It's too early to be PLAYING Christmas music, but it's not too early to be LISTING what we intend to play (so much music, and only 12 days to play it all in...Dec 24th at sundown to January 5th).

Traditional, Classical, Liturgical, Folk, Jazz, Pop, and Wacko...bring it on while there's still time to shop!

I'll start with one of my all time favorites:

http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000003JLM.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_V1124240345_.jpg

Ancient Noels
Ensemble Galilei, Maggie Sansone

http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000DZEL6Q.01-A1L0MYOTMLNE6T._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_V1134936000_.jpg

Mass for Christmas Morning
Michael Preatorius

Gabrieli Consort & Players
Paul McCreesh

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/05/31/e32cb2c008a05e4fc53e3010.L.jpg

Merry Xmas From the Space-Age Bachelor Pad
Esquivel

I already voted in another thread :-)

My faves are:
Bruce Cockburn "Christmas"
"The Life Christmas Record" (ca. 1962; a great variety of uncommon but excellent music on one LP)
"Fred Waring Presents Capitol Christmas Albums 1957" (a promo LP with spoken voice narrations and selected tracks from the then-new "Christmas Around the World" LP series -- this one is great)

Many, many others I like, but I could make due with those three. No "Santa Claus is Comin' " schmalz on these three, either! (EDIT: well, OK, a little on side 2 of the Fred Waring...)

Vince Guaraldi, Charlie Brown Christmas
The Roches, We Three Kings
Harry Simone Chorale, The Little Drummer Boy
Arthur Fiedler/Boston Pops, A Christmas Festival

I got nothing here. I wish Johnny Dowd would write a Christmas album.

http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/P/B00000452E.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_V1115633809_.jpg

A Tapestry of Carols
The Carnival Band with Maddy Prior

Vince Guaraldi, Charlie Brown Christmas

That is a favorite of mine as well.

I also like the albums done by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra:

Christmas Eve And Other Stories
The Christmas Attic
The Lost Christmas Eve

Vince Guaraldi, Charlie Brown Christmas


There was a nice piece about that on Morning Edition today on NPR. (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6545283)

Dean Martin - Holiday Cheer

Baby It's Cold Outside is one of my wife's and my favorites.


Tony Mottola - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas


The Pogues (with Kirsty McCall) - Fairytale of New York

Vince G., all the usual Bing and Frank, and:

Ringo Starr - I wanna be Santa Claus
Barenaked Ladies - Barenaked for the Holidays
John Denver & The Muppets - A Christmas Together

(No Neil Diamond - All Neil Diamond Christmas Albums are BANNED!)

i would have to vote for vince guaraldi also. luv the charlie brown christmas album.

diana krall's christmas album isn't bad either for new stuff..

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B00004W579.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_V1116084789_.jpg

The New Possibility: John Fahey's Guitar Soli Christmas Album

:yes:

Elvis-Christmas Album is one of my favorites especially Santa Clause is Back in town

http://www.cdconnection.com/covers/470839.jpg

Wassail! Wassail!
The Revels
John Langstaff, dir.

...one of the few recordings that actually impacted my life in a profound way.

http://cover6.cduniverse.com/MuzeAudioArt/050/50936.jpg

An American Christmas
Boston Camerata
Joel Cohen, dir,


...and really the entire series of Christmas music CDs from Cohen and the Boston Camerata, from Medieval to the Renaissance.

Looks like pmsummer has the corner on the (admittedly small) market that get my attention.

All the Mannheim steamroller christmas cds have been playing 24/7 on my 540d.:music:

Looks like pmsummer has the corner on the (admittedly small) market that get my attention.

I've noticed our playlists tend to have some overlap. ;)

Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics

And no, I am not posting the cover. It's a turd.

Ooh, I forgot my other favorite: "Christmas Classics for Guitar" by SF Bay area guitarist Stevan Pasero. It's a little gimmicky (some double-tracked acoustic guitar, at least I think so!) but some virtuoso guitar and some fresh, slightly "new-agey"/"Windham Hill-y" arrangements of some great music. It's available here and there on CD on some bargain-basement label (SUGO).

Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics

And no, I am not posting the cover. It's a turd.

Pleeeeease?

Sounds of the Season and Sounds of the Season II, both by Maggie Sansone, a Maryland-based hammered dulcimer player. Not a vocal to be had, and quite lovely all around.

