Home for Christmas

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Christmas albums by opera divas hardly make an exalted genre. Usually they involve overblown arrangements, hackneyed material, and singers sight-reading music they don't particularly like and making lame attempts at singing in English. With all her integrity, Anne Sofie von Otter would never do such a thing, and she hasn't here. This disc is a personal, eclectic mix, with the mezzo-soprano sounding sincere and approachable by sticking to the lower end of her range using small-ensemble arrangements you might hear in an evening sitting around the fire. In fact, rarely has Otter sung with such warmth as in Pereic Moraeus's "Koppangen," accompanied by accordion, guitar, violin, and mandolin. Not only is her English good but she seems to connect with the language emotionally. Amid the cozy, jazzy renditions of "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" and "Silent Night," there are a few lapses into eccentricity, such as an atonal string ensemble arrangement of "White Christmas" that easily could've been done by Alban Berg, and some Nordic-language forays in which Otter seems to be getting in touch with her primitivistic Viking roots. With good taste displayed elsewhere, she's allowed. --David Patrick Stearns

Tracks:

Fanfare Alleluia/Praise To The Lord, The Almighty
Come, Thou Fount Of Every Blessing
This Is My Father's World
Hallelujah Corus
Fugue In C Major
Come, Come, Ye Saints
O Home Beloved
Come Let Us Anew
Bound For The Promised Land
Shenandoah
Cindy
Danny Boy
Climb Ev'ry Mountain
Battle Hymn Of The Republic
Praise TO The Lord, The Almighty (Reprise)
God Be With You Till We Meet Again

Customer Reviews:

Perfect starter CD!.......2005-02-12

I'm surprised that no one has reviewed this CD yet. Released in conjuction with the Nationally-released PBS documentary "America's Choir" - this album is a perfect starting place for people who wish to have a sampler of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Serving as both a latter-day "greatest hits" and a stand alone album, this CD gathers six tracks from the Choir's recently released albums "Consider The Lilies," "Spirit Of America" and "Peace Like A River" and adds TEN brand new tracks recorded specially for this project, creating a perfect sampler of both the Choir's magnificent history and it's current sound. It highlights the strengths of the Choir's repetoire, from well-known hymns ("Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing") to patriotic standards ("Battle Hymn Of The Republic") to folk songs ("Shenandoah," "Bound For The Promised Land") and even some surprises, like the traditional Welsh anthem "O Home Beloved" and the "Fugue In C Major (Jig)" for organ and orchestra. A wonderful, wonderful CD, with startling changes in mood and tempo, but with the unifying artistry of the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Sqare.

Average customer rating:

wonderful holiday album to add to your collection!
My favorite Christmas album!!
A Christmas Treasure
Best Christmas Album
Not Just For Amy Grant Fans

Home for Christmas
Amy Grant
Manufacturer: Word Entertainment
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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A Christmas Album
A Christmas to Remember
Christmas Portrait
Breath Of Heaven: A Christmas Collection
Greatest Hits 1986-2004

ASIN: B00002MY8L
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Tracks:

Have Yourself A Mery Little Christmas
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
Joy To The World/For Unto Us A Child Is Born
Breath Of Heaven (Mary's Song)
O'Come All Ye Faithful
Grown Up Christmas List
Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree
Winter Wonderland
I'll Be Home For Christmas
The Night Before Christmas
Emmanuel, God With Us
Jesus, Joy Of Man's Desiring

Customer Reviews:

wonderful holiday album to add to your collection!.......2006-12-31

I own all of Amy Grant's Christmas albums, but I think this one is my favorite. My favorite song is "Emmanuel (God With Us)" and then "Breath of Heaven." Wonderful lyrics, beautiful arrangements of the songs... an all-around FANTASTIC album. I highly recommend it! :-)

My favorite Christmas album!!.......2006-12-08

I love this CD!! I have to listen to it every Christmas. Amy Grant puts a new spin on some old favorites and brought to life some new songs that I love. "Mary's Song" is probably my most favorite song on the whole disk, but I just love it and would recommend it to anyone and everyone!!

A Christmas Treasure.......2006-11-19

This collection is a rare gift to listeners..when this album first came out, on a tape, I played it Christmas morning as my son came down to open his presents. That was many years ago. Now,as a teenager, he asks us to put on this cd, before he comes into the living room. This from a guy who is definitely not a country fan. In our home, it is simply not Christmas without this cd. It is a gentle, beautiful Christmas collection every family will treasure because Amy Grant shines and makes every song her own. Our family has gone through two tape version and about two CD copies..I am now ordering another one!!

Best Christmas Album.......2006-11-11

I have about 20 Christmas albums in my CD collection and none comes close to this one by Amy Grant. The ONE holiday album that my family requests each and every holiday season.

