Source: 1998
[image=dxlpJEWgm8]
By Neal C. Reynolds VINE VOICE
[quote]This is indeed a beautiful album. It opens with the traditional "In the Bleak Midwinter" and then goes directly into the classic "Christmas Time Is Here" from "A Charlie Brown Christmas". Another traditional but seldom heard number is "Rocking", and then there's the haunting lullaby, "All Through The Night". "Silent Night" is the one absolute Christmas standard here. And "Close Your Eyes", Brahms Lullaby, is heard from time to time on Christmas CDs, though it isn't truly a Christmas song. However, with Shawn's voice, all of these are good.
Regretfully, I can't put this album into the same category that I have put CDs by other female vocalists such as Judy Collins, Natalie Cole, Anne Murray, or Julie Andrews. But this is a good folksy type classic record to own.[/quote]
↧
Shawn Colvin - Holiday Songs and Lullabies 320cbr (Big Papi) 1998 Childrens Christmas Music
↧
Bob Milni (Ragtimist) - Silent Night Ragged Night 320cbr (Big Papi) Jazz Ragtime Christmas Music
Source: CD
[image=yGJlZVSt8I]
↧
↧
Christmas With Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole and Dean Martin 320cbr (Big Papi) 1995 Holiday Music
Source: 1995 CD
[i]The review below is for the remastered version. This CD has the same cover but I am not certain it is the remastered one - Big Papi[/i]
[image=CmDiUzKYrM]
By Matthew G. Sherwinv VINE VOICE
[quote]This album, originally released on Madacy Records, is superior to the original CD in that the quality of the sound is a bit better and we get an extra track, "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" by Dean Martin. The artwork is very well done and this CD will delight any fan of the crooners whose voices made the airwaves sizzle in the 20th century; there's not a dud in the bunch here and that's grand. In addition, if you choose to download this album from Amazon rather than buy the CD, download this version of the album and not the original to make sure you get that extra track for the same price--that would be the way to go as of the time I am writing this.
Bing Crosby makes excellent contributions to this album; he sings a terrific rendition of "I Wish You a Merry Christmas;" a medley of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" matched with "It Came upon a Midnight Clear" supported by one fantastic choir; another medley of "What Child Is This?" and "The Holly and the Ivy" and still yet another medley of "Pat-A-Pan" and "While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night." Bing has great pipes for these numbers; and that organ sounds heavenly. Bing gets help from the background choir--not that Bing ever needed backup, but they do sound good anyway.
Similarly, Nat "King" Cole does some beautiful ballads here. "O Holy Night" features Nat squarely in the spotlight--and his excellent diction enhances his performance all the more! Nat is in excellent form and he sings with a type of genuine sincerity and sensitivity that I rarely hear and enjoy. Nat's "Joy to the World" has him singing with a backup chorus; and this all holds its own very well. I would have preferred the chorus to have been toned down a bit; but in the mid 20th century they often recorded songs in this style and it's really pretty good as it is. Nat also does "Caroling, Caroling" with panache.
Of course, Dean Martin could do no wrong either; he croons with all the polish of the master he always was and I love it. Dean's "White Christmas" charms me, even though this is usually a melancholy song Dean sings it in a somewhat more upbeat style--and it works! "Winter Wonderland" is beautiful; the lush musical arrangement complements Dean's vocals to perfection--and beyond! "Winter Wonderland" is a fun song and it's easily a highlight of this album. And there's that extra track of Dean singing "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow;" Dean does this without ever letting go of a single superfluous note.
