Spirit of Christmas - Volume 2

The Ames Brothers (Author), Sergio Franchi (Author), Julie Andrews (Author), Jim Reeves (Author), Perry Como (Author), Ed Ames (Author), Mario Lanza (Author), Boston Pops Orchestra (Author), Eddy Arnold (Author), Robert Shaw Chorale (Author) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: BMG
• ASIN: B000CQ66TQ
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,774,069 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Spirit of Christmas - Volume 2 // 1. O Holy Night - The Ames Brothers 2. Away in a Manger - Sergio Franchi 3. Joy to the World - Julie Andrews 4. Jingle Bells - Jim Reeves 5. Twelve Days of Christmas - Perry Como 6. Deck the Halls - Ed Ames 7. O Christmas Tree - Mario Lanza 8. Silent Night - Boston Pops Orchestra 9. O Little Town of Bethlehem - Eddy Arnold 10. Carol of the Birds (O Magnum Mysterium) - Robert Shaw Chorale

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Christmas Curio, January 7, 2006

By 

Gregor von Kallahann - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spirit of Christmas - Volume 2 (Audio CD)

Well, Christmas is certainly a time for nostalgia, and it's hard to imagine a more nostalgic collection than this yuletide anthology. The Ames Brothers, Sergio Franchi, Julie Andrews, Perry Como, Mario Lanza, Eddy Arnold and more: starts to sound like an ED SULLIVAN SHOW holiday special. For those nostalgic for or curious about the 50s and 60s, this could be worth checking out.

Aside from Franchi and Lanza, who sort of straddle the "high culture" realm, there are also tracks by the Robert Shaw Singers and the Boston Pops to lend the proceedings something of an air of class. But this holiday smorgasbord may just be a little too diverse for any one listener's taste. Most of the selections are appealing in and of themselves, but the record does not work as a whole.

I tend to view discount CDs--including holidays CDs, heck maybe ESPECIALLY holiday CDs--as inexpensive samplers. But a motley array such as this probably does no one justice. The inclusion of the Robert Shaw Chorale's gorgeous version of "O Magnum Mysterium" and the Pops' choral version of "Silent Night," however, do point up some of the weaknesses of the poppier tracks. By comparison, even relatively classy singers like Julie Andrews suffer, since the overstuffed arrangements, so typical of the era, actually detract from the vocals. Country stalwarts Eddy Arnold and Jim Reeves actually fare somewhat better than, say, the operatically inclined Franchi and Lanza. The country gentlemen's relatively straightforward readings of their popular carols help them to rise above the kitsch.