Customer Reviews

Christmas Song

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Singing traditional Christmas songs with dignity and feeling, this Nat King Cole holiday album gloriously captures the spirit of the season. Without fireworks, improvisations, catchy rhythms, or unusual variations, Cole gives us songs full of love in his relaxed and unpretentious style. Accompanied by two orchestras and choruses, which are directed by Ralph Carmichael, Cole still manages to keep his style simple and the songs "clean," sometimes slowing the lyrics in order to make them more expressive of the meaning.

"The Christmas Song," written by Mel Torme has always been Cole's biggest Christmas hit, beautifully sung to an accompaniment of piano and strings. "O Holy Night," with a 27-string orchestra, maintains its sense of quiet awe, instead of becoming loudly triumphant (as it is in many other recordings), while "Adeste Fidelis," sung partly in Latin, speaks to the listener on a personal level and invites him/her to "come, let us adore him," instead of demanding it. The jaunty "I Saw Three Ships" and "The First Noel" are sung with an a capella chorus, and two less-recorded songs, "A Cradle in Bethlehem," from England, and "Caroling, Caroling," written in the US by A. E. Burt add new songs to the Christmas repertoire.

The orchestra and choruses here, while large, are used to highlight Nat King Cole's vocal interpretations, instead of making their own statements, and the use of bells, bell lyre, flutes, and harp often add depth to the background while adding emphasis to the lyrics. Traditional and restrained, Cole's album honors the season and its message, an album one could listen to all day without tiring. Mary Whipple

I have been buying Christmas albums for years and never really took the time to look at this one, my mistake. It is a classic, and should be in everyone's collection. Nat King Cole really brings out the meaning of Christmas, joy and wonder, in the variety of songs he sings, his smooth exquisite voice and phrasing are the best.

I will admit that Christmas music has become rather "annoying" as every year it seems that Chirstmas starts earlier and earlier. The radio stations already started going to all Christmas music, 24/7 on Nov 1st, and that way to early. Talk about spoiling the season, yet there is one Christmas album that I never tire of, and that Nat King Coles masterpiece "The Christmas Song" With so much holiday music to choose from, espically with many of todays artist releasing more "modernized" Christmas albums, this one still should be in everyones collection, even if you are to young to remember Nat. This classic was released in 1961, and even though I didnt start listening to it til the late 70's, it still is not only a great "Christmas" album, but a fantastic album overall, its even great if its not the season. Nat's smooth voice is a perfect fit for this laid back Chrismas Classic, and its I cant recommend it enough for not just fans of Christmas music, but to fans of Hip Hop and RnB. ENJOY

A lot has been written about the quality of the music on this classic so I won't comment but suffice to say that if you are a fan of classic Christmas music, this should be in your collection. I am a fan of high quality sound and early CD transfers were notoriously poor in sound quality. I often find it hard to purchase a new CD that I already have based on "digitally remastering" but this is such a classic and the sound quality on the original CD that I have was so poor that I decided to purchase it. I immediately noticed a difference in the sound quality and felt that it was defiantly worth the upgrade.

Nat has passed away some years ago and Natalie his daughter must be mid 30's by now and she's good.....but I like songs sung by the original writers and composers/arrangers and Nat fits the bill with great easy listening for anyone.....a man truly one of a kind and I miss him.

Having this as background for my holiday parties is a real plus. It adds to the holiday atmosphere. Also, some folks sang along with it. Some songs we knew and others we'd forgotten but they all enhanced this year's holiday memories.

This is a classic Christmas CD that will get a lot of play for years to come. This ranks right up there with our Perry Como Christmas CD's. If you want great music to have playing Christmas morning as you open the gifts around the tree let this be the CD to play.

I was born in 1932. What a pleasure to once again listen to Nat King Cole sing these beautiful Christmas songs. His silky voice and wonderful articulation brings back the times when people who COULD sing actually sang; when musicians could actually read music (Nat was as great a piano player as he was a singer). On this CD Nat sings "Oh Tannenbaum" ("Oh Christmas Tree"), a German Christmas Carol, completely in German! It's fabulous. My favorite, however, is "A Cradle in Bethlehem." However, the chorus in the background on a few of the carols are unnecessary; they seem to get in the way. If the listeners are like me they will just want to hear Nat King Cole. The commernts by Nat at the very end of the CD is also unnecessary. The man's a singer, not a narrator. And Oh, can he sing!

This CD, in my opinion, is a classic. It should be (and probably is) standard listening at every Christmas.

Jim McGowan

This is my husband's FAVORITE Christmas CD. He says it doesn't feel like Christmas unless he listens to Nat King Cole. I bought this for him as a surprise and he used it mercilessly! He put it on his Mp3 player. He played it in the car. He played it in the house. He played it WELL PAST Christmas! And then he lost it and his MP3 player broke with this songs on it! LOL I'm going to have to buy this for him again.

The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole is a very great compilation of Christmas songs. It has a soothing touch great for relaxing in the evening after a day of hustling and bustling. Furthermore, the way the instruments were used in each masterpiece speaks 'Substance'. It really is a masterpiece especially 'The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)'.