Customer Reviews

Merry Christmas

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

At Christmas I played this vinyl LP in the dining room of my family home over and over again. This is my favorite album of all time. My favorite song is the haunting "My Favorite Things" from the Sound of Music--what a treasure! No one does the Christmas carols/songs like Andy Williams. Christmas would not be the same without him. His high baritone voice brings all these songs to life and adds a special warmth to the holidays. So many memories were rekindled when these updated versions were released. All you have to add are snowflakes. God bless you Andy Wiliams and Merry Christmas to all!

Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe help to
make the season bright, but the thing that makes my
season bright is arguably the greatest compilation of
holiday music to ever grace the human ear.

It is The Andy Williams Christmas Album. It's the
most wonderful music for the most wonderful time of
the year. Hands-down. No questions asked.

What makes this collection of festive melodic
delights so special? Where do I start? Perhaps the
most logical point would be with the man himself, Andy
Williams.

Williams' voice is dripping with holiday spirit on
this album, and that by Jove that spirit is
contagious. If Santa Claus was to hire a lounge
singer, it would without a doubt be Williams. His
rendition of "O Holy Night" is honestly spectacular.
After 16 Christmases, I still get the chills hearing
it. When Williams hits the highs on the word "divine",
I feel as though I have heard the voice of an angel,
who is coincidentally singing "O Holy Night" while
giving me a back rub.

The album came to life 40 years ago as the lovechild
of Williams, Producer Robert Mersey, and Columbia
Records. The music has been a mainstay come Christmas
time in my family, and as a young lad I quickly
learned to appreciate the man behind what came to be
known as the Samataro Soundtrack of Christmas.

Let us delve into the splendor of the recording. The
release itself is a perfect balance of fun and upbeat
ditties like "Happy Holiday/ The Holiday Season" ,
sacred Christmas hymns such as "Away in a Manger",
tender treasures including "The Christmas Song
(Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)", and even a few
tunes with a Williams spin on them. "The Twelve Days
of Christmas" have transformed into "A Song and a
Christmas Tree", an updated (well, circa 1963, anyway)
version of the holiday gem, highlighting, for
instance, "two candy canes" in place of "two turtle
doves".

Nary a December has the voice of Williams been absent
from the house I call home. It is worth noting that
the year I lost the Andy Williams cassette tape
Decemeber became one of the worst months of my entire
life. It's just not the same without Andy. He becomes
a part of you, an annual twelfth-month tradition that
when not celebrated leaves a void the size of
post-Christmas dinner Anna Nicole-Smith in your life.
Simply astonishing.

I consider myself a case-study. For as long as I can
remember, I have listened to The Christmas Album each
December. And every December, heartwarming television
specials try to remind me of their true meanings of
Christmas, haberdashery that includes such quotables
as "it is better to give than to receive", and "make
this holiday picture-perfect, digital camera only
$59.99 (only at Macy's)!". No, friends, none of these
adages have taught me anything. Only one man has done
that.

Andy Williams has made me realize the true meaning of
Christmas. The evidence is incontrovertible. The
meaning of Christmas lies in festivity, tradition, and
12 glorious selections of music that seem to have been
written by God Himself. No, friends, the bestowment of
The Andy Williams Christmas Album is no act of
God---but it is a miracle. Miraculous, because in
essence, it is the perhaps greatest compilation of
music ever to grace the human ear. And that's just not
the egg nog talking.

Not only is Andy Williams "Merry Christmas" album my favorite of all time in sheer nostalgia value,, it's also simply the best Christmas music ever made, in my humble opinion.

On a nostalgia scale, it is off the charts. My very first Christmas memory ever as a wee tyke was listening to this album while decorating the Christmas tree with my big brother and sister. I was about 3 years old. Every year we would get this out at Christmastime, and as a child my heart would beat with excitement almost beyond bearing, because it meant one thing: CHRISTMAS WAS HERE!!!

Today, when I get out this CD and share it with my own 3 kids -- I can see the same joy in their eyes. When the first strains of "Jing-a-ling, jing-jing-aling....just hear those sleigh bells ringin'..." ring out for the first time each season, I get a lump in my throat. Partially from sweet family memories (and new ones in the making), partially from the sheer Christmas cheer it brings.

I think I read once that Europeans refer to Williams as the "Emperor of Smooth", and that is quite an apt description. His smooth, gorgeous voice brings a powerful emotion to every Christmas song, joyous or deeply spiritual; his happiness is clearly evident with each verse he sings -- it is simply heart-warming to hear.

