maximum style with minimal schmaltz. I'd never purchased any of her music before but consider this in my top 10 of Christmas CD's, which is saying a lot because I've collected a ton of Christmas music over the years.



2. Listen to any radio station that plays continuous Christmas music around the holiday season, and you're bound to hear a song by Amy Grant at least once during the broadcast day. To be expected, since she's now released three Christmas albums. But on this, her second Christmas effort, released in 1992 on the heels of the multi-platinum pop breakthrough HEART IN MOTION, she pulls it off especially well. It's completely devoid of the "fluffy" pop stuff for which she's been reviled. The album features plenty of the usual burnt-to-a-crisp Christmas standards, including "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," "Winter Wonderland" and "O Come All Ye Faithful," but Amy puts her stamp on each of these to make them special. "Winter Wonderland" features a nice, jazzy arrangement, and "O Come..." is highlighted by a strong vocal performance from Amy and a boy's choir in the background. Amy also covers David Foster and Natalie Cole's "Grown-Up Christmas List," which has since been recorded by everyone and his mother, and her version remains my favorite (there was also an accompanying video). (Sorry, Kelly Clarkson; this song is best handled by a non-"diva" singer.) There are also faithful remakes of Andy Williams' "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" and Carly Simon's "The Night Before Christmas" (which, being a Carly fan also, I definitely enjoyed). The real standouts on "Home For Christmas," though, are the originals. "Emmanuel, God With Us" is haunting. Of course, "Breath Of Heaven (Mary's Song)" is the real classic. It's an account of how the Virgin Mary must have felt knowing that she was about to give birth to the Savior of the world. To this day, I can't listen to it without getting misty. It has deservedly since become a standard and has been recorded by several other artists, including Broadway star Barbara Cook and most recently by (oh, puh-leeeze) Jessica Simpson. That song alone is worth the price of this album. If you're looking for a Christmas album with an even mix of the secular and the spiritual and without the glitz, flash and vocal acrobatics of Mariah, Celine and the like, this album is for you. No surprise to me that it's still an airplay favorite at Christmas time these days.



3. This is a great collection of tunes but its Amy Grant's voice and her
   musical varitey that carry this Christmas classic way past most
   of the current top 40 Christmas offerings that come out each
   new year. Most new artists get a hit record, the next thing they seem to do is record
   a Christmas album?? This one, along with Vince Gill's classic "Let there be
   peace on earth" and many from his second Christmas collection as well, should
   be in your collection. Its kinda funny how the two have gotten together and married and now create their own special
   Christmas shows, like minds. Whether you enjoy the religious
   side or the spiritual side to this it has just a right mix
   , its alittle old fashion here and there, especially for us
   over 40 crowd who remember what Christmas use to mean, before
   the commerical crazy took off, I find this Amy Grant Christmas collection, HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
   my favorite of the 3 she's put out but you can pick out many cuts
   off of each to make a really outstanding CD burn. Home for Christmas can be played start to finish, its that good.



4. ...and I noticed a trend here. The overwhelming majority of people writing reviews of this album think it's fabulous, and they are not wrong. The choice of songs, the production, and Amy's performance are all flawless.



5. This is a rather good album. It is fun and light and merry, although it is not my most favorite, I do definitely like it! I must mention the note-worthy "Breath Of Heaven", which is a beautiful song, both in lyric and melody. Overall, a very good Christmas CD. The only thing I really do not like about it is the two instrumental tracks. I want to hear Amy Grant sing, not her instrumentalists playing!

5 comments about Hey Santa!.

1. I HERD THIS MUSIC WTH MI MOM IN THE CAR AND IT WASUNT VERY GUD. IS RALLY (...). YU SHUD GET MY HUMPS AH-STED.



2. Pleasant outing by the Wilson sisters (Carnie and Wendy, that is--not Ann and Nancy). Why they harmonize like they've been singing together all their lives! But seriously, folks, I don't think I'm alone in saying, you usually want your holiday albums to be a mix of something old and something new, and the Wilsons only really serve up one new (at the time) tune, namely the title track "Hey, You With The Beard"--I mean, "Hey Santa." But on the strength of that now perennial seasonal fave (at least on my local radio stations), I thought this might be worth checking out. And it is, for the most part. Their takes on what have now become holiday standards are neither too outlandish nor too old hat. Even their version of "Rudolph" sounds reasonably fresh,and that says something. It's all very seasonal, and enjoyable, and they certainly don't do anything to disgrace the family name.
   