Not Just For Amy Grant Fans.......2006-09-16

I'm pretty finicky about Christmas albums. I hate most of them. This one is probably in my top 5, and I'm not even much of an Amy Grant fan. It's one of those extremely rare Christmas albums by a popular artist that actually sounds like Christmas. The arrangements are very traditional without being boring, and even the nontraditional songs fit in very well and aren't too "pop-y". Amy Grant's voice is perfectly suited to this kind of music and she knows how to sing a wonderful song and just let its natural beauty speak for itself. I shudder to think of this same set of songs mutilated by Christina Aguilera's relentless moans and gratuitous runs.

The bottom line: you could put this CD on in July and it would bring visions of snowy lamp-lit streets, sleigh rides, mall Santas, manger scenes, and people being inexplicably kind to one another. And that's the way it should be. I'm talking to you, Ms. Aguilera.

Average customer rating:

Only half the songs of the original set!!
Its all Christmas
A Good Basic Collection
cd reviews
Poor Quality

The Time-Life Treasury of Christmas

Manufacturer: Time Life Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Time-Life Music: Treasury of Christmas - Holiday Memories
Ultimate Christmas
A Christmas Festival
Now That's What I Call Christmas!
Now That's What I Call Christmas! The Signature Collection

ASIN: B00005NOZH
Release Date: 2001-09-11

Tracks:

Home For The Holidays - Perry Como
White Christmas - Bing Crosby
Jingle Bells - Ella Fitzgerald
Do You Hear What I Hear? - Andy Williams
Carol Of The Bells/Deck The Halls - The Robert Shaw Chorale
I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day - Harry Belafonte
Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley
My Favorite Things - Eddie Fisher
Joy To The World - Julie Andrews
Here We Come A-Caroling - The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
March Of The Toys - The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra
O Holy Night - Luciano Pavarotti

Tracks:

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer - Gene Autry
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year - Andy Williams
The Twelve Days Of Christmas - Roger Whittaker
Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy - The Boston Pops Orchestra
Mary's Boy Child - Harry Belafonte
I'll Be Home For Christmas - Elvis Presley
Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
Sleigh Ride - Johnny Mathis
Tennessee Christmas - Alabama
Baby's First Christmas - Connie Francis
The Little Drummer Boy - Harry Simeone Chorale
Auld Lang Syne - Guy Lombardo

Customer Reviews:

Only half the songs of the original set!!.......2007-01-17

Although I love the CDs, I was disappointed that there were only about half of the songs I thought there would be. I bought the original double cassette set back in the early 90's and when I found the CDs with the same name and cover, I thought I was getting the same thing only on CD. But the Cassettes had twice as many songs, including Let it Snow,Have Yourself a merry Little Christmas,The First Noel, Jingle Bells by Jim Reeves, The Christmas song by the Carpenters and so many others!!

Its all Christmas.......2007-01-09

It reminded me of Christmas as a child. I played this all throughout the holidays.

A Good Basic Collection.......2006-02-11

This is a good, basic collection of Christmas Music. As a general rule, Time-Life has selected what is probably the definative artist/arangement of each song.

My only complaints are that there are only 24 songs on two disks and one or two of them are not ones that I would have picked (not my style).

Overall, it's a good set that I would recommend to anyone who wants to start a collection.

cd reviews.......2006-01-15

this cd was very good, much recommended

Poor Quality.......2005-12-05

The only good thing about this collection is the inclusion of so many Christmas standards. I was very disappointed in the quality of the recordings, they obviously need digital inhancement.

Average customer rating:

Outstanding!
Johnny's "Lost in Soundtrack"
Excellent Mix of Jazz and Emotion
John Williams, Film Scores and Jazz all done to Perfection.
A Great "Catch"

Catch Me If You Can
John Williams
Manufacturer: Dreamworks
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Terminal (Score)
A.I. - Artificial Intelligence: Original Motion Picture Score
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War of the Worlds

ASIN: B00007BKUE
Release Date: 2002-12-10

Tracks:

Catch Me If You Can
The Float
Come Fly With Me - Frank Sinatra
Recollections (The Father's Theme)
The Airport Scene
The Girl From Ipanema -Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto feat. Antonio Carlos Jobim
Learning The Ropes
Father And Son
Embraceable You - Judy Garland
The Flash Comics Clue
Deadheading
The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole
A Broken Home
Doctor, Lawyer, Lutheran
The Look Of Love - Dusty Springfield
Catch Me If You Can (Reprise and End Credits)

