Customer Reviews

A Really Swell Christmas

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

 

 

The songs on this very short CD are cheesy. This doesn't mean they're gonna be filled with deep Lou Rawls-styled soul grooves or swing like Ellington or Kenton, so don't expect that. The tracks were selected for their cheesiness and they rise to the occasion. But just because they're cheesy doesn't mean they're not fun. The tracks by The Glad Singers, Art Carney and John Davidson are all worth the price of this CD!
The Percy Faith track is from his CHRISTMAS IS album (which is one of THE all time great Christmas albums) and is mastered better here than on the Columbia CD.
The Rod McKuen track is the most bizarre. It comes from an album of romantic poetry called IN SEARCH OF EROS. In this one minute epic, Rod briefly expouses on why holidays meant little to him when he was young and then thanks his love for, among other things, "jam from the delicatessen".
The tracks on this disc are the kind that inspire people to make goofy audio Christmas cards for friends. You should only buy this disc if you are willing to listen to it in the spirit in which it was compiled.

OK, so this won't go down as one of the all-time classic Christmas compilations. But then again, I would not go so far as to say (as some have) that most of the tracks are "bad." In fact, it's a happy little, inoffensive offering that just also happens to contain one of the most difficult charted Christmas hits to find in CD format (and the only such hit in this collection) - that being Santa And The Doodle-Li-Boop by Art Carney, the beloved Ed Norton of The Honeymooners. Released in 1954 on Columbia 4-40400, it made it to # 24 that Christmas. That alone earns this 3 stars in my mind.

As for the other 11 tracks, I don't see how anyone can call Percy Faith's Happy Holidays, from his 1966 # 23 Columbia LP, Christmas Is, "bad." This has become almost a standard each season on most Easy Listening radio stations, as is Jingle Bells by the Ray Ellis orchestra which came out in 1957 on the single Columbia 41056.

And anyone who knew and loved Liberace will enjoy his rendition of 'Twas The Night Before Christmas, first released in 1954 on the Columbia LP Christmas At Liberace's and with the backing of brother George Liberace & His Orchestra, just as they will Winter Wonderland by Jerry Murad's Harmonicats, which first appeared in the 1961 Columbia LP An All-Star Christmas.

I agree that one of the best selections here is Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer by The Joe Loco Quintet. Born Jose Esteves in New York City in 1921 (and also known as "Crazy Joe"), Joe Loco is a pianist/dancer/trombone player who, before forming his own group, had played with Ciro Rimac's Brazilian Band and the Original Afro-Cuban Band in the 1940s. In the early 1950s, adapting straight Pop music to the Latin beat, he is credited with introducing both the mambo and the cha-cha to North American audiences, especially in his release of Tenderly, but for some reason Columbia decided not to release his 1955 interpretation of the Gene Autry classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. So, you're hearing it here for the first time.

The sound quality is excellent (tracks 1, 3, 6, 7, 9, 11 and 12 are in stereo), although the liner notes are skimpy, offering just three brief paragraphs by producer Al Quaglieri. However, they do provide recording dates for each track and the label details of their initial appearance on record. All in all, not a bad buy at all.

This is a must have CD for serious cheese collectors. And by the way, it is alot of fun. This is a feel good, very light hearted, blast from the past type of CD. I like nostaglia. I like Lawrence Welkesque music. I like Christmas poetry. I like the unusual. I like Liberace. It's all hear. That's how good it is. And the track that is not to be missed is Art Carney's "Doodle-Li-Boop". You haven't heard anything until you hear this spirited song about a child's desire to acquire the one most precious gift and Santa's dilema in fulfilling his request. Pure Joy!!! Buy this CD you shouldn't be disappointed.

Really Swell Christmas

I purchased this product because it includes "Santa and the Doodle-li-boop" by Art Carney, a record I had as a kid. It's fun; it consists of Carney's vocals backed only by drums. Carney is having fun. At one point he seems on the verge of breaking out in laughter. Kids might like it, little ones, especially if there names is Tommy. The rest of the collection is bland and harmless. I wish I could say it was so bad it was good, but the singers and musicians are better than that. If you're looking for something to put on the box to nod off to mid-Christmas day, this might work.

The subtitle of this compilation is "100% pure Christmas Cheese", and boy, does it ever live up to the billing. These are some of the lamest Christmas recordings ever. The only song here that is actually good is "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer", which actually manages to swing with a latin flavor. The rest of the album is just plain bad. Since the album description here doesn't list who performs the songs, I'll tell you who does, and also give my thoughts on each track.

1. "Deck the Halls" by the Glad Singers. Boy, they really do sound glad. A little TOO glad, if you know what I mean.
2. "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" by the Joe Loco Quintet. Like I said, this one is actually pretty good.
3. "Happy Holidays" by Percy Faith. Strings and a female chorus. Boring!
4. "Twas the Night Before Christmas" by Liberace. The gayest version of this poem ever.
5. "Jingle Bells" by the Ray Ellis Orchestra. Crummy instrumental version done as a march.
6. "Blue Christmas" by Frankie Yakovic. Polka time!
7. "Winter Wonderland" by the Harmonicats. Played entirely on harmonicas. Excruciating.
8. "Santa and the Doodle-Li-Boop" by Art Carney. Probably the dumbest Christmas novelty song ever. R.I.P., Art.
9. "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" by John Davidson. This guy makes Pat Boone sound soulful.
10. "Santa's Laughing Song" by Santa Claus and his Helpers. Oh wait, THIS is the dumbest Christmas novelty song ever.
11. "Christmas" by Rod McKuen. Rod recites a brief poem that I didn't understand at all. I guess that means it's "deep".
12. "The Christmas Song" by George Maharis. A lame supper club version, recorded live.

Well, there you have it. Buy it if you want to, but don't say I didn't warn you.