   Carnie Wilson has a warm, rich alto--somewhat reminiscent of Karen Carpenter's. Sister Wendy is a bit "reedier"--which is scarcely a bad thing. Her voice has a distinctive quality--not unlike Cyndi Lauper's lower register. They blend beautifully on the title track, as indeed, they do on throughout the album. And on tracks like "Winter Wonderland" and "Let It Snow," they sing of wintry landscapes with a kind of ingenuousness that only native So. Cal. gals could muster.
   
   As a budget line offering, HEY SANTA is worth the price of admission. There seem to be some collector type prices being flung around for the product too, however. And those are a tad on the outrageous side, to put it mildly. Charming as it is, I don't think the album merits top of the line prices, especially when there seem to be plenty of available copies on hand. Unless the disk is gold plated, I'd avoid the pricier listings.



3. Pleasant outing by the Wilson sisters (Carnie and Wendy, that is--not Ann and Nancy). Why they harmonize like they've been singing together all their lives! But seriously, folks, I don't think I'm alone in saying, you usually want your holiday albums to be a mix of something old and something new, and the Wilsons only really serve up one new (at the time) tune, namely the title track "Hey, You With The Beard"--I mean, "Hey Santa." But on the strength of that now perennial seasonal fave (at least on my local radio stations), I thought this might be worth checking out. And it is, for the most part. Their takes on what have now become holiday standards are neither too outlandish nor too old hat. Even their version of "Rudolph" sounds reasonably fresh,and that says something. It's all very seasonal, and enjoyable, and they certainly don't do anything to disgrace the family name.
   
   Carnie Wilson has a rich, warm alton--somewhat reminiscent of Karen Carpenter's. Sister Wendy is a bit reedier, which is scarcely a bad thing. They blend together beautifully on the title track, as indeed they do throughout the entire album. And on tracks like "Winter Wonderland" and "Let It Snow," they sing of wintry landscapes with a kind of ingenuousness that only native So. Cal. gals could muster.
   
   As a budget line offering, HEY SANTA is worth the price of admission. There seem to be some collector type prices being flung around for the product too, however. And those are a tad on the outrageous side, to put it mildly. Charming as it is, I don't think the album merits top-of-the-line prices, especially since there seem to be plenty of copies on hand. Unless the disk is gold plated, I'd avoid the pricier listings.



4. This is a Christmas CD that I had not heard done the by Carly and Wendy
   Wilson. I had always liked the song, Hey Santa, and couldn't find it anywhere. So I ordered it online... The whole CD is wonderful... Love it...



5. I'm really glad I found this CD. It was hard to find. All the songs are great Christmas songs but I especially love Hey Santa and that's why I purchased this product.

5 comments about Raffi's Christmas Album.

1. That's all- Raffi is a timeless children's classic. Easy to sing along to, easy to listen to!



2. This is a wonderful Christmas album for children. My daughter that is 3 yrs. old absolutly loves it. Raffi has a very calming voice and it is easy for children to follow. My daughter has all most all of the lyrics learned and we've had it only a short time. I would highly recommed it.



3. This CD is delightful, although I do miss the dreidel song from it's original release in the '80's. My children are now in their twenties, yet I gave each of them a copy of this album this year for Christmas, which was well received. And it is a wonderful mix of secular and Christ child songs. With many varied tempos and tones and accompaniments- a very satisfying collection. I have also given it as a gift. My personal favorites? Petit Papa Noel and There Was A Little Baby.



4. AS IN: RAFFI'S CHRISTMAS ALBUM
   I used this album in my kindergarten classes for years and never got tired of hearing it. It's very easy to hear the words in the songs. My students easily learned to sing along with Raffi. The instrumentation is beautiful. My favorite song is "Douglas Mountain." I got the songbook that accompanies this album and often played "Douglas Mountain" on the piano in my room. Our school had very poor soundproofing, so when the teachers began to hear "Douglas Mountain" early in December, they knew it was the official beginning of the Christmas season at school.
   Now I'm retired from teaching, but I have a beautiful little grandson. HIs first Christmas present from me was a copy of RAFFI'S CHRISTMAS ALBUM.



5. I listened to this as a record my whole childhood. I am going to have my first child this coming October and was so excited to find this as a CD to share with my children. Raffi has a unique and classic sound for kids. It has a lot of the regular Christmas songs, plus some great original songs. This is a must own if you have children. You cannot beat "little toy trains!"