Christmas with Chet Atkins

Chet Atkins

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 14, 1997)
• Original Release Date: 1961
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Razor & Tie
• ASIN: B000002ZDE
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #22,841 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Track Listings

1. Jingle Bell Rock

2. Winter Wonderland

3. Jolly Old St. Nicholas

4. White Christmas

5. Blue Christmas

6. Jingle Bells

7. Silver Bells

8. Little Drummer Boy

9. Medley: The Coventry Carol/God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen

10. First Noel

11. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

12. O Come All Ye Faithful

13. Deck the Halls

14. Silent Night

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars This album is improperly mastered!, November 17, 2000

By	Mark Reinhart (Columbus, OH USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Like everyone else who has contributed an Amazon.com review for this title, I grew up listening to the vinyl version of CHRISTMAS WITH CHET ATKINS. I waited for years to see it released on CD, and was bitterly disappointed when it was because the CD version is mastered at the wrong speed! It is noticeably slower than the vinyl version, and the pitch of some tracks actually waver mid-song. Listen to the beginning of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" and you will hear the pitch of the guitar rise after the first 5 seconds or so. I called Razor and Tie to tell them about this bad mastering, and they completely blew me off. But as a guitarist with an extremely sensitive ear (my main guitar is a vintage Gretsch similar to the one on the cover of the album's original vinyl release) the CD drives me nuts if I listen too closely to it! I still give the CD 2 stars just because it's better than not having this classic album on disc at all. But I hope one of these days a properly mastered version of it is released -- Chet deserves much better!

November 2004 -- I am revisiting this review because I wanted to comment on the content found in the "SO MUCH FOR GOLDEN EARS" review. With all due respect to the gentleman who wrote this review, the sonic flaws found on this CD are most certainly NOT a result of audio effects that Chet intended to be on the original record. As I mentioned above, the pitch wavers right in the middle of certain tracks, sometimes for just a moment, sometimes for considerably longer. One only needs to compare the vinyl version of the album to the CD to hear that these flaws are not at all present on the album as it was originally released -- the CD is improperly mastered, period!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars GREAT record but yes, LOUSY cd, October 19, 2004

By	Abbasolutely "Hannah" (Dodgeville, WI United States) - See all my reviews

Contrary to one of the many glowing reviews of this cd, this cd WAS INDEED remastered incorrectly. Yes, Chet's technique intentionally created the interesting effects you hear and read about in other fans reviews here, but don't let their lousy ears fool you into buying this. I have the lp and the cd and I always go back to the lp because the cd was mastered so poorly. Whoever was responsible at Razor and Tie for the crummy sound should be ashamed of himself. He took a wonderful Christmas classic and butchered it. What a pity, since Chet's recordings were always so top notch! A blue Christmas, indeed...

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A much loved christmas favourite on cd - with a few curves, December 30, 2003

By	Dan Penwarn "stewieg" (Calgary Ab) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have loved Christmas with Chet Atkins since I was a kid- it has been a part of my christmas celebrations since the early 60s( the record was released in 1961). Imagine my delight in finding it on CD.The thing of it is, it's not the same record. There are a number of differences between the CD and vinyl version; the songs "Little drummer boy", "Silent Night" and "White Christmas" are alternate takes-not bad, just different. There is a noticeable "flutter" on "Jingle Bell Rock" and a few other tracks which makes me wonder whether the original master recording has been compromised in some way. This might also explain the use of alternate takes. Having said all that, Christmas with Chet Atkins is a woefully underrated record that continues to delight me over forty years after it was recorded. Chet's poignant interpretation of "Coventry Carol/God rest ye merry gentlemen is just one highlight. Despite the sonic liberties taken with the original, this record is still very much worth your time.