Customer Reviews

Most Beautiful Sounds of Christmas

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I can't believe after all these years, that RCA has not released the Living Strings Spirit of Christmas and Living
Strings and Living Voices White Christmas on CD'S. these are
the most beautiful christmas songs that where ever made by
them.

This has some of the most beautiful christmas music you will ever hear. The reason for that is simple. The last five songs, starting with WHITE CHRISTMAS straight through to the last song are from the greatest christmas album ever recorded, the LIVING STRINGS very own, THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS, album. These last five songs (songs six to ten) are all instrumental and have no singing just to let you know. However, the majestic orchestra sound on these songs clearly shows us that voices are not needed. In fact, it's probably better that there are no voices as these renditions are among the best or even the best version of each song. Just amazing.

But taking so many songs from another album doesn't sit too well with me as it would be so much better to have that other album released on it's own as it's the ultimate christmas album (I have a rare copy of that other album, THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS, on cd). Instead, they should have just taken one or two songs from that album and taken other songs from other albums by the LIVING STRINGS and LIVING VOICES since they recorded at least five christmas albums. For a compilation, it's just too many songs from one album. This is one negative point and loses one star from the rating.

The other star that gets taken away is the first several songs (tracks one to five) which were cut in the 1970's. These songs have singing in them and also the orchestra so you get the full LIVING STRINGS and LIVING VOICES with these cuts. Problem is is that they have lost the deep, older style/sound that their other christmas albums had from the 1960's and they sound too modern. Now, they're not really bad and are still listenable (perhaps due to my favorite arranger/conductor, Johnny Douglas who arranges 'all' the songs on this cd/album) but when you have all these more modern sounding songs first and then the deep, older styled songs after, it just doesn't sound completely right to me. But at least these first five songs (both songs by themselves and medleys) are pretty unique to this album/cd and that you won't usually to ever find anywhere else.

With all that said, if this cd is the only christmas cd you can get by the LIVING STRINGS and LIVING VOICES, then by all means, purchase it. Especially for the last five songs starting with WHITE CHRISTMAS. These last five songs may very well become your favorite christmas songs ever recorded just because of the power the LIVING STRINGS and Johnny Douglas brings to them.

This CD contains about half of the tracks from the classic Living Strings instrumental album, THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS. If only RCA would see fit to release the entire set!

RCA Camden's "Living..." franchise of the 1960s and '70s encompassed a number of different groups (Living Strings, Living Voices, Living Trio, Living Guitars, etc.) led by a number of different conductors.

These groups issued a number of different Christmas albums over the years, the best which were arguably the three arranged and conducted by Johnny Douglas: THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS (1963), WHITE CHRISTMAS (1968), and A CHRISTMAS SONGBOOK (1974).

This particular CD is a straight reissue of a 1978 compilation album containing three tracks from A CHRISTMAS SONGBOOK (Tracks 1-3, all medleys) along with five from THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS (Tracks 6-10) and two then-new recordings which were, and are, unique to this release (Tracks 4-5). While a nice enough sampler, it's hardly a comprehensive representation of the "Living..." Christmas catalog or even the Johnny Douglas-conducted portion of it.

In 2009 the UK-based Dulcima Records label reissued THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS album as an expanded 2-CD set, containing that album in its entirety as well as all of the tracks from WHITE CHRISTMAS and A CHRISTMAS SONGBOOK. I would really recommend that one for anyone who wants a comprehensive CD collection of classic "Living Strings" Christmas material conducted by Johnny Douglas.

I grew up listening to the original LP and have always loved this music. In never knew what happened to my parents' album so when I found this copy on CD I had to have it. The Living Strings and Living Voices orchestra is phenomenal and the sound is classic with modern takes on jazz and big band era sound - the bass is just terrific. If you enjoy traditional carols and instrumentals you will love this collection. It triggers fond memories and is a mainstay in our home at Christmas.

if this album is like the spirit of christmas whith the living strings label\album no.rca camden cas 783 then i give it a five star rating.