I'm amazed at the talent on this CD; it's a great one to add to your holiday music collection. The mixture of religious songs and more modern day secular songs works very well; and fans of these fine singers will be thrilled.[/quote]
↧
A Festival of Lessons & Carols from King's 320cbr (Big Papi) 1990 Christmas Choir Music King's College Hayes Middlesex England
Source: 1990 CD
[image=083gIhcHXi]
By Presbyteros
[quote]This is a shortened version of the service heard around the world every Christmas Eve, but not less valuable for that. The length is just right for casual or even serious listening (Stephen Cleobury has recorded the whole service on 2 CDs). The Ledger years don't get as much notice as the Willcocks or Cleobury years. It may be that it was simply too difficult to follow Sir David Willcocks. But the Choir is a living institution, and Philip Ledger and the choir are first rate in this recording of Lessons and Carols. Some details from your Oxford Book of Carols are different. Ledger wrote some of his own descants, and also arranged some of the carols. The service as a whole is simply magic, and you won't notice a missing lesson or carol. I wrap presents to this on Christmas Eve. Or take this out in July, turn down the air conditioning, and let it rip.[/quote]
↧
Christmas Joy - Classic Carols for Christmas 320cbr (Big Papi) 1993 Soho England Choir Orchestra Music Box
Source: 1993 CD
[image=w6WTO2sVBt]
↧
↧
Bette Midler - Cool Yule 320cbr (Big Papi) 2006 Christmas Music
Source: 2006 CD
[image=OxW1A2k6rB]
By Matthew G. Sherwin VINE VOICE
[quote]This is one incredible Christmas CD from Bette Midler. Bette's first Christmas album is full of great renditions of the standards of this time of year including "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas;" "Ill Be Home For Christmas;" "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?;" "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" and "White Christmas." Bette throws in a lot of her own pizzazz and wonderful eggnog with a new song "Cool Yule" and she does a wonderful duet with Johnny Mathis as they perform "Winter Wonderland/Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" Terrific!
The CD opens strong with "Merry Christmas." This song boasts a great musical arrangement and Bette's voice is in excellent form--as it is throughout this album! Then the CD shifts gears and revs up the motors a little bit with "Cool Yule." This song, written by Steve Allen with additional lyrics by Eric Kornfeld, is a lot of fun and you'll be eager to listen to it again and again!
Another fun song on this CD is "Mele Kalikimaka." This is how to say "Merry Christmas" in Hawaiian; this adds a very personal touch to the CD because Bette was born in the state of Hawaii. It offers a great musical composition that starts off with a brief romantic flavor and then twists into a very catchy tune! Could this be a new classic in the making? I think this song will become increasingly popular with time as it is very well written and Bette does a great job with it. The numerous background vocalists are wonderful as well.
Bette Midler fans will recognize the special Christmas version of "From A Distance." It is touching as it was when it was first released and it remains just as relevant today as it was when it was first released in 1990. Newcomers will enjoy this special song as well.
I especially like how Bette masterfully handles the romantic, sentimental lyrics of "I'll Be Home For Christmas" as well as "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" Bette breathes new life into these standards with her beautiful voice, energy and passion.
The quality of the sound is excellent even on a portable CD player. The liner notes are wonderful, too. There are nice photos of Bette both in the liner notes and on the back of the CD artwork, too. You get the song credits and there's a well written essay by Jay Landers. Nice!
Overall, I would recommend this CD for Bette Midler fans and anyone who appreciates beautifully arranged Christmas music. Bette's voice has never sounded better and I applaud her fine efforts to make her first Christmas CD a splendid reality. "Mele Kalikimaka" to you! SMILES[/quote]
↧
Cool Yule Holiday Party 320cbr (Big Papi) 2010 Oldie Jazz Christmas Music Ella Sinatra Armstrong Wayne Newton Peggy Lee
Source: 2010 CD
[image=jpbGPkYoS6]
↧
Luther Vandross - This Is Christmas 320cbr (Big Papi) 1995 R&B Soul Music
Source: 1995 CD
[image=LMoBl6pUZ5]
By Reginald D. Garrard VINE VOICE
[quote]For me, Luther Vandross, while holding onto his "superstar" status, has yet to make a TOTAL album that fits his mellifluous vocal instrument. After listening to any one of the discs in his lengthy catalogue, I often felt that they each just fell a wee bit short.
Well, with my annual purchase of holiday music, I decided to make this seven-year-old release a part of my collection.
