Holiday

Track Listings

1. Miniature

2. Tin Man

3. Another Try

4. Lonely People

5. Glad to See You

6. Mad Dog

7. Hollywood

8. Baby It's up to You

9. Old Man Took

10. What Does It Matter

11. In the Country

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Unavailable on CD in the U.S., this is a foreign pressing oftheir top five 1974 album featuring the top five hits 'Tin Man' & 'Lonely People'. 12 tracks total. A Warner Brothers release. George Martin produced & arranged the album.

Tracks:

O Holy Night
Away In A Manger
Ding Dong Merrily On High
White Christmas
Silent Night
Christmas Pipes
The Christmas Song
Carol Of The Bells
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Panis Angelicus
That Night In Bethlehem
O Come, All Ye Faithful
The Little Drummer Boy
The Wexford Carol
Let It Snow!

Amazon.com

One of the more impressive things about A Christmas Celebration is its glowing immediacy. The record's rich vocals and colorful instrumentals create a concert-like setting, reprising the season's most loved hymns, carols, and pop standards, along with a Gaelic version of "That Night in Bethlehem." Unexpected numbers such as "Christmas Pipes" and "Carol of the Bells" (here led by the spirited fiddling of Mariread Nesbitt) only enhance an already engaging disc that finely weaves between the piety of classical music and the playfulness of pop. Chloe Agnew, Orla Fallon, Lisa Kelly, and Meav Ni Mhaolchatha combine their Celtic voices against orchestral arrangements and sparser settings--spiked with the traditional Irish fare of uilleann pipes, harp, and ancient choral harmony--to deliver an assortment of reverent but lively arrangements that wouldn't be out of place at a church, concert hall, or good Irish celli. --Martin Keller

Amazon.com

Irish producer/arranger David Downes, the creative mastermind behind Celtic Woman's chart breakthrough and burgeoning international success, here conjures up an inviting holiday showcase for his neo-superstar crossover quartet. He pushes the group's crowd-pleasing formula into more expansive arrangements with the Irish Film Orchestra, supplemented by a strong core of featured instrumentalists, including Downes himself. If the ethnic folk influences that gave the group its name are sometimes less pronounced, the result is a collection whose dignified, pop elegance often transcends national boundaries. The vocal performances are expectedly polished, with the quintet breaking off into smaller units and solo showcases such as Lisa Kelly's Broadway-lullaby take on "The Christmas Song," a neo-classical "Panis Angelicus" by Chloe Agnew, and the muscular orchestral/choral setting for Mariead Nesbitt's earthy fiddle on "Carol of the Bells." The quintet (backed only by Nesbitt's spare strings) harmonize richly on "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and bring their trademark neo-Celtic charms more fully to bear on intimate translations of "Silent Night" and "The Wexford Carol" as well as a glorious take on the Gaelic traditional "That Night in Bethlehem." Perhaps to remind fans of their true range, the swinging, big-band bonus track "Let It Snow" closes the collection with upbeat flair. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

celtic woman.......2007-05-20

Love the CD. Am giving it as a Christmas gift to friends.

One of the best music CD I have ever bought.......2007-05-14

One of the best music CD I have ever bought

Christmas celebration.......2007-05-14

Christmas never sounded so good. Mairead's playing is wonderful as always. Orlagh is the stand out for me with that hauntingly beautiful voice but when they all sing together it is something special.

Celtic Woman: A Christmas Celebration.......2007-04-03

All of them will touch your heart. They are excellent highly recommended

A Delight.......2007-03-31

My entire family enjoyed this CD. We still listen to it even after the holiday is long over.

Average customer rating:

At Her Best
Heart-full sound
Christmas in July
It's always Christmas morning with Sarah
What a great artist

Wintersong
Sarah McLachlan
Manufacturer: Arista
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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An Ancient Muse

ASIN: B000HBKCDC
Release Date: 2006-10-17

Tracks:

Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
What Child Is This? (Greensleeves)
River
Wintersong
I'll Be Home For Christmas
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
The First Noel/Mary Mary
Silent Night
Song For A Winter's Night
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
In A Bleak Mid-Winter
Christmas Time Is Here

Amazon.com

An album like this could cement Sarah McLachlan as a middle-of-the-road crooner ready for the Andy Williams Christmas Show, but there's more beneath the surface of Wintersong than just Christmas chestnuts, over-roasting on an open fire. Longtime McLachlan producer Pierre Marchand blurs the borders with ambient sound effects, distorted guitars, and subtle echoes. He adds a Mark Isham-esque muted trumpet solo emerging out of reverse echoes on "I'll Be Home for Christmas" as if viewing the song through a distorted mirror. Violins that sound like they're being blown through a Leslie speaker combine unpredictably with a banjo on "O Little Town of Bethlehem." And on the seventh song, McLachlan finally kicks the album into another gear, turning "The First Noël" into a storming entreaty backed by tribal drums and surging low strings. Her voice is like the serene angel amidst the raging storm. I wish McLachlan had taken more chances like this, instead of the subtle framing she employs around melodies that remain true to form. Surprisingly, the more contemporary songs by John Lennon, Joni Mitchell, and Gordon Lightfoot are the least inventive. Her reading of Mitchell's incandescently wistful "River" is overly faithful to the original, and Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" sounds like karaoke, right down to the Spector-esque production and children's choir. But given that Lennon's prayer for peace still remains unanswered, that fidelity could be intentional. Regardless, this is familiar Christmas fare delivered in an intimate and ethereal fashion that will satisfy those who believe in the nostalgic spirit of the season. --John Diliberto

More from Sarah McLachlan

Mirrorball: The Complete Concert

Surfacing

Fumbling Towards Ecstasy

Afterglow

VH1 Storytellers: Sarah McLachlan (DVD)

Solace

Customer Reviews:

At Her Best.......2007-07-06

Sarah McLachlan has the voice of an Angel. And this cd proves it. I fell in love with every song. And listened to it so much, I thought I was going to wear it out. She brings to her music, the wonderful feeling of the Christmas Season, as well as some of the greats from the past like Bing Crosby. Her voice is haunting and peaceful at the same time. She draws you into every song and leaves you wanting more. This cd will be a favorite of mine for many many years to come. When I think of Christmas, I'll think of Sarah.