I just ordered the new Blackmore's Night Winter Carols (http://www.amazon.com/Winter-Carols-Blackmores-Night/dp/B000JBXOHG/sr=8-1/qid=1164773085/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-0177683-9170543?ie=UTF8&s=music) CD. This should be great in their renaissance folk rock style and Candice's wonderful singing. :music:
Cantate Domino (http://www.amazon.com/Cantate-Domino-Oscars-Motet-Choir/dp/B0000E64YT/sr=8-1/qid=1164773440/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-0177683-9170543?ie=UTF8&s=music) is wonderful and easily found these days. I bought mine years ago and it was only at UHF magazine in redbook on this continent.

Carl

I need to see if I can find this:

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000004B5E.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_V1115590251_.jpg

I definitely need to hear this:

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000B66PR0.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_V1127520030_.jpg

And I actually heard and got this one:

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B00006JY97.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_V1116548876_.jpg

(kind of loungey electronica techno)

There's also an acid one I like -- it's the kind of thing you hear coming out of cars with their bass turned up too much.Pleeeeease?Well, okay, just for you, since you asked nicely, but I'm going to make it a link: cover (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000034DII/ref=dp_image_0/103-7030242-0028667?ie=UTF8&n=5174&s=music).

Do not click unless you want to see poo!

On the main system: Mannheim Steamroller.

On the 1953 Seeburg:

Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt
White Christmas - Clyde McPhatter
Silent night - Huey Piano Smith (Up-tempo doo-wop, awesome!) :banana:
Winter Wonderland - The Ventures
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - The Cadillacs

James Taylor's got a good one. If he's your thing that is...

Well, okay, just for you, since you asked nicely, but I'm going to make it a link: cover (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000034DII/ref=dp_image_0/103-7030242-0028667?ie=UTF8&n=5174&s=music).

Do not click unless you want to see poo!

LOL! I thought you were using a figure of speech!

(That's kind of how I feel about most "Holiday" music.)

There was a nice piece about that on Morning Edition today on NPR. (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6545283)

I heard it; the segment is available on their website, as are a number of other pieces about both the music and the animated feature.

While researching some of the recordings on other people's lists, I found this review (I won't say of which album), but I thought it was pretty funny in a curmudgeonly way.

This is the worst kind of holiday music: uninspired, masquerading as good musicianship and a blatant attempt to cash in on the downtempo trend. I'd settle for bass lines that actually go with the chord changes. A bright-eyed clerk assured me it was "probably the best new holiday CD this year." It's definitely not. Skip this and buy something good. Wish I had been able to listen before buying. I'm hanging my copy under the bird feeder to frighten off the squirrels.


:)

I'm surprised that nobody has so far mentioned the holiday perennial: "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas", by Burl Ives.

Not your cup of tea? Well, how about "What Child Is This Here?" by Garth Brooks.

OK, I made up the one about Garth.

Seriously, I am going to get the new James Taylor one. That guy's voice and style has improved with age.

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the "Very Special Christmas" series which I think is up to about six different ones. My favorite is still the first one and my favorite cut on that particular one is "Silent Night" by Stevie Nicks.

I've got a few favorites:

Blind Boys of Alabama - Go Tell It On The Mountain

1. Last Month Of The Year
2. I Pray On Christmas
3. Go Tell It On The Mountain
4. Little Drummer Boy
5. In The Bleak Midwinter
6. Joy To The World
7. Born In Bethlehem
8. The Christmas Song
9. Away In A Manger
10. Oh Come All Ye Faithful
11. White Christmas
12. Silent Night
13. My Lord What A Morning

Maybe This Christmas (Compilation)
1. Winter Wonderland - Phantom Planet
2. Maybe This Christmas - Ron Sexsmith
3. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Coldplay
4. Green Sleeves - Vanessa Carlton
5. Blue Christmas - Bright Eyes
6. Happy Christmas (War Is Over) - Sense Field
7. 12/23/95 - Jimmy Eat World
8. Rudolph - Jack Johnson
9. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Barenaked Ladies with Sarah McLachlan
10. Bizarre Christmas Incident - Ben Folds
11. What a Year for a New Year - Dan Wilson
12. Sweet Secret - Neil Finn
13. Snow - Loreena McKennitt


