Once more into the fray! (Hopefully before every one gets sick and tired of all the X-mas threads…)
What’s your favorite Christmas album?
Mine is Christmas by The Singers Unlimited. Some light jazz, but mostly very traditional. Beautiful harmonization.
Your turn.
Mr. K’s Link of the Month:
“Chipmunk Christmas”
IT really is Home for Christmas by Amy Grant
All we really needed to know we learned in Kindergarden
The Roches put out a Christmas cd that is to die for. Their version of Winter Wonderland in heavy Brooklynese will make you LOL.
We used to have one at home by the Vienna Boy’s Choir that my dad played every year. I think by now those boys are probably in their 30’s or so. We used to groan when we were kids listening to it, but actually the music is very beautiful.
I am me… accept it or not.
“A Partridge Family Christmas”
Rock and roll carols at their finest.
“A Very Special Christmas”
This is the first of the series that MTV has put out.
You can’t go wrong on an album when you feature a duet with Frank Sinatra and Cyndi Lauper.
Amy Grant’s second one. The one with “Breath of Heaven” on it. She has a beautiful voice and she sings the songs fairly simply. I hate when singers attempt vocal acrobatics with traditional songs. Makes me want to slap them and say, “Stick to the melody!”
I know, I embody the spirit of Christmas. 
“A Very Yanni Christmas.” hee hee hee
Actually, it’s Mannheim Steamroller’s Fresh Aire Christmas. “O Holy Night” is truly stirring.
David Grisman’s Christmas album. Grisman’s a north California mandolin player who combines bluegrass with jazz and gypsy music, and his style sounds just jim-dandy when applied to Christmas carols.
Jorma Kaukonen, the old Jefferson Airplane guitarist, put out a Christmas album a couple years ago that I enjoyed last year…have to dig the box of Xmas CDs out to answer this question properly.
Uke
Several years ago I ordered that 4 CD Time-Life Treasury of Christmas set through the mail…haven’t really needed another Christmas album since. All the classics, great great singers (yeah, even the Elvis version of “Here Comes Santa Claus”). Heckuva deal.
Phil Spectors “A Christmas Gift for You”. With the Crystals, Ronnettes and Darlene Love contributing standout tracks such as "Merry Christmas, Baby Please Come Home and the version of “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” adapted by Bruce Springsteen on the first “Very Special Christmas” Album
Runner-up “A Charlie Brown Christmas” By Vince Gueraldi.
You want brilliance BEFORE I’ve had my coffee!!!
Consumer Alert!
My wife and I were at Circuit City last night, and found a display of Christmas music CD’s for only $0.99!
I’m not sure if it was just this store. (The new CC off of Loisdale Rd. [across from Springfield Mall] in Springfield, VA.) Hurry while they last!
Both of Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s albums…
Booker T and the MGS Christmas album.
Except for the “Jingle Bells,” which bites.
Drawback: Only 36 minutes long.
Uke
“Crescent City Christmas Card” by Wynton Marsalis
The Manhattan Transfer Christmas album
Live a Lush Life
Da Chef
Rastahomie, I’ll second Manheim Steanroller. They played “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” the other morning on the radio - I loved it. We have two christmas CDs from them - one that came out in the 80s, one mre recent. Do you have both?
SanibelMan - My Homepage
I could be doing something, but… why?
Chef, if you like the Marsalis album, try the Marcus Roberts Xmas album (he was Wynton’s piano player at the outset of his career).
Hmmm. For a crusty old fart, I DO seem to have an awful lot of Christmas records.
Yule Struttin’, a Blue Note Christmas
Alligator Records Blues Christmas CD (can’t remember the exact name).
I also liked the Jackson 5 Christmas album (brings back memories). I gotta find that on CD someday.
It is too clear, and so it is hard to see.
The Bells of Dublin by The Chieftains
as mentioned above
The Christmas album by The Roches
Handel’s Messiah
La franchise ne consiste pas à dire tout ce que l’on pense, mais à penser tout ce que l’on dit.
H. de Livry
The Frank Sinatra Christmas Album. “Jingle Bells” never sounded so swingin’!
“My hovercraft is full of eels.”