Heart-full sound.......2007-07-05

This music is soulful year round. Even in the summer I listen to the beautiful soul sound of this CD. It's melody at its highest!

Christmas in July.......2007-06-26

Usually about this time every year I'm wishing it was Christmas, and listening to some Christmas music or watching some silly Christmas movie. This year I have Sarah's Wintersong to listen to during my "Christmas blues".

After several listens, I'd have to say that this isn't just another Christmas album. The album has many stand out tracks and is a mix of the traditional and the more modern. My favorites are River (which is Joni Mitchell's song) and Wintersong (a new song Sarah wrote herself).

A worthwhile album and one any fan of Sarah's should add to their collection.

It's always Christmas morning with Sarah.......2007-06-12

I was wondering when Sarah McLachlan was gonna come out with a Christmas album. I was waiting and waiting for it and now here it is and it is everything that all Sarah fans enjoy about her.
Touching and tender and superb in its vocal and sound arrangements. It evokes a Christmas from some other time. Especially haunting is track # 9: Song for a Winter's Night. It's full of pining and it reads like a poem.
Wrapping it all up is a gift fit for Christmas: Diana Krall. Although she doesn't sing, she plays the piano, and you can tell.
Definitely one for those who love XMAS music and for those who love Sarah. You can't go wrong.

What a great artist.......2007-05-16

Sarah McLachlan has really hit the mark with this CD. Her voice is always like a angel and this christmas compilation is no exception. Turn on the christmas lights and crank this up. Peace on Earth!

Average customer rating:

Exceptional work of art.
perfect score
a jewel box of a score
Truly a perfect score
The Holiday.... you will not be disappointed

The Holiday (Score)

Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Holiday
Music and Lyrics
The Painted Veil
Blood Diamond
A Good Year

ASIN: B000LPR4U8
Release Date: 2007-01-09

Tracks:

Maestro
Iris And Jasper
Kayak For One
Zero
Dream Kitchen
Separate Vacations
Anything Can Happen
Light My Fire
Definitely Unexpected
If I Wanted To Call You
Roadside Rhapsody
Busy Guy
For Nancy
It's Complicated
Kiss Goodbye
Verso E Prosa
Meu Passado
The 'Cowch'
Three Musketeers
Christmas Surprise
Gumption
Cry

Amazon.com

For this Nancy Meyers-directed romantic comedy, Hans Zimmer serves up a breezy score quite different from the more heavy-duty works he's become known for. This may have something to do with the film's tone, of course, but also with the fact that Zimmer has sole credit on only two cues, having co-written the others with members of his extensive stable of helpers, including guitarist Heitor Pereira and even pop artist Imogen Heap (who also contributes wordless vocals in addition to getting writing credits on three tracks). In the film, Jack Black's character is a composer who namedrops Ennio Morricone; Zimmer steps up to the challenge with the opening track, "Maestro" (one of his solo compositions), which evidently seeks to emulate the romantic sweep of some of Morricone's scores and nearly succeeds. (This may sound like a criticism but getting near Morricone level is nothing to sneeze at.) A little later "Verso e Prosa," a collaboration between Pereira and Herb Alpert--who contributes his immediately identifiable trumpet--also stands out. If the rest of the CD had shown as much spirited zest as these two tracks, the album could have become a prized addition to any soundtrack lover's library; alas, the other cues are too devoid of personality to make a lasting impression. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

Exceptional work of art........2007-07-09

Definitely one of the most moving scores ever written. The movie says it and the music makes you feel it. Truly phenomenal!

perfect score.......2007-07-03

this is the perfect album to listen to. no matter what mood i'm in, i always walk away happy and optimistic.

a jewel box of a score.......2007-06-27

Uplifting, sparkling and memory evoking, a fresh approach for all Zimmer fans and charming in every way!

Truly a perfect score.......2007-05-27

It's rare for a romantic comedy to have a score- but Hans Zimmer is at his finest here. The music in the movie fits so well, and is overwhelming. It really makes you "feel" the movie and what the character is going through. The movie goes from up beat to somber, and sometimes all within one tune.
The music is truly beautiful!

