Customer Reviews

Mannheim Steamroller: Christmas Song

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(19)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

As a longtime, but certainly not naïve, fan of Mannheim Steamroller's music its hard for me to fully convey with words alone how disappointed I am with Chip Davis after this release.

Make no mistake, this rushed and uninspired release is about one thing: Money.

The care, passion and creativity found in the past Mannheim Christmas Albums and the Fresh Aire series has been replaced by mundane renditions of holiday classics and several retreads from past albums (Tell me Chip, how does 3 re-releases on the CD translate to the sticker on the front of the record that boasts `All New Music'?). All of this rushed to the market so that Chip can cash in on his fan-base's loyalty. While Christmas Song does have a few decent tracks the overall collection is less than the sum of its parts. Here's my take on the songs:

1. Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow (2.5 Stars): Not a bad effort but the upbeat melodies never go anywhere. After you've listened to the first 35 seconds of the song it pretty much repeats itself until it fades out.

2. The Christmas Song (1 Star): I'm not a fan of Chip adding vocalists to his tracks because this type of music is supposed to be about Chips compositions and the instrumental performances. Regardless this rendition is just plain bad with Mr. Mathis struggling to perform over Chip's strange arrangement.

3. Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town (2 Stars): Whimsical in nature, I think Chip did the best he could with a song that really never should've been on a Mannheim Steamroller album.

4. It Came Upon the Midnight Clear (3 Stars): Definitely one of the albums stronger songs. A nice arrangement, reminiscent of Steamroller's version of O' Holy Night.

5. Feliz Navidad (2 Stars): Another example of Chip doing nothing with a song other than regurgitating it through his preferred instruments. No emotion to this song whatsoever, which is a shame because it could have been something special.

6. Catching Snowflakes On Your Tongue (3 Stars): A Chip Davis original that is well thought out and well performed. Your fans want more of this, Chip!

7. Masters In This Hall (4 Stars): Another original composition by Chip that will thrill long term fans beginning with a classical sound and then morphing into a more progressive nature that will remind fans of the 1984 classic `Good King Wenceslas'.

8. Above the Northern Lights (2.5 Stars): The first of the albums re-releases. The song can originally be found on the spoken word album: The Christmas Angel. The tune itself is very good but again the vocal performance (Mathis) not to mention the lyrics, are simply lacking.

9. Frosty the Snowman (0 Stars): Jumbled techno garbage. I've tried many times to give this song a fair listen but I can't.

10. Traditions Of Christmas (1 Star): This is a music box rendition of one of Chips finest efforts. But come on! This is third time this song on has been on a Mannheim Christmas album and its only 30 seconds long.

11. Christmas Lullaby (2 Stars): ANOTHER re-release! Olivia Newton-John does a decent job with the lyrics she was provided with but the presence of a vocalist actually detracts from this Steamroller classic.

12. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (5 Stars): Brilliant! Smooth Jazz in nature with a nostalgic feel to it. While it shines, it can't salvage many of the shoddy efforts that come before it.

Most of the diehard Steamroller fans, like myself, have already run out and blindly purchased this album. While the album offers up a few memorable tunes, they don't justify the purchase of the entire CD. If you have the means listen to the tracks first and then download only the songs that merit your money. But sadly most of Chip's fans won't do this.

In fact Chip is counting on it $$$.

Let's face it, kiddies.... this has been done to death. The original Mannheim Steamroller Christmas album from 1984 was very innovative for it's time, and it's follow-up from 1988 (A Fresh Aire Christmas) was, in my humble opinion, even better than the original. In the years since then, however, the Steamroller Christmas series has become a cash cow for it's creator, Chip Davis, and he refuses to let go of the project, churning out a new rehash every few years or so. The original concept of combining Renaissance-era instruments, electronica, and full orchestra was a great thing at first, but Mr Davis has run out of fresh ideas and just keeps recycling the same thing over and over. (For example, check out the middle section of "Masters In This Hall"; it sounds like a direct rip-off of "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" from the first album, and in keeping with the style of most arrangements on this album, it stops abruptly and feels unfinished.)

A huge pet peeve of mine pops up early in the first two tracks; arrange a song in a different style if you must, but DON'T rewrite the melody, especially in something as familiar as a Christmas song. There are a couple of instances that sound as if Mr. Davis wasn't exactly sure where the standard melody was supposed to go, and he just changed it to something he must have figured was close enough that no one would care, but I'm sure the original songwriters wouldn't appreciate it.

There are a couple of nice moments to be found, such as "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" which hearkens back to "Cantique de Noel" from the second album, but for every pleasant moment, there is something equally as jarring close behind, the absolute worst being the inexplicable version of "Frosty the Snowman", in which the song becomes almost completely unrecognizable. The liner notes describe it as "Frosty...the Techno Dance". (with vocals by "Spaceman"??) You'll just call it embarrassing and reach for the skip button on your player.

