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Wow! Wonderful Old Styled Christmas/Countryish Album

rodney wiltin | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | 01/12/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This really surprised me. Why? Because my usual liking for christmas albums are the easy-listening ones with an orchestra and 'crooner' singer and/or a chorus led album. There are only a very limited few that aren't in this easy-listening/crooner style that I like as much as this favorite style of mine. And this christmas album by EDDY ARNOLD is one of them. In fact, it is the 'one' in this style and so much so, I'm ranking it as an almost christmas 'classic/masterpeice' and almost as great as my favorites of all-time. The only weakness would be song #2, WILL SANTY COME TO SHANTY TOWN. While it offers a glimmer of hope/happiness, it also has a touch of sadness that would be better suited for a movie/TV special rather than a song (although most people like this song and I do too, it doesn't ruin the album or anything like that but isn't as strong as the others tracks, IMO, of course).



The style is old-styled country with christmas touches to it. A nice organ is present in some songs and the backing (mostly male) chorus works perfectly to create that old country/christmas sound that only BOBBY HELMS and one or two others could manage (to my liking anyway), though this is also different than BOBBY HELMS as I would say this is alot smoother. In fact, I even like this more than BOBBY HELM'S great christmas record from decades ago. And let's not leave out EDDY as his voice is countryish, but I can also find a strong 'crooner' influence as well (crooners being PERRY COMO, BING CROSBY, FRANK SINATRA, DEAN MARTIN, etc...).



The sound on this cd of the album is pristine, very clear but still keeping to that old 1950's/1960's countryish/christmas style.



This is a definite christmas classic (with the exception of that one song listed above) as every song is great including a nice new song called CHRISTMAS CAN'T BE FAR AWAY. Every song (with the exception of the first 2) are mostly/all popular christmas songs that everybody might know and EDDY gives them all a fantastic treatment, some that are easily up there with the best version which includes JINGLE BELL ROCK, IT CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR, and UP ON THE HOUSETOP. Eddy's voice is so awesome and worth noting is the backing male chorus which is also fantastic in these songs as is the backing music.



Again, this is one of those rare, non easy-listening/crooner christmas albums that I like almost as much as my favorite easy-listening/crooner christmas albums. It's pretty much a classic christmas record with a beautiful old-time christmas feel to it. Very, very recommended."