Customer Reviews

Christmas Harmonies [+digital booklet]

5 star:		(5)
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Every song in this collection is a gem, but the presentation was a HUGE let down. I cannot fathom why Capitol Records chose to use many of the original monophonic recordings of the 1960s material when every holiday track the Beach Boys ever did is now available in glorious stereo. A decade ago, "Ultimate Christmas" gave us superbly remastered stereo versions of everything and the previously unheard lushness only added to the band's incredibly layered vocal arrangements. Why anyone with two functioning ears would choose to hear these works of art in mono at this point is beyond me and I'm puzzled by Capitol's choice to use them. They didn't even bother to "throw the listener a bone" with some previously unreleased holiday bonus track as bait. On top of all that, the packaging leaves much to be desired. While "Ultimate Christmas" provided a beautiful booklet, "Christmas Harmonies" only included a minimal single fold sheet with little information beyond the song titles and their origins. Finally, it's pretty hard to get excited about a fifteen song Beach Boys holiday collection when their own record label once produced one with twenty-six tracks! Seems like we're going backwards on the holiday stuff. Hopefully, the band's fiftieth anniversary will prompt Capitol to show a tad more holiday cheer in December of 2011!

I really love this album! My mom used to play this for me when I was younger and I was thrilled to find it on CD! Great harmonies and something a little different than traditional Chritmas songs!

I have followed the Beach Boys for more years that I care to mention and have all of the music contained on this CD on various other CDs, but I was pleased to be able to find all of the music on one CD collection. Their music always adds to our holidays.

The Beach Boys were uniquely talented. They adjusted their sound for commercial success; but they could harmonize along with the best. This is a lovely christmas recording.

Capitol Records / Brother Records - 2009 - Songs Include : Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town / Frosty The Snowman / White Christmas / Little Saint Nick / Christmas Day / I'll Be Home For Christmas / Santa's Beard / Child Of Winter - Christmas Song / Merry Christmas Baby / Blue Christmas / Melekalikimaka / I Saw Santa Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree / The Man With All The Toys / We Three Kings Of Orient Are / Auld Lang Syne - Alternate Take

How many times is CAPITOL records going to re-release this? I would choose the ULTIMATE collection hands down. Previously, CAPITOL released the original 12 track CHRISTMAS cd in MONO (ALL of side 1 originals). Couple of years later they added some bonus cuts and with the exeeption of the LP version of LITTLE SAINT NICK & the orchestrated tracks, MONO prevailed again. I even wrote to ICE MAGAZINE (cd review magazine in the early nineties) and asked why did CAPITOL release this in MONO. ICE sent me a postcard handwritten and told me they would look into it too. The ULTIMATE COLLECTION remedied that and gave us the CAPITOL STEREO version we all loved.

I loved the four freshman years and Brian Wilson takes it up from them. A great album. Best WE 3KINGS,WHITE CHRISTMAS, CHILD OF WINTER and AULD LANG SYNE.Of course Santa's Beard, Little St Nick and Merry Christmas Baby are the Beach Boys own songs and are as expected, the best. You'll love this if you love the voices in harmony at Christmas.