Customer Reviews

Songs for Christmas

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

 

 

It's Christmas morning and the mood is set when Nelson Eddy's "Songs for Christmas" is played. This CD has a good selection of Christmas Carol fare, treated in the traditional manner and sung beautifully by Nelson Eddy, as only he can. "Jingle Bells" opens the programme with bounce, leading to "Joy To The World" and "Good King Wenceslas". "O Holy Night" is a special favourite, and "White Christmas" a la Nelson Eddy style is well done. But perhaps the highlight is "Silent Night" which will bring everyone around the CD player either to listen to or to join in. Nelson Eddy's beautiful, rich, smooth baritone does each carol justice - and more. In all there are 13 favourite and much loved carols and you'll play this CD each Christmas, creating your own Christmas tradition.

The two bonus tracks featuring Morton Gould and His Orchestra are also a delight to listen to. However, more Nelson Eddy carols wouldn't have gone amiss.

I definitely recommend this CD for that special family time of the year. It's ideal played for listening, for singing with or as background music to your own Christmas Party. Consider giving it as a gift next Christmas - you won't be sorry.

Columbia originally released this album in 1951, eight years before I was born. In 1998, Sony rereleased it, adding the two Morton Gould medleys to it. Nelson Eddy once had the voice to whom all other male singers were compared. This was one of the reasons he was chosen to do an album of Christmas songs. At the time, most Christmas songs were released on singles. This album helped to change that.

The CD consists of 13 songs by Eddy, all of which were featured on the original album. I guess they didn't have any unreleased stuff "in the vaults" so to speak. The two medleys by Morton Gould are almost as long as all of the songs done by Nelson Eddy. I'm guessing they added the medleys to justify the purchase of the CD for people. I bought this album mainly for my aunt, who remembered Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald. When I brought this home and played it for her, she was delighted. She asked me to play it again, something she had never done before.

Eddy does a good job on all the songs. Starting with a rousing Jingle Bells, the CD moves to more somber material like Joy to the World, Good King Wenceslas (all the verses), O Holy Night, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, White Christmas and the closing song, Silent Night. All are done in a traditional sense with nice orchestration.

My aunt has since passed away, but I still give this CD a spin. I always think of my aunt and how much she enjoyed this CD whenever I played it. Thank you Nelson Eddy for giving my aunt some happiness and thank you Sony for reissuing this CD.

Songs For Christmas, originally issued in 1951, is a nostalgic look back at the kind of Christmas music heard during the 1950s, when I and many others of my generation were children. The arrangements are lush and in an old style not heard much today. Eddy is an accomplished and able singer, though he was a ways past the height of his career at the time. Two bonus tracks from 1949 of suites of music by Morton Gould & Orchestra, taken together, are nearly as long as the Eddy LP. The suites are an interesting orchestral exploration of some of the carols familiar to us. I imagine they would be next to impossible to find in their original version today (as would be the original Eddy LP itself) and their inclusion makes the CD an excellent bargain. Recommended.