Amazon.com

Steven Spielberg veered from the futuristic sci-fi flirtations of A.I. and Minority Report with this brisk, stylish period take on the career of teen con-man extraordinaire Frank Abagnale (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his dogged G-man pursuer/de facto extended family member Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks). As always, the director's musical collaborator is John Williams, and the scoring legend uses the occasion of their 20th collaboration as a rewarding musical journey back to the days when he was known as Johnny Williams, ambitious young pianist for Henry Mancini on such early jazz scores as Peter Gunn. Informed by a half-century of subsequent achievement, Williams's return to the jazz idiom of his youth yields a smart, nervous score that evokes more than mere nostalgia. But with Dan Higgins's moody sax often leading the way, the veteran composer's work here seems more evocative reinvention than revisitation, yet another tribute to his uncanny ability to make any idiom his own. A handful of pop standards (including Sinatra's "Come Fly with Me," Getz and Gilberto's "Girl from Ipanema," "The Christmas Song" by Nat "King" Cole) deftly color both period and plot, but, as always, it's Williams who provides Spielberg's masterful imagery with its musical life's blood. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding!.......2007-04-04

John Williams does it again! This man is the best composer I have ever heard! The music fits the scenes in the movies so unblievably well that you will wonder how one man was creative enough to think of it!

Johnny's "Lost in Soundtrack".......2006-08-25

The opening theme is the coolest ever. It has that jazzy, suspenseful, space-age groove that takes you back to the early 60's era portrayed in the movie.

Once I discovered it was done by John Williams, things started to click. The arrangement and themes actually go back way before he was famous. Back to an era he may not want you to remember. Back when he was known simply as "Johnny" Williams.

First, notice the melody and pace of the creeping marimbas and bubbling flutes. Next, catch a repeat of the old Sci-Fi, TV Fairy-Tale known as "LOST IN SPACE." Listen for the incidental, suspense-scene music throughout. Did you catch the composer's name in the credits?

Bingo!(and still very cool)!

Excellent Mix of Jazz and Emotion.......2006-02-20

This is brilliant. You will have this theme ringing in your ears for a month after listening. I have collected around 25 to 30 J. Williams scores. This is wonderful like the rest...

John Williams, Film Scores and Jazz all done to Perfection........2004-10-15

I loved the movie and now the music. I think it is one of the most original soundtracks that John Williams has ever done. The Jazz in this music is so peaceful and lighthearted. This soundtrack should be on any music lovers shelf. In my book, this music is a classic film score.

A Great "Catch".......2004-10-04

Steven Spielberg's 2002 film CATCH ME IF YOU CAN was a breezy crime caper movie based on the true-life story of Frank Abagnale, a real "phony" who nevertheless embarked on a three-year spree of writing bum checks adding up to millions during the 1960s. To capture that era's swinging mores, he had his great friend John Williams design one of that composer's quirkiest scores ever--very jazzy and redolent of the scores Henry Mancini devised for the "Pink Panther" films and Stanley Donen's 1963 classic CHARADE.

But for Williams, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN was very much a homecoming, as he started out in jazz and even worked quite closely with Mancini early on in Hollywood. The genuine jauntiness and mystery of the film's main musical motifs are balanced by moments of warm but not mushy sentimentality, and hit songs of that period by Frank Sinatra, Stan Getz, and Dusty Springfield round out this appealing collection.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN was such an offbeat project for a composer and a director known for boldness, but it served as a challenge that Spielberg aced on the screen and Williams aced in his music. It is highly recommended for its sheer audacity in going back to the past and still remaining relevant to today.

Average customer rating:

First Christmas Album I bought for myself
wonderful
Wonderfully Different & Addicting! And All Your Friends Will Be Calling HOO-HOO!
Wonderful and funny compilation
A historical meeting...

The Three Tenors Christmas
Pavarotti , Domingo , and Carreras
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Best of the Three Tenors
Carreras · Domingo · Pavarotti ~ the three tenors in concert / Mehta
The 3 Tenors in Concert 1994
O Holy Night / Luciano Pavarotti / Special Deluxe Edition (Decca)
#1 Christmas Album

ASIN: B00004YB9Y
Release Date: 2000-10-31

Tracks:

Cantique de Noel (O Holy Night)
Adeste Fideles
Ave Maria, Dolce Maria
Wiegenlied
Oh Tannenbaum
Tu Scendi dalle Stelle
Amazing Grace
White Christmas
Dormi O Bambino
Silent Night
Pregarla (El Can de L'Anima a La Verge)
Susani
Happy Christmas/War is Over
Wiegenlied
Carol of the Drum (The Little Drummer Boy)
La Virgen Lava Paqales
I'll Be Home for Christmas
Sleigh Ride
Winter Wonderland
Un Nuevo Siglo
Feliz Navidad

Amazon.com

Resplendent in voice and manner, José Carreras, Placido Domingo, and Luciano Pavarotti deliver 21 songs of traditional sacred music and secular numbers in a remarkable 1999 live recording from the opulent Viennese concert hall (Konzerthaus), with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and a renowned choir. The Three Tenors are practically as famous as the faces of Mount Rushmore and inspire perhaps even more awe and adulation around the world than the four presidents. The performances--whether alone, in tandem, or simply as the threesome that has made them collectively famous--are generally impeccable for their passion, nuance, and sheer tour de force vocal artistry. Reaching often into the classical realm for such works as the traditional German carol "Susani," Strauss's and Brahms's "Wiegenlied," plus traditional Polish and Spanish pieces, the trio also visits Pavarotti's "Ave Maria, dolce Maria" (cowritten with Vittoriano Benvenuti), and "Un nuevo siglo," written by Domingo's son. Only John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Happy Christmas/War Is Over" doesn't quite work in this grand setting. --Martin Keller