Well, I could go on and on....but I have certainly made my point. If I could recommend only one Christmas album, or if I had to contain myself to only one for the rest of my life (you see, I adore Christmas music!), it would be without a doubt Andy Williams "Merry Christmas". Over 30 years of listening, and I have never, ever gotten tired of it. It is timeless.....

This may not truly be the best Christmas album ever, but this one of all the others means Christmas to me. It has some songs that are not typically Christmas songs, but that means they are not ones you hear over and over again--such as Little Altar Boy, The Bells of St. Mary's, and Mary's Little Boy Child. But my all-time fave is Some Children See Him--this is truly a song about tolerance, love and understanding that made a deep impression on me as a child about acceptance and the possibility that religion doesn't have to be rigid. Pretty deep for Andy Williams, huh?

I tried to find a CD or even tape of this album back in the 90' when Williams started up in Branson. No such luck. Tears literally came to my eyes when I found this was available, and I played and sang along over and over again. This made my holiday. I bought copies to give to my mom and sister. I also got the red Christmas Album, but don't like that as well, only because it wasn't part of our Christmas tradition.

For anyone who wants traditional great Christmas CD, this is worth putting into your collection. Andy Williams voice helps set a very 'christmasy' mood around the home. This is an album that I grew up with as my mom played this album every Christmas season. Of course, the Andy Williams Christmas Special was also looked forward to each year. (Remember the bear that would knock on the door and eat all of the cookies?)

The songs are not all Christmas carols (for example 'A Few of My Favorite Things' from The Sound of Music), but still seem to be done in a way that sets a great holiday tone. I was really surprised that my kids liked the CD also and would request that I played it whenever we were driving during the Christmas season. I plan on picking up another one of Andy Williams Christmas CDs for next year (I think I saw that he has four altogether.)

This album (okay, CD now) is reminiscent of Christmas in the 70's. It transports me to memories of wrapping up Aqua Velva for my father, Hotwheels for my brothers, and costume jewelry for my mother. A must for the classic holiday collection!

This christmas album, from 1965, is my favorite ANDY WILLIAMS christmas album. I like the 'red' one, THE ANDY WILLAIMS CHRISTMAS ALBUM, too, but this 'green' one, MERRY CHRISTMAS, has a little more christmas spark in it for me which doesn't really make sense with how christmasy the 'red' one is (seriously, though, you should get both since they are christmas classics in the easy listening/crooner style and as at least one other reviewer mentioned, both albums flow nicely from one to the other so that if you like one, you'll probably like the other as their styles are very similar).

A great orchestra and chorus back ANDY WILLIAMS on the songs here making great to even classic versions of songs such as WINTER WONDERLAND (one of my favorite versions ever), LET IT SNOW LET IT SNOW LET IT SNOW (another one of my favorite versions ever), HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS, SLEIGHRIDE, and a fabulous new song, CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY, that I'm surprised didn't become a christmas standard as ANDY's actual christmas standard came to be just that (from the 1963 red album, IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR). CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY is a very upbeat and fun song that deals out the 'christmas mood' as much as any christmas standard.

Another song to mention is MARY'S BOY CHILD that is very beautiful and moving. Also, MY FAVORITE THINGS is done ezxcellent here.

If you like the old 'crooner' christmas music of yesteryear (1950's - 1960's) and probably that if you like the christmas albums of JOHNNY MATHIS and JACK JONES, this is a definite must have, at least as far as I'm concerned.

What can be said? It's Andy Williams! He is fabulous any time. This CD is not quite as good as the Red one, but it is great anyway! I highly recommend everyone add this to their Christmas collection and get the Andy Williams red Christmas Album! You gotta have that one!!!

I originally purchased this many years ago on tape and have recently upgraded to CD because it is one of my all-time favorites, sung by one of my favorite artists. I had the opportunity to see Andy live this past Holiday (2007) and his voice hasn't suffered with age at all. Many of these songs were performed that night to thunderous ovations.

Although there isn't a bad selection here, some of my personal favorites included are: "Some Children See Him", "Mary's Boy Child, "Silver Bells", & "The Bells of St. Mary's".

To me and my family it just wouldn't be Christmas without listening to an Andy Williams Christmas album. Highly recommended!

Anyone who loves good vocals should buy this CD as AW is beyond doubt the best there is. I am not a lover of Xmas carols but I love this one.
The Andy Williams Christmas Album is even better. His version of O Holy Night is absolutely magic and possibly the best piece of music I have ever heard. Just Great