Jethro Tull Christmas Album
1. Birthday Card at Christmas
2. Holly Herald (Instrumental)
3. A Christmas Song
4. Another Christmas Song
5. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Instrumental)
6. Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow
7. Last Man at the Party
8. Weathercock
9. Pavane (Instrumental)
10. First Snow on Brooklyn
11. Greensleeved (Instrumental)
12. Fire at Midnight
13. We Five Kings (Instrumental)
14. Ring Out Solstice Bells
15. Bourie (Instrumental)
16. A Winter Snowscape (Instrumental)

Charlie Daniels - Christmas Time Down South
1. Christmas Time Down South
2. Hallelujah
3. Little Folks
4. Carolina I Hear You Calling
5. My Christmas Love Song to You
6. Mississippi Christmas Eve
7. Jesus Is the Light of the World
8. Cowboy's Christmas Gift
9. Carolina (I Remember You)
10. Christmas Song

Alligator Records Christmas Collection
1. Merry, Merry Christmas - Koko Taylor
2. Christmas Time In The Country - Kenny Neal
3. I'm Your Santa - Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials
4. Deck The Halls With Boogie Woogie - Katie Webster
5. Please Let Me Be Your Santa Claus - William Clarke
6. Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin' - Tinsley Ellis
7. Boogie Woogie Santa Claus - Charles Brown
8. Lonesome Christmas - Son Seals
9. Christmas On The Bayou - Lonnie Brooks
10. Santa Claus - Little Charlie & The Nightcats
11. The Little Drummer Boy - Elvin Bishop
12. One Parent Christmas - Saffire-The Uppity Blues Women
13. Christmas - Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown
14. Silent Night - Charlie Musselwhite

JD

http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/P/B00006JJ4T.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_V1125341971_.jpg

The John Rutter Christmas Album
Cambridge Singers
City of London Sinfonia
John Rutter, dir.

Collegium

Won on ebay yesterday, can't wait for it to get here:
http://www.artistdirect.com/Images/Sources/AMGCOVERS/music/cover200/dre300/e358/e35862cintm.jpg

Other favs:
George Winston - "December" (I know it's not a Christmas album, but it feels right)
Nat King Cole - "The Christmas Song" One of the greatest Christmas albums
Trans Siberian Orch - All of their Christmas albums.
Dino, Sinatra, Bing, etc - Various CDs.

I used to work at a record store that forced us to listen to holiday music exclusively through the month of December, as if working retail through Christmas wasn't bad enough.

My favorite in-store was always the Jingle Cats' "Meowy Christmas." Nothing cleared out the store faster come closing time. It pretty much served as the Christmas equivalent of the Louvin Brothers' "Satan Is Real" (and I really love that album).

If playing it wasn't enough, passionately singing along usually did the trick.

We try to add at least one new Christmas disc to the collection each year. This year, Sarah McLachlan's new one got the nod...quite nice. Last year, it was Ms. Krall's turn...yummy. A few others from the "Christmas Crate":
"Snowbound"...Fourplay. Picked it up for a quarter at a garage sale...one of the best quarters I've ever spent. I was thinking "Snowfall" when I picked it up...then realized it was a version of the Donald Fagen song from "Kamakiriad". Fits perfectly.
"A Christmas Album"..Kenny Rankin Not common...spendy...but worth it.
"This Christmas"..Ann Hampton Callaway Let's mix up a pitcher or two of martinis, hmm?
"New Age of Christmas"...Danny Gottleib/Pete Levin. Another garage sale find. Don't let the title put you off...no "new age" noodling here...pretty straightforward jazz with some interesting arrangements.
"Ella Wishes you a Swinging Christmas"...nuff said.
"The Christmas Album"..Manhattan Transfer. More Martini Magic.
"A Nancy Wilson Christmas"..Ms Wilson is in fine voice.
And...just for fun: "Christmas Island"..Leon Redbone
I think I might break down and take the plunge on Holly Cole's Christmas CD, too...love her.

http://www.clare.cam.ac.uk/images/choir/illumina.jpg

Illumina
Choir of Clare College Cambridge
Timothy Brown, dir.

Collegium

An exploration of the theme of light down the ages (Advent is the season of waiting for the light): includes music by Hildegard of Bingen, Josquin, Byrd, Palestrina, Rachmaninov, Holst and Ligeti.

http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000HLDF0O.01._SS400_SCLZZZZZZZ_V38618716_.jpg

Songs for Christmas
Sufjan Stevens

5-CD set

Here's an NPR list of Christmas Music (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6527454) that includes the above Sufjan Stevens set.