The Holiday.... you will not be disappointed.......2007-05-20

Quite a few different themes expolored here in this CD. You will not be disappointed if you like a classical touch to yr music.... enjoy

David Bowie Narrates Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf"

Average customer rating:

Great telling of a classic story as a classical music introduction
Excellent for kids and adults
Dont have this CD but have the vinyl
My son's discovery of classical music
David Bowie tells us a fearful story

David Bowie Narrates Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf"

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Peter And The Wolf

ASIN: B000003F6R
Release Date: 1992-02-11

Tracks:

Peter And The Wolf: Introduction
Peter And The Wolf: The Story Begins
Peter And The Wolf: The Bird
Peter And The Wolf: The Duck, Dialogue With The Bird, Attack Of The Cat
Peter And The Wolf: Grandfather
Peter And The Wolf: The Wolf
Peter And The Wolf: The Duck Is Caught
Peter And The Wolf: The Wolf Stalks The Bird And The Cat
Peter And The Wolf: Peter Prepares To Catch The Wolf
Peter And The Wolf: The Bird Diverts The Wolf
Peter And The Wolf: Peter Catches The Wolf
Peter And The Wolf: The Hunters Arrive
Peter And The Wolf: The Procession To the Zoo
Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Theme: Full Orchestra
Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Theme: Woodwinds
Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Theme: Brass
Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Theme: Strings
Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Theme: Percussion
Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Theme: Full Orchestra
Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Variation I: Flute, Piccolo (Presto)
Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Variation II: Oboes (Lento)
Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Variation III: Clarinets (Moderato)
Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Variation IV: Bassoons (Allegro alla marcia)
Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Variation V: Violins (Brilliante alla pollaca)
Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Variation VI: Violas (Meno mosso)
Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Variation VII: Cellos
Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Variation VIII: Double basses (Cominciando lento, ma poco accel.)
Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Variation IX: Harp (Maestoso)
Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Variation X: French Horns (L' istesso tempo)
Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Variation XI: Trumpets (Vivace)
Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Variation XII: Trombones & Tuba (Allegro pomposo)
Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Variation XIII: Percussion (Moderato)
Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Fugue: Full Orchestra
The Nutcracker Suite: Overture
The Nutcracker Suite: March
The Nutcracker Suite: Dance Of The Sugar-Plum Fairy
The Nutcracker Suite: Russian Dance
The Nutcracker Suite: Arabian Dance
The Nutcracker Suite: Chinese Dance
The Nutcracker Suite: Dance Of The Mirlitons
The Nutcracker Suite: Waltz Of The Flowers

Customer Reviews:

Great telling of a classic story as a classical music introduction.......2007-01-04

I remember being introduced to the idea of classical music telling a story with Peter and the Wolf many, many years ago. As each character in the story appears, its theme (and the instrument playing it) is introduced. Then the story takes over and builds to its climax and resolution with just the right amount of fright and humor for 2-4 year-olds.

Peter is clearly presented as a child who is disobedient and mildly punished for it, but then he is also brave and resourceful in fixing the situation he has caused. Finally is also merciful to the wolf (although he does put the wolf in a zoo, if that really bothers you). So the story has some subtle hints at morality without it being too oppressive.

In this CD version, the narration is clear and the pacing seems very adequate for even 2 year-old's attention. They often ask to hear it again, and they love the picture book I bought to go with it - see another review. They know all the instruments names, and can identify the characters just from hearing the music.

Excellent for kids and adults.......2006-11-04

A very good version of the original. Bowie's voice is just right and the orchestra is right on. Excellent to demonstrate to kids the different instruments in a orchestra and a good story as well. I listened to it when I was young and also now when I am old. It still is great to listen to the music and the story telling.

Dont have this CD but have the vinyl.......2004-05-26

I admit I do not have this CD, but I do have the vinyl version of this album. It contains just the first two pieces, Peter and Britten's Young Person's Guide... It was released by Columnbia on green translucent vinyl! Combine that with the Red Label that Columbia used and it is quite the colorful Album... I remember that I bought the album for the Britten, big Britten fan here, and partially the novelty of Bowie narrating Peter. The Britten is great, and Peter is very good with the beauty of the Philly strings, which has always been Philly's strong point. If I were looking to replace my vinyl copy, which I am not, I would not hesitate to get this disk.

My son's discovery of classical music.......2003-05-17

My son's growing obsession with this story has truly sprouted since the purchase of this album.
Oddly enough, I never really knew this story or I don't remember it from my childhood, but once my dear sweet boy discovered it's haunting and charging sound, it's become a staple in my vehicle.

A perfect way to introduce classical music to any child -- tell them a story and have all the parts of the story be different instruments from an orchestra. Beautiful, just beautiful..

David Bowie tells us a fearful story.......2002-08-09

Prokofiev here produces a rare and fresh musical story for children. A young boy decides one day to push the gate at the bottom of the garden and move into the big wild world and its dangers, a wolf and a cat. The boy is followed by his friend the duck and meets his other friend the bird who is saved by a split-hair chance from the teeth of the cat by Peter's cry of alarm. All dangers in the world are not from the deep forest. But a far worse danger comes from there : the wolf. If Peter is saved by his grandfather who takes him home, the duck is less lucky and ends up in the wolf's stomach. But Peter is looking after things with the help of the bird and they catch the wolf that is then taken to the zoo by the hunters. We are not always saved from dangers by big strong armed men, but mostly by our courage and inventive imagination. And the music tells us to be creative.

This tale is perfectly served by David Bowie's both deep and volatile voice that finds here a brand new field of artistic achievement and multiplies the music's real dramatic dimension, like a confidential story told to the listeners in their deepest ears as if he were an elfish fairy any kid would believe to be true and safe, in a word friendly.

