Customer Reviews

Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album

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UPDATED REVIEW

This is a 2 disc set and includes the same songs on disc 1 that have been on the previous snowfall cds however this one includes some songs not previously released on disc 2.Disc 2 is a dvd of a couple of songs off of Bennett's Family Christmas that was released on vhs in the 1980s but is now out of print.The dvd has 5 songs out of the 19 that was on the vhs tape.On my previous review I mentioned this was a 2 cd set but I was wrong I didn't know the second disc was a dvd.

How does the dvd look you might ask?
The 5 videos on this disc look much better then I have ever seen them.They look good and are sharp.The snow scene is just beautiful.I have the old vhs and it looks grainy compared to this dvd.Once again this is just beautiful looking with no grain.The disc is about 18 minutes long.On the dvd you can either pick the songs you want to play or use the play all feature.It also offers a resume feature.

How does it sound?The dvd is encoded in Dolby Digital and sounds great.The music sounds like it surrounds you.

Now for the bad news
Why wasn't the whole holiday show put on the dvd?This disc could have held all 19 songs.I would rather them have put all 19 songs on the dvd then just 5.I wonder why this whole show has never been released on a dvd.

The cd sounds the same as previous snowfall cds maybe a little better if you have surround sound.The disc says 360 degree sound.

I recommend this two disc set especially if you don't have A Family Christmas.I also recommend Johnny Mathis Home For Christmas dvd.

During the most recent heat wave, I actually thought it might help to drag out a few of my favorite Christmas recordings and, at least, chill out mentally. It was worth a try, I suppose--not that it actually worked. In fact, all it really did for me was load Christmas anxiety on top of my already burdensome heat exhaustion.

But then I figured, hey, before you know it, the clime will have shifted and we'll be hankering for chestnusts roasted on an open fire--instead of feeling like WE'RE being roasted on an open fire. And since, I never think to post reviews of actual Christmas product until, I dunno, maybe Christmas Eve, at least this year, I get a jump on the gun and maybe even garner a couple of "helpful" votes by Thanksgiving weekend.

Tony Bennett's SNOWFALL is arguably as much a "winter" record as a purely holiday one. It's always seemed something of a shame to me that all the joyful Christmas music gets put away well before winter has really set in. (At least the Russians are smart enough to celebrate it in January, which can help forestall the winter doldrums for a short while at least.) The fact that the title song on this seasonal album is "Snowfall" and not "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" at least gives you some kind of excuse to play it well into January, heck, maybe even February. Or as in my little experiment, in July.

And, of course, "Winter Wonderland" and "I've Got Our Love to Keep Me Warm" are good for the whole calendar season too. "My Favorite Things," is a canny choice for an opener too. It's seasonal the way its source film THE SOUND OF MUSIC is seasonal: it evokes familial warmth and good times, even if the packages are in brown paper and "tied up with string" rather than ribbons.

And then there's the almost bizarre medley of actual Christmas songs that concludes with a conventional romantic ballad ("Where Is Love?"). Musically, it fits just fine, but thematically, it's a bit strange--almost as if Tony's saying, "Hey, I'm down with the holiday stuff, but THIS is what I really do..."

As an interpretive singer, Bennett has the unique ability to be warm and a little breezy at the same time. When I read somewhere recently that "I'll Be Home For Christmas" was actually a WWII song, and meant to be sung with at least a hint of melancholy, I thought of the live version included here(from a JON STEWART SHOW broadcast), which is certainly more breezy than reverential. But, of course, by this point in that song's history, it has lost much of its sombreness, and, hey, it really does lend itself nicely to a little jazz pizzazz.

That track, by the way, is the album's closer, and it is really the only new entry on this collection, most of which is culled from material released in Bennett's 60s heyday. It's certainly interesting to hear how his voiced has changed and how he's learned to compensate in warmth and wit for what he may have lost in vocal technique.

Bennett was and is a singer for all seasons.

