OK time for Christmas Music

Blue Yule
Jingle Bell Jazz
George Winston : December
Tchaikovsky "Nutcracker Suite" Marriner/Academy of St. Martins-In-The-Fields
Handel "Messaiah"

My all time Christmas favorite is the Mercury Living Presence LP set of "The Nutcracker Suite".

Simply glorious.

We have quite a few Christmas CD's, but nothing hits the tray more than:

Jaci Velasquez - Christmas

Slipnot, which Messiah?

And Jh2os do you like the Jaci en Espanol better?

Aceto,
Don't have a preference on one. Actually typing this from an undisclosed location away from my collection.

If you can wait until I return home, I will look at the three or so I have and let you know.

I can highly recommend the "Blue Yule" I posted above though. It's one of those compilations with some of the great blues masters doing Christmas stuff. Really a lot of fun.

Aceto, If you are referring to 'Navidad', I haven't picked it up, but now that you mention it, it might be a good idea? ;)

The English 'Christmas' version is beautiful though, I can only imagine that 'Navidad' would be as beautiful, if not more?

Well, my local radio station gave away "stockings" and this one had Jethro Tull's Christmas album in it. I haven't played it yet but as I type this the Jimi Hendrix Christmas album is playing.

I'll have to check out the Jaci Velasquez CD.

Joyeux Mutato!

For those who want really some twisted X-mas music, try JOYEUX MUTATO by Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo). Synthesizers for the truly warped! On Rhino CD #R2 76667 [hey, I just noticed the triple "6's" in the number...could it be....?!]

" A Prairie Christmas" by Joe Weed
" Bluegrass and Whitesnow" by Patti Loveless

Crash Test Dummies collection of Christmas Carols is strange beyond belief. The songs by Brad Roberts are partly making fun of the music, but also sentimental about it as part of our culture. He also seems to use every cliche imaginable. What makes the disc interesting is Eileen Reed's songs, which are put together quite lovingly (I think), and seem totally straight. I can't quite figure out what they're trying to say about this music, and if in their semi mockery, they aren't themselves creating cliches that they aren't even aware of themselves. Like, we're singing this hoaky music we love because we grew up with it, but we're going to put modern touches to it to mock it to show we're not REALLY serious about it, but do they realize if you listen to the old recordings, they are not as hoaky as their "hip" new version.
Does anyone else have an opinion on this disc?

Navidad is different enough to add if you already have the English. I prefer it because I know Spanish and it has enough mix fer dems whom don't. I just finished Tiny Tim and God help me I still like it after eight years.

"Acoustic Christmas" David Grisman.

Leon Redbone: Christmas Island. Enigmatic crooner whose voice will test your subwoofer :) Listen to some samples on Amazon. Merry Christmas all!

"The Nightmare Before Christmas" soundtrack by Danny Elfman is phenomenal. My family and I love the range of musical styles. The Elfman is a genius.

"Go Tell It On The Mountain" Blind Boys of Alabama. This is a real goodie with guest spots from Tom Waits, Solomon Burke, Richard Thompson, Robert Randolph, etc, etc. Get it--you won't be sorry.

I always end up playing John Fahey's "The New Possibility: John Fahey's Guitar Soli Christmas Album", Handel's Messiah- the Karl Richter version and recently "Wolcum Yule" by the Anonymous Four.

Jungle Bells - Brent Lewis

Handel's Messiah Chesky CD106

Excelsis Box Set by various artist on the Projekt Label
Also The Angels Of Venice 'Sanctus" on Trine Records from the Projekt Label

I'm on a 2-1/2 week Christmas Vacation, can't keep me away.
PEACE

I got Blue Yule and it is great!
I needed a recommendation for a CD version of Messiah for a present, so I will go for Chesky, (But I may just take off that nasty wrapping for her, first, hee hee) thank you all,
AND TO ALL A GOODNIGHT

Run, Run Rudolph by Keith Richards. Also, Blue Christmas by Porky Pig/ Mel Blanc.

Cantate Domino on Proprius Records (PROP 7762, available at Acoustic Sounds). Both the quality of the performance and the sonics of this LP are OUTSTANDING. The recording is also available in SACD format, JVC XRCD2, and standard redbook CD, but I have not compared any of these digital versions of the recording to my LP version.