Tracks:

O Holy Night
White Christmas
Ave Maria
When A Child Is Born
Adeste Fideles (O Come All Ye Faithful)
Over The Rainbow
Panis Angelicus
Rejoice
Silent Night
The Lord's Prayer

Amazon.com

If you thrill to the soaring operatic voices of The Three Tenors (and imagine every Christmas comes with its own orchestral majesty), Il Divo has made this disc for you. The four GQ-handsome male singers were handpicked by American Idol's Simon Cowell for what seems to be their ability to sing opera and classical music with the hint of a pop sensibility. Their Christmas Collection features 10 standards (although the last time Santa looked, he wasn't quite sure "Over the Rainbow" and "The Lord's Prayer" were part of the Christmas canon). Still, it' hard not to imagine these emotionally stirring renditions as part and parcel of the reverential treatment the four finely sculpted voices bring to more exact seasonal fare such as "O Holy Night," "Ave Maria," "Panis Angelicus" and even "White Christmas." Dave Arch's predictable choral and orchestral arrangements are aimed right at the sweet spot where sophisticated church choir music and traditional classical music meet, with few surprises other than the dash of Irish folk music that colors "When A Child Is Born." In the end, for people who have never heard of Cowell and his cohosts (would Paula Abdul really have picked the tenor guy for this group?!), this collection will prove just as rewarding for them as the best-selling Idol records are for fans of the TV stars. --Martin Keller

Customer Reviews:

ILDIVO CHRISTMAS ALBUM.......2007-05-14

Their voices blend so well, I've bought all their recordings to date, including their DVD's. We've been waiting too long for a group that all ages can enjoy.

Il Divo.......2007-05-10

I love this group, and I really enjoy christmas with them, everybody loves them, this cd is a perfect gift for you or anyone else.

Great!.......2007-05-07

These young men have the voices of angels. I rarely buy music but I have everyone of their albums!

Outstanding.......2007-04-27

This CD is so great that I listen to it all year round. Their voices are angleic and listening to their songs is the only thing that made me feel better after the death of my father. They all sounds like angels singing and that is what it felt like to me. Their version of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" especially makes me cry because it's so beautiful. I was blown away. I absolutely love this CD and recommend it to everyone!

The Requisite Christmas Album.......2007-03-18

The guys have nice voices and the ladies will love their squeaky good looks. But don't take them seriously. They are a money machine.

Bernstein Century - Copland: Appalachian Spring, Rodeo, etc / Bernstein, New York PO

Average customer rating:

What more could one ask for?
Definitive Is Right
Definitive Recordings of Copland's Popular Ballet Scores From Bernstein, NYPO
American Music at its Highest
The best of Copland

Bernstein Century - Copland: Appalachian Spring, Rodeo, etc / Bernstein, New York PO

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000029XG
Release Date: 1997-10-28

Tracks:

Appalachian Spring: Very Slowly
Appalachian Spring: Allegro
Appalachian Spring: Moderato
Appalachian Spring: Fast
Appalachian Spring: Subito Allegro
Appalachian Spring: As At First (Slowly)
Appalachian Spring: Doppio movimento
Appalachian Spring: Moderato - Coda
Rodeo: Buckaroo Holiday - Allegro con spirito
Rodeo: Corral Nocturne - Moderato
Rodeo: aturday Night Waltz - Introduction - Slow Waltz
Rodeo: Hoe-Down - Allegro
Billy The Kid: Introduction. The Open Prairie
Billy The Kid: Street In A Frontier Town
Billy The Kid: Mexican Dance And Finale
Billy The Kid: Prairie Night (Card Game At Night)
Billy The Kid: Gun Battle
Billy The Kid: Celbration (After Billy's Capture)
Billy The Kid: Billy's Death
Billy The Kid: The Open Prairie Again
Fanfare for the Common Man: Molto deliberato

Amazon.com essential recording

Happy is the composer who has an advocate as passionate and talented as Leonard Bernstein. These Copland performances have been the preferred versions since they were first issued--better even than the composer's own, later recordings. Originally they were spread over two discs, but thanks to the extended playing time of the compact disc, you can now get all three great Copland ballets together, along with the ever popular Fanfare for the Common Man. Bernstein brings to this music the right sharpness of rhythm but also a typically open-hearted warmth. He coaxes a virtuoso response from the New York Philharmonic, which knows this music as well (or better) than anyone. Self- recommending. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

What more could one ask for?.......2007-06-27

Aaron Copland's masterful works are here interpreted by Bernstein. Nothing says the American sound like Copland, and there is no better interpreter than Bernstein. This recording is one of the best in my collection. I would recommend this to anyone (even non-classical music fans).

Definitive Is Right.......2007-02-27

I have the SACD version of these recordings (except for the "Fanfare" which, in this case, is the version taken from Bernstein's recording of Copland's Third Symphony) and I must agree with others here that the performances are definitive. The "Rodeo" has more energy than any other recording I know of, in fact it can almost go over the top! "Billy the Kid" is quiet and tender, dramatic and bold and "Appalachian Spring" is dead-on. The last section of this ballet is one of my very favorite pieces of music and Bernstein's tempo and phrasing here could well be called perfect.

Definitive Recordings of Copland's Popular Ballet Scores From Bernstein, NYPO.......2007-02-11

Without question, this splendid CD is my favorite recording of some of Aaron Copland's most popular orchestral ballet scores. In Leonard Bernstein he had both a good friend and a devout ally, who successfully championed Copland's music, helping to ensure his reputation as one of the greatest - if not the greatest - 20th Century American composer. Sony has done a superb job in digitally remastering this recording, offering some of the best sound I've heard from a vintage Leonard Bernstein/New York Philharmonic recording. But more importantly than the recording's superb sonic quality is the quality of these performances of Copland's scores. Bernstein leads in New York Philharmonic in these virtuoso performances, replete with lush, vibrant playing from the winds, horns and strings. His warm, truly heart-felt interpretation of "Applachian Spring" is truly mesmerizing, and the best I have heard from a recording. And yet, I am am just as impressed with his conducting of both "Rodeo" and "Billy the Kid"; the latter replete with superb solos from the orchestra's timpanist. An elegant performance of "Fanfare for the Common Man" closes out this CD recording. Fans of Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra shouldn't hesitate in acquiring this superb CD.

