Customer Reviews

Christmas Caroling

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Not that a 'best of' is a bad thing, but you do miss out on some outstanding Christmas music if this is all you buy. And if you buy the other three (Here We Come A-Caroling, We Wish You a Merry Christmas and Christmas with Conniff) you don't need this compilation. All of the songs on this CD are from those 3 original releases from the late 50's and early to mid 60's.

For me, Ray Conniff all but defined Christmas music in our house when I was growing up. We had one of those record players where you stack up the records and the play one after the other. The mix was made up of Ray Conniff, Alvin and the Chipmunks and Christmas with Chet Atkins (if you don't have Chet Atkins's Christmas CD... check it out..)

Depending on how much Ray Conniff Singers you want, either buy this, or skip it and buy the other three.

4 stars because I think the original 3 are a better choice. The music itself is 5+ stars

Growing up in the Sixties my dad's Christmas music collection usually consisted of those various artists albums you could pick up from the local Firestone store or JC Penney's, but he also had several Ray Conniff Christmas LPs. I know it says that the original release date was 1995, but my copy includes a 1985 date. In addition, I have vinyl albums from the Sixties that have the same recordings of these songs, so I'm certain these recordings are more than thirty years old. So there's a certain nostalgia factor at work here. I hear these songs and I'm immediately transported to a time when Christmas was a season of wide-eyed anticipation. And the music contained on this CD is the perfect soundtrack for that feeling. Lush (but not overpowering) orchestration and wonderful vocals from the Ray Conniff Singers on a fairly even mix of secular and religious holiday music. There is a lot of holiday music out there to choose from, but here's one that can be enjoyed by everyone. RECOMMENDED

You probably grew up listening to Ray Conniff's Christmas records on the stereo or at least on the radio. Christmas is the time of the year when most of us want to recreate our childhood memories. That's the point of buying a Ray Conniff Christmas CD. Sure the music is pleasant enough, but we all know the reason we love it is because of the memories it brings back.

I am not sure if this is a compilation of selections from several of his old records brought together on a modern CD, or if he put the same songs on several Christmas records in the "old days." However, this CD definitely contains some of the same material that is on his We Wish You a Merry Christmas CD. That CD is definitely the exact same music that was on the original record. We had that record when I was a child. As soon as I spotted that girl in a mini skirt version of a Santa Claus suit, I HAD to buy it.

If you are only planning to buy one Ray Conniff Christmas CD, I would recommend purchasing We Wish You a Merry Christmas. It's just a little bit livelier, and singing along with that one is just a little more fun.

Where would Christmas be without the Ray Conniff singers? Indeed, this is nostalgia at its best. For many listeners who grew up in the '60s and '70s, Ray Conniff was a fixture in the family record bin -- don't you love those album covers? RAY CONNIFF: CHRISTMAS CAROLING was part of the collection, and listeners who remember other similar records may have had Ray Conniff sandwiched in between the Mitch Miller and Henry Mancini records. Who could resist singing along with the uniformed girl and guy singers interchanging particular parts of classic Christmas carols, such as "O Little Town of Bethlehem," "O Tannebaum," "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," to popular holiday favorites, "Frosty The Snowman," "Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Jingle Bells," "Sleigh Ride," with great delight and foxtrot precision.

CHRISTMAS CAROLING should be a part of every Christmas record collection. For listeners who cannot resist singing along to Christmas gems, this is the perfect record to play and share with others regardless if you grew up listening to your parent's cassette or lp version of this cd. Ray Conniff's version of these Christmas favorites will entice that quirky holiday spirit.

I bought this CD back during the Christmas of 1985, back before I even had a CD player yet! Excellent sound quality, and it has 11 of the 12 songs from 'Christmas with Conniff', but sadly is missing "Christmas Bride". It has many songs from the weaker 1971 album, but does include the excellent "1st Noel" song. I suggest buying the 1st two Conniff Christmas LP's instead, which are both 5 stars, each on their own.

My Holiday season is not complete without Conniff's outstanding renditions of all my favorite holiday music. In my book, there is none better.

This Album and with the "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" Album (many songs are on both) are the two I grew up with listening to in front of our giant old stereo, when these were on 33 LP records. I couldn't believe when I spotted the 'girl in the Santa Mini-Skirt' in the Christmas CD section and like so many others, instantly recognized the album from when I was just a kid. I both both albums a few years ago on CD and listen to them every year. Amazing the memories the songs bring back, it's not today's music, but why should it be? :D

There's nothing like the sound of Christmas that comes
from listening to the Ray Conniff Singers. This album
brings out the memories of Christmas past. I couldn't play
this album enough.

for those of us who grew up in the 70's... i remember this album (yes the vinyl one) always being played by my dad, and this gives me the "warm and fuzzies" that only a Ray Conniff Christmas can! Ahh.. the memories!

I love Ray Conniff Singers Christmas albums. Each albums is very unique usually with no songs repeated.