Customer Reviews

A Sesame Street Christmas

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Sesame Street records should have found themselves a good burner and copied the original 1975 release on to a CD to be manufactured. The two new songs were fair, but are no replacement for the tracks omitted from the CD from the original. For one thing, several cast members; Will Lee's Mr. Hooper, Northern Calloway's David, and several others have sadly passed on now, so I was even more saddened to discover the classical "Christmas Story" removed jump-cutting immediately to Ernie and Bert's HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS. Also David's beatnik NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS ON SESAME STREET was such a cute tune from the original. Luis and Maria's Spanish Christmas songs SALUDO and ARRURRU were also removed. Why? Probably to add Elmo and all of the new characters in to replace. For instance when Harry incorrectly praises "Wreck the Halls" as his favorite carol he is corrected by David in the original, this time Elmo corrects him.

I am hoping a more definitive version of the CD is released and precisely similar to the original 1975 album. For those of you from the new generation unfamiliar with the original, the tracks were as followed:

1) Sesame Street Christmas Overture

2) We Wish You A Merry Christmas

3) Medley: Deck the Halls, Jingle Bells, White Christmas, Winter Wonderland

4) I Hate Christmas

5) A Christmas Story

6) Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

7) The 12 Days of Christmas

8) Medley: It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas, Silver Bells, The Christmas Song, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

9) The Night Before Christmas On Sesame Street

10) Saludo

11) Arrurru

12) All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth

13) A Christmas Pageant

14) Keep Christmas With You All Through the Year

15) We Wish You A Merry Christmas (Reprise)

OK, the songs that are still there are all great, but even more problematic is the CD cover isn't equivalent at all to the original album design. If a definitive version of the CD is released, the artwork from the album's centerfold and linear notes should be included as well. Would this not make a more affectionate tribute to this Holiday gem?

Save your money and wait to see if the original comes back. If you own the album, find your old phonograph and play for Christmas. I never understand why people bother to tamper with the originals, as they are always the best.

If so, try this website http://www.stef.net/sesamestreetchristmas/ where you can get the original for free. This version is okay, but is missing a few of my favorite tracks, and I was happy to see that I could download the original online. Just for those who would like to know...

I can't tell you how many times I've listened to this CD. It's become a Christmas staple for our house. Although it's a bit short (only 32 minutes) and it repeats a few songs I still can't get enough. My favorites are A Christmas Pagent that's just like having the show in audio form and the Keep Christmas With You (All Through The Year) which I've been singing ever since I first heard it on the show years and years ago. If you like Sesame Street, you'll love this CD.

1. Sesame Street Christmas Overture - The Sesame Street Festival Orchestra

2. We Wish You A Merry Christmas - The Company

3. Deck The Halls/Jingle Bells/White Christmas/Winter Wonderland - The Company

4. I Hate Christmas - Ocsar the Grouch (who else?)

5. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Bert & Ernie

6. The Twelve Days of Christmas - The Company

7. A True Blue Christmas - Hoots the Owl, Bob, Elmo

8. It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas/Silver Bells/The Christmas Song/Santa Claus Is Coming To Town/It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas (reprise) - The Company

9. All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth - The Count

10. A Christmas Pagent - Bert, Ernie Prairie Dawn, Harry, Grover and Cookie Monster

11. Keep Christmas With You (All Through The Year) - Susan, Gordon, Big Bird, Luis, Hoots the Owl, Bob, Prarire Dawn & Ernie

12. We Wish You A Merry Christmas (reprise) - The Company

I had this on record (you know, those round things that had music on them before CDs) as a kid and loved listening to it every Christmas. When I found the CD, I had to get it.

I have noticed some changes they've made since the record days. Generally, these were made to reflect changes in the cast of the show over the last 25 years. For instance, they have included Elmo in several songs while deleting things that included people no longer on the show. While I miss them, it's minor.

The joy and fun of this project still comes through loud and clear. Whether it's Herry butchering carols ("My favorite carol, Wreck the Halls") or the special version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" this CD is filled with fun moments. I also enjoy "All I Want for Christmas" sung by (who else?) the Count. And watch out, or you'll get Oscar the Grouch's contribution "I Hate Christmas" stuck in your head. Trust me; you don't want to be caught singing that around the house. I was glad to see they left in "A Christmas Pageant" where Bert gets to be the star of the show. The one new (to me) song is the fun "A True Blue Miracle." It also includes the Sesame Street classic "Keep Christmas With You."

As an adult, I may only listen to it a couple times a year, but it's worth having to bring those memories flooding back. Today's kids will love having their own Christmas CD with songs by their favorite characters just as much as I did when I was a kid.

