Popular Songs of Christmas & New Year's

Terry Robb, John Fahey

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 17, 1990)
• Original Release Date: 1988
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Varrick / Umgd
• ASIN: B0000003OK
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #84,471 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
The remarkable acoustic guitarist really stretches out on this generous 19-song compendium of holiday tunes guaranteed to jog the memory and make you ponder why these songs aren't heard more often. Fahey (joined here and there by second guitarist Terry Robb) plucks his way lovingly through carols such as "Do You Hear What I Hear?" and "Jolly Old Saint Nick," his unique style ever-so-subtly evoking the ambiance of bygone days. Fahey also brings a smile via non- traditional songs like "Skater's Waltz" and "The Holly and the Ivy," making this the kind of disc you can slip on any time of year for a quick, wintry pick-me-up. --David Sprague

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Interesting Album, November 15, 2001

By	Charles A. Cooper (Jacksonville, Florida USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is actually a very interesting album, Christmas aspect aside. Fahey, as always, is the master of tunes in standard and waltz time. (I actually believe he could not play a note out of tempo if he wanted to.) His affinity for waltzes is well evidenced here with "The Waltz you saved For Me" standing out as one of his all-time best efforts ever in this genre. Another jewel is his read of "I'll be Home for Christmas", which he transforms from the usually smalzy, maudlin treatment into an almost disturbing lament. This shift of sentiment is pure Fahey. Even when he plays the over commercialized "Chirstmas Time Is Here" he manages to get a little past the unavoidable echoes of the chipmunks to reveal the tune in it's more Germanic influences.

On the whole I think Fahey gets well beyond the Chistmas genere on this disc, and that may explain its unpopularity. (I picked it up for four dollars recently in a cutout bin) Very under rated. Four bucks well spent.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I Can't Lie - it's Kitsch, July 3, 2000

By	P. Bryant (Nottingham, England) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

But you can't blame the guy. He's got to eat just like the rest of us. Back in 1968 he noticed that Christmas records just sell and sell and sell, so he recorded one ("The New Possibility") and wouldn't you know, it became his best seller - not Blind Joe Death, not Railroad, not The Yellow Princess or any of those other masterpieces. So he put out more Christmas albums over the years (I think I count five) and this is the ickiest one of the lot - can you stand "The Skater's Waltz" or "Do You Hear what I Hear"? The music is mostly duets with Terry Robb, and most mellifluous they are too. And I guess guitarists will like the arrangements. But as a Fahey record, this is for completists.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Xmas CD, December 6, 2000

By A Customer

Very under-rated CD. I'm not normally a big fan a Xmas CD's but this one has universal appeal. It's refreshing & unique without being hard to listen to. Here are tunes that I was fairly sick of (I thought), but in this CD they suddenly regained all the magic, warmth, soothing peace, & jaunty cheer, & grace of the Xmas spirit. And it's done with a wonderful easy charm.