Christmas albums, part 2

Believe it or not, I have made it through about two-thirds of my Christmas CD collection so far (my official count is 62 in all). One thing I’ll say right off the bat is that this endeavor has really put me in the Christmas mood. For some reason I feel more in the Christmas spirit this year than I have in a long time, and I think listening to all this great music has helped. Anyway, I feel I have gotten to the point where I can present to you my “honorable mentions.” But first I’ll throw in a few of my favorites from the “novelty” category as well. Before Christmas I will finish listening to my entire collection and present my Top 10. And let me tell you one thing in advance: Choosing my top ten, and ranking them, is really, really tough. But more on that later.

Top Novelty Albums

My broad definition of a novelty album is an album that is not musical, not intended to be taken as serious music, or a compilation of silly songs. For instance, I consider “Christmas with the Brady Bunch” to be a novelty album, because it is not meant to be serious music (it is a sappy collection of the very young Brady kids singing, i.e. before they got “serious” and became the Brady Six). On the other hand, I don’t consider “A Partridge Family Christmas Card” to be novelty, because it is intended to be serious music (I think I love it, so what am I so afraid of?). Anyway . . .



“How the Grinch Stole Christmas”—soundtrack of the animated television special, narrated by Boris Karloff. This brings back fond memories. The main track is a twenty minute audio of the entire story as seen (heard) on TV. It also includes a handful of songs, including the full-length version of Karloff’s “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” “Given the choice between the two of you, I’d take the seasick crocodile . . .”



“The Beatles Christmas Album” by The Beatles. The Beatles never put out a Christmas album. This is a “posthumous” compilation of the band’s fan club Christmas records from 1963 to 1969, each of which is about seven minutes long. So, there is no music, per se, but a lot of silliness as the band recaps their year(s) and thanks their fans. I find it a very interesting time piece. It is particularly fascinating to listen to the transition that took place over the years. The group progressed from a united, clever, funny bunch in the early years, to one that didn’t even record their Christmas greeting together by the late 60s. By 1969, fans were subjected to Yoko Ono trying to sing with John Lennon. Ugh.


“A Classic Cartoon Christmas Too” presented by Nick at Nite. This is the second volume of Nick at Nite’s compilation of notable Christmas cartoon songs. What makes this one so special for me is that it is the only album I’ve been able to find that has the “Heat Miser” and “Snow Miser” songs. Too much!





Honorable Mention, in no particular order


"The Christmas Sessions" by Mercy Me. I've only owned this album for a few years, and it grows on me every time I listen to it. Decent mix of religious and traditional songs? Check. Good arrangements? Check. Enthusiastic singing and clever instrumentation? Check. There are a ton of Christmas albums out there, and a lot of them don't necessarily "jump out at you." This one does, at least for me. I recommend it.



“December” by George Winston. This album is a collection of very beautiful, festive, and romantic piano solos, including “Carol of the Bells,” and “Some Children See Him.” This album will definitely put you in the holiday mood. One minor (humorous) note regarding this album is that the liner notes have the following disclaimer: “The traditional pieces were chosen for their appropriateness as instrumental music for this project. They were not meant to convey any personal religious beliefs.” Whew! For a second there I thought he was going to talk about a Savior being born in Bethlehem, or something crazy like that.


"Christmas Album" by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. If you like the Brass, you'll like this album. Personally, I'm a big fan. Herb and the boys deliver an enchanting mix of holiday songs with that Tijuana accent that made them famous. Highlights include "Sleigh Ride," "My Favorite Things" (yes, from "The Sound of Music," but it works), and "Las Mananitas" (traditional Mexican birthday song).




“The 4 Seasons Christmas Album” by The 4 Seasons. You just gotta love that distinctive sound of the 4 Seasons. “You better watch out, you better not cry-eye, bay-ay-bee, tellin’ you why . . .” The Jersey Boys put forth a very fine Christmas album. I had a hard time keeping this one out of my top ten. This album features a good variety of Christmas tunes, including several medleys, a great rendition of “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” and a funny novelty song called “Jungle Bells.” The kids love it.


“Christmas Hits” collection. I tried to shy away from including “Greatest Hits” albums on this countdown, but in this case I couldn’t help it. This album has many of the Christmas hits from the 50s and 60s, with an emphasis on the Motown greats—Smokey, the Supremes, the Temptations, and the Jackson Five. Very enjoyable stuff. It also includes one of my all-time rock-and-roll holiday favorites, Chuck Berry’s “Run Rudolph Run.”



“Christmas albums, part 3” is coming soon and will feature my top ten.