Last Christmas we started talking about Christmas music on compact discs. Specifically we were discussing the joys of finding vintage Christmas albums on CD in the thrift stores throughout the year. While quite often we weren’t sure what it was we were buying exactly, we bought them anyways, took them home and then waited impatiently for December to come so we could delve deep into what we had found. We learned that Yuletide music from any era came in many stripes and that some discoveries were truly gems and became CDs you would keep for ever. Other purchases were merely interesting and caused us to explore an artist’s career. Others? Some were surprisingly bad. As regards compilations, they are always a wild card and – again – some turn out great while others leave something to be desired but even the bad ones can start a hunt for something better along the same lines. The main thing though is the discovery. The hunt, the find and then the understanding and maybe the enjoying. This year we kick off with a mixed bag.
Rockin’ Little Christmas (1986)
Why’d I Buy This? Hope, mostly. While it looked a little cheap, I thought that the track listing looked promising with some rarities among the songs. I was still hesitant, though as my thinking was that I didn’t need such a CD, that my Christmas internet radio station would provide me with these songs and that’s correct but I still thought it would be nice to have a CD Hard Copy Home for these fun tracks. Well, folks, I am seldom wrong and I was right again.
What’s On This? Like the title suggests, these are all rock & roll Christmas songs. There are the standards like both of Chuck Berry’s Yuletide tunes, “Run, Rudolph, Run” and “Merry Christmas, Baby”, “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms and the Moonglows doing “Hey, Santa Claus”. As a bonus, Brenda Lee wrote a little blurb for the liner notes and her perennial “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” kicks things off. But then there are some decidedly deep cuts among them Dodie Stevens doing “Merry Merry Christmas Baby” (1960), the Enchanters with “Mambo Santa Mambo” (1957) and Surfaris with “A Surfer’s Christmas List” (1963).
What Is This? While it does look like a cheapie, it is actually a fine little Christmas gift that MCA Records put together and released on LP, CD and cassette. I’m not even sure why they would do this except, obviously, to make some money off of the random Christmas music they had in their stock. What it is is simply a tidy little compilation that contains some pretty rockin’ little Christmas tunes.
And In the End… I’m keeping this one for now. It’s a little frustrating maybe that there are only 12 songs on this and really maybe only 5 of them that I don’t already have elsewhere. But the other tracks are cool enough to make me hold on to this. For now, anyways. What I may do is make a playlist by adding these five songs to other similar tracks I have and then burn that to disc…
James Taylor at Christmas (2006)
Why’d I Buy This? Because it looked classy. When I saw it, it put me in mind of Neil Diamond’s fine Christmas album and I thought this might contain the same vibe. Refined and gentle easy listening. And I have always loved JT’s voice. I think he has one of the finest voices for harmony singing that I’ve ever heard and I thought that him putting his dulcet tones to Christmas music would go down smooth and mellow like a hot apple cider by the fire.
What’s On This? Mostly it’s your standard Christmas fare and contains James’ chill renditions of “Winter Wonderland”, “Jingle Bells” and “The Christmas Song” and it wraps appropriately with “Auld Lang Syne”. Also for good measure James throws in his good buddy Joni Mitchell’s song “River”, the traditional “In the Bleak Midwinter” and an original by Dave Grusin “Who Comes This Night”.
What Is This? This is one of James Taylor’s last albums, perhaps. He has released but three since then, two of them covers albums. This edition is a reissue of a 2004 release called A Christmas Album that Taylor released through Hallmark stores. The title and album cover are different for this release and the track listing is slightly altered. And what else this is is an album full of jazzy, coffee shop grooves. It is a classy, erudite record as you would expect from latter day Taylor and from any record featuring Dave Grusin and John Pizzarelli. Dig that arrangement of “Jingle Bells”.
And In the End… Me, I wouldn’t go to this album often enough to hang onto the hard copy. I will preserve the music though as I could see me using some of the tracks for a certain type of Christmas playlist; grey December mid-afternoon sitting with an Americano by the window watching people go by.
Christmas with Patti Page (1966)
Why’d I Buy This? I bought this because I didn’t own any Patti Page Christmas music. I like Patti enough – though I might place her with, say, Dinah Shore out on the periphery of those I like to hear sing – and I thought maybe there might be a gem here. The cover had a good vintage look and I thought it would be an original album released on CD which it is.
What’s On This? Mostly basics. Rudolph, Santa and “Silver Bells” are all represented. There is a robust arrangement of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” and also included is a fresh take on Page’s 1951 single “Christmas Bells”.
What Is This? This is the second album Page released with this title, the first coming in 1951 and this of course makes this one tough to find info on. Like something out of our Christmas Caveats series, if you search “Christmas with Patti Page”, various albums with different covers show up. So, I’d say beware of which one you buy but in this case I have to say that the danger is in listening to this 1966 album at all, let alone buying it. I’ll be a bit cynical here and say that because this album is for kids, it’s hard to listen to. Right off the bat, some kid is heard addressing “Aunt Patti” and you know you’re in trouble. A chorus of kid singers is used and that renders this redundant. I understand that, as Kenny Rogers once said, Christmas is for kids but keep them off my records. Seriously, I have to wonder who this would have appealed to in 1966. Parents wanting a record to listen to with their kids, I guess, sure, but…
And In the End… Can’t wait to get rid of this. Actually I will first scan my shelves to see which CDs could use a better case and use this one to upgrade. I’ll be donating Christmas with Patti Page in a case that is falling apart. Apropos.
Next time you see a compact disc or a DVD for sale anywhere, pause before you tell yourself you can stream it somewhere. Can you? And even if you can are you OK with that? With someone else letting you listen to their music or watch their movie and curating for you? Take the hard copy home! Physical media – it’s the only media you can trust. Merry Christmas!
SoulRide 