Customer Reviews:

First Christmas Album I bought for myself.......2007-01-16

Album is great. For any other holiday music, just listen to your local radio station that plays it during December.

wonderful.......2007-01-15

they are wonderful singers a delight to the ears and doing Christmas music made Christ mas even better

Wonderfully Different & Addicting! And All Your Friends Will Be Calling HOO-HOO!.......2005-08-23

First, let me state I don't listen to opera singers that much; thus, don't expect a hypercritical review here. (Really, is there ANY field of music that has more hypercritics than opera?) I got this CD simply because Columbia House had it on sale for $2.99, and I wanted some new Christmas CDs.

I found the CD delightful beyond words. It has some beautiful versions of well-known Christmas songs, as well as songs I've never heard before. "Carol of the Drum" and "War Is Over" are my two favorites, with "Sleigh Ride" a close third.

Sure, there is some tripping over of words by these three great opera stars...but that makes it even more enhancing in my opinion. Pavarotti was particularly amusing when he was singing: "And all our friends are calling 'HOO-HOO'!" (Watch the DVD for Carreras' reaction to that one!) And let's not forget Pavarotti singing: "I'll be home for Christmas. You can PLAY on me."

The children's chorus is great, the Vienna Symphony is great...and, once again, buy or rent the DVD so you can get the full affect of this astounding Christmas concert...the music, the lights, the colors, and the marvelous Steven Mercurio conducting it all.

Wonderful and funny compilation.......2005-03-09

The Three Tenors are, of course, wonderful to listen to. This is also a funny CD. When they sing the more modern songs (Happy Christmas by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, for example) they have trouble keeping up with the pace of the song. They almost sound like they're tripping over the syllables, because as opera singers they are more accustomed to long, drawn out vowels, not fast ones. This doesn't hurt the song at all, it makes it more interesting to listen to. It's a great CD. I would recommend this as an addition to any collection of Christmas music.

A historical meeting..........2004-11-28

Although several labels already had Christmas albums of the three tenors in their catalogue, the three maestros never actually trioed on these releases. When Plácido Domingo and the "Christmas in Vienna" team started preparing the eighth concert in the series (six predecessors were captured by Sony, and one, titled "Celebration of Christmas" issued by Erato-Warner), they made a monumental decision: Re-uniting three of the greatest voices of the current music business.
For one and a half hour, Carreras, Domingo and Pavarotti performed the greatest Christmas songs and carols from around the world. Nearly 65 minutes of this monumental concert are captured on this disk. The opening version of "O Holy Night" (aka "Cantique De Noel", "Minuit, Chrétien") by Domingo and Pavarotti would be reason enough to get this one. But wait, there is far more on the way, than selections from the classical genre. The real enjoyment starts, when the three tenors do one of the most romantic arrangements of Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" ever heard and fade from a rousing "La Virgen Lava Pa`nales" into one of the finest treatments of "I'll Be Home For Christmas" ever heard. Also of great interest is the trio arrangement of "Let It Snow!", which is included on some of the import versions and on the DVD.
If you are a hopeless completist like me, you may be asking, what happened to the 25 minutes cut from the CD release. Well, first let me say, that none of the currently available releases has the order of the songs as they were performed in the concert. Although this is a live recording, handclaps and other characteristics of a live recording are hardly audible on the CD version. Two tracks, "Jingle Bells" and "Let It Snow", which had clearly audible handclaps at the beginning and at the end of the performance (and therefore couldn't be faded out) can be found on the mentioned import disk and on the DVD's PCM soundtrack. "Children of Christmas" (a Plácido Domingo Jr. composition originally introduced in "Christmas In Vienna IV" by Plácido Domingo and Michael Bolton) and "Ay" Para Navidad" can be found exclusively on the DVD. Currently unavailable on any official release is the "Overture" (which can be found on the DVD, but abridged with sound effects). So here's the actual running order: "Overture", 20, 2, 1, 11, 3, 4, "Children of Christmas", 16, 17, 6, 15, 8, "Let it snow", 5, "Ay! Para Navidad", 9, 19, 14, 18, 12, 13, "Jingle Bells", 7, 21, 10;
If you still doubt about the quality of this performance, let me say one for sure: As other volumes in the series will slowly disappear (as some of them have already in the US), this one is a matter of decades and when you buy this one, you will have joyful Christmas hours for many, many Christmases to come.

