Christmas with the Rat Pack

The Rat Pack, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 22, 2002)
• Original Release Date: October 22, 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B00006IJWZ
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #40,685 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Just as irony is being pronounced dead, along comes this boozy holiday compilation to suggest that rumors of its demise may be premature. Given the culture's simmering lounge mania, this collection (with its cheesy homage/rip-off Oceans 11 art direction) may be belated--but hey, punctuality was never these swingin' cats' bag, Jack. The novelty of having three of the 20th century's most notorious sinners belt, whoop, and sing the praises of sleigh bells, roasting chestnuts, and the virgin birth would be enough to recommend this dizzy, 21-track delight, but there's actually some rewarding pop archaeology here as well. Two of the best tracks--Sammy Davis's ring-a-ding-ding romp through "Jingle Bells" and Dino's dreamy "Peace on Earth/Silent Night"--hail from a vintage, ultra-rare Reprise sampler. Sammy's typically over-the-top "Christmastime All Over the World" and Nat Cole tribute, "The Christmas Song," also make their CD debut. Dino's holiday TV specials yield more unreleased rarities: Sinatra-Martin duets of the loopy "Marshmallow World" and a touchingly tipsy take on "Auld Lang Syne" that suggests the boys have shared more than one cup of kindness. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Christmas cocktails with Frank, Dino and Sammy!, December 7, 2002

By	Jamie McGregor (New South Wales, Australia) - See all my reviews

Capitol has followed up their "Eee-O Eleven: The Best Of The Rat Pack" disc (one of the few excellent 'Rat Pack' compilations around; most others recycle the trio's bargain-basement material) with this brilliant Christmas-themed CD. While all of the songs Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin sing on their own have been released before on CD, this is a pretty good selection from that material.

From Frank, we get a few timeless carols, "The First Noel", "Hark! The Herald Angels", etc (backed with a choir), plus the beautiful "Christmas Waltz", and "I'll Be Home For Christmas". We even get treated to "I Believe", which is a somewhat rare single, and wouldn't really even be on this CD if not for a throw-away reference to Santa Claus!

From Dean, we get a few tracks from his "A Winter Romance" album (a priceless collection of frosty not-so-politically-correct charmers), as well as a few traditional by-the-numbers Christmas anthems: "Silver Bells", "White Christmas", "Rudolph The Red-Nose Reindeer" and "Winter Wonderland", all of which see Dean impeccably slurring his way along as only he can! A highlight is the stunning "Peace on Earth / Silent Night", which is taken from a ultra-rare Reprise Christmas promo album.

Another track from this album is the incomparable Sammy Davis, Jr.'s take on "Jingle Bells", which is given a Vegas arrangement that swings something fierce! Sammy's tracks really make you wish he'd recorded his own Christmas album. I suppose he was too busy wowing the world onstage as The Greatest Entertainer Who Ever Lived, to consistently blow the socks off everyone from the studio.

The only (minor) gripes are in the small print... For those who care, Capitol's telling a few badly-researched fibs in the liner notes. Dean's "White Christmas" is his '59 version, not the '66 as claimed; Sammy's "It's Christmas Time All Over The World" has in fact been released, and on so many budget Christmas LPs it's not funny, while Davis, Jr.'s sensational version of "The Christmas Song" was not originally from his "The Nat King Cole Songbook" LP, but from a 1963 album, "California Suite", devoted to songs written by Mel Tormé.

The two finishing tracks, Frank/Dean duets from Dean Martin's TV shows cap off a sensational album - the talent of these three guys will short circuit your CD-player if you're not careful, so pour yourself something stiff, and sit down to a nostalgically cool Yule! This CD is even enough to make this Australian reviewer forget that it's the middle of summer and as hot as blazes outside, and cry insanely into the bushfire smoke "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Merry Christmas Baby, December 26, 2002

By	TheCoop "Bill" (Chalfont, Pa.) - See all my reviews

At last; some of my favorite Rat Pack Christmas tunes all in one album. I didn't always like some of the tracks in their Christmas albums that were released seperately but I did like the ones selected for this album. Dean Martin's selections were great,especially I've Got My Love to Keep me Warm and Baby it's cold outside. I always liked Sinatra the best but it seemed like Christmas tunes were not his best recordings. But, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and the Christmas Waltz were always my favorites that he recorded. Sammy's Christmas All Over the World is just delightful. My favorite track on this CD is Marshmallow World from the Dean Martin Christmas Show with Frank. I remember this show like it was yesterday and I miss not seeing it at Christmas time. Their harmony on this track is just great and they have great fun singing it. I think I wore out this CD playing it so many times in my car. I miss these three guys trememdously so this album is just the thing to bring some joy this Christmas or any other.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Merry Christmas, baby., November 19, 2002

By	Jorje Chica (Anaheim, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you want to have a little fun this Christmas season, buy this CD. Forget about political correctness. This is the real deal (check out Dino crooning "Baby don't hold out" on Baby, It's Cold Outside). Plus, you get Sammy's wonderful It's Christmas Time All Over The World. Despite what the booklet says, this song WAS released, but way back in 1973 on the JC Penney LP That Christmas Feeling. It's been one of my faves for years and years. So pour the hot toddy, put on this CD, and have a hipster Christmas.