American Music at its Highest .......2007-02-04

If I was forced to recommend one CD of American music, I would feel very safe in backing this one. These interpretations have yet to be surpassed, and not even Copland himself could muster the same type of perfection that Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic did in this recording. Bernstein's way with Rodeo is unbelievable, and this alone is worth the price of the disc. The music on this recording has a lot to do with why, as Americans, we can all be proud of our place in the history of western music.

With 39 reviews under me, I will dispense with the adjectives to try and describe each interpretation of each piece on this disc, and simply say that these performances have been recommended by almost everyone (professional critics included of course) since they appeared; get it and find out why.

The best of Copland.......2007-01-09

For the Aaron Copland fan, this CD has the essentials: the most popular and easy listening of the Copland body of creations. Enjoy!

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas

Average customer rating:

His Halloween!!!
DIFFERENT
It's simply the best!
best 2-pack i've bought in a while
A review

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas
Danny Elfman , Marilyn Manson , Panic!@ the Disco , Fiona Apple , Fall Out Boy , Paul Reubens , Catherine O' Hara , Citizens of Halloween , and Patrick Stewert
Manufacturer: Disney
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000IFRQHC
Release Date: 2006-10-24

Tracks:

Overture
Opening
This Is Halloween
Jack's Lament
Doctor Finklestein/ In the Forest
What's This?
Town Meeting Song
Jack and Sally Montage
Jack's Obsession
Kidnap the Sandy Claws
Making Christmas
Nabbed
Oogie Boogie's Songs
Sally's Song
Christmas Even Montage
Poor Jack
To the Rescue
Finale/ Reprise
Closing
End Title

Tracks:

This Is Halloween - Marilyn Manson
Sally's Song - Fiona Apple
What's This? - Fall Out Boy
Kidnap the Sandy Claws - She Wants Revenge
This Is Halloween - Panic! At the Disco
Making Christmas (Demo) - Danny Elfman
Oogie Boogie's Song (Demo) - Danny Elfman
This Is Halloween (Demo) - Danny Elfman
Kidnap the Sandy Claws (Demo) - Danny Elfman

Amazon.com

Not only is The Nightmare Before Christmas one of the best musicals of the past two decades; it may well be Danny Elfman's masterpiece, successfully integrating his main influences (from Cab Calloway to Nino Rota) into a fantastic whole. The first disc of this reissue features the original soundtrack, its songs still teetering between dark humor and poetic flights of fancy; this so-called kids' music is at least as sophisticated and skilled as anything you're likely to hear on Broadway. The second disc includes demo versions of four songs on which Elfman plays and sings everything, and five new covers of some of Nightmare's best-loved songs. Marilyn Manson successfully applies his spooky Weimar-circus style on "This Is Halloween" while Panic! At the Disco's lushly orchestrated take on the same tune is closer to the original. Fiona Apple's poignant "Sally's Song" is enhanced by very nice string charts, and She Wants Revenge does a disco take on "Kidnap the Sandy Claws." Best perhaps is Fall Out Boy's cover of "What's This?" which sounds like an unexpected cross between the Beach Boys and Queen. A highly recommended set. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

His Halloween!!!.......2007-06-20

Well, disc 1 is Danny Elfman's classic soundtrack to the film that is of course great (goes without saying). Disc 2, to mu pleasent surprise was pretty cool as well. Marilyn Manson's cover of "This Is Halloween" is absolutely amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IMO, it's not only the best track on the album, but it is one of the best cover songs ever recorded in the history of history. I was almost certain that he would have messed that song up...but he really does an amzing job. Even if you hate Manson, ..you won't hate this song. As for the other covers, I liked Fiona Apple's cover of "Sally's Song", and I thought the She Wants Revenge cover of "Kidnap The Santy Claws" was a good eightees style presentation, kinda Depeche Mode-eske. The other bands on the disc all did an ok job, but it's really all about the Manson cover when it's all said and done.

DIFFERENT.......2007-03-26

THIS SOUNDTRACK'S PERFECT IF YOU'RE INTO ANIMATED MOVIES AND MUSIC!MANSON DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB ON HIS SONG: THIS IS HALLOWEEN! HIS VOICE HAS SO MANY DIMENSIONS IN THIS SONG.HIS MUSIC IS PERFECT WITH THE TITLE.

It's simply the best!.......2007-02-15

Both versions of "What's this?" are great! Danny Elfman had already conquered my admiration and respect with Batman's and The Corpse Bride's soundtrack, but The Nightmare Before Christmas is my number 1 for a bunch of reasons: the interpretations are awesome and the new versions in the second CD have profoundly delighted me. If you're an Elfman's fan, you won't be disappointed!

best 2-pack i've bought in a while.......2007-02-09

i will admit, i have been and will be a manson fanatic for a number of years. Nightmare before Christmas has also been on a consistent highnote for me even as a little kid when we got on VHS. so when i heard Danny Elfman on the radio talking about this thing a few weeks before it came out, i heard "marilyn manson will be doing a cover of "this is halloween", my heart jumped and i almost veered of the I-15. i bought two copies of it, one for myself and one for a friend who i knew would also appreciate it for the Panic! cover.

i will also admit i bought this cd without any hesitation, and only for that one song, and i must say it hit it right on the money. Marilyn Manson in my mind is the master of taking good, popular songs, and twisting them into something unique and that makes a statement (hearing him sing "boys and girls of every age, wouldn't you like to see something strange?" is rather convienient).

i also enjoyed the rest of the cds with more or less the same appreciation.

my only gripe with this cd is She Wants Revenges version of Kidnap The Sandy Claws. that was something i was looking forward to, and the signers monotone singing does little to honor the song. the background tune hardly resembles the melody it was taken from. in that song there were 3 distinctive voices, with SWR, you got one unchanging voice with no emotion. hell Beastie Boys coulda done a better job on this song.

