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Editorial Reviews
The king of rock-era Xmas LPs returns in remastered original mono for the first time in 20 years! Dig that Wall of Sound: Frosty the Snowman Ronettes; Winter Wonderland Darlene Love; Here Comes Santa Claus Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans; Santa Claus Is Coming to Town Crystals, and the rest of this 1963 holiday classic.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
55 of 58 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The legendary producer Phil Spector hit his artistic peak with this yuletide classic from 1963. The arrangements found here have been copied over and over again through the years by less creative performers, but no one comes close.
My favorite recordings on the album are those by the Ronettes, in particular "Sleigh Ride" which will have you going "ringalingalinga dingdongding" for days, no, make that YEARS. Ronnie's playful, almost childlike voice, lends itself better to nonsecular Christmas songs than anyone I have ever heard.
If Ronnie captures the playful, innocent side of Christmas, Darlene Love with her powerful alto captures the emotional side. The original recording "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" drives home the heartbreak of being alone at Christmas, while "White Christmas" nails the longing we all have for the Christmases of our youth.
The Crystals and Bob B. Soxx & his Bluejeans aren't quite as distinctive as Ronnie & Darlene (who is?). Nonetheless, their enclosed holiday recordings are all enjoyable, particularly "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" (Crystals) and "Here Comes Santa Claus (Bob B. Soxx).
I've never cared much for the last track, which finds the high pitched Phil wishing everyone a Merry Christmas , while Silent Night plays in the background. But since it is the last track, it doesn't mar the excellence created by the rest of the album/CD. Just hit eject as Phil starts to talk and I guarantee you'll have a musically Merry Christmas!
26 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I grew up in the 50s and 60s loving Rock 'n Roll and loving Phil Spector's Rock especially. His Christmas album is a yearly treat for me. I don't play my vinyl anymore (purchased just days before President Kennedy's assassination in November 1963); I don't play my cassette tape anymore; I've graduated to disc. And this will be my 41st Christmas with the Spector gang...they're family.
The greatest Christmas album to be sure. I would also put it in the league of a top-ten album of all time. The renditions and arrangements remain fresh after all these years. We hear Darlene Love and Ronnie Spector in their "glory days" with all the optimism the youth of the 60s shared before the realities of dead presidents and adulthood encroached on us. You hear Spector at his best muscially, before his productions become muddy or overwrought. Although each song on the album is a jewel, three stand out for me: Darlene's "Christmas Baby..." by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich stands out because it was written especially for this album and it is the surprise tour de force of this collection. Not only does it work with the traditional songs, but it has become Darlene Love's signature to this day when she apppears each Christmas season on the Letterman Show. My second pick is "The Bells of St. Mary's". A somewhat unconventional choice for a Chirstmas album --- because it's not a traditional Christmas song ... again, this choice works with Darlene and Bobby Sheen and Fatima James (known on the label as Bobby Sox & the Blue Jeans). It works in a spectacular way because the arrangement is inspired, the vocal lines and performances soar and the drum work (Hal Blaine, I believe) is brilliant. Listen to the final few bars and fade-out on this track ---- have you ever heard drum work like that?
My third, and final, is "Silent Night". This was a discovery I made after years of ignoring this track. If you could remove Phil's silly narrative and listen soley to the music, what you would hear is one of the most beautiful renditions of this song recorded; it's silvery and transparent and yet we know that the chorus is peopled by the entire Phil Spector stable of singers (including Cher, who sang background in those days); the effect is transcendent.
This album is forever fresh, forever young and forever one of my favorites. If, God forbid, I had to leave my home for fire or flood or locusts, THIS album (vinyl, cassette and disc) would be among the possessions under my arm.
The greatest Christmas album to be sure. I would also put it in the league of a top-ten album of all time. The renditions and arrangements remain fresh after all these years. We hear Darlene Love and Ronnie Spector in their "glory days" with all the optimism the youth of the 60s shared before the realities of dead presidents and adulthood encroached on us. You hear Spector at his best muscially, before his productions become muddy or overwrought. Although each song on the album is a jewel, three stand out for me: Darlene's "Christmas Baby..." by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich stands out because it was written especially for this album and it is the surprise tour de force of this collection. Not only does it work with the traditional songs, but it has become Darlene Love's signature to this day when she apppears each Christmas season on the Letterman Show. My second pick is "The Bells of St. Mary's". A somewhat unconventional choice for a Chirstmas album --- because it's not a traditional Christmas song ... again, this choice works with Darlene and Bobby Sheen and Fatima James (known on the label as Bobby Sox & the Blue Jeans). It works in a spectacular way because the arrangement is inspired, the vocal lines and performances soar and the drum work (Hal Blaine, I believe) is brilliant. Listen to the final few bars and fade-out on this track ---- have you ever heard drum work like that?