Now that I've found that this album is on CD, I'm going to buy a copy for each of my three kids who are now adults. They LOVED this album... and so do I. The music is so very light and happy. Many of the songs and stories on it tell of the spirit of Christmas and show what it means to give to others at this time of year and throughout the year. All the Sesame Street characters from the early years of the show are included. It's a nostalgic trip back to more innocent times.

I saw the titles of the songs on this recording and was hoping to hear the original stuff from 1975, but was disheartened to find out that the CD has been sabotaged by Elmo! Yikes! Elmo is not in every song, but does sing in many of them. Sorry, we're just not an Elmo fan here.

its TOTAL HOGWASH! The only reason I purchased this CD was to reminisce. WHERE IS MR HOOPER AND DAVID!!!
I cant stand Elmo so the cd is of no use to me!

I am 60 and bought this cassette tape for my little ones way back. We loved it I prob more than they. Well after so many years of wondering where that tape is... Guess what I found it today and I love all them. Sesame characters are still the version of most people we know today! It is a gentle way of preparing life for the young child to be acquainted with the real world. Except today world is worse with the evil that is widely accepted. I know that there may be words like Hate etc. but a child needs to know the difference between love and hate(dislike) and as much as I can Oscar the Grouch is the same as a person that need the love dumped on his head as many individuals also need. Balancing the love/hate war is always going to be around. We just have to know how to handle it for the good of all involved (and allow God to be in control) . I am thrill I found this little tape. .I also saw the espisode where Snuffie first appeared so we saw him and did not just imagine him. I actually remember the first time the word "fool " was on the show and should have call the station but did not That was I guess like hate but perhaps the evil getting stronger to warp the mind of little child to think such works are ok.I really can not rememberber how it was used I was just SHOCKED! Totally why you don't just let a child watch a "great" program without being monitored or review first. Any opportunity to educate or explain to a young child much be done even if it makes you 'blue,green,red or pale in the face'. Parenting is the Rough and Tough,Rewarding JOB GOD gave us,as parents, and prayerfully we will please God with our "labor of fruit" some baskets are heavy and some are light :-) God bless and have a Merry Christmas and even a Happy Holiday!

A view of the original 1975 "MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM SESAME STREET" LP is located on Amazon at Merry Christmas From Sesame Street

All of the LP's original songs (except Side Two #8) are available as an Amazon MP3 download here: Sesame Street: Merry Christmas From Sesame Street

All of the LP's original songs (except Side Two #8) are available as an Amazon CD-R here: Sesame Street: Merry Christmas From Sesame Street

Running time for both the CD-R and the MP3 download is 44.5 minutes.

The 1975 LP SONG & ARTIST list follows:

1. Sesame Street Christmas Overture = Sesame Street Festival Orchestra

2. We Wish You A Merry Christmas = The Company
David, Mr. Hooper, Big Bird, Prairie Dawn, Herry Monster, Gordon, Bob, Grover, Susan, Luis, Maria, the Count, Bert, Ernie, Cookie Monster

3. "Deck The Halls" Medley
Deck the Halls = Bert, Ernie, Herry Monster, Prairie Dawn, the Count
Jingle Bells = Herry Monster, David, Gordon
White Christmas = Bob, Susan, Mr. Hooper
Winter Wonderland = Big Bird

4. I Hate Christmas = Oscar the Grouch

5. A Christmas Story = Mr. Hooper, Bert, Ernie

6. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas = Bert & Ernie

7. The Twelve Days of Christmas = Cookie Monster, Grover, Bert, Ernie, Oscar, the Count, Big Bird, Smart Tina, Herry Monster, Snuffleupagus, Prairie Dawn, Hardhead Henry Harris

8. "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" Medley
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas = Big Bird
Silver Bells = Susan & Gordon
The Christmas Song = Bob
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town = Grover

9. The Night Before Christmas on Sesame Street = David

10. Saludo (Aguinaldo) = Maria & Luis

11. Arrurru = Maria & Luis

12. (All I Want For Christmas Is) My Two Front Teeth = The Count

13. A Christmas Pageant = Bert, Ernie, Prairie Dawn, Herry Monster, Grover, Cookie Monster

14. Keep Christmas With You (All Through The Year) = Susan, Gordon, Big Bird, Luis, David, Bob, Prairie Dawn, Ernie

One song has been omitted from the original LP. It is:

15. (Side Two #8)"We Wish You A Merry Christmas (reprise) = Big Bird, Mr. Hooper, Oscar and Everyone"

This CD brings back my childhood memories of staying glued to the TV watching Ernie pestering Bert.

The banner song, "Keep Christmas With You", will remind you of what Christmas is all about and how you can keep the Christmas spirit alive in you until the next Christmas season.