Outstanding collection, wonderful choices
Merrill Mattie | 12/13/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Despite the somewhat cheesy "Lifetime Intimate Portraits" branding, this collection of Christmas songs sung by various female vocalists is outstanding. The pacing is wonderful, moving smoothly from more upbest to slower and back again, and some of the choices (e.g., Papa Noel, sung by Brenda Lee) are refreshingly unusual without causing "What the heck is THAT?" shock. My only gripe would be the choice of the ubiquitous "Santa Baby" done by Eartha Kitt - it seems to go on forever, and haven't we heard it enough yet? The liner notes are great, also. I keep this one in my desktop computer at work, and never grow tired of listening to it. Merry Christmas!"
The joyful singing of the Christmas Belles
R. P. Hughes | Newcastle upon Tyne United Kingdom | 02/16/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album oozes class. The voices of these consumate singers in their prime puts most modern renditions to shame. The highlights for me are the oft neglected 'That's what I want for Christmas', sung by Nancy Wilson, and the sultry Eartha Kitt's 'Santa Baby'. Eartha's earthy rendition make's Madonna sound 'like a virgin'. I have only one gripe...the embarassing 'Christmas time is here', sung by Rosemary Clooney. It was recorded in 1994 when Rosemary was way past her prime. But there are 13 pearls on this album and only one piece of grit."
"Christmas Belles" CD-It's a wonderful silk stocking stuffer
Richard Vitaliano | Portland, OR United States | 12/28/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Wow, catch this one. Ella. Sarah. Eartha. Julie. Dinah. Pearl. Rosemary. Peggy. Nancy. Lena. June. Brenda. Judy. See? They're such famous female pop/jazz vocalists,you don't even need their last names to know you they are. Most of the Holiday tunes are perennial hits. But others are obscure treasures. For example, Julie London's "Warm December" and Sassy's "Snowbound" and Peggy Lee's "Christmas Carousel." By the way, I was really annoyed by the revue written by one Raymond Hughes, of New Castle upon Tyne, Great Britain-- a self-proclaimed professional music critic. Raymond didn't like Rosemary Clooney's rendition of "Christmas Time is Here," the sensitive Vince Guaraldi jazz composition from The Charlie Brown Xmas special.
He said that Rosemary was over the hill when she made the recording, and that it was an embarrassment. Tsk, tsk, Raymond. Did the fact that Rosemary was singing in a lower register bother you? Her sensitivity to the lyrics was beautiful. Yet you didn't like the cut? I'll bet you were also perturbed when Frank Sinatra's voice matured and his voice dropped down to make him a great "saloon singer." Was he then over the hill too?As a matter of fact, I was in a gift store and heard Rosemary singing the tune. I bought the CD because of her rendition!
Dear readers,"Christmas Belles", is a lovely Holiday CD."