Average customer rating:

We Three Kings
3 Tenors Christmas
Beautiful and Amazing
These Three Kings Rule!
Another Winner

We Three Kings
Anthony Kearns , Ronan Tynan , and Finbar Wright
Manufacturer: Razor & Tie
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Home for Christmas
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Ellis Island

ASIN: B0000D9PST
Release Date: 2003-10-21

Tracks:

We Three Kings
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Fairytale Of New York
I'll Be Home For Christmas
Mille Cherubini In Coro
O Holy Night
Silent Night
Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth
Winter Wonderland Medley
Mary's Boy Child
Panis Angelicus
Pie Jesu
How Great Thou Art
The Lord's Prayer
Battle Hymn Of The Republic
America The Beautiful

Amazon.com

There's a commercial inevitability to holiday song collections that can tempt music fans to mutter "humbug" under their breath. Yet while this collection (released in conjunction with the Tenors' Christmas Spectacular tour of 2003) is no less market savvy, in the end the trio's earnest, energetic performances earn their fair shair of respect. The trio's Celtic shadings impart considerable warmth to "Fairytale of New York" and other performances, but it's the range of influences they (also in solo and duet turns, all solidly backed by the Czech National Chamber Orchestra) bring to bear elsewhere that adds compelling new dimensions to these holiday favorites. Anthony Kearns' "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" may be solidly traditional, but Ronan Tynan imparts "I'll Be Home For Christmas" with some deft, jazzy drama while Finbar Wright gives "Mary's Boy Child" an unexpected Carribean spin. Elsewhere, the folk-classical influences behind "We Three Kings," "O Holy Night," and the gospel traditional "How Great Thou Art" span renaissance, baroque, and modern with a grace missing from the on-the-sleeve sentiments of the closing duo of patriotic warhorses--what would the Prince of Peace make of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," anyway? --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

We Three Kings.......2007-01-16

The 3 Irish Tenors are a joy to listen to in the Christmas season. I thoroughly enjoyed all of it.

3 Tenors Christmas.......2007-01-12

This was VERY disappointing - too noisy & just the wrong type of music for these guys. I played it once & will try to get someone to take it off my hands - I love listening the them, usually, but this album is just a dud.

Beautiful and Amazing.......2004-12-18

When I fist listened to the clips from this CD on Amazon I wondered why on earth they put the patriotic songs at the end, and also wondered a little at the other non christmas songs. After listening to it several times however I realized why. They don't leave Jesus in the manger, but take him all the way up to today! Wow. To me that is totally amazing. There arn't many christmas CD's that do that, but I think it really balances things out. I really enjoyed the Drummer Boy, and all of the rest of the songs. I would definantly say that this was a good buy.

These Three Kings Rule!.......2004-04-24

This recording is a wonderful addition to any Christmas collection. It has power, charm and just enough reverence! Anthony Kearn's "Lord's Prayer" is magnificent! Finbar Wright's "How Great Thou Art" is awe-inspiring! After four years with the "Irish Tenors" poor Mr. Wright still must endure the ignorance of a few "fans", being constantly compared to John McDermott. Finbar took the "Irish Tenors" to a new level, as acknowledged by both Kearns and Tynan. I wonder how long "Ringo" had to endure being compared to Peter Best? Get over it people!

Another Winner.......2003-12-22

In their second Christmas album, the three Irish tenors have another very lovely collection of Christmas favorites and a few not so well known. The duets are particularly beautiful and, while I, like other reviewers, would have preferred an all-Christmas album, the American anthems are stirring and well done. My only caveat is the absence of John McDermott, whom I miss. His voice added something less homogenized to the mix and although Finbar Wright has a more operatic tenor voice, I would prefer McDermott if I had my druthers. Nonetheless, this a a grand Christmas album and I recommend it enthusiastically.

Average customer rating:

I don't own this CD.
I love this alblum
Not Just Another Boy Band
as much of an nysync fan as i am...
WOW.

Home for Christmas
*NSYNC
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Re-Joyce: The Christmas Album

ASIN: B00000DALT
Release Date: 1998-11-10

Tracks:

Home For Christmas
Under My Tree
I Never Knew The Meaning Of Christmas
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays
The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)
I Guess It's Christmas Time
All I Want Is You This Christmas
The First Noel
In Love On Christmas
It's Christmas
O Holy Night (A Cappella)
Love's In Our Hearts On Christmas Day
The Only Gift
Kiss Me At Midnight

Amazon.com

Home is the last place these pop-aholics will be at Christmas: 'N Sync were on such a tight touring schedule in 1998, it's a wonder they even had time to record this disc in time for the holidays. The standard carols--"The First Noël," and "The Christmas Song"--aren't nearly as much fun as the original tracks here, but the a cappella version of "O Holy Night" is by far the masterpiece, and proof that the boys are more than just hyper-pretty faces. In fact, their superbly blended harmonies save what could have been ill-fated attempts to put a '90s R&B spin on songs like "In Love on Christmas" and the title track. "The Only Gift" and "Under My Tree" are addictive despite being overly cute, and you'll have a hard time getting "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" out of your head. Keep in mind that Christmas CDs belong in the background, let go of your anti-pop prejudices for just one day, and you'll be bopping along with the boys in no time. --Rebecca Wallwork

Customer Reviews:

I don't own this CD........2006-12-31

I bought this through Amazon for my older daughter when it first came out. She tired of it after a year. Currently, it is one of the dog's frisbee's.

