Customer Reviews

Christmas 25th Anniversary Collection

5 star:		(55)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

If you're new to Mannheim Steamroller, or just a casual fan who doesn't already own all of their CDs, this is a good "greatest hits" collection to get you up to speed. This two disc set offers a solid sampling of previously released material. It omits some essentials, such as "Deck The Halls" and "Silent Night," but those were already included on their previous Christmas compilation disc, so that's actually a good thing.

Steamroller's sound, for those five people out there who still haven't heard of them, runs the gamut from traditional acoustic to highly synthetic. Personally, I think they're at their best when they stick to the acoustic style. Their classic takes on songs like "We Three Kings," "Still Still Still", "O Holy Night" and "Little Town Of Bethlehem" are absolutely beautiful, perfectly capturing the quieter, poignant side of Christmas. But what Mannheim is probably most famous for are their up-tempo synth-pop versions of Christmas songs. Frankly, I find these tend to be a bit more "hit or miss", and definitely more of an acquired taste (I enjoy most of them, but I know plenty of people who get turned off by the highly synthetic, and admittedly cheesy/outdated, sound.) The good news is, this 2 disc collection shows off all of Mannheim's styles, so while you may not like some tracks, you'll certainly find at least a good number of them that you do like.

My only real complaint with this collection is that it offers absolutely nothing new to entice long-time fans, and ultimately comes off as little more than an easy way for the Steamroller to pad its wallet. I understand that this is meant to be a retrospective, but I had hoped for at least a FEW new tracks. As it is, there's simply no reason to buy this if you already own their older albums. The only track that long-time fans might not already have is "My Little Christmas Tree." This was previously only available with a pop-up book that Chip created back in the late 90s. It's a weak track, though, and sounds like it was thrown together one afternoon, so that's not much incentive to shell out money on this set.

Here's hoping Chip returns soon with an all NEW Christmas album (and hey, Chip, go back and listen to your first two Christmas albums if you need some inspiration-- those remain your best efforts to date.)

How can they release an anniversary Mannheim Christmas CD and not have the single greatest and most popular Christmas song Mannheim has ever recorded, Stille Nacht (Silent Night)? Don't get me wrong, the compilation is amazing, but without that song, this edition just falls short. Sad day.

Bought as a gift and was greatly appreciated. Great for background listening during Christmas dinner or up to the days of Christmas.

I was very disappointed in this album. Very few of the songs had the beat/tempo/sound that I expected of a Mannheim Steamroller rendition.

I bought this after I went to the concert a couple of weeks ago...wish I had looked more carefully. I thought that the 25th Anniversary Collection would be the best of the best but it was a huge let down. None of the great electronica music. None of what they're known best for!

If you are looking for their upbeat Christmas songs there are not that many but it still is a good CD for Christmas.

PLAYED ALL THROUGH MY CHRISTMAS PARTY...ASIDE FROM THE LOVE OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS..THIS MUSIC CREATED A SOOTHING RICH ATMOSPHERE OF THE HOLIDAY LOVE AND SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS...

I purchase this 25th anniversary edition of Manheim Steamroller in early December and have enjoyed listening to all of the great Christmas music that they perform. I played the cd also when we had a party and everyone really enjoyed the sound and quality of music. Three of my guests bought the cd from amazon.com for themselves. I would highly recommend the cd.

GREAT TO HAVE THE MAIN SELECTIONS OF MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER ON A TWO-CD PACK FOR CHRISTMAS. IF YOU ARE A TRUE FAN OF THEIRS, THIS IS RECOMMENDED FOR YOUR COLLECTION!

This was playing constantly when I was doing housework during the season. They are my favorite musical group for the holidays. I store them safely where I know where to find them next year.