Search - Various Artists :: All-Time Greatest Christmas 2

Great Holiday Music!

11/17/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I loved this cd...It has your staple favorites like "Rocking around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee and "Jingle Bell Rock" by Bobby Helms. Don McLean's version of "White Christmas" set in L.A. is wonderful too. It's classic with Judy Garland's "Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas," but it's also cute with Andy Williams' "I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus." Good variety!"

Christmas All-Time Greatest Records, Volume 2 CD review

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 05/01/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Christmas All-Time Greatest Records Volume 2 is a budget priced CD that has 12 timeless and memorable Christmastime songs and ballads. Indeed, some of the best music we ever hear has been written and performed for the Christmas holiday. The quality of the sound on this CD is excellent and that artwork is pretty even though it's similar to the artwork for the 1st Volume of this set.



Bobby Helms starts things off wonderfully with his spirited rendition of "Jingle Bell Rock." Bobby never sounded better and the bells in the background fit in well--even with that electric guitar work! "Jingle Bell Rock" holds its own very well; and Bobby delivers this like the champ he always was and remains! In addition, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" has Brenda Lee singing her heart out to an early rock and roll holiday tune that is still positively electric. Brenda's excellent diction enhances her performance all the more and those electric guitars work well even if they are just a tad too loud in the arrangement. "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" got a lot of teens up and onto the dance floor when it was first released; and just one listen will tell you why! Of course, Bing Crosby's "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" lacks nothing--it's all THAT good. The Andrews Sisters do a fantastic job with Bing on this number; and "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" has a sophisticated big band style arrangement, too.



Judy Garland's "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" comes from the MGM movie called "Meet Me In Saint Louis." Judy sings this beautifully; I simply can't imagine any songbird ever performing this better than Judy does here. Judy's incredible sense of timing is striking and her voice is memorable--since when do songbirds sing this well?



Wayne Newton performs a favorite of mine, "I'll Be Home For Christmas." "I'll Be Home For Christmas" features Wayne squarely front and center in the spotlight--right where he belonged and still belongs! Wayne never skips a beat and the music fits in perfectly with his vocals. Moreover, "White Christmas" gets the royal treatment from the great Don McLean; Don sings with all his heart and soul and it makes a lovely highlight of this album. Similarly, Donny Osmond's "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve" is another stunner; it's very romantic and Donny delivers this with great sensitivity. The percussion works wonders for "What Are You Doing New Years' Eve," too.



Bobby Vinton performs "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" very nicely; I love it! "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" gets a new sound from Bobby but it works very well and I think you'll like this number. The CD ends well, too, with the great Andy Williams singing "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus." This adorable number touches me with its natural beauty and it leaves me wanting more.



Christmas All-Time Greatest Records Volume 2 offers us 12 fantastic Christmastime numbers that any fan of high quality control Christmas music is sure to enjoy. I highly recommend this album.

"