Now That's What I Call Christmas!

Now That's What I Call Music (Series) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 23, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 2001
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Utv Records
• ASIN: B00005OLYC
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (128 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #2,807 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

  #12 in	Music > Miscellaneous > Holiday > Opera & Vocal
  #1 in	Music > Miscellaneous > Compilations > Holiday Music
  #1 in	Music > Miscellaneous > Holiday > Pop Vocal

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The title doesn't lie, even if it does sounds like a hyperbolic pitch from an old late-night cable TV ad. With 36 tracks of various genres spread over two discs, Now That's What I Call Christmas might be the best, most eclectic "value-plus" holiday record ever released, assuming your tastes embrace crooners such as Cole, Crosby, and Como, plus contemporary boy bands such as Boyz II Men, as well as the ubiquitous Britney Spears.

In between there are the sumptuous classics by Bobby Helms, Brenda Lee, the Beach Boys, Elvis, and Burl Ives on disc one, balanced on disc two by more recent standards, including Bruce Springsteen's live version of "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" and John and Yoko's "Happy Xmas (War is Over)." You're not obligated to like everything here, but that's why Santa invented the forward button on your CD player. --Martin Keller

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great mixture of old, new and somewhat rare, October 25, 2001

By	Daniel R. Martin (Grand Haven, MI United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Now That's What I Call Christmas! (Audio CD)

This CD is one of the best Christmas compilations I have found, as it collects an assortment of older and contemporary Christmas tunes, separated into two discs.

The song selection and disc split is pretty good. If you're entertaining the grandparents, put on the first disc; if you're trying to be hip and cool, put on the second disc. The first disc is primarily older classic Christmas songs, many of which are found on other compilations. The second disc contains contemporary Christmas songs, including instant classics.

Nearly all of the 36 songs have been previously released and are available elsewhere, but some of the songs are rather hard to find on CD. For instance, the Band Aid "Do They Know It's Christmas?" is on Midge Ure's Greatest Hits and an Import Christmas CD. It is otherwise difficult to obtain, as is Springsteen's classic version of "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town."

The main style of music missing from these CDs, however, is the classic Motown sound - Christmas songs by Stevie Wonder, the Jackson 5, the Temptations, etc. (There are also some 80's Christmas classics not inlcuded, such as Bryan Adams' "Christmastime" and Hall & Oates version of "Jingle Bell Rock" - it would be difficult to have everything included, and those songs can be found elsewhere.)

The liner notes provide a brief explanation of each song, which is somewhat interesting but not always accurate. (For instance, the notes indicate that the Beach Boys have never recorded a Christmas album in their 40 year career - a search at Amazon reveals the 1964 Christmas Album, which has been repackaged and rereleased with extra tracks.)

Notwithstanding missing the classic Motown tracks, for the price of this CD (dollar amount), it can't be beat - there's a little something for everyone, young and old alike. If you're going to buy only one Christmas compilation, this is highly recommended.

35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Who's Who in the Holiday Season...Then & Now!, November 4, 2001

By	J. Lovins "Mr. Jim" (Missouri-USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Now That's What I Call Christmas! (Audio CD)

Now where else can you find all this talent on just 36 tracks and 2-CD-Set that covers five decades of "Christmas Music"...from the popular "NOW" series from Universal Music, a decision was made to release some lesser known selections from top talent from the past and present...and you know what, it works!

To clarify my above statement, many artist/musicians have released Christmas albums, but no one has ever heard as many of them on one CD..."NOW" gives you this and more...36 artists from 36 different genres such as Country, R&B, Alternative Rock, New Age, Folk, Jazz, Comedy, Reggae, Easy Listening and of course "Classic Christmas" standards.

Must make mention of the stand outs ~ "MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING"(Carpenters)..."LITTLE DRUMMER BOY/PEACE ON EARTH"(Bing Crosby/David Bowie)..."HAPPY CHRISTMAS(WAR IS OVER)"(John&Yoko)..."IT MUST HAVE BEEN OL' SANTA CLAUS"(Harry Connick Jr.)..."JINGLE BELLS"(Diana Krall)...and my personal favorite "AWAY IN THE MANAGER"(Mannheim Steamroller), you'll never come up with a better compilation for this time of the year.

Entire album will make your Holiday's a time to cherish...excellent opportunity to introduce the youngsters to some of the standard Christmas classics, and never a better time to familarize the older generation with the NOW generation!

Total 2-CD-Set ~ Universal Music 314-585-620-2 ~ (2001)

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Christmas Album, November 12, 2001

By	K. Thompson (GA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Now That's What I Call Christmas! (Audio CD)

This CD set is really quite interesting. I bought this because of the first CD, which is full of clear, great recordings of all the Christmas classics. (like Bing Crosby's "White Christmas," and Nat King Cole's must-have "The Christmas Song.")The second CD had some nice surprises too, though.
I felt the second CD was only there so that younger people would buy the set--what teenager, for instance, cares about Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, or Tony Bennett? So, they added Britney Spears, N'Sync, Joe, and other "modern" artists to appeal to everyone. While some of the songs, like Britney's, just sound like the same ol' pop songs with the words Christmas and Santa in the same-ol'-stupid-sounding lyrics, there are some jewels on this CD (like Boyz II Men's "Silent Night," John & Yoko's "Happy X-Mas," and Manheim Steamroller's (THE Christmas band) "Away in a Manger.")
Overall, I would say to anyone ("...kids from one to ninety-two...") buy this.