I love this alblum.......2006-12-22

Everytime when I'm working at Sears, they always put on the songs in this alblum on and it makes me so sad. Just thinking about how sad this Christmas year is and I miss these songs so much. I used to own this cd but its been a very long time and It suckd that Walmart didnt have it. I'll have to buy this after christmas. its really sad but oh well.

Not Just Another Boy Band.......2006-10-13

NSYNC sets themselves apart from the pack with this one. Their smooth harmonies and absolute talent shines in each song on the album. I love the original songs on the CD, like "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays," "I Guess it's Christmastime," and others, as well as the classic Christmas favorites "The First Noel," and "The Christmas Song." But the highlight of the CD is definitely their amazing a cappella version of "O Holy Night." I would have bought the CD just for that.
I would recommend this CD not only for NSYNC fans, but for anyone looking to add to their Christmas collection. It's definitley worth your money!

as much of an nysync fan as i am..........2006-05-13

this is just an okay cd, i remember being really excited when this came out but it became lackluster after a few listens. it was still the life of the Christmas eve party, but I've heard much better Christmas cd's. I reccomend The Cheetas Girls Christmas cd!

WOW........2005-11-28

Oh. My. God. This CD is my life! My sister just came home from college and she forgot to bring it and I felt like punching her in the face.

It is absolutely amazing with classics and some new ones! It's a MUST BUY!

Average customer rating:

Beautiful, soulful Christmas music
A New Country Classic
"Home For Christmas": The Best new Christmas CD of the season
The Perfect Christmas Gift.....
Essential Christmas Album

Home for Christmas

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

James Taylor at Christmas
The Philadelphia Years
A Classic Christmas
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Wintersong

ASIN: B000K0YOZM
Release Date: 2006-11-21

Tracks:

Overture / The First Noel
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
No Child Shoud Ever Cry On Christmas
Everyday Will Be Like A Holiday
Home For Christmas
Christmas Must Be Tonight
Children Go Where I Send Thee
Mary Had A Baby
The Christmas Song
Jingle Bell Rock
Oh Holy Night

Album Description

2006 holiday offering from the dynamic duo. Call it a masterpiece, a labor of love or the beginning of a new tradition, Daryl Hall & John Oates release Home For Christmas, a beautifully recorded and heartfelt Holiday album. 11 new yuletide recordings including nine classics and semi-obscure treats plus two new self-penned Christmas tunes. **Please note that the U.S. pressing of this album is only available at selected retail chain stores.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful, soulful Christmas music.......2007-03-22

This compilation of Christmas songs has some of the most wonderful holiday songs ever written. They range from Christmas classics as "Jingle Bell Rock" and "The Christmas Song" (the latter sung most soulfully by Mr. John Oates) to cover songs performed in the "rock & soul" manner that Hall and Oates became famous for. ("Christmas Must Be Tonight", "Children Go Where I Send Thee") My personal favorites are "The First Noel" and "O Holy Night"; they're sung with such soul and depth that I come close to crying whenever I hear them. This is one album that almost anybody can treasure during the holidays and throughout the wintertime.

A New Country Classic .......2007-01-06

The new song written by Daryl Hall "Home For Christmas" will be a favorite of anyone who has fond memories of family gatherings at Christmas. It became a favorite of mine the first time I heard it, and I had to have the CD.

"Home For Christmas": The Best new Christmas CD of the season.......2006-12-26

I heard of this new CD when I knew they reached the # 1 in the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart with a Christmas song. Then I found they had released this whole Christmas album. After hearing only the brief samples, immediately I rushed to FYE (only retail store who is selling it in the U.S.), and I don't regret it. It 's awesome!!!!!!!!

This is the CD that I have been playing over and over ever since, even more than my all time favourite Mariah Carey's.

Each song has been done in a so wonderful way. The classics (Mary Had a Baby, The Christmas Song) have been brought to the beautifull blue-eye soul style of Hall and Oates. I discovered some old songs like "Children Go Where I Send Thee" with a tasty Southern gospel flavor, and "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear".

My favorite tune is the new song "Home for Christmas" that I am sure will become a classical over the years. I also love "Christmas Must be Tonight" and "No Child Should Ever Cry on Christmas"

The album is joyful and all the songs are pretty, catchy, and "O Holy Night" placed at the end makes you to play the whole CD all over again.

