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Your Favorite Holiday Album

Figured it’s time to start this thread for this time of year ... so what album gets you into the holiday mood? Outside of the obvious (Guaraldi), one of my go-to faves is the original Argo pressings of the Ramsey Lewis Trio Sound of Christmas... both the mono and stereo mixes are great!
128x128ilikemiles
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,760 posts
 

My long time favorite is A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector, which contains the fantastic "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)", written by Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, and Spector, and sung by the great Darlene Love, one of my favorite female singers.

I just ordered Christmas Everywhere, the new album by Rodney Crowell on New West Records, available on LP and CD. New West LP's have a sticker on the shrink wrap that reads "Audio Mastered For Vinyl" (whatever than means).

For more sacred Christmas music, there is a lot from Classical composers, J.S. Bach being foremost. His Christmas Oratorio and Magnificat in E-flat major are must-haves, as is Handel's Messiah.

sbank's avatar
sbank
3,378 posts
 
Love Guaraldi and the Spector LPs too! Another couple that always work there way into my playlists are Sarah McLaughlan's Wintersong and the Beach Boys Christmas album. 
If all this leaves you feeling like a perky consumer automaton, offset with some Zappa and a local craft beer. Cheers,
Spencer 
jafreeman's avatar
jafreeman
689 posts
 
Fourplay "Snowbound"  
ilikemiles's avatar
ilikemiles OP
47 posts
 
Ok, so don’t shoot me, but I grew up in a household with lots of Muzak-y stuff, and a Christmas perennial was “Christmas with the Three Suns” ... several different RCA pressings over the years (all mono), and I have multiple copies. The bells and chimes shimmer if your cartridge can track it, and that accordion... oh boy!
jimcrane
163 posts
 
OK, here's something a little different from the previous posters:  On Yoolis Night by the Anonymous 4.  For those of you who don't know the Anonymous 4, they are a four-woman acapella group focusing on medieval music.  This is an excellent recording by Harmonia Mundi.  The harmonies seem to float in the air, perfectly depicting for me the spirit of the season.
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