Olivia Newton-John and Johnny Mathis both turn up as guest vocalists, and they do the best they can with the material they've been given. Johnny is saddled with the above-mentioned melody goofs in "The Christmas Song", not to mention a plodding arrangement that doesn't capture the warm feeling it should have. Olivia has a song that is a Chip Davis original, previously appearing on "Christmas in the Aire" (Christmas album # 3) in an instrumental form, and it's nice enough, but feels a bit of a cheat that the song has shown up again. (To be fair, there is a sweetness about this track that is quite nice, and it IS a better version than the original. So there.)

I know I sound like I'm being overly critical of this CD, but I think it's deserved this time around. I don't hear as much forethought or effort going into these albums anymore, and it's time to stop the series if they're going to stay at this level of quality. Regardless, something tells me that in about two or three years, we can look forward to Chip and Co. returning with something like "More Christmas Songs We Haven't Trashed....Yet".

I want to preface my remarks about this particular CD by extending my sincere thanks to Chip Davis and all Mannheim Steamroller personnel, past and present, for the most beautiful and moving Christmas music I have ever heard. By the end of the 1980s, Mannheim Steamroller had become my all-time favorite Christmas artist. I have looked forward to each new Christmas CD with great anticipation. Based upon my experiences with previous releases, I have quickly added each new album to my collection without having heard any of the songs, and haven't regretted doing so until the purchase of this album. I wholeheartedly recommend the first four "canon" Mannheim Steamroller Christmas CDs: Christmas, A Fresh Aire Christmas, Christmas In The Aire and Christmas Extraordinaire (available together at a great value as The Mannheim Steamroller Christmas Collection box set). However, I cannot recommend this newest album. Aside from Christmas Live, the largely spoken-word The Christmas Angel, and the 2004 compilation Christmas Celebration, Christmas Song is the first Mannheim Christmas release to revisit the group's earlier material. Each of the aforementioned "canon" albums is full of imaginative, evocative yuletide arrangements. While Christmas Song has some great moments, it is a disappointing effort overall.

"Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" starts off the album well, in a style reminiscent of "Winter Wonderland" and "Joy To The World" from previous albums. "The Christmas Song" features lead vocals from Johnny Mathis, who delivers an average performance. The arrangement is nothing special and a far cry from the group's re-imagining of Christmas songs in years gone by. "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" marks the first appearance of a saxophone solo on a Steamroller Christmas track. In my opinion, the instrument just doesn't fit the Mannheim sound. "Feliz Navidad" is OK, but doesn't come across as fresh or exciting as Steamroller arrangements on earlier albums. "Catching Snowflakes On Your Tongue", a new Davis composition, is a nice instrumental but lacks the emotion of a song like the original "Traditions Of Christmas" from A Fresh Aire Christmas. "It Came Upon The Midnight Clear" and "Masters In This Hall" are the best performances on the album. These tracks would have fit nicely alongside songs from previous albums. "Above The Northern Lights" is the first and better of two vocal remakes on the album. Of all the Christmas tracks the group has recorded, "Frosty The Snowman" stands as my least favorite. This performance exceeds their earlier recording of "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" in sheer silliness. This is about as far as it gets from the majestic beauty of "Veni Veni" or "Stille Nacht". To be fair to Chip Davis, I realize that he was going for little kid fun rather than reverence, but this rendition falls flat. "Traditions Of Christmas" gets things back on track, but all too briefly. This music box reprise of the 1988 classic gave me chills. "Christmas Lullaby" is an unnecessary vocal remake of the 1995 instrumental. Olivia Newton-John is fine here, but the lyrics to this song are no substitute for the poignant beauty of the original instrumentation. "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" starts out with promise, but never expands into a powerful closing song. Instead it suffers from the reappearance of the saxophone and leaves the listener wanting more.

As a loyal fan, I have a few friendly suggestions for Chip Davis next time around. First, please resist the temptation to include more than one or two vocal performances. Mannheim Steamroller has always been at its best when making music in the vicinity of progressive rock rather than straying into easy listening territory. If a guest vocalist is desired, I suggest a distinctive voice such as Jon Anderson of Yes (who would've taken "Above The Northern Lights" to another level, though Gene Nery did a good job). Second, please bring Jackson Berkey and Ron Cooley back to the studio. These two gentlemen were part of the Mannheim magic since that first Christmas album, but they don't appear on Christmas Song. Lastly, please don't use saxophones and electronic drums. The beautiful Renaissance era instruments define the Mannheim Steamroller sound and a sax is no substitute. The sound of the drum kit on the first Christmas album is superior to the recent pad sounds which, to me, interfere with the balance between ancient instruments and those must-have synthesizers. I do hope Mannheim Steamroller records another Christmas album before six more years pass, but I will be hesitant to purchase it without hearing it first. Come on Chip, please make the next one a return to form. Meanwhile, I'll enjoy those classic Steamroller recordings. A very Merry Christmas to all!