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/7504/pc0200012fd7.jpg

Gregorian Chant: The Responsoria of Matins at Christmas
Schola des Klosters Montsterrat
Pater Gregori Estrada, dir.

Archiv

Is that a Miracord 10 TT or Radio Shack, It Looks good. I have a Miracord 50H that I love!

Is that a Miracord 10 TT or Radio Shack, It Looks good. I have a Miracord 50H that I love!

40A. I love it. Really sounds sweet (which may also have something to do with the AR-3a and MAC-4100 kit it's part of).

http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/4088/miracorddt2.jpg

fdrennen,

Your sig reminded me of another album I play for Christmas. Really. And on Good Friday.

http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/P/B00007E8SW.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_V1113438041_.jpg

John Coltrane
A Love Supreme

http://our.homewithgod.com/fdrennen/africa.jpgDon't forget Africa Brass! Grrensleeves !!

http://our.homewithgod.com/fdrennen/29_1_b.jpg

This is one that I picked up at the good will a couple of years ago.

Here's one from Sarah McLachlan that's just awesome:

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000HBKCDC.01._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_V36421105_.jpg

Diana Krall even joins her for the last song on the CD. If you don't have this one yet, go get it, you won't be disappointed.



Retro

Whoa. Nice cover. Wonder if it's out on vinyl (larger pic!)...
Just in the name of holiday tradition, I put my daughter to bed with the Johnny Mathis "Merry Christmas" album. We wore one out when I was a kid-that and a sampler from the Grant's department store. Wish I could find that one again..
Pete Seeger's "Traditional Christmas Carols" is a more recent find.
Or the one on the radio a few years ago to "Feliz Navidad";
Po-lice stop my car
Po-lice stop my car
Po-lice stop my car, they say "hey honcho pu-leeze geddout".
Or something along those lines.
Dan

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000003CZG.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_V1115793285_.jpg

Prayer of St. Gregory (interlude from opera "Etchmiadzin"), for trumpet & string orchestra, Op. 62b (arranged for organ and trumpet)
Composed by Alan Hovhaness
with Michael Murray, organ; Rolf Smedvig, trumpet

Telarc

Gregory means "The Watchman", as in one who keeps watch. In the Orthodox view, Gregory watches for the return of the Christ. Appropriate for the season of Advent.

Damn fine recording, too.

ooh, "Music to Trim Your Tree By" is an old favorite at my house! RCA put out a bunch of records like that one year (mid-60's?). My father got a bunch of them from his RCA parts distributor. At this point, I have the original records as well as cassette and VHS HiFi dubs that I made when my parents still had the LP's.

ooh, "Music to Trim Your Tree By" is an old favorite at my house! RCA put out a bunch of records like that one year (mid-60's?). My father got a bunch of them from his RCA parts distributor. At this point, I have the original records as well as cassette and VHS HiFi dubs that I made when my parents still had the LP's.
I got that one at the goodwill for $! in great shape!

George Winston - December
Vince Guaraldi - A Charlie Brown Christmas
Bruce Cockburn - Christmas
Charlie Byrd Christmas Album

All on vinyl except the Bruce Cockburn - anyone know if it was ever released in LP format?

http://our.homewithgod.com/fdrennen/Christmas_WCC_Choir_lores.jpg
Christmas with The Westminster Choir
Conductor: Joseph Flummerfelt
Organist: Daniel Beckwith
Ensembles: Westminster Choir;
Members of the Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia
Label: Gothic Records, Inc. – G49047
Audio CD (re-released 1991)

1. O Come All Ye Faithful (2:30)
2. The First Nowell (1:40)
3. O Come Emmanuel (1:33)
4. Of The Father’s Love Begotten (1:58)
5. A Boy Was Born-Britten (2:02)
6. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (2:35)
7. I Wonder As I Wander (3:21)
8. Angels We Have Heard (2:23)
9. We Three Kings (2:09)
10. Away In A Manger (1:53)
11.Silent Night (2:38)
12. Deck The Halls (1:16)
13. Joy To The World (1:28)
14. Break Forth, O Beauteous (1:06)
15. Sleepers, Awake (1:43)
16. Lo, How A Rose (2:29)
17. Carol of the Bells (1:33)
18. O Come Little Children (2:13)
19. From Heaven Above (1:39)
20. Bring A Torch, Jeannette, Isabella (1:22)
21. Coventry Carol (2:54)
22. While By My Sheep (1:26)
23. What Is This Fragrance? (2:48)
24. Masters In This Hall (1:45) 25. The Holly And The Ivy (1:32)
26. Go Tell It On The Mountain (1:55)
27. The Twelve Days Of Christmas (3:50)

