Christmas Time Again [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED] [EXTRA TRACKS]

dB's

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 21, 2006)
• Original Release Date: November 21, 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Extra tracks
• Label: Collector's Choice
• ASIN: B000IAZNDG
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #16,594 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Christmas Time-The dB's

2. Home For The Holidays-The dB's

3. (It's Going To Be A) Lonely Christmas-Marshal Crenshaw

4. Jesus Christ-Big Star

5. Holiday Spirit-The dB's

6. Christmas Time Is Here-Thad Cockrell & Roman Candle

7. Houses On The Hill-Whiskeytown

8. The Only Law That Santa Claus Understood-Ted Lyons

9. I Saw Three Ships-Don Dixon

10. Christmas Is The Only Time-Wes Lachot

11. Christmas Light-Keegan DeWitt & The Sparrows

12. Santa's Moonlight Sleighride-Ted Lyons

13. Sha La La-Cathy Harrington

14. The Christmas Song-Alex Chilton

15. Christmas Is Saturday-Don Dixon

16. Felex Navidad-The dB's

17. Holy Night-Peter Holsapple

18. You're What I Want For Christmas-Chris Stamey & Cathy Harrington

19. Silent Nocturne-Brent Lanbert

20. It's A Wonderful Life-Chris Stamey

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This is the gift that keeps on giving--the Yuletide album that Chris Stamey and the dB's originally released as a vinyl EP in 1986, later expanded into a CD, and have now updated as a 21-cut extravaganza of holiday cheer (and occasionally bittersweet reflection). It's like a family album of a musical clan that keeps extending itself, now encompassing the likes of Marshall Crenshaw (with a soulful "Lonely Christmas"), Don Dixon (with two cuts including a live, finger-snapping "I Saw Three Ships"), and Whiskeytown (a previously unreleased Ryan Adams/Caitlin Cary collaboration, "Houses on the Hill"). Most of the material is original, covering a territory that extends from punk, new wave, and power pop through alt-country, though Peter Holsapple delivers a surprisingly straightforward "O Holy Night" and Alex Chilton does Mel Tormé proud with "The Christmas Song." --Don McLeese

Product Description

There a lot of modern rockers who consider this to be THE great Christmas album of the last 25 years or so, and if your taste runs to the Southern-based "jangle pop" practiced by such folks as Big Star, R.E.M. and the dB's, you're probably one of them. Originally released as a 7-song LP in 1986, and as a 17-song CD in 1993, this Chris Stamey-conceived holiday classic appears here on our Collectors' Choice Music label with six new tracks, including a song by Peter Holsapple, `Home for the Holidays', performed by the dB's; `Christmas Time Is Here'-Thad Cockrell & Roman Candle; `Lonely Christmas'-Marshall Crenshaw; two tunes by R.E.M. producer Don Dixon, `I Saw Three Ships' and' `Christmas Is Saturday', and an unreleased track by Ryan Adams & Whiskeytown, `Houses on the Hill'! And the album's older tracks are pretty darn cool, too: `Jesus Christ'-Big Star; `The Christmas Song'-Alex Chilton; `Christmas Time'; `Holiday Spirit'; `Feliz Navidad'-dB's; `The Only Law That Santa Claus Understood'; `Santa's Moonlit Sleighride'-Ted Lyons; `It's a Wonderful Life'-Chris Stamey; `You're What I Want for Christmas'-Chris Stamey & Cathy Harrington; `Snow Is Falling'-Chris Stamey & Mary Mac; `Sha La La'-Cathy Harrington; `Christmas Is the Only Time'-Wes Lachot; `O Holy Night'-Peter Holsapple; `Silent Nocturne'-Brent Lambert, and `Christmas Light'-Keegan DeWitt & the Sparrows. 21 tracks of Christmas harmony!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Few Nuggets, May 20, 2007

By	Lee Armstrong (Winterville, NC United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Chris Stamey Group released "Christmas Time" in 1986. Collectors Choice release "Christmas Time Again" includes many of the tracks from that set and expands with added selections. Marshall Crenshaw works up a sweat on "Lonely Christmas" with a boy scout vocal wringing the most from the track. Big Star's "Jesus Christ" has a good religious sentiment, "With love they did rejoice, fine & pure of voice; & the wrong shall fail & the right prevail." The dB's "Holiday Spirit" satirizes commercialism, "I've got that holiday spirit, gimme, gimme, gimme." Whiskeytown with Ryan Adams on vocals relates a sad story, "I found a bunch of letters, they were written for the fellow who broke your mama's heart." Ted Lyons does a parody of Gene Pitney's "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" on "The Only Law that Santa Claus Understood" casting Santa as a gunslinger. Don Dixon provides a jazzy bass-thumping version of "I Saw Three Ships." Musically, Wes Lachot's vocals recall the Beach Boys on a song with a sad message, "Christmas is the only time I think of you." Cathy Harrington's "Sha La La" sounds like the Go-Gos channeling the Crystals, but unfortunately, Harrington's voice is not one you want to hear again & again. With his warbling vocals, Alex Chilton sounds like he's trying to make fun of Mel Torme's "The Christmas Song" (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire). "Christmas Time Again" is a varied set with a few nuggets & a few clinkers. It fills the spot for those not wanting to hear the same old thing at holiday time. Enjoy!

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars mostly, inspired power pop Christmas, January 5, 2007

By	attentive listener "dubs" (Joysey) - See all my reviews

There might be 2 clunkers on this disc but most of it is quite enjoyable. For power-pop fans that might enjoy Christmas tunes. Not necessarily for Christmas fans that might enjoy power-pop. 4.5 stars.

0 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars What a disappointment!, January 2, 2007

By	A. Simons (Houston TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Based on the reviews for this CD I decided to buy it without having sampled it. Big mistake. I love, among others, Marshall Crenshaw, Don Dixon and Peter Holsapple, but what happened here? This was so not fabulous.