# What is your favorite Christmas CD? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 29, 2004, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-christmas-cd/277129 "2004-11-29T12:02:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee7513/32.png) [@Mona\_Lott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lott)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-christmas-cd/277129/21 "2004-11-29T18:25:06Z")
1 can’t narrow it down to just one favorite Christmas CD. Bing Crosby"s White Christmas is a favorite because of the old traditional songs that are on it. Every time I hear Christmas in Killarney, it takes me back to my pre-school years. Waiting for Dad to come home from work, sitting on the couch, looking at the tree with the bubble lights on, snow falling outside. It is a wonderful memory. My other favorite is the Carpenters Christmas Portrait. It has on it my favorite version of my favorite Christmas song, Sleigh Ride. Another favorite is Merry Christmas Darling. Karen Carpenter has an amazing voice. ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-christmas-cd/277129/22 "2004-11-29T18:37:08Z")
Jimmy Buffett, _Christmas on Christmas Island_. It’s especially good if you’re spending Christmas in a cold place, when you don’t like the cold. Also good if you prefer margaritas over egg nog. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-christmas-cd/277129/23 "2004-11-29T18:47:31Z")
[PlLAYBOY’s Latin Jazz Christmas.](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005NOZJ/qid=1101753958/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-1814542-6161554?v=glance&s=music) Although Sheila E’s version of “Santa Baby” was surprisingly weak… ---
**Author:** ![Sinusoidal\_Saurus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71e660/32.png) [@Sinusoidal\_Saurus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinusoidal_Saurus)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-christmas-cd/277129/24 "2004-11-29T20:38:12Z")
My favorite is [Christmas with the Rat Pack](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00006IJWZ/qid%3D1101760422/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/104-2145723-6985549). Most of the songs are classics, there are a couple of hymns, and you can just tell that Dean Martin has the microphone in one hand and a good stiff drink in the other. My runner-up is definitely A Charlie Brown Christmas, already mentioned by other posters. Maisy ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-christmas-cd/277129/25 "2004-11-29T20:51:20Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > “A Broadway Christmas”–Great mix of well known and lesser known songs from Broadway shows, sung by Broadway people. Ditto! I found Jodi Benson’s performance to be quite memorable, among others. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbazine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbazine/32/362_2.png) [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-christmas-cd/277129/26 "2004-11-29T21:26:34Z")
I usually get sick of Christmas music pretty quickly, but I’m always happy this time of year when I can get out my copy of [Frosty The Blues Man by Michael Powers,](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000003IPL/104-7619916-9744730?v=glance) so I guess that must be my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-christmas-cd/277129/27 "2004-11-29T22:27:50Z")
> [@kelly5078](#): > > I hate Christmas songs, from “Rudolph” to “Silver Bells” to “Jingle Bell Rock.” But I love Christmas hymns and carols. … > > I like sparse instrumentation in choral music, so the bombastic orchestration that a lot of albums have leave me cold. Hm. I appear to have a clone on the board, for I am exactly the same. (I’m willing to listen to tubas, too, as long as it isn’t “Let it snow.”) I’m very picky, so I only own about 8 albums so far. My current favorite is “A timeless Christmas” by Mark Geslison and Geoff Groberg and some other people. I think it was published by an LDS music company–anyway I heard it while browsing at the local LDS bookstore and had to own it, because it has two classic Danish carols, sung properly–not easy to come by. It’s a mixture of sung and instrumental carols in a variety of languages and styles, and just really pleasant to listen to. I’m also listening to “Wolcum Yule” by the Anonymous 4 and Loreena McKennitt’s “A winter garden.” ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-christmas-cd/277129/28 "2004-11-30T00:54:46Z")
These are great! I am looking for fun. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-christmas-cd/277129/29 "2004-11-30T00:55:17Z")
Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s _The Holly and the Ivy_. And Phil Spector’s _Christmas Gift for You_. I’m eclectic. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-christmas-cd/277129/30 "2004-11-30T00:59:58Z")
There’s a Harry Belafonte Christmas record that my parents have, I love the mans voice. I don’t normally like carols all that much but I like 'em when he sings 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-christmas-cd/277129/31 "2004-11-30T01:19:36Z")
David Benoit’s Christmas album. The one with “Christmas Time Is Here”. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-christmas-cd/277129/32 "2004-11-30T01:20:59Z")
[Manheim Steamroller.](http://www.shop-amgram.com/index2.html) 'nuff said. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-christmas-cd/277129/33 "2004-11-30T01:38:16Z")
Salsoul Orchestra **Christmas Jollies**. That wouldn’t really update you. It’s still one of my favorite Christmas CDs. ---
