It's time for Christmas music!! (1 Viewer)

[Chuck L]

Here is yet another vote for A Charlie Brown Christmas.

A few other Holiday CD's that stay in the player during the Holiday season are:

Trans Siberian Orchestria
Barbara Mandrell-Christmas At Our House
The Carpenters-Christmas Portrait
Nick at Nite's Cartoon Christmas
Tales From the Crypt: Have Yourself A Scary Little Christmas

Interesting combo's there ain't it!

 

[Greg_C_T]

I second Merry Axemas and also HIGLY RECOMMEND Trans Siberian Orchestra's Christmas Eve and Other Stories. Excellent, excellent stuff there.

 

[LarryDavenport]

My Xmas favorites?

Christmas with the Devil by Spinal Tap
Father Christmas by the Kinks
Christmas by the Who
S.F. Sorrow is Born by the Pretty Things (takes place on Christmas)
Little St. Knick by the Beach Boys
Happy Xmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon
Wonderful Christmas Time by Paul Mc Cartney
Do They Know It's Christmas by Band Aid
I Believe in Father Christmas by Greg Lake (I'm not sure I got the title right)

and

all of the Phil Spector, Ventures, Beach Boys, and Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass Christmas albums

 

[David R. Hendrickson]

no one likes the Eagles "Please Come Home For Christmas"?

and good call on the billy squier...

 

[James Corey]

Christmas in Prison - John Prine

 

[Aaron Cooke]

ok, so some people might find it a bit depressing for the holidays, but the Christmas EP by Low is my favorite christmas cd ever. If you like quiet, somber takes on some classic songs, as well as some outstanding originals that should become classics pick it up if you see a copy. It might be out of print though. But i also enjoy the trans siberian orchestra.

 

[Jacinto]

My favorite Christmas album has to Poets and Angels by Ottmar Liebert. Since it's all instrumental, it's a great one to leave on quietly during Christmas parties and such. His version of The First Noel is probably my favorite on the album.

 

[Vic_T]

You know, the Merry Axemas albums (there are 2) do have a few real shining moments on them. Some of the performers took the liberty to show off, but luckily a few took it seriously and came up with some fun Xmas music. My fav's are Brian Setzer Orchestra doing "Jingle Bells", and (particularily) Stu Hamm doing "Sleigh Ride" on the bass! They are OOP, I believe.

Other than that, I've believe the Ray Charles Xmas album is one of the best out there. Oh, and if you can find James Brown doing "Let's Make Christmas Special This Year", snatch it up! It was only one song, but it occasionally make it on a few compilations.

 

[Chris Farmer]

Rockapella: Christmas, these guys have great voices, and sound terrific. Some classic songs, some all new works.

The Canadian Brass, The Christmas Album, Noel, and A Christmas Experiment, a great blend of new works, traditional works with some non-traditional arrangements, and some lesser knows, as well as some old classics.

 

[Karl_Luph]

Hi all, newbie here! I saw The Brian Setzer Orchestra the other night on tv and was impressed as always with their performance. I can't tell you the last time I've seen a band on tv that sincerely had as much fun performing! What a welcome change to see some really talented musicians, instead of some clone one hit wonder group looking like they're hating life. It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing!

 

[James E]

Just thought i would toss Christmas with the Rat Pack in the ring for next year.
james
ps
"baby, it's cold outside".

 

[Andrew 'Ange Hamm' Hamm]

Christmas music drives me out of my mind. Last year I had to work at an office where they play the Lite Rock station all day, which is bad enough during the year, but during the Christmas season it's the shlockiest, most secular, homogenized crap you can imagine. I mean, they play an instrumental "Hallelujah" chorus, for crying out loud! What's the point?

Since I started taking my faith seriously a few years ago, the secularization of the American Christmas has really bothered me more and more each year. What's surprising is that nowhere is this more apparent than in Christmas albums performed by Christian musicians! I pick up a Christmas CD by Clay Crosse, a really passionate songwriter who's totally devoted to the Gospel, and the whole album is this soulless big-band-y garbage with no heart of any kind. Same goes for big chunks of Point of Grace and Michael W Smith's albums.

The big exception:

Bruce Cockburn's album, simply named Christmas, is the best holiday album I've ever heard. It's almost entirely acoustic, and every song is incredibly heartfelt and honest. There's a real earthy feel to the whole album, a soulful heartland kind of tone, with even a dash of downright country. It's like the big band albums are Christmas parties in New York City ballrooms and Cockburn's album is your friends and family in your living room. It's full of songs you know, songs you've never heard, and songs in languages other than English, which is a very nice touch. It's my favorite Christmas album, the most heartfelt and honest one I've ever heard, and I strongly recommend it.

 

[Philip Hamm]

Ange,
David Edwards' Christmas album is almost as good as Bruce Cockburn's, and that's saying a lot.
http://www.studioedwards.com/christmas/index.htm
Check it out, I'll play some of it for you on Friday evening.

 

[Leo]

surprised no one mentioned this disc:

Jazz To The World on Blue Note. Features such artists as:

Dianne Reeves, Fourplay, Diana Krall, Michael Franks, Cassandra Wilson, Holly Cole, Chick Corea.

Lots of great jazzed up holiday tunes.

 

[Jack*Mains]

Come on people, noone mentioned Weird Al - "Christmas at ground zero," and "The Night Santa went crazy"
Merry Christmas

 

[Henry Gale]

Christmas in Prison - John Prine

James, thanks for mentioning this one!
Soul Christmas- which includes White Christmas by Otis Redding. If you've never heard this, you've never heard White Christmas.
Christmas Times a Comin'- bluegrass, it's been recorded by several groups including the Stanley Brothers.
Santa Claus Is Back In Town- one of my favorites by Elvis

 

[Kevin M]

I have had Vince Guaraldi's A Charlie Brown Christmas playing every Christmas back when it was on vinyl, tape and currently CD.

 

[James Corey]

That's Fronkensteen !

 

[Kevin M]

What the hell? :bI swear I had that spelled correctly before, thanks.

 

[Anthony Hom]

The Billy Squire Xmas song can be found on a compilation by Rhino and VH1, Christmas - The Big 80's. It has other 80's Xmas by the Waitresses, Pretenders, Kate Bush, Los Lobos, etc.