And, man, am I glad that I did.
The singer has put together a smoothly produced, elegantly delivered "treat" for all as they celebrate the most joyous of holidays. Vandross does his patented "Lutherisms" on each song; making even the few songs presented uniquely his. The perennial favorite "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is given a spin that only he, and he only alone, can give.
The measure of an album for me can be found in the first songs and, on that note, the singer scores a winner. "With a Christmas Heart", "This is Christmas" (magnificent), and "The Mistletoe Jam" (reminiscent of "Till My Baby Comes Home") are as good as he gets.
I rank this one as a latter-day equivalent to the Christmas album made by the late, great Nat "King" Cole. That's how outstanding it is.[/quote]
↧
Mistletoe Memories 320cbr (Big Papi) 1994 Authentic Natural World Sounds Combined with Christmas Music
Source: 1994 CD
[i]This is a unique release that combines sounds of nature with what seems to be synthesizer new age music. - Big Papi[/i]
[image=XFepsmEW8g]
↧
↧
A Winter's Solstice - Windham Hill Artists 320cbr (Big Papi) Christmas New Age Adult Contemporary Jazz Bluegrass Music
Source: CD
[image=viTBsUWVhQ]
By Ken Cook
[quote]A very peaceful and serene recording that evokes perfectly the mood of late autumn and early winter. It's a perfect CD to play just before the holidays to get you in the mood for more traditional Christmas music.
Excellent adaptations of Bach music on two tracks ("Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring"/"Bach Bouree"). "Engravings II" conjures up images of a New England scene at sunset - church bells and all. "New England Morning" and "High Plains" are standouts - they both start off slowly and end remarkably - each successive listen grows on you.
"Nollaig" by Nightnoise (check them out separately) has a Celtic flavor while "Greensleeves" by Liz Story is a brilliant adaptation of an old classic.
In fact, there isn't a bad track on the entire CD. Overall, the music has a medieval feel to it and is very soothing to the soul. I have been listening to this CD for years and have many fond memories of driving home from work with it on cold autumn nights with the sunset looming just ahead and the newly bare trees silhouetted in the growing darkness on the side of the road. Just look at the album cover to see what I mean.
Highly recommended. This is not "background" or "elevator" music. The artists included on this CD are highly talented musicians and if you like this music as much as I do, there are dozens of highly-acclaimed recordings by these artist to explore. The entire Winter's Solstice series is worth getting but start with this one.[/quote]
↧
Music to Your Ears - A Collection of Holiday Music 320cbr (Big Papi) 1997 Classical Christmas Music
Source: 1997 CD
[i]The CD has the AT&T logo stamped on it - Big Papi[/i]
[image=7FR2v6hoJ5]
By KAC
[quote]I received this compilation in the mail from AT&T when it first came out in 1997. I was a kid and basically said, "Hey, Mom, this is a real CD! Can I keep it?" "Hmm, is it age appropriate? What's on it?" "Classical music, I think." "Okay, kid, whatever." This was the first classical music I'd ever actively listened to (my parents were into Motown, Sade, Maxwell), and my mind was completely blown. This album fed my desire to play clarinet and expanded my musical horizons.
I've memorized every note and I've played it so many times that the disc is ratty. I've taken special care with it over the past decade and flipped out when I found it on Amazon. I think this is the perfect Christmas album.[/quote]
↧
The Cascade Horns - Christmas Brass 320cbr (Big Papi) Christmas Music
Source: CD
[image=T9uoNBIdgZ]
↧
Disney - Christmas Favorites Vol 2 320cbr (Big Papi) 1999 Childrens Christmas Music
Source: 1999 CD
[image=hvQ4NVIMlJ]
By christinemm
[quote]There are a variety of singing styles on this recording. Some are fast paced and others are slow and mellow. Somehow it doesn't flow well, the collection seems jumbled and awkward.
