Mannheim Steamroller - Christmas
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Music CD Cover
Artist: Mannheim SteamrollerBrand: MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER
Edition: Music CD
Published: 1990
CD Release Date: 1990-10-25
Music Label: American Gramaphone
Soundtracks:
- Deck The Halls
- We Three Kings
- Bring A Torch, Jeanette, Isabella
- Coventry Carol
- Good King Wenceslas
- Christmas Sweet: Wassail, Wassail
- Christmas Sweet: Carol Of The Birds
- Christmas Sweet: I Saw Three Ships
- Christmas Sweet: God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
- God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
- Stille Nacht
Free Music Notes for Christmas
Free Music Review: The True Christmas Spirit!
Hit: 5 Stars
For me, the terms "Mannheim Steamroller" and "Christmas" are not at all mutually exclusive--one cannot exist without the other. When I think of Christmas music, I instantly think of Mannheim, and for good reason...reason which is completely evidenced on this album, the one that started it all for Chip Davis and his series of Christmas celebrations. For years these compilations have been among my favorite recordings of all time, and I'm proud to say I've grown up with them. And one thing's for certain: "Mannheim Steamroller Christmas", though possibly not even Mannheim's best Christmas album, is an album that nobody should miss.
My track-by-track analysis:
1. Deck the Halls - Wow. What an opener. On the album, the one that started it all, this is the track that started it all, and with good reason. A completely original take on an old Welsh favorite, this track contains the perfect mixture between modern synthesizer music and old-style Baroque music, with harpsichord, horns, and a full-fledged string section. This song is a home run, possibly one of the greatest. And to start out the album this well!
2. We Three Kings - Another fantastic arrangement. The Middle-Eastern feel in the beginning is indescribably fitting to the piece, and obviously to the setting of the story. And then there is a certain fullness to the chorus that rounds out the arrangement. Another track you can listen to again and again and never get tired of it.
3. Bring A Torch - This is a very simple arrangement in the beginning, with simple harp chords accompanying an alto recorder. This melts seamlessly into a beautiful oboe solo with a full string section in the background. As the old adage asserts, less is indeed more. That's a concept that seems to have been forgotten more recently.
4. Coventry Carol - Another simplistic arrangement of an ancient carol I'm not actually familiar with. The only problem I have with this piece is that it is SO simple and so authentic that it actually loses some of the classic Mannheim appeal, feeling simply like an ancient piece.
5. Good King Wenceslas - However, the Mannheim appeal does not go missing for long, it would seem. This kind of thing is what Chip Davis has become famous for in his Christmas arrangements: taking traditional carols and toying with them. In this case the rhythm is quite fun, and a new approach on this traditional English carol of the like that hasn't been heard before now. A very fun track that I'm sure was recorded with much exuberance. A-well-a good King Wenceslas looked down...
6. Wassail, Wassail - This is another one where I'm not quite familiar with the original piece, but I've learned one thing about Mannheim's arrangements: any arrangement that features a kazoo player is going to be good. He admits to extending the melody into his own new sections...but that's something that often seems to work when he does it. Overall, it's a bit under standard ... but that bar is very high in terms of Mannheim.
7. Carol of the Birds - So I will admit it: "Christmas Sweet", the first half at least, I'm not a big fan of. It's a bit too quiet and simplistic...but then again, this is an older Mannheim album, from back when they were more laid-back. It's a good piece, just not a great one.
8. I Saw Three Ships - This movement of the "Sweet", however, I very much like. There's nothing overly extraordinary about it, but it's a good, solid Baroque Mannheim arrangement.
9. God Rest You, Merry Gentlemen - This version of one of my very favorite Christmas carols is quite fun, especially when you see what he did with it. It features three short 25-second segments at the beginning which all play the melody... and then puts them all together (along with a fourth segment) at the end to create a perfect harmony between the three. Clever, no?
10. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen - The two arrangements of the same tune are about as different as two arrangements of the same tune can be. The horns used throughout the piece give this one an almost regal feeling to the piece. This track is truly incredible, bringing in a perfect blend between the old English carol and, well, full-fledged rock music. He has also written his own bridge for the piece, which is fantastic as well. The overall effect is amazing, and makes for one of the downright coolest Mannheim Christmas arrangements of all time.
11. Stille Nacht - I've got to hand it to whoever set the order of the tracks--they ordered it so that the standout tracks were the first two and the last two...and saved the best for last. This arrangement is almost inordinately beautiful. It starts out simple with a male chorus of "oohs", and builds, builds, builds, until it reaches the climax, in which a solo violinist (Steve Shipps, doing a remarkable job) is accompanied by a full orchestra. This piece is the apex of beauty, and one of the most astonishingly moving closing tracks of all time.
Christmas Poster
No Description AvailableNo Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER
Title: CHRISTMAS ALBUM
Street Release Date: 10/01/1997
Genre: XMAS INSTRUMENTAL
Depending on your point of view, Christmas is either a quaint sonic time capsule extracted from the mid-1980s or a timeless holiday classic. The first in what has become an ongoing series of Mannheim Steamroller Christmas recordings, this CD has sold millions, which seems to indicate that it is everything its advertising claims it to be: "America's favorite Christmas music." The powerfully successful Mannheim Steamroller formula, conceived by group mastermind Chip Davis, involves a blend of Renaissance-flavored moods and instrumentation (strings, harpsichord, flute, French horn) intertwined with polite pop instrumental music. At times, the analog synthesizers used in this 1984 recording sound dated and a little cheesy, particularly on "Deck the Halls" and "Good King Wenceslas." But it is a forgivable offense since live instruments and the earnest but ersatz medieval atmosphere they evoke dominate 8 of the 11 tracks. As pleasant and soothing as a Willard Scott birthday wish, Christmas does offer one selection that truly merits "classic" status: the reverent, prayerful, slow-motion interpretation of "Silent Night" ("Stille Nacht") for piano and strings that closes the album--a beautiful and heart-touching work. This selection alone makes this album worth owning. --Terry Wood
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