A CD that has made my Christmas season more merry than I thought.

Wonderful work of the duo!!!!

The Perfect Christmas Gift............2006-12-26

Wow, this cd is truly amazing!!! I mean, I don't think I've heard anything more wonderful from this duo. This cd is wonderful gift from the duo to share with their fans. They have a wonderful take some of the traditional Christmas songs and they've managed to throw in two new songs as well. Which are just fantastic!!! This makes a wonderful Christmas gift!!! It's just great.

Essential Christmas Album.......2006-12-25

My first reaction to Daryl Hall & John Oates' Christmas album was some surprise to how good it sounds and how true to Christmas the songs are. No "Frosty the Snowman" types here....

The string arrangements complement the album's beginning overture into "The First Noel". Daryl and John's vocals remain first-rate and it stays that way right through the best "O Holy Night" you've ever heard.

This album is must for anyone who needs some Christmas music that keeps the real meaning of Christmas right up front where it belongs. The lone exception may be "Jingle-Bell Rock" which is a newer version than the 1983 release.

Best tracks are:

Home For Christmas (Title Track)
Christmas Must Be Tonight
Children Go Where I Send Thee
Mary Had A Baby
The Christmas Song
Jingle Bell Rock
O Holy Night

Average customer rating:

Amazing skills, yet too busy for listening enjoyment
John Bayless Christmas Rhapsody
best concert pianist in the world
My favorite of the season
Best Piano Christmas CD ever!

Christmas Rhapsody

Manufacturer: Koch Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Opera & Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Soundtracks | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Opera & Vocal | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The Movie Album Classical Pictures; John Bayless
Romantica
Bach Meets the Beatles: Revisited
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ASIN: B0002VEQ5C
Release Date: 2004-10-05

Tracks:

O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL / ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH / HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING
I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS / "GOING HOME" NEW WORLD SYMPHONY
SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN / DANCE OF THE SUGAR PLUM FAIRY
THE CHRISTMAS SONG
RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER / LET IT SNOW
AVE MARIA
O COME O COME EMANUEL / O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM / THE FIRST NOEL
WINTER WONDERLAND / JINGLE BELLS
SILENT NIGHT / O HOLY NIGHT
SWEET LITTLE JESUS BOY / AWAY IN A MANGER / WHAT CHILD IS THIS?
JESU JOY OF MAN'S DESIRING / AMAZING GRACE
HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS
WHITE CHRISTMAS

Customer Reviews:

Amazing skills, yet too busy for listening enjoyment.......2006-12-13

I can't believe how well John Bayless has mastered the piano. This is very obvious from the first song that you ever hear him play. I'd really like to watch him play in concert. However, the songs on this album are too much work for me to listen to. The music is so busy that I can hardly concentrate on the melody and it hardly gives me the peace I expect from traditional Christmas music. Some of my favorites for this category are Jim Brickman, David Huntsinger, and Tim Janis.

John Bayless Christmas Rhapsody.......2006-02-13

Christmas Rhapsody has quickly become one of our all time favorite Chistmas CDs. We love it so much that it is February 10th and we are still listening to it.

best concert pianist in the world.......2005-08-18

John Bayless is the best concert pianist in the world. This album shows his genuis. Perfect music to listen to any time of the year.
This is the best Christmas album on the market.

My favorite of the season.......2004-12-31

This is the holiday music I have listened to throughout the season, and it is so beautiful I cannot bear to put it away yet. I love Bayless's work at any time, and these arrangements simply take my breath away. His blending of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" with "Going Home" from the New World Symphony is particulary poignant. And his signature "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring/Amazing Grace" is seasonless and timeless. Christmas is over, but get this anyway; it's wonderful.

Best Piano Christmas CD ever!.......2004-12-15

David Lanz? Jim Brickman? John Tesh? Move over guys... John Bayless has done what no others could... Taken the xmas classics to a new level of musical enjoyment! By combining the songs together, and making them so rich and full of life, this will be my favorite Christmas CD for a looooooooooong time.

Average customer rating:

A solid Album
I was reading through these reviews...
Some of my favorites....
A holiday classic!
One of my Top 10 Christmas CD's

Home for Christmas
Amy Grant
Manufacturer: A&M
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Christian Rock | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

Christian Contemporary Music | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Opera & Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Pop Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music

Pop Vocal | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
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A Christmas Album
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The Collection

ASIN: B000002G0K
Release Date: 1992-10-06

Tracks:

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
Joy To The World/For Unto Us A Child Is Born
Breath Of Heaven (Mary's Song)
O Come All Ye Faithful
Grown-up Christmas List
Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree
Winter Wonderland
I'll Be Home For Christmas
The Night Before Christmas
Emmanuel, God With Us
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring (Instrumental)