A review.......2007-01-20

Seeing as I am an impulse buyer as well as a fan of this movie, I wasn't surprised to wake up one morning and find the package for this sitting on my doorstep. I listened to the second disc first and decided that it was OK. After reading some of the other reveiws I came to agree with some but disagree with others. Everyone has been saying that the Manson version of "This Is Halloween" was the best because it was scary and the Panic! version of said song sucked becuase it was too carnical like. If any of you remember the movie, the original song wasn't meant to be scary, but celebratory. I think Panic! captured that feeling best. Fiona Apple's song was beautiful, but I found that She Wants REvenge missed the mark a little. It had a good beat, yes, but it was too monotone for my taste. Fall Out Boy's cover is a kepper and has made it's way to my most played list. The demos are great, thought the demo of Kidnap the Sandy Claws kinda freaks me out when I remember that it's one guy doing three voices.

Average customer rating:

" I wish I had a River.....that I could skate away on............"
James is at this best!
James Taylor's Christmas Album
James Taylor at Christmas
smooth vocals

James Taylor at Christmas
James Taylor
Manufacturer: Columbia
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000I0QK74
Release Date: 2006-10-10

Tracks:

Winter Wonderland featuring Chris Botti
Go Tell It On The Mountain
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Jingle Bells
Baby, It's Cold Outside featuring Natalie Cole
River
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire) Featuring Toots Theilemans
Some Children See Him
Who Comes This Night
In The Bleak Midwinter
Auld Lang Syne

Amazon.com

Looking for a smart, never-out-of-style singer who turns in a perfectly solid collection of Christmas songs, including a few surprises? J.T. is your man on James Taylor at Christmas, which is nicely balanced between pop and jazz selections, with more stately hymn-like fare and balladry. Always fine in his charmingly understated voice, Taylor and company try out the old gospel standard "Go Tell It on the Mountain" and the memorable "Some Children See Him." He smoothly cuts through "Winter Wonderland" and "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" with a bit of jazz flavor, and reprises Joni Mitchell's increasingly popular Christmas song (even though it's about getting away from the holiday), "River." One of the album's most satisfying delights is Taylor's funky version of "Jingle Bells," sung in a kind of barroom stomp with the most intriguing phrasing since Barbra Streisand sang it in the '60s. Soulful and bright and moody as well (when Taylor sings "In the Bleak Midwinter," you believe it's indeed rough), there's barely a clinker here. -- Martin Keller

James's Christmas Album

More from James Taylor

The Best of James Taylor
Sweet Baby James
James Taylor

New Moon Shine
JT
James Taylor (Live)

Amazon.com

Combine the most beloved, classic songs of the holiday season with the warm baritone of one of the most recognized voices in popular music, and fans will have reason to celebrate with James Taylor at Christmas. This 12-track collection features traditional and contemporary seasonal songs.

Customer Reviews:

" I wish I had a River.....that I could skate away on............".......2007-03-25

One song. This one. I bought this, because of it's inclusion. I cannot listen to this, and not have tears. Every lyric is 1974. The love of my life. It wasn't a storybook ending,and did not happen. Nevertheless, I love this cover of Joni's brillance, by JT, whom I have followed since early 1970. Oh, I do listen to the rest,and they are good.The sorrow may be ever present, but the good memories are there. She remains dear to my heart.

James is at this best!.......2007-03-17

My husband is an avid James Taylor fan! He loves this CD and listens to it even though Christmas has long since passed. James' very recognizable voice is at its best!!! A great gift for that J.T. fan on your list.

James Taylor's Christmas Album.......2007-03-09

I love this album! I bought it after reading a review and it is everything the professional reviewer said it was. It makes you want to settle down with a hot cocoa, a warm fire and just let the music relax your mind.

James Taylor at Christmas.......2007-03-09

As always, Mr Smooth! Another classic CD to be played year after year on Christmas and any other time. A mellow sound with soothing songs of love, family and good times.

smooth vocals.......2007-03-09

This CD was a gift I ordered for myself! And I was not disappointed. I enjoyed Taylor's "spin" on some of the Christmas classics but my favorite was the duet he did with Natale Cole. I liked that some other tunes made his line up that aren't over played during the holidays so it was refreshing to play and keep me in the spirit of the season. Who could get tired of his voice anyway?

December, Piano Solos: 20th Anniversary Edition

Average customer rating:

Twenty Years later... Still Excellent!
a must have for a musical library
George Winston's December
Love this CD
Multi-mood music

December, Piano Solos: 20th Anniversary Edition
George Winston
Manufacturer: RCA Victor
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005NNDO
Release Date: 2001-10-16

Tracks:

Thanksgiving
Jesus, Jesus, Rest Your Head
Joy
Prelude
Carol Of The Bells
Night-Part One: Snow
Night-Part Two: Midnight
Night-Part Three: Minstrels
Variations On The Kanon By Pachelbel
The Holly And The Ivy
Some Children See Him
Peace
A Christmas Song
Sleep Baby Mine

Amazon.com essential recording

December holds the distinction of single-handedly putting Windham Hill on the map and being the new age album most likely to find its way into music collections of all ilk. In spite of being relentlessly overplayed during the holidays, the solo piano recording has aged quite well. Winston shapes holiday war-horses and original compositions into a captivating contemporary statement. His spare, understated style captures the feel of the dark season, employing ample resonance to evoke a reflective spaciousness. The album's straightforward simplicity conveys both the celebration and quietude that characterize the best of the Yuletide spirit. --Richard Price