My third, and final, is "Silent Night". This was a discovery I made after years of ignoring this track. If you could remove Phil's silly narrative and listen soley to the music, what you would hear is one of the most beautiful renditions of this song recorded; it's silvery and transparent and yet we know that the chorus is peopled by the entire Phil Spector stable of singers (including Cher, who sang background in those days); the effect is transcendent.
This album is forever fresh, forever young and forever one of my favorites. If, God forbid, I had to leave my home for fire or flood or locusts, THIS album (vinyl, cassette and disc) would be among the possessions under my arm.
35 of 39 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This album was something of a revolution in its time, at least where Christmas music was concerned, although all that Phil Spector actually did was apply his normal production style to Christmas music.
The Crystals, famous for Then he kissed me and Da doo ron ron, sing brilliant, energetic versions of Santa Claus is coming to town, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer and Parade of the wooden soldiers. The Ronettes, famous for Be my baby, are equally brilliant on Frosty the snowman, Sleigh ride and I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus. Bob B Soxx and the blue jeans, famous for Zip-a-de-doo-da, also excel on Bells of St Mary's and Here comes Santa Claus.
Darlene Love, whose biggest success was as lead singer of the Crystals on He's a rebel, sings four songs here, a rare chance for her to be credited as a solo performer. Christmas (Baby please come home) is the only original song here. White Christmas includes the rarely heard verse about being in Beverley Hills. The other two, Marshmallow world and Winter wonderland, are also outstanding.
The closing Silent night is just a series of spoken acknowledgements set to a backing track. Don't worry about that - the twelve songs that go before set the standard for Christmas rock albums when it was first recorded and still do, because nobody has bettered it in the forty years since.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Phil Spector Christmas Album
What can I say? A classic and a masterpiece. They don't make them like this anymore. The Ronettes SLEIGH RIDE knocks me out every time and the holidays just aren't the same without... Read more
Published 8 days ago by Barye Phillips
5.0 out of 5 stars
Oh, what a ride! -
Nineteen sixty-three: post-Elvis' big-shot days, pre-British Invasion, and many of the parents of us Baby Boomers were still wondering if perhaps rock'n'roll would just go away. Read more
Published 29 days ago by Allen Smalling
4.0 out of 5 stars
Holiday variety from Phil Spector's best artists
If your like the Phil Spector Wall of Sound, this holiday CD is made up of the best female artists from Phil's stable.
Published 1 month ago by thing
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE WALL OF SOUND!
A special part of mty teen years - Phil Spector - he is phenomenal with all his problems. The Ronettes lived in my neighborhood, so when they hit it big and Ronnie married Phil,... Read more
Published 1 month ago by ibefree
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Xmas CD of All-Time
I could listen to this CD all year long! In fact, I do. Xmas tunes never sounded better, and Darlene Love's "White Christmas" alone is worth the price, and more. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Harry
1.0 out of 5 stars
Here's a late Christmas gift from me to you,Phil...
...have fun in prison you creep. I hope bubba gives you a Christmas gift all year around,while you're in the shower with him. Read more
Published 2 months ago by SideshowBob
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must-Have Christmas Album
Phil Spector is known for his wall of sound. And when that wall meets Christmas, the listener is in for a treat. Read more
Published 2 months ago by falbyc
5.0 out of 5 stars
Phil Spector
This to me is the ultimate Christmas CD of all time! There have been many great CD's but this to me is the BEST of all. Read more
Published 2 months ago by C. Bessire
5.0 out of 5 stars
great sound quality!
my favorite christmas album on cd. its great. excellent sound quality. i was glad i found it! my dad has the old cassetttes but now i gave him a cd for his car. loves it.
Published 2 months ago by Li Sa
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love the classics!
I absolutely love this collection of holiday songs! Marshmallow World is one of my favorites and always look forward to hearing it every year!
Published 3 months ago by Jeff M
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