20th Century Masters: The Best of Burl Ives - The Christmas Collection [Original recording remastered]

Burl Ives | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 23, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Mca
• ASIN: B0000C23DW
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #36,899 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: IVES,BURL
Title: CHRISTMAS COLLECTION
Street Release Date: 09/23/2003
Domestic
Genre: XMAS VOCAL

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Burl Ives singing, November 30, 2003

By 

cyclista (the Midwest) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 20th Century Masters: The Best of Burl Ives - The Christmas Collection (Audio CD)

We love to hear Burl Ives sing songs such as "Wayfaring Stranger" and "What Shall I Do With the Baby-O". It is only natural that we would want to hear that wonderful, warm voice singing our favorite Christmas carols. We were delighted to find this CD. These carols have instruments and back up vocals that I don't remember Burl Ives using, but it is kept simple. "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is done with only guitar music. "Winter Wonderland" is one of my favorites with guitars, bass, and backup vocals. The instruments that I hear are harp, strings, bass, and guitars. (I hear an occasional flute or bell and a couple of other instruments that I can't identify.) The backup vocals add traditional harmonies. Even with the added instruments and backup vocals, the music is still very much done in the classic Burl Ives style. This is on my short list of "must have" Christmas CD's.

Details: This CD is 37 minutes long. The songs were originally recorded in the 50's and 60's. The quality of the remastering is very acceptable, no muddiness at all. The stereo separation is impressive.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Christmas Collection, December 5, 2003

By 

Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: 20th Century Masters: The Best of Burl Ives - The Christmas Collection (Audio CD)

I bought this CD on a whim. The price was right and I'd been thinking about trying to get a copy of "A Holly Jolly Christmas." This was certainly the right choice.

Burl Ives contributes his distinctive vocals to many Christmas favorites. Compiled from several different Christmas recordings, they include such classics as "Silver Bells," "White Christmas," "What Child is this?" (with all the choruses, a bonus), "Winter Wonderland," and "O, Little Town of Bethlehem." Also included are a fun arrangement of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and a slightly different version of "Twelve Days of Christmas."

Of course, the collection wouldn't be complete without the inclusion of songs from the Rudolph special. Included here are "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Silver and Gold," and the previously mentioned "A Holly Jolly Christmas."

The recordings are simple; usually with one a few instruments and some background singers. This is different from the lush orchestra usually popular for Christmas recordings, but it's refreshing to have a different sound.

I'm not super familiar with Burl Ives' Christmas music, so I don't know what I might be missing by starting with this best of. All I do know is I don't regret the money I spent on this CD and will be enjoying it for many Christmases to come.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's corny, but it's cool, November 21, 2003

By 

DJ Joe Sixpack (...in Middle America) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: 20th Century Masters: The Best of Burl Ives - The Christmas Collection (Audio CD)

Have a holly, jolly Christmas!  It's classic yuletide corn, from the fellow who played Sam The Snowman on the "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" TV special. One of the most recognizable voices in 20th Century pop culture, old-school folkie Burl Ives recorded prolifically in the 1950s and '60s, but it's Christmas music he'll really be remembered for... This disc collects fifteen fine examples of his Decca Records holiday material, taken from a variety of sources... Most tracks feature prominent pop-orchestral arrangements, but Burl's rolling, grandfatherly tones cut right through the cheese every time & cheerfully draw you in. As old-fashioned Christmas material goes, this is pretty hard to beat.