40A. I love it. Really sounds sweet (which may also have something to do with the AR-3a and MAC-4100 kit it's part of).

http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/4088/miracorddt2.jpg

your post has made me spend the last two days working on my 50H I swaped the Shure 92E for an old M75ECS using a v15 type III stylus, the body of the M75 is more narrow than the V15 I am using one of those small rubber bands my wife uses on her hair to hold it to the body, I have used it with the 92E also it sounds better and tracks better too!

PS you have to remove the stylus guard to make this work.

I have just finished listening to Frank's D minor symphony LSC 2514
And now I am listening to a six eye Brahms concerto Great sound!

There are some fine, less-heard pieces on the track list fdrennen put up.
Personal faves include:
Break Forth, O Beauteuous Heavenly Light (ahh, Bach...)
Sleepers Awake (Wachet auf, ditto)
Masters in the Hall
The Holly and the Ivy
I Wonder as I Wander (an Appalachian tune, IIRC)
Coventry Carol
Of the Father's Love Begotten (ancient, plainsong)\
Lo How a Rose E're Blooming (I am a sucker for those German Christmas tunes!)

1. Schizophrenia --- Do You Hear What I Hear?


2. Multiple Personality Disorder --- We Three Kings Disoriented Are


3. Dementia --- I Think I'll be Home for Christmas


4. Narcissistic --- Hark the Herald Angels Sing About Me


5. Manic --- Deck the Halls and Walls and House and Lawn and Streets and Stores and Office and Town and Cars and Buses and Trucks and Trees and.....

6. Paranoid --- Santa Claus is Coming to Town to Get Me


7. Borderline Personality Disorder --- Thoughts of Roasting on an Open Fire


8. Personality Disorder --- You Better Watch Out, I'm Gonna Cry, I'm Gonna Pout, Maybe I'll Tell You Why


9. Attention Deficit Disorder --- Silent night, Holy oooh look at the froggy - can I have a chocolate, why is France so far away?

10. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder --Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle, Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells ....

Just completed the change in our LP display to albums of the season. Two of our favorites are the Phil Spector "A Christmas Gift for You" and the Jimi Hendrix.

The Jimi album was a promotional LP with only three cuts: The Little Drummer Boy, Silent Night & Auld Lang Syne. According to the album in the fall of 1969, while warming up for a session with Buddy Miles and Billy Cox, Jimi broke into a spontaneous "Little Drummer Boy" and the others joined in. It resulted in a jam producing these three cuts.

The versions are vintage Hendrix.

Terry

Arlo Guthrie-The Pause Of MR. Clause.

Other than that my list of prefered Christmas music is as follows:

Here's a cassette and CD I picked up at the thrifts during this past year. Unusual. Both are still sealed and, so far, I haven't opened and played them. Hard for me to imagine anyone playing Christmas Carols on power tools.:music:

Terry

Man, I want Toolbox Christmas!

Man, I want Toolbox Christmas! :thmbsp:

Here's one from Sarah McLachlan that's just awesome:

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000HBKCDC.01._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_V36421105_.jpg

Diana Krall even joins her for the last song on the CD. If you don't have this one yet, go get it, you won't be disappointed.
Aha! I wondered if this was any good. I'm a fan of hers anyway, but it's good to hear a recommendation! Thanx, Retro!

Myself, I'm a tradtional organ and hymn type, except for a few singles I haven't seen mentioned yet:
Amy Grant - Breath Of Heaven
Mariah Carey - O Holy Night (heck, anyone could sing O Holy Night and I'd love it...)
Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You
The Waitresses - (I forget the title)

Anyone plays "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" gets it right between the eyes. If I can go a Christmas season without hearing that POS I'm a happy man. :uzi: So far, it's been two years straight; going for a third!

The Waitresses - (I forget the title)Christmas Wrapping. Just great, one of those classic story songs like "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" or Police's "Message in a Bottle".