This is by far the weakest of the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas albums. I think I'll stick this one back on the shelf and pull out the first two, which were in a completely different league musically.

The style of this album is a complete departure from the signature Mannheim Steamroller sound. Unfortunately, this new direction isn't a good one.

Chip Davis dumped most of the Renaissance / early music influences. Instead of bold and exciting treatments of Christmas carols, we get a bland "easy listening" set. Some of the song lyrics and musical ideas don't seem fully developed - though with several years before albums, there should have been plenty of time to make a stronger album.

High points: "Let It Snow" has a little of that old Mannheim magic. "Above the Northern Lights" is an interesting and contemplative piece, though a stylistic departure for the Steamroller.

Low points: A bad arrangement of "Frosty the Snowman," and lifeless covers of jazz / Latin-influenced songs ("The Christmas Song," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas").

Bottom line: Mannheim Steamroller appears to be on life support right now. I hope that they will be infused with a rejuvenating spirit and make a good Christmas album in the future. This one, however, is not it - and I will listen first and buy later next time...

This is way below the standard Chip Davis has set for himself in earlier Christmas CDs. It is dull and repetitive. None of his earlier originality.

I was very disappointed in this ATTEMPT at another great Mannheim Christmas CD. I find very few songs that don't sound like elevator music, or intros to kids shows. They try to capture the same sound of the past but end up sounding like Casio keyboard demos. There are so many Christmas songs out there, that they don't need to repeat either. I could have swore they did a Frosty the Snowman previously. Leave out the singing. I love the instrumentals. Are they trying to cash in on having "names" to drop to sell this CD? And what the heck did they do to Feliz Navidad???? It's so slow and boring. Sorry, glad I didn't buy it and listened to a friend's CD first. Save your money.

It's hard to listen to the Fresh Aire series and to the first Christmas albums and then attempt to listen to this album. It doesn't even sound like Chip Davis tried. It seems like he is chugging out material just because it will sell with the Mannheim Steamroller name on it. Most of the songs are rehashed rhythms with the same old lame synth sounds. Maybe Mr. Davis needs to listen to his older stuff and realize, "Wow, that was good and listenable." I'm not saying that artists should stay the same for the sake of their fans, but this is an obviously rushed album with selling records as their main goal. After hearing his other crap factory CD's such as the Halloween series, I was hoping for something other than this, but it came anyway. So overall, just keep your Mannheim collection untainted and leave this one behind. If you have to listen it, try the library, but don't pay for it.

My girlfriend and I were very disappointed with this CD. After hearing Frosty the Snowman I am wondering if Chip Davis is smoking weed. It's horrible. We've given it several listens, but I think we're done with it. If you are thinking of buying a Mannheim Steamroller cd, do not get this one. Unless you want to buy my copy.

After listening to and loving Mannheim Steamroller (MS) for over 25 years, this is the worst. After a six year absence, this CD is not worth the material it takes to create it. Over the past several years, the MS sound has changed from its early days of highly complex, technical compositions to a much more "pop" type sound. The culmination of this betrayal of the truly unique Mannheim sound is "Christmas Song." The song selection is good and if you want music to play in the background at your office or you're a big fan of elevator music, go for it. However, if you are looking for something that rivals the technical superiority of say, Freash Aire II or III or the beauty of Stille Nacht (as performed by MS) or the ORIGINAL Christmas Lullaby, you will be terribly disappointed.

The CD starts out in 100% cheap-pop mode with a rendition of "Let it Snow" that could have been done better by Muzak, moves to worse with yet another 1970's crooning effort by Johnny Mathis and finally gets to a smoldering heap of rubble as Olivia Newton John moans her way through "Christmas Lullaby" which was an absolutely beautiful song in its original instrumental form (Christmas in the Aire) but an absolutely travesty when sung (especially as it is sung here). MS really needs to drop the singing in their CDs unless they can attract the proper talent/sound. Their use of chorales in the past is a great example of a sound that truly mixes well and enhances the MS sound as opposed to cheapening it.

If you love MS and their original way of composing, I recommend dropping in one of their old Christmas CDs - this one is a complete waste of time and money. Long-time MS fans deserve better.

Man oh Mannheim...they really bombed on this CD. Numbers 6 and 12 were fine on this CD, but the rest....well...a total bomb. Loved their past Christmas CDs, but this one was really disappointing. :-P