Amazon.com

A quintessential example of George Winston's "folk piano" style, December speaks to the spirit of the season. Mixing traditional carols, a couple of classical works, and his own originals, Winston drops notes with icy clarity into a winter silence, rippling through "Carol of Bells" and coaxing dark, introspective moods from his own suite, "Night." The pianist's liner notes are also a trip as he cites the numerous sources for his music. Who would've thought that the gentle melodies of "Peace" were inspired by the soundtrack to TV's The Outer Limits? This 20th anniversary edition, which includes two bonus tracks, is a vast sonic improvement over previous releases. --John Diliberto

Customer Reviews:

Twenty Years later... Still Excellent!.......2007-05-28

December, Piano Solos: 20th Anniversary Edition, by George Winston is about as close to perfect as you can get. Winston phenomenal interpretations and originals form a masterpeice. Classified as a Holiday album, I agree with many of the other reviewers that this is an album to enjoy all through the year. Although each selection here is very good, Variations On The Kanon By Pachelbel is simply a wonderful piece. I did have the pleasure of seeing George Winston in concert and I would receommend that any fan try to experience the music live with introductions by the pianist.

An outstanding 5 star CD.

a must have for a musical library.......2007-03-26

this cd album is extremely moving and has value because of the evocative power of some of the pieces it contains.

George Winston's December.......2007-03-09

I have a copy of the vinyl since it was released. Though I love the quality of the vinyl, I want to bring December with me wherever I go. The two additional cuts in the anniversary issue are lovely, but I would have been equally happy with the original.

Love this CD.......2007-03-08

Perfect for the holidays (but I listen to it all year)! Anything by George Winston is fabulous.

Multi-mood music.......2007-01-29

I love this CD! The best part about this music is that I can listen to it regardles of what mood I'm in and the music fits perfectly. The Sheet music for "Variations of the Kanon by Pachelbel" is a great bonus.

Average customer rating:

Absolutely the best of Billie Holiday
Lady Day: The Best of Billie Holiday
The tragedy of a lonely woman!
Billie's Best - Accept No Substitutes
A serious and great artist's best work, you need these sides

Lady Day: The Best of Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005Q45Y
Release Date: 2001-10-02

Tracks:

What A Little Moonlight Can Do - Billie Holiday
These Foolish Things - Billie Holiday
I Cried For You - Billie Holiday
Summertime - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
Billie's Blues - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
If You Were Mine - Billie Holiday
A Fine Romance - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
Easy To Love - Billie Holiday
I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
I Must Have That Man - Billie Holiday
Me, Myself And I - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
They Can't Take Away From Me - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
Easy Living - Billie Holiday
A Sailboat In The Moonlight - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
Travelin' All Alone - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
When A Woman Loves A Man - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
You Go To My Head - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
My Man - Billie Holiday

Tracks:

I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me - Billie Holiday
The Very Thought Of You - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
I Can't Get Started - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
Long Gone Blues - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
Sugar - Billie Holiday
Some Other Spring - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
Them There Eyes - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
The Man I Love - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
Body And Soul - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
Swing, Brothers, Swing - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
Night And Day - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
Let's Do It - Billie Holiday
God Bless The Child - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
Solitude - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
I Cover The Waterfront - Billie Holiday
Gloomy Sunday - Billie Holiday
Until The Real Thing Comes Along - Billie Holiday
All Of Me - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra

Album Description

Lady Day: The Best Of Billie Holiday is an ideal introduction to the Voice of Jazz in all its enduring glory. This incomparable collection draws on the 10-CD boxed set Lady Day: The Complete Billie Holiday on Columbia (1933-1944) (CXK 85470), representing not only her finest work, but American jazz and pop singing at its zenith. Accompanied sublimely by a Who's Who of the Swing Era (including her soulmate Lester Young, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Buck Clayton, Roy Eldridge, Ben Webster, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, Jo Jones, and pianist-arranger Teddy Wilson, who was often at the helm when Holiday entered the studio), Billie Holiday masterfully renders a host of mostly-classic pop tunes. Fans are drawn to her musical triumphs and personal tragedies. She is a mysterious icon in the same vein as Miles Davis. Columbia possesses the first and finest recordings of her entire career! This material has never sounded clearer and more intimate!

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely the best of Billie Holiday.......2007-02-24

Anybody who likes Billie Holiday even part time needs this CD. Even great for those people who only know a few songs just by chance. Love the CD. Even got another as a gift for a friend.

Lady Day: The Best of Billie Holiday.......2007-01-10

Bought this for my granddaughter. She's a Billie Holiday fan. She loved the CD.

The tragedy of a lonely woman!.......2006-11-21

The stature of this emblematic singer of the jazz is absolutely undeniable. Her powerful, sensitive and expressive voice made of her, one of the most tragic icons in the jazz. She sung as she lived. In this sense she reminds too much to the legendary Edith Piaff in the other side of the Atlantic.

What else might I add for cataloguing this cult artist that it has not been said just before? She is part of the history jazz and her memory will transcend and surmount the next years to come.

Billie's Best - Accept No Substitutes.......2006-06-12

Billie Holiday is the quintessential jazz singer; despite a limited vocal range she set the standard by which all others are measured. It's all about the quality of her voice, the lush tone, and her marvelously idiosyncratic phrasing. Though her career was short and troubled, she recorded a lot, which means novice collectors must avoid innumerable bear traps. In general, her later work should be ignored, by then she was wearing her emotional problems like an ugly hat, despair manifested itself in performances so lackluster they're depressing at best, frequently downright tragic.

