A Gene Autry Christmas

Gene Autry

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 23, 1994)
• Original Release Date: 1994
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000029K1
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #242,559 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Gene Autry was perhaps less a singing cowboy than the prototype for all singing cowboys. He made his mark by representing an Americana that was all old-style Western romance and clear blue skies. His yodeling hasn't held up well, but his emphasis on both types of music--"country and and western," as the joke goes--has made him among the first that people think of when they dream of how the West was won. Here, he sings solo and in duets with Rosemary Clooney, the Mitchell Choirboys, the Cass County Boys and the King Sisters, and the Pinafores. The recordings cover the post-World War II era, between 1947 through 1956, and include many Christmas faves, including "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Frosty the Snowman," and "Jingle Bells," among them. --Rob O'Connor

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Hit-and-Miss Collection from the Christmas Cowboy, February 15, 2002

By	Timothy Hulsey (Charlottesville, VA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This collection of Christmas songs contains some genuine classics: "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (which Autry introduced), as well as "Here Comes Santa Claus" and "Santa, Santa, Santa" (both co-written by Autry). (Conspicuously missing is "Santa's Comin' in a Whirlybird," a bouncy children's favorite guaranteed to drill a hole in your head. It's on other Autry Christmas compilations, so its absence from this one is a bit of a mystery.)
Autry's greatest strength as a singer is that he never succumbs to easy cynicism; regardless of his vocal shortcomings (or perhaps because of them), he always sounds sincere. His paeans to Santa Claus are informed by a casual, unforced belief in the spirit of Christmas. The best tracks feature gentle, casually sophisticated Western-swing arrangements that should delight children and parents.
Unfortunately, this particular album has more than its share of duds. By and large, the worst songs on this compliation also have overproduced arrangements. The duets with Rosemary Clooney (except for "The Night Before Christmas Song," which is a little gem) are mostly busts, as are the songs with cutesy, childish lyrics ("Where Did My Snowman Go," "If It Doesn't Snow on Christmas"). To be fair, Autry delivers these songs as well as anyone could, but the question remains: Why did they have to be included here?
Three stars.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but now there's a better one!, November 8, 2004

By	randysrodeo.com (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

This CD was eclipsed in 2004 by Varese Sarabande's "Complete Columbia Christmas Recordings." 27 tracks, well mastered, fully annotated.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best, December 10, 2002

By A Customer

This is the best Christmas cd by Gene Autry. I would like to find this one for gifts.But I have mine thank goodness.