This album has the same songs the original Snowfall had by Bennett but with different packaging and better sound.The music sounds crisper and cleaner now compared to the original one.This cd has been repackaged in a clear jewel spine case instead of the black one the other one come with.Also sony has added little snowflakes around the coverart which makes it look a lot better.I do wish they would have included Christmas in Harold Square on this cd.It is a bonus track on the playground cd by Bennett.I recommend this holiday cd by Bennett.I also recommend The Art Of Romance which is a brand new Bennett cd.

C'mon Sony! Put at least a little effort into your Christmas reissues! I own this and both Andy Williams Sony titles, and they did the same thing to all three - They sapped the life out of the recordings by filtering out the highest frequencies to reduce the tape hiss. They could have reduced the hiss by utilizing other methods, but that would have required effort. I guess Sony doesn't take their Christmas offerings very seriously.

Tony Bennett is a singing legend and his classic Christmas album is very well-known. Sony Legacy Recordings has re-released the album with a re-mastered version of the music and a bonus DVD. The Tony Bennett Christmas album features him singing some of the season's most well loved songs. "The Tony Bennett Christmas Album" features Tony singing holiday favorites such as "My Favorite Things," "Santa Claus is Comin' To Town," "White Christmas" and "Winter Wonderland." The new edition of the album comes with a special bonus DVD. The DVD, which has a running time of twenty minutes, features a portion of Tony's performance from the television special "Tony Bennatt: A Family Christmas." The DVD features five performances from the special. This CD/DVD combination is a perfect addition to your holiday music collection and will be a favorite for Tony Bennett fans.

For me, this is my favorite for Christmas time. I like a lot French songs but when I feel to hear something more, more from the south, I put that CD. A classical. When it starts with "My favorite things", I immediately feel being downtown New-York, snow falling, doing the last shopping before Christmas Eve. I really like this "American" beat. It remember me a lot.

From Rodgers and Hammerstein's "My Favorite Things" down to a previously unreleased track, "I'll Be Home For Christmas," this stellar album offers an array of Christmas songs that you'll greatly enjoy and will add a glow to your holidays. It boasts some of the greatest musical moments of the bright career of Tony Bennett, who believes that his key to success is "making music that lasts." He is backed by an orchestra and a choir conducted by none other than a fine arranger/orchestrator, Robert Farnon, whose body of work has greatly influenced Johnny Mandel, Henry Mancini, Quincy Jones, John Williams and André Previn. In this album, he brings a wealth of experience in the field of creative chart arrangements and gleaming orchestrations to Tony Bennett's unique vocal artistry and timeless style.

Some of my favorites are the spectacular tracks that were recorded in London - "The Christmas Song," "White Christmas," "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town." The medley of "I Love The Winter Weather/I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" is an absolute beauty! His takes on "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," "Winter Wonderland" and the title track, "Snowfall" are such delights and so remarkable. The inclusion of "Where Is Love," an achingly beautiful theme song from the musical "Oliver" is such a surprise, but it blended harmoniously with the rest of the Christmas carols from the medley. A previously unreleased track "I'll Be Home For Christmas" was sung in a jazzy fashion and this was taken from "The Jon Stewart Show."

"Christmasland" composed by Brian Farnon and Dennis Farnon is a sentimental Christmas song that brings to mind fond memories of childhood. It is so melodious and Tony Bennett gives a heartfelt reading of the lyric making it one of the highlights from this collection.

With Tony Bennett and Robert Farnon teaming-up artistically in this album, I guarantee there's not a single dull moment and there's nothing to whine about. This is Christmas music that can warm your hearts even on the coldest winter day. So give it your welcoming ears and enjoy it with your Christmas celebrations.

From my heart to yours...my greetings for an old-fashioned Christmas filled with love, joy and kindness and a New Year full of blessings, hope and good cheers!

If you love Tony Bennett....and you love Christmas music....you'll love this CD!!!!
It plays non-stop in my car and home throughout the holidays. You will not be
disappointed! Only Tony Bennett can do Christmas with this much cool....and so much
heart. Enjoy!

Got this for XMas last year. Love it. I think his voice gets better with age. The DVD is cool too. Short, but nice atmosphere (sets the Christmas mood) when the TV is on.

This is vintage Tony Bennett with engaging performances. Lovely and relaxing to listen to and seasonal without being obnoxious. it's one of my favorites that I often give as a gift.