For the best of Billie you need to go back to the glory days, 1933-1944, precisely the time period covered by this reasonably priced and beautifully produced 2-CD set. (If you're a player with money to burn go for the 10-CD comprehensive retrospective, The Complete Billie Holiday on Columbia, 1933-1944.) All the songs providing the foundation of her reputation are here, as well as many pleasant surprises. The booklet, though not lavish, provides photos, background, and a complete list of personnel for each track. This detail is significant because the players on these selections, in addition to being the finest who ever backed Ms. Holiday, were also the absolute elite of their generation, each worthy of individual exploration. (Names like Lester Young, Roy Eldridge, Ben Webster, Johnny Hodges, and Teddy Wilson enjoy legendary status.)

Perhaps most amazing is the sound quality, considering the recordings are WWII vintage they're clear and smooth. About Ms. Holiday's personal life, the less said the better. What is remarkable is that, despite her personal troubles, she managed to create a canon of work that is truly timeless, just as sweet and powerful today as it was then. Not only is this the best Billie Holiday anthology available, it makes a formidable addition any jazz collection. (Dig that cover photo, wow!)

A serious and great artist's best work, you need these sides.......2005-03-11

If there were some way to award music 200 stars, I am sure all of us would have done so for this set!

Like others here, I have it all, but I think her work from the 30s and early 1940s from Columbia and its ancestors is not just her greatest works, but among the great works of world musical culture. Everyone with a set of ears should be more or less required to have this music and enjoy it.

Strange Fruit was not recorded for Columbia but for the Indy label Commodore. Thus, you will not find it on this or any of the Columbia collections like this that capture her work in the period BEFORE Strange Fruit. It was recorded in the 1940s, whereas this collection contains work from Billie in the 1930s and perhaps 1940 and 1941. No doubt Sony wishes it had the rights to that side and everything else Commodore recorded, but they don't.

The truth is, Strange Fruit is not one of Billie's Greatest works. There are about 15 tunes on this CD that have better singing, better musicians backing her, and were more important pieces of Billie's work. Strange Fruit is well known to the people who know about Billie as a person, but don't know much about Billie as a Jazz musician. Her recording, while powerful, was not very nuanced, not very jazzy, and not as good as much of the work here. Indeed, the weakness of her mid-1940s Commodore work as opposed to these recordings is that Billie was persuaded to move away from Jazz and swing to attempt to become a cabarat chanteuse of "serious" songs, a move that some also relate to the inception of heroin and the decline of her voice, a move that brought about a decline in her art.

If you want to hear a better version of "Strange Fruit," listen to Josh White's recording which is so much more powerful, if not as well known. I am not downing the song or its politics, far from it, but Billie's Strange Fruit is more important as a political statement than as a work of Jazz art.

One of the greatest things about these records are the many master musicians of swing and jazz that join her on these recordings. Very shortly after she started recording, the greatest names in Jazz would flock to her sessions and play on her recordings for litte because of the innovation and creativity Billie showed as a jazz creator in her own right. These recordings were a chance for them to jam together in loose arrangements and be more innovative and creative than they were with the orchestras they played with.

These masters of Jazz viewed Billie as a serious artist of Jazz. They delighted in her knowledge of the musical aspects of swing jazz which was unique for such a young singer (she was in her twenties when these records were made) and delighted in her ability to sense what they were doing in their accompaniments and solos and to respond to them in her vocals.

Despite the exaggerated picture of her life as a prostitute that was part of the marketing of the 1950's work of ghost-written fiction called "Lady Sings the Blues," that a drug addled Billie claimed was her autobiography, Billie Holiday grew up around Jazz with her father being a big band guitar player who complained Billie hired every NY guitarist but him for these sessions. Billie's mother specialized in boarding Jazz musicians and catering parties for musicians and singers, parties where the young Billie would often help serve the food. So when she met Lester young in 1937 for these sessions, she had already known the man she named 'Prez in 1934 when he boarded with her mother while he was in the Fletcher Henderson band.

These sides contain most of the great collaboration between Lester Young and Billie. They were great musical friends and personal friends until Billie became a heroin addict, at which point Lester didn't much want to be around her.

However, as much as I am a Lester Young man to the death (his framed picture hangs in my home), too little is said of the other musicians who grace these recordings. Billie's collaboration with pianist Teddy Wilson who plays on and directed most of these recordings (many were recorded as Teddy Wilson Orchestra sides)needs to be explored. Likewise, her work with the great bassists and rhythm players on these records needs to be appreciated. My favorite sides are the ones in which she has the benefit of Basieites like her dear friend Freddy Green on guitar and the great Walter Page on bass. Likewise, Billie's musical closeness with the great Buck Clayton and his role on these sides is also underestimated.

Yet, it doesn't matter if Billie had recorded these sides with some high school band members from Winslow, Arizona. This is good music to listen to, good music to smile to, music to fall in love to, and music to dance too. Contrary to the tendency to get maudlin and milk her image as a tragedy that Holiday developed in the 1950s as her life and her musical skill declined , even the songs on these recordings with the sadest lyrics possess a great joy, swing, and spirit of the wonders of Jazz.

Music Review:

Music Review

Music Review

1. Miniature
2. Tin Man
3. Another Try
4. Lonely People
5. Glad to See You
6. Mad Dog
7. Hollywood
8. Baby It's up to You
9. Old Man Took
10. What Does It Matter
11. In the Country

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