Amazon.com

Amy Grant's Home for Christmas showcases her mellifluent vocal chops in a variety of settings and succeeds mightily. There's a sophisticated touch of Streisand in Grant's clear and bright timbre, but there's also a young tenderness and innocence there, as well, that captures peoples' hearts. Grant puts a batch of standards, more recent works by Carly Simon and David Foster, and her own songs through big but tasty orchestral swells, rock & roll reveries, acoustic pieces, and mild pop surroundings. Most surprising are Grant's two contributions (cowritten with Chris Eaton and Robert Marshal, respectively,) "Breath of Heaven/Mary's Song" and the powerful and humbling "Emmanuel, God with Us." Exquisitely produced and arranged, Home for Christmas is a highly rewarding mainstream Christmas masterpiece without flaw or pretense. --Martin Keller

Customer Reviews:

A solid Album.......2005-12-07

This is a rather good album. It is fun and light and merry, although it is not my most favorite, I do definitely like it! I must mention the note-worthy "Breath Of Heaven", which is a beautiful song, both in lyric and melody. Overall, a very good Christmas CD. The only thing I really do not like about it is the two instrumental tracks. I want to hear Amy Grant sing, not her instrumentalists playing!

I was reading through these reviews..........2005-11-10

...and I noticed a trend here. The overwhelming majority of people writing reviews of this album think it's fabulous, and they are not wrong. The choice of songs, the production, and Amy's performance are all flawless.

Some of my favorites...........2004-12-24

This is a great collection of tunes but its Amy Grant's voice and her
musical varitey that carry this Christmas classic way past most
of the current top 40 Christmas offerings that come out each
new year. Most new artists get a hit record, the next thing they seem to do is record
a Christmas album?? This one, along with Vince Gill's classic "Let there be
peace on earth" and many from his second Christmas collection as well, should
be in your collection. Its kinda funny how the two have gotten together and married and now create their own special
Christmas shows, like minds. Whether you enjoy the religious
side or the spiritual side to this it has just a right mix
, its alittle old fashion here and there, especially for us
over 40 crowd who remember what Christmas use to mean, before
the commerical crazy took off, I find this Amy Grant Christmas collection, HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
my favorite of the 3 she's put out but you can pick out many cuts
off of each to make a really outstanding CD burn. Home for Christmas can be played start to finish, its that good.

A holiday classic!.......2004-12-08

Listen to any radio station that plays continuous Christmas music around the holiday season, and you're bound to hear a song by Amy Grant at least once during the broadcast day. To be expected, since she's now released three Christmas albums. But on this, her second Christmas effort, released in 1992 on the heels of the multi-platinum pop breakthrough HEART IN MOTION, she pulls it off especially well. It's completely devoid of the "fluffy" pop stuff for which she's been reviled. The album features plenty of the usual burnt-to-a-crisp Christmas standards, including "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," "Winter Wonderland" and "O Come All Ye Faithful," but Amy puts her stamp on each of these to make them special. "Winter Wonderland" features a nice, jazzy arrangement, and "O Come..." is highlighted by a strong vocal performance from Amy and a boy's choir in the background. Amy also covers David Foster and Natalie Cole's "Grown-Up Christmas List," which has since been recorded by everyone and his mother, and her version remains my favorite (there was also an accompanying video). (Sorry, Kelly Clarkson; this song is best handled by a non-"diva" singer.) There are also faithful remakes of Andy Williams' "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" and Carly Simon's "The Night Before Christmas" (which, being a Carly fan also, I definitely enjoyed). The real standouts on "Home For Christmas," though, are the originals. "Emmanuel, God With Us" is haunting. Of course, "Breath Of Heaven (Mary's Song)" is the real classic. It's an account of how the Virgin Mary must have felt knowing that she was about to give birth to the Savior of the world. To this day, I can't listen to it without getting misty. It has deservedly since become a standard and has been recorded by several other artists, including Broadway star Barbara Cook and most recently by (oh, puh-leeeze) Jessica Simpson. That song alone is worth the price of this album. If you're looking for a Christmas album with an even mix of the secular and the spiritual and without the glitz, flash and vocal acrobatics of Mariah, Celine and the like, this album is for you. No surprise to me that it's still an airplay favorite at Christmas time these days.

One of my Top 10 Christmas CD's.......2003-12-23

This CD does everything well - the big orchestral arrangements that are fun and swingy, the hauntingly beautiful religious songs she wrote, the softer acoustic numbers. She doesn't make any bad choices here and there's maximum style with minimal schmaltz. I'd never purchased any of her music before but consider this in my top 10 of Christmas CD's, which is saying a lot because I've collected a ton of Christmas music over the years.

Track Listings:

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Futures [Import]

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Barry Manilow - Greatest Hits: The Platinum Collection [Import]

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: Five Sinfonias

Bad Taste [Import]

Bach: Chromatische Fantasie & Fuge; 3 Präludien & Fugen

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30 Exitos Balada Y Bolero

Cara O Cruz [Import]

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