Andy Williams - The Andy Williams Christmas Album
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Free Music Notes for The Andy Williams Christmas Album
Free Music Review: it just isn't Christmas without Andy's holiday music
Hit: 5 Stars
I always love to hear Christmastime songs; and when Andy Williams sings them it's special, to say the least! Andy's voice is in excellent form on this album; he sounds fantastic and just one listen proves it. This CD will be an excellent addition to your music collection if you don't have it already; every track's a winner and there's not a dud in the bunch! The quality of the sound on this CD is perfect; and I like that artwork, too.
The CD starts with Andy performing "White Christmas;" his rendition is heavenly and he never falters, either! The backup singers harmonize to perfection--not that Andy really needed backup, but they do sound good anyway. Andy makes this somewhat melancholy song shine bright with his passionate delivery--great! In addition, "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" stuns me with its beauty; Andy sings this without letting go of a superfluous note and that's grand. The percussion enhances the musical arrangement and the strings are also very pretty as Andy performs this song.
"It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" gets a very spirited treatment from Andy and his colleagues; this is easily a major highlight of this album. Andy does great justice to this ballad and he does it flawlessly--what a terrific number! "Kay Thompson's Jingle Bells" has something of a classic Vegas--style arrangement to it; this dynamic tune glows brighter than silver and gold combined when Andy and the others do this one up right! The music is wonderful; but wisely the musicians never try to steal the show away from Andy--he remains squarely front and center which is right where he belongs! There's some mighty fine harmonizing from some backup singers, too.
"The First Noël" charms me with its beauty; this classic Christmas song gets a wonderful interpretation from Andy. He delivers this with grace and all his heart and soul which is how it should be for a song like this one. Excellent! The strings add to the natural beauty of "The First Noël," too. Listen also for Andy to outdo even himself on "O Holy Night;" this is another timeless Christmas song that is always beautiful and easy on the ear. Wow, how Andy Williams sings this well!
"Sweet Little Jesus Boy" is another major highlight of this album; and when you hear Andy sing this ballad there'll be no doubt about it! "The Little Drummer Boy" features Andy singing with a children's chorus; they all do this wonderfully. The album ends very nicely with Andy Williams performing "Silent Night." "Silent Night" showcases Andy's superb talent as he sings this to perfection--and beyond! "Silent Night" also uses a children's chorus to make this tune even more poignant.
Andy Williams will always be one of the best male vocalists we have ever seen. He has an incredible ability to sing just about anything he wanted to sing, all the while making each and every musical number extra special. I highly recommend this Christmas album to his fans if they don't have it already; and people who want an excellent CD of classic holiday music will not be disappointed. Moreover, Andy still gives concerts--catch him in concert if you can!
Free Music Review: The Most Incredible Christmas Album of All
Hit: 5 Stars
Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe help to make the season bright, but the thing that makes my season bright is arguably the greatest compilation of holiday music to ever grace the human ear.
It is "The Andy Williams Christmas Album." It's the most wonderful music for the most wonderful time of the year. Hands-down. What makes this collection of festive melodic delights so special? Where do I start? Perhaps the most logical point would be with the man himself, Andy Williams.
Williams' voice is dripping with holiday spirit on this album, and that spirit is contagious. If Santa Claus was to hire a lounge singer, it would without a doubt be Williams. His rendition of "O Holy Night" is honestly spectacular. After 16 Christmases, I still get the chills hearing it. When Williams hits the highs on the word "divine," I feel as though I have heard the voice of an angel, who is coincidentally singing "O Holy Night" while giving me a back rub.
The album came to life 40 years ago as the love-child of Williams, producer Robert Mersey, and Columbia Records. The music has been a mainstay come Christmas time in my family, and as a young lad I quickly learned to appreciate the man behind what came to be known as the Samataro Soundtrack to Christmas.
