Customer Reviews

Yuletunes

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

 

 

I searched everywhere for this CD after hearing the Shoes song "This Christmas" in a store. It is so beautiful and non-christmasy as is the rest of the CD.
I am a big fan of Christmas music, but as another reviewer mentioned, I can't stand anything with sappy kids choruses or gimmicky tricks.
This CD has some of my favorite performers doing interesting songs.
As a side note, it is possible to get this CD new from the label. Its on Black Vinyl records out of Zion Illinois.

Enjoy!!!

Without a doubt my favorite Christmas CD. I had only known a few of these groups (Shoes, Matthew Sweet, MaterialIssue) when I bought this from a bargain bin. What a bargain! Every song is top notch and original, too, I do believe. An absolute classic for anyone who likes popular music.You may actually want to listen to it long after Christmas season is over. It is that good.

I'm not a big fan of holiday or Christmas music and albums. They tend to be sappy affairs full of renditions of "classics" made worse by somebody's latest "improvements". Not this album. The songs are all originals and hold up quite well as songs, not just "holiday" songs. 'Tis a hard album to find though.

I first heard Material Issue's "Merry Christmas Will Do" whilst I was working out in the gym and recognized Jim Ellison's vocals and thus my quest began. That one song alone would be worth the price of the CD but you get other great songs. Spooner's "The Saddest Time of the Year" is absolutely gorgeous, full of longing and wistfulness. One word of advice to those who would record Christmas songs: listen to this song and if you can't record something as good as this, do us all a favor and don't bother. It just doesn't get any better than this for Christmas tunes.

Other standouts on this album are Shoes' "This Christmas" which features a very active bass line, "It's About Time" by The Idea, and Kelley Ryan's "It's Not Christmas". Really there's not a bad song on this CD although it may take some time to warm up to the Cavedogs' "Three Wise Men and a Baby (Xmas Song)" - I mean I like it 'cause it's offbeat and all but to each his own.

One other thing - the cuteness factor is kept to a minimum so there's not a lot of kids singing badly just to be cute on this CD. That seems to be limited to one song here - The Puddles' "The Christmas List" and it's not even that annoying like most kid songs are. All in all, this is just an excellent collection of tunes that you'll be listening to even when it's not holiday season, like I have been this week. That makes it the only Christmas album you'll ever need.

Inspired by The Beatles Fan Club Christmas EPs and Phil Spector's Christmas LP, popmeisters The Shoes put together this compilation of 16 bands, most relatively obscure, and came up with some pure pop delights. This Yule punch bowl is filled with jingly-jangly guitars, Beatlesesque melodies and harmonies, Spector Wall of Sound sleigh bells, and more to brighten your holiday listening. Standouts are many, including The Shoes' "This Christmas," Bill Lloyd's Marshall Crenshaw-ish "Underneath the Christmas Tree," The Idea's Byrdsy "It's About That Time," Matthew Sweet's "Baby Jesus," and The Cavedogs' "Three Wise Men And A Baby," which sounds like an outtake from The Beatles White Album. - Dennis MacDonald, AMG

Maybe it's because it exceeded expectations by so much. "The Christmas List" is quirky, but it's grown on me. The rest are all winners, particularly "This Christmas" and "You Gave Me". The latter is ...well, touching. If you like the following CD's: "Winter, Fire & Snow", "New Wave Xmas" and "The Edge of Christmas", this one is for you. Buy it and your holidays will be happier.

This has been my favorite Holiday CD for over 8 years. These are simply some of the best Christmas songs ever recorded. All original and all excellent. I can't say enough good things about this. Not one bad song in the bunch!!!

Like many I purchased this album after finally finding out the identity of "This Christmas" by the Shoes, however having gotten and listened to it I found the whole album to be a gem!

The fact that this hidden treasure of an album came out almost two decades ago now yet isn't better know, is astonishing and a shame.

The style of music is timeless, which probably owes to the fact that it came out in 1991, which was a time right after the 80's and right before the rise of the corporate-"alternative" sound which went on to infect so much of independent music.

All tracks are wonderful and can be listened to over and over again even outside the Christmas season. Well, maybe not "Piece for Christmas' by Big people, which is the only track I didn't care for much, as it's sentiments are outside the album's feel.

Most noteworthy of all has to be Herb Eimerman's "You Gave Me" which is one of the most heart-felt, warmest and sweetest songs, Christmas or otherwise, I've ever heard, an ultra-loving tribute to one's parents on Christmas.

I'm sorry these songs aren't better know, but atleast the album is still around and will continue to be discovered and enjoyed by countless people like myself.

Super-highly recommended!!

I bought this album only for the song by Shoes. I've heard it for several years and posted on internet forums to locate the song. Some kind soul finally knew the song I was talking about. This Christmas is an awesome song. This album is put together mainly by Shoes and some of the groups on here are are made of different members of Shoes so it maintains a similar feel throughout. However, some songs are quite different, like the Cavedogs but I really began to appreciate it. Some of these songs I could not live without though, and there are some songs I don't care for, like the Matthew Sweet song. Nevertheless, BUY IT!

I honestly got this CD for just one song, "This Christmas" by Shoes. However, this CD is a great alternative to your traditional Christmas albums. Listen to the samples and hear for yourself. Its catchy, and another fun one to listen to through out the holiday season. Enjoy and Stay 2nd :-)

I was blown away, this here com"YULE"ation is a treasure trove worth any desperate discovery deep digg'n to find a YULEdeer donor.This past millennium-merry-mirth-merchandized-mix comes close to the ideal model to which YULE clerics complie toward,all that was wrong is righted by the insertion of a few instr-tinsels of your choosing for the lesser likes. ~~~Merrily Mix ~ 1 $ , 2 $ , 3 $, 4 #1\2 , 5 #1\2 , 6 # , 7 % , 8 $ , 9 $, 10 $ , 12 % , 13 # , 14 #1\2 , 15 # , and 16 #1\2 ~~~Post Script:Thanks to those prior for thier tune in, the high praise and pleasing acknowledgements are right on target. This is a National Treasure of Altenative Pop Christmas Songs, if you have a copy please share it's play often, let's all wish we get a commercial reissue or some resonate response covers someday.The Cavedog's and Herb Eimerman's tracks shine most brightly.***buyit, saveit, shareit, giveit, cherisit, donatit to the local library*** YULEridgemality Factor = 15 1\2