Customer Reviews

The Ultimate Motown Christmas Collection

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This holiday two CD set is jam packed with wonderful songs and short rarities of "season's greetings" tracks from some of the most talented artists that ever recorded at Motown. Motown fans can rejoice that this is readily available or they can download just the tracks that they want to enjoy right NOW! The quality of the sound is excellent and the artwork is really nicely done.

The Jackson 5 start things off with their famous "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town;" Michael is nicely in the spotlight and he never misses a note. I miss him but it's comforting to hear him sing. Stevie Wonder's "What Christmas Means to Me" has a fine beat and the percussion couldn't have been better! The drums and brass sound great and Stevie sings this upbeat tune with all his heart and soul. I love it! The Temptations also do a great job on "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer;" and other gems would have to include Stevie Wonder's gorgeous "Ave Maria" and "Joy to the World" as performed by The Supremes. The Funk Brothers do "Winter Wonderland;" and they don't exactly sound too shabby either!

"Someday at Christmas" never fails to move me with its beauty and grace; it's very poignant and absolutely beautiful. It's easily one of my very favorite holiday tunes. The Supremes sing "White Christmas" very well and that added piano arrangement is very pretty. The percussion adds to the musical arrangement but The Supremes were going to make "White Christmas" their hit no matter what the musicians played! Johnny Gill's "Give Love on Christmas Day" is another major highlight; Johnny's sophisticated phrasing impresses me and that's grand. The first CD ends well with The Temptations doing a superb job on "Silent Night."

The second CD continues the excellent holiday music. Smokey Robinson & The Temptations outdo even themselves on "The Christmas Song;" their rendition really sparkles and I think you'll like it especially if Motown is what you crave. Michael Jackson and the rest of The J5 do great on "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus;" Michael's brothers give him fine backup and that music fits perfectly with their vocals. Diana Ross' "This Christmas" charms me; Diana's voice is as clear as a bell and the music is easy on the ear without drowning her out--terrific! Boyz II Men do their "Let It Snow" with lots of style; and Marvin Gaye's "Purple Snowflakes" is a pretty good number, too. Kim Weston's "Wish You a Merry Christmas" is very well done; and The Twistin' Kings sound just great on "Xmas Twist." "Xmas Twist" has that early rock and roll twistin' flavor that I love so much--it makes me want to jump up and dance practically wherever I am! "A Child Is Waiting" makes a lovely ending for the second CD.

If you like Motown artists as much as I do, you would do well to add this to your music collection. In addition, this two CD set is full of music from the 1960s and 1970s; people who like holiday music from that era should consider getting this, too.

THE ULTIMATE MOTOWN CHRISTMAS COLLECTION is essentially a reissue of 1973's double (vinyl) album A MOTOWN CHRISTMAS with key cuts from 2001's A MOTOWN CHRISTMAS, VOL. 2, and the out-of-print collections CHRISTMAS CHEERS FROM MOTOWN (1989), and CHRISTMAS IN THE CITY (1993)thrown in for good measure.

The best part about this collection of course, is discovering such rare Motown nuggets as "Xmas Twist" by The Twistin' Kings (a/k/a The Funk Brothers), Kim Weston's soulful "Wish You A Merry Christmas", and "Winter Wonderland" by the Funk Brothers. It's always nice to hear classic Motown from the non-superstar acts.

However, some weak cuts rear their ugly head here and there just like any collection. Diana Ross' tame version of "This Christmas" won't make you forget about Donny Hathaway, while "Christmas Cheer" by 80s Motown boy band The Boys is just a little too cutesy for its own good. The Stevie Wonder cuts feature marvelous singing over soggy orchestral dreck except for "Someday At Christmas" and "What Christmas Means To Me" (Imagine if Stevie recorded a Christmas album during his 70s peak. Now THAT would have been a Christmas album to end all Christmas albums).

The season's greetings radio bits by various classic Motown artists sprinkled through the collection are entertaining and historical, especially Jr. Walker and that sizzling sax solo.

THE ULTIMATE MOTOWN CHRISTMAS COLLECTION is a perfect album for an old school Christmas party.

I have a love/hate relationship with XMAS songs, they are some of the most well crafted pop songs, but they are also some of the most overplayed tracks, and eventually induce migraines and fits of insanity. Then along comes the MOTOWN stable, home to thoroughbreds and champions like Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Marvin, Diana Ross...I could go on and on...who apply the classic, irreplaceable Motown sound to the greatest holiday songbook - can you really go wrong here??!! Toss in some obscurities like the Elgins and The Twisting Kings and you have everything you need to make Christmas love conquer hate...

In the 70s, Motown released a double album titled A Motown Christmas. It had a purple cover and featured 24 songs by five of Motown's top acts, Stevie, the Supremes, the Tempts, the Miracles and the Jackson Five. This double CD has all of those and more. Marvin, the Tops, Boys II Men, Johnny Gill, Kim Weston and the Funk Brothers, to name just a few. A total of 51 tracks with songs recorded from the 60s through the 90s. Four decades of Motown holiday soul.

Of the 51 tracks, 16 are brief snippets by Motown's finest wishing us a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. These last less than 10 seconds each. That leaves 35 tracks of music, 11 more than the 70s double album. Most of the songs from that album made it here. Anything recorded after the 70s is new on this compilation. Marvin contributes Purple Snowflakes, I Want to Come Home for Christmas and Christmas in the City (an instrumental), the Four Tops sing Christmas Here With You and Merry Christmas Baby, Smokey and the Tempts team up for The Christmas Song, Diana sings This Christmas as a solo artist, Boys II Men do Let it Snow, Johnny Gill does Give Love on Christmas Day.

A couple of more rare tracks. Kim Weston sings Wish You a Merry Christmas, The Boys do Christmas Cheer, the Twistin' Kings do Xmas Twist and the Funk Brothers (Motown's in-house musicians) do a great instrumental version of Winter Wonderland.

Finally, several of the obscure tracks by artists who didn't release a Christmas album are here. Of course, you can never please everybody. I would've liked to have a couple of more Four Tops tracks. Their versions of Away in a Manger and Twas The Night before Christmas are fantastic. I also would've preferred to hear the entended version of the Tempts' Silent Night instead of the shorter version included here. But these are minor quibbles. Overall, a fantastic collection of holiday music that will please any Motown fan. A five-star job well done.

This CD is very nice. If you are a true Motown fan, this is a great CD for the Hoildays....

What's Christmas without Motown in the house. My wife and I listen to this all day at a very loud volumn during the entire holiday season. Sometimes I'll listen to the CD in my car after the season is over, it's that great a collection of music.

What I've enjoyed from this two disc collection, were the "rare recordings" that is not found in so many of their other compliations. Most especially, these were all "stereo" recordings from the Sixties! This is what bring joy to this "audiophile" collector. Just hearing (exp.) the "Xmas Twist" - Twisting Kings from November 1961, immediately following the new No. 1 hit "Please Mr. Postman!"

I enjoyed this CD over the Christmas season. I'm glad to add it to my holiday selections. It arrived sooner than I expected, I appreciate that.

This is a great value from Christmas songs during the holiday. You get lots of music from a variety of artist. I highly recommend this CD.

I have yet to hear this album, but I'm sure it will be good. It is from Motown and everything coming from there at that time was outstanding. I gave it five stars because IT IS MOTOWN.