The release itself is a perfect balance of fun and upbeat ditties like "Happy Holiday/The Holiday Season," sacred Christmas hymns such as "Away in a Manger," tender treasures including "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)," and even a few tunes with a Williams spin on them. "The Twelve Days of Christmas" have transformed into "A Song and a Christmas Tree," an updated (well, circa 1963, anyway) version of the holiday gem, highlighting, for instance, "two candy canes" in place of "two turtle doves".
Nary a December has the voice of Williams been absent from the house I call home. It is worth noting that the year I lost the Andy Williams cassette tape, December became one of the worst months of my entire life. It's just not the same without Andy. While every December, heartwarming television specials try to remind me of their true meanings of Christmas, it's just haberdashery that includes such quotables as "it is better to give than to receive" and "make this holiday picture-perfect, digital camera only $59.99 (only at Macy's)!" No, friends, none of these adages have taught me anything. Only one man has done that.
Andy Williams has made me realize the true meaning of Christmas. The evidence is incontrovertible. The meaning of Christmas lies in festivity, tradition, and 12 glorious selections of music that seem to have been written by God Himself. No, the bestowment of "The Andy Williams Christmas Album" is no act of God -- but it is a miracle. Miraculous, because in essence, it is the perhaps greatest compilation of music ever to grace the human ear. And that's just not the egg nog talking.
Free Music Review: Christmas Classic for the Ages
Hit: 5 Stars
I grew up listening to this album, and the familiar grin of Andy from the lower left corner of the cover brings back many memories. But, unlike many Christmas albums that make one nostalgic, this album has withstood the test of time and emerged a classic.
Like many holiday LPs of the era, Andy's eponymous ablum was divided by sides. Side One conjures the secular fun of the holiday while Side Two dedicates itself to the carols of the season. What this ends up as for the contemporary listener is a wonderful musical journey that is full of delights.
The first track is Andy's soothing rendition of "White Christmas," which is mellower than Bing's--and a perfect way to kick off the album. From there, "Happy Holiday-The Holiday Season" shows what Andy will be leaning toward as the album progresses--some fun, swinging numbers. This track was so good that the Manhattan Transfer virtually duplicated it on their own Christmas album 30 years later. The classic "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" debuted here, which helps explain why Andy's version is still the definitive one. (On a side note, one of the co-writers of the tune is more famous as the composer behind the "Gilligan's Island" theme.)
"The Christmas Song" is beautiful--especially when Andy soars into the final chorus. I prefer it to Nat King Cole's original recording for sheer beauty. Andy's version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" (A Song and a Christmas Tree) takes the song to wonderful heights of 60's-era stereo tricks, while "Kay Thompson's Jingle Bells" (arranged by the lady more famous as the author of the "Eloise" books) kicks the end of Side One into the stratosphere. Absolutely amazing arrangement that swings with the best of the psychedelic 60's. (On another side note, the song fits perfectly over the opening titles of the original "Austin Powers" film and takes the song to a completely different level.)
Andy's versions of some best-loved carols are also quite lovely, with his versions of "The First Noel" and "Silent Night" being among the loveliest recordings. His "Sweet Little Jesus Boy" makes excellent use of his vocal ability and showcases the beauty of his under-appreciated talent. The only drawback to Side Two is the warbly-voiced child who practically wrests control of "Away in a Manger" away from the star.
All in all, though, this is a stand out for any season. Often copied (Michael W. Smith most recently did a version of "Kay Thompson's Jingle Bells" that is virtually identical to Andy's), but never duplicated, it is a triumphant holiday album that will be listened to by my great-great grandchildren. And somehow that red cover with Andy's grin will bring back holiday memories for them, too.
Free Music Review: Andy Williams' Masterpiece
Hit: 5 Stars
Like many others I also grew up hearing this classic album every December, and after all these years Christmas music never gets any better than this. Andy Williams has released several Christmas albums throughout his career, but this original 1963 recording is truly a masterpiece that is arguably the greatest Christmas album ever made. While too many stars often try to "update" these songs with contemporary arrangements that sound as much like Christmas as the 4th of July, each of these songs are masterfully produced with vibrant, atmospheric arrangements that capture the true spirit and sound of the holiday season like few other recordings.