**Author:** ![todd33rpm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@todd33rpm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/todd33rpm)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-christmas-cd/277129/34 "2004-11-30T10:54:36Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > [The Mighty Tubadours](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00002SFM3/ref=reg_hu-wl_item-added/104-2707698-7102336?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance) Hot dog! I have a very abused copy of their Christmas album on vinyl…so glad to see it made it onto CD (augmented, no less - my album only had 20 songs). Thanks for the link, **Shirley**! [Enchanted Carols: A Feast Of Christmas Music](http://www.anglicanbookcenter.com/books/fullinfo.php3?isbn=X4673) is the one I couldn’t remember. Quite often, the pieces as listed will include segues of the same songs into different formats, so you may here “Hark, The Herald Angels Sing” ---
**Author:** ![todd33rpm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@todd33rpm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/todd33rpm)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-christmas-cd/277129/35 "2004-11-30T10:57:25Z")
(sigh…) Continuing… Quite often, the pieces as listed will include segues of the same songs into different formats, so you may here “Hark, The Herald Angels Sing” as rendered by a street piano, cutting into different versions from different music boxes. Sometimes it’s different music boxes synchronized to play a piece at once. It’s a neat little piece of work, and a great album I come back to a lot. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-christmas-cd/277129/36 "2004-11-30T13:27:52Z")
I love Amy Grant’s CD with “Breath of Heaven” on it. She has another one, but it’s not as good. The reason I like Amy Grant is because she has a lovely voice but her voice doesn’t dominate the recording. She sings them the way you’d hear them in church: softly and humbly. Then there are the singers who use Christmas as just another backdrop for their vocal acrobatics. Mariah and Whitney: If you can scale seven octaves with one word, that’s impressive. And it has its place in pop music. But don’t take a Christmas song about the humble birth of an impoverished child and pretend your version has anything to do with Him when clearly it’s all about YOU. ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-christmas-cd/277129/37 "2004-11-30T15:15:51Z")
I have a fairly good collection ripped by now, latley I’ve been enjoying the Christmas album from [The Barra MacNeils](http://www.barramacneils.com/) . Some other favs include [Loreena McKennitt](http://quinlanroad.com/explorethemusic/wintergarden.asp) (and [here](http://quinlanroad.com/explorethemusic/todrivecoldwinter.asp) ) When it comes to crooners…can’t go wrong with Nat King Cole. ---
**Author:** ![burundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ec8ea/32.png) [@burundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burundi)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-christmas-cd/277129/38 "2004-11-30T16:18:05Z")
**beagledave** , I was just about to recommend Nat King Cole’s _The Christmas Song_. It’s the only Christmas album I really like. I can’t hear his version of “O Holy Night” without tearing up. ---
**Author:** ![pokey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@pokey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pokey)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-christmas-cd/277129/39 "2004-11-30T16:18:38Z")
> [@maisypjh](#): > > My favorite is [Christmas with the Rat Pack](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00006IJWZ/qid%3D1101760422/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/104-2145723-6985549). Most of the songs are classics, there are a couple of hymns, and you can just tell that Dean Martin has the microphone in one hand and a good stiff drink in the other. I almost bought it a couple of weeks ago! Now I really want it. I have Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra doing christmas songs on other compilations but I like it best when Christmas music has a lot of swing. I guess because I have a good stiff drink in the other hand most of the time too. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-christmas-cd/277129/40 "2004-11-30T17:06:54Z")
Based on searching on this board and other boards for holiday music reccomendations, I just created a new Xmas comp CD this week. This is now my favorite Xmas album. 1. Santa Claus is coming to Town – Joseph Spence 2. Oh come, oh come Emmanuel – Pedro the Lion 3. O holy night – Eric Cartman / South Park 4. 'Zat you, Santa Claus? – Louis Armstrong 5. Chistmas (baby please come home) – Death Cab for Cutie 6. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Bright Eyes 7. Carol of the Bells – Mr Mackey / South Park 8. Christmas Wrapping – The Waitresses 9. Gabriel’s Message – Sting 10 Santa Claus has got the AIDS this year – Tiny Tim 10. Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy – David Bowie & Bing Crosby 11. Fairytale of New York – The Pogues 12. Xmas with the Devil – Spinal Tap 13. Dance of the Sugarplum Faries – The Vandals 14. Kidnap the Sandy Claws – from the Nightmare before Xmas 15. Merry Fuckin Christmas – Mr Garrison / South Park 16. Sant Claus is coming to Town – The Jackson 5 17. Heatmiser’s Theme (I’m too Much) – from The year without Xmas 18. Frosty the Snowman Lean Redbone and Dr John 19. Good King Wenceslaus – Butthole Surfers 20. Little Drummer Boy – Low 21. Little Drum Machine Boy – Beck 22. Merry Christmas – Wesley Willis [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-christmas-cd/277129.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-christmas-cd/277129.md?page=3)