All of the James Brown xmas songs, 'specially "let's make christmas mean something this year."

I am listening to "Lessons and Carols from St. Thomas'" a LP from 1976, I finally got my Miracord set up. I was having trouble aligning my shure M75ECS so I had a Stanton 500 (Original) with a couple of stylus options and I am again enjoying the analog sounds of the season!

Merry Axemas - A Guitar Christmas

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k199/Urizen_2006/merryaxemas.jpg

1. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer - Kenny Wayne Shepherd
2. The First Nowell - Eric Johnson
3. Amazing Grace - Jeff Beck
4. Jingle Bells - Brian Setzer Orchestra
5. Silent Night/Holy Night Jam - Joe Satriani
6. Joy To The World - Steve Morse
7. Christmas Time Is Here - Steve Vai
8. Blue Christmas - Joe Perry
9. The Little Drummer Boy - Alex Lifeson
10. Cantique De Noel (O' Holy Night) - Richie Sambora
11. Happy X-mas (War Is Over) - Hotei

We have also been enjoying Trans-Siberian Orchestra's "Christmas Eve and Other Stories" and "The Lost Christmas Eve".

Mercy Me - The Christmas Sessions
Intelligently arranged, upbeat album.
My favorite Christmas album by far.
MUST be played loud.:yes:
Hard to explain but it's a moving album.

Anyone heard Cece Wynans sing Oh Holy Night in person? :thmbsp:

Merry Axemen Vol. 1 & 2
Ho Ho Hoey
Greg Lake I Believe In Father Christmas

Sorry, it is Merry Axemas not Axemen

http://our.homewithgod.com/fdrennen/226.jpg

Christmas Carols around the world Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Rhino's "Rockin' Christmas The 60's" is good, i have it on vinyl. Also have the 50's in the same series, and "Cool Yule".
Also the "Elf" soundtrack is lots of fun.

Jon Anderson of Yes has a great sounding Xmas album titled We Three Ships.

http://images.overstock.com/f/102/3117/8h/www.overstock.com/images/products//muze/music/268987.jpg

Hot Jazz for a Cool Yule
Jim Cullum Jazz Band


This looks promising! :thmbsp:

I’m a bit surprised that no one has mentioned this previously, but many will recall that Goodyear (yes, the tire company) offered an annual Christmas music album starting in the early 60s. You’ve probably seen scores of the various yearly productions at thrift stores, but one in particular stands out for me as the epitome of Christmas listening: Great Songs of Christmas, album 5, 1966. This eclectic mix of famous artists is incomparable. A couple of years ago my brother got this LP in good condition and transferred it to CD. Talk about memories! After an absence of a few decades, it’s back and once again helping create the Christmas spirit for my family and me.

I can almost hear the distinctive "boomy" sound of my parent's Motorola console in the living room: why, it’s 1967 and Steve & Edie are singing "Sleigh Ride" . . .

I’m surprised no one has mentioned this previously, but many will recall that Goodyear (yes, the tire company) offered an annual Christmas album each year starting in the early 60s. You’ve probably seen the various years by the score at thrift stores, but one in particular stands out as the very epitome of Christmas listening: Great Songs of Christmas, album 5, 1966. This eclectic mix of famous artists is incomparable. A couple of years ago my brother got this LP in good condition and transferred it to CD. Talk about memories. After an absence of a few decades, it’s back and once again setting the standard for Christmas music for my family and me.

I can almost hear the distinctive "boomy" sound of my parent's Motorola console in the living room: why, it’s 1967 and Steve & Edie are singing "Sleigh Ride" . . .
Funny you should mention that--when I was a kid (early 70's) we had a compilation album like that which came from Grant's department store and was my favorite for years-yeah, Goulet, Nabors, Day, etc. Anyway, it's 20 years gone and last week in one of my vinyl haunts I found a mint copy, complete with Grant's "hi-fi" sales propoganda inside. One buck. Been playing it all weekend. I mean, Johnny Mathis INVENTED "Winter Wonderland" for me, ok? Have also replaced copies we once had of Mathis' Christmas album (with the skis) and the Bing album.
Today I found a BF Goodrich (guess they were in on it too) "For a Musical Merry Christmas" album on RCA, 1964. Bought that for a buck too. I see the Goodyears from time to time, but I try to avoid Christmas records unless it's this time of year and then I feel kinda sorry for them...
Dan