Songs like "Happy Holidays/The Holiday Season", "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year", and "Jingle Bells" literally sparkle with joy and cheer, while the mellow songs are as relaxing and beautiful as Christmas ballads ever get. This album is also a testament to the great vocal skills of Andy Williams who proves himself as one of the great pop crooners of all time. His warm, angelic voice is like magic on these songs, and he sings them all as if they were written for him.
"It's the most wonderful time" is by far the best-known track from this album that we hear on the radio every year, but it's not even the best song on the album. Andy's superb versions of "White Christmas" and "The Christmas Song" feature blissful musical arrangements that equal or surpass the classic originals by Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole. "Silent Night", "Little Drummer Boy", and "The First Noel" are also among the very best versions of these often-covered classics. "Away in a Manger" is the only tune here that comes close to mediocre.
"O Holy Night" has been recorded countless times by hundreds of artists, but you will never hear a more perfect performance of this classic than Andy's recording here. This has always been without a doubt the most hauntingly beautiful version of this song ever recorded by anyone, yet you will never hear this version on the radio in December...only the inferior modern remakes by the many "divas" with their grating, oversung vocal gymnastics that fail to capture the heart and soul that Andy Williams does with this sublime, unbeatable recording. The arrangement is both peaceful and haunting, and the chilling falsetto notes sung by Andy at the end brings a truly angelic touch to a flawless vocal performance. "Sweet Little Jesus Boy" is another sublime Christmas ballad that Andy delivers with heartfelt emotion.
No Christmas music collection is complete without this timeless album. This is classic, real deal Christmas music of the highest calibre sung by one of the finest voices in American music.
Free Music Review: One of the best Xmas albums; how about more with Wms. Bros?
Hit: 5 Stars
"The Andy Williams Christmas Album" is a great collection -- no question about it. If you like Christmas music and don't have it, buy it right now. I'm only sorry that I didn't hear it until this excellent-sounding remastered version came out in 2004, when I bought it on a whim. It's undoubtedly one of the best CDs in our 200-album Christmas collection, and one that we play often during the holidays.
But in case someone (even Andy himself) is reading this and wants an idea for another Christmas album, I just want to second the previous reviewer's call for an album with Andy joined by his brothers on holiday classics.
I was extremely impressed by the Williams Brothers' harmonizing on the aforementioned Andy Williams Christmas DVD, and would love to hear more. How about putting out a CD with recordings from those very 1960s Christmas shows?
I happened to catch the very young Andy and his brothers in a 1940s movie called "Janie" on TCM recently, and they were extremely good. Unfortunately, it seems almost impossible to find anything by the group on CD. (I believe they provided backing vocals on Bing Crosby's hit, "Swinging on a Star," but that's the only appearance I know of by the Williams Brothers on CD.)
Anyway, to get back to the album at hand, "The Andy Williams Christmas Album" is, without question, one of the very best in the holiday genre. Despite what the Amazon.com reviewer says, Andy's voice is far better than just "average," and both the song selections and the arrangements here are topnotch.
"Kay Thompson's Jingle Bells" is a particular favorite of mine -- when I first heard it, I was amazed at how much it reminded me of Phil Spector's Wall of Sound, a very solid, driving arrangement that grabs you and never lets go. (Andy and his brothers performed in Ms. Thompson's nightclub act early in their career.)
And you can't go wrong with any of the other performances on this album. "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" is certainly the best recording of this wonderful song, and Andy's versions of oft-heard songs like "White Christmas" and "The Christmas Song" are among the finest. "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is given a very creative arrangement that turns a usually long and somewhat tedious song into an entertaining treasure. (Listen for the bass voice of Thurl Ravenscroft, better known for his singing in the original "How the Grinch Stole Christmas.") Not a bad cut on this album -- in fact, all are great.
This album is a classic that belongs in the collection of everyone who loves Christmas music.