My Kind Of Christmas

Dean Martin | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 6, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Hip-O Records
• ASIN: B002JNYM8M
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #59,021 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Dean Martin loved the holiday season, especially Christmas. While maintaining his status as a full-time entertainer of vast renown, Martin also remained a devoted family man. And the evidence of his fondness for both aspects of his multifaceted life is found in his performance of these seasonal favorites -- so uniquely stylized, highly identifiable and definitely crooned with the smooth approach that was his own inimitable vocal style. <P> Collected here are 14 timeless classics full of sparkling Christmas cheer including a specially remixed version of the festive chestnut "Winter Wonderland" delivered for the season in a manner as only this handsome film star, TV icon and Grammy®-winning singing sensation could. <P>

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Music To Warm Your Holiday Season, November 5, 2009

By 

George M. Zavaglia (Brockport, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Kind Of Christmas (Audio CD)

Whether "My Kind Of Christmas" makes it into your music collection will largely depend on how much of Dean Martin's seasonal repertoire you already own. Almost everything heard here is available on other CD's. The exception is "Winter Wonderland" which has been newly orchestrated to increase its' swing quotient. The result gives Martin collectors a reason to buy this CD, but doesn't ruin the mood created by the rest of the vintage tracks

These 14 songs are full of Christmas cheer. Dean breezes through stuff like "Jingle Bells" and "Let It Snow, "Let It Snow, Let It Snow". There's both a sense of enjoyment in his voice and humor in his delivery. Listen to the German accent this Italian balladeer gives Santa during "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer". Only Dino could get away with that!

A couple of tunes concern themselves more with what might go on under the mistletoe rather than Christmas itself. There's a bouncy version of "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" and the sly fun of a of a 1959 recording of "Baby It's Cold Outside" in which a female chorus tries to escape Dino's attempts to have a "hot time" on a cold and snowy evening.

There are also nostalgic and beautiful versions of "White Christmas", Silver Bells" and "Silent Night" that are sung smooth as silk. They'll make you think of the Christmas TV specials you used to know; the ones helmed by great singing hosts like Dino, Bing and Perry.

"My Kind Of Christmas" is NOT bad, just repetitive. I guess that's bound to happen, when you consider that unlike other singers with a bigger catalog of holiday themed material, Dean only made a total of two dozen studio recordings of this type. But, put this CD on as background music during a holiday get together this year and I'll bet more than a few of your guests will smile just a little bit bigger. Dean Martin's voice has a way of making people do that.

31 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Track 6: FAIL., December 20, 2009

By 

deckeda - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Kind Of Christmas (Audio CD)

Seems every few years somebody decides to release a new collection of essentially the same (and well, only ...) Christmas tunes Dean Martin recorded. And so they go looking for some new way to "spruce it up." In 2006 it was with a country singer. This time it's with an overblown rock beat on one song. I won't call these efforts gimmicks, but I DO look forward to the 2011 CD which will no doubt feature T-Pain.

If the preview of this 2009 release is representative, they've wisely ditched the Martina McBride "duet" from 2006's Baby It's Cold Outside and restored the original.

But a heavy-handed, bouncy pseudo rock beat was overlaid on Winter Wonderland for 2009. The original strings and backing vocals are still there, just buried under the muck--along with Martin's voice. Compare it to the original version available elsewhere and you'll agree that less is more.

The OOP 2004 "Christmas with Dino" release remains the best Dean Martin Christmas CD.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A dissenting opinion, November 16, 2011

By 

John O'Neill (Alpharetta, GA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Kind Of Christmas (2011 Version) (MP3 Download)

Enough is enough. Exactly how many times is the material from Dean Martin's two Christmas/Winter LPs going to be reissued? First we had the 2004 version of Christmas with Dino which nicely compiled 17 Christmas related tracks from Martin's Capitol and Reprise releases. It was pretty close to perfect and is still your best option. Then we got the 2006 version (Christmas With Dino) with new cover art but basically the same contents except for a remixed version of "Baby It's Cold Outside" with country singer Martina McBride taking on the female part. Frankly I think it was a mistake.

In 2009 we were given the first version of My Kind Of Christmas - gone was the McBride vocal but now we get a contemporary mix of "Winter Wonderland" which pales in comparison to the familiar and classic 1959 version and sounds oddly like Dean Martin fronts Mannheim Steamroller. (I love Mannheim Steamroller, but this track just seems completely out of place.) Also gone were the alternate versions of "Let It Snow", "Winter Wonderland", and "White Christmas": Christmas With Dino had included both the 1959 Capitol and 1966 Reprise versions of those three tracks. But wait, there's more! Along comes 2011 and "My Kind of Christmas" also gets a makeover and since they apparently didn't learn their lesson with the McBride vocal, now they've replaced the original version of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" with a newly mixed duet with Scarlett Johansson. So that's four releases in eight years covering essentially the same material.

I'll be honest I've never been very fond of the instrumental arrangements or production found on the 1966 "The Dean Martin Christmas Album" on Reprise. It's got a bit of a more "contemporary" feel (for the time) and just doesn't fit Martin's "lounge" style. My first recommendation is to pick up 1959's A Winter Romance. There you will find the classic arrangements of Gus Levene, the production of long-time Sinatra producer Lee Gillette and the classic Martin versions of "Winter Wonderland", "Let It Snow", "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm", and "Baby It's Cold Outside" (without Martina McBride). Yes, those tracks can be found on these compilations as well but "Winter Romance" works best as a "theme album" and you'll want to hear Martin's takes on "The Things We Did Last Summer", "June in January", "Canadian Sunset" and "It Won't Cool Off".

2nd choice: If you are going to go with one of these four 21st century comps then seek out the 2004 version of Christmas with Dino.