"Jingle Bells" opens with a chorus sung by a toddler then goes into a chorus of children singing; it has a very fast tempo and is nerve-wracking. Rudolph the Reindeer is the "revised" version where there are additional lyrics such as "all of the other reindeers used to laugh and call you names--like silly head", etc. Adults sing some songs in a serious manner, some are young children (with not-superior singing voices) singing solo, and others are sung by choruses of children. Some songs have dialogue by Santa and children mingled inside of each song in between verses. Some songs are fast paced and almost nerve-wracking while others are slow, quiet and purely classical in nature.
I find that my children prefer the songs that are a fast tempo that are sung by the children while I like the quiet more classical songs sung by adults. The kids ask me to skip over the songs I enjoy and to repeat songs such as "Jingle Bells" a million times. I am still looking for a recording of popular songs such as "Rudolph" and "Jingle Bells" which are sung by adults and are just "normal" (vs. rock stars' personally stylized versions, country versions, zydego versions, etc.).[/quote]
↧
↧
Happy Holidays 21 Christmas Songs 320cbr (Big Papi) 2000 Choral and Instrumental Christmas Music
Source: 2000 CD
[img]https://yuq.me/users/15/891/wrb4zl6Zph.png[/img]
↧
Rockin' Little Christmas 320cbr (Big Papi) 1986 1950's Rock Swing Christmas Music
Source: 1986 CD
[img]https://yuq.me/users/15/891/IGgsPB52mi.png[/img]
By A Customer
[quote]When Christmas rolls around, you start hearing the same old carols and songs everywhere you go. I happen to love Christmas music but it can get a little tedious at times. When the boredom hits, I turn on "Rockin Little Christmas" and smile. Even my husband, who isn't a fan of Yuletide music enjoys the fact that these are great tunes that many people have never heard of. It's become a hit with our family and friends too. There are some old classics that you can sing along to, but they simply accentuate the "unsung heroes" (sorry about that) on this CD. I'm no expert, but if you like Christmas and you like music, you'll really like this CD; I'm sure of it.[/quote]
↧
Songs 4 Worship - Christmas 320cbr (Big Papi) 2001 Gospel Choral Christmas Music 2-CD Set
Source: 2001 CD
[img]https://yuq.me/users/15/891/4wyuNY0kts.png[/img]
↧
Kenny Rogers - Christmas from the Heart 320cbr (Big Papi) 1998 Country Christmas Music
Source: 1998 CD
[image=tN2yvEdTbs]
↧
↧
Josh Groban - Noël 320cbr (Big Papi) 2007 Christmas Music
Source: 2007 CD
[img]https://yuq.me/users/15/891/b7PeOYjkUm.png[/img]
By Scott
[quote]After hearing "O Holy Night" and "I'll be Home for Christmas" last year, I was disappointed that he didn't have a Christmas album out. So naturally when I saw "NOEL" had been released, I had to purchase it.
As always, Josh is spectacular. But being a bit old fashioned I had hoped the music would be straight forward traditional, like his "O Holy Night" and the original "I'll be Home for Christmas". Josh has such a strong, clear, beautiful voice that can carry with little background accompaniment. But instead of emphasizing the beauty of this man's voice, many of the arrangements have him competing with the overly loud instrumental/chorus accompaniments.
I would have much rather had "O Holy Night" on this CD than "The First Noel" duet with Faith Hill. As a stand alone artist Faith Hill is okay. But to pair her with Josh was a mistake. Next to him she sounds like a coyote howling in the background and is only another noisy distraction.
Overall - I still have to give this five stars because it is a beautiful CD that I will listen to over and over again (yep...8 times already). I hope he puts out another one next year...but finds someone other than David Foster to arrange and produce it.[/quote]
↧
The Judds - Christmas Time with the Judds 320cbr (Big Papi) 1987 Country Music
Source: 1987 CD
[image=A2w6QEOhIe]
↧
The Christmas Angels 320cbr (Big Papi) 1999 Organ Choir Music
Source: 1999 CD
[img]https://yuq.me/users/15/891/WYO3ZAqKi2.png[/img]
↧