From: owner-basia-digest@smoe.org (basia-digest) To: basia-digest@smoe.org Subject: basia-digest V10 #231 Reply-To: basia@smoe.org Sender: owner-basia-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-basia-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk X-To-Unsubscribe: Send mail to "basia-digest-request@smoe.org" X-To-Unsubscribe: with "unsubscribe" as the body. basia-digest Wednesday, December 21 2005 Volume 10 : Number 231 Today's Subjects: ----------------- RE: Favorite Christmas Album/CD? ["49ersphil" <49ersphil@tiscali.co.uk>] RE: Favorite Christmas Album/CD? ["Steve O'Hearn" ] Re: Favorite Christmas Album/CD? [Robert McCausland ] Re: Favorite Christmas Album/CD? [Bill Roberts ] Re: Favorite Christmas Album/CD? [Bill Roberts ] Re: Favorite Christmas Album/CD? [Bill Roberts ] Re: OT - Worst Christmas Music [] Re: Favorite Christmas Album/CD? [] Re: Favorite Christmas Album/CD? [Brucecigar@aol.com] Re: Favorite Christmas Album/CD? [j w ] Re: Re: Favorite Christmas Album/CD? [] Re: OT - Worst Christmas Music ["Leslie O." ] Re: OT - Worst Christmas Music ["Desianto F. W." ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 06:34:38 +0000 From: "49ersphil" <49ersphil@tiscali.co.uk> Subject: RE: Favorite Christmas Album/CD? I always get all pastoral and traditional and love to play "On Yoolis Night" by Anonymous 4. Great stuff! Phil. >-- Original Message -- >Date: Mon, 19 Dec 2005 20:40:51 -0600 >To: Basia@smoe.org >From: Max Wellhouse >Subject: Favorite Christmas Album/CD? >Reply-To: basia@smoe.org > > > >Well, I don't start too many threads on this list and it may be kinda >dorky, but of all the Christmas albums out there, which one is your >favorite(gawd, I hope you folks didn't do this last year!!) > >My favorites would be the double CD of the two Carpenters albums from >the 70's. Some of it is a little too Lawrence Welkish for me, but >the way Richard Carpenter orchestrates all those songs is pure music >to my ears. Even though his sister died way too early, few women >vocalists had the pipes that Karen Carpenter had. Still remember >listening to her sing in a local stereo store back in >the 70's(McIntosh electronics and Klipschorn speakers no less) and >for a moment I thought she was in the room. Ooopps, getting distracted here. > >I also really like the Jimmy Webb produced Animal's Christmas that >featured Art Garfunkel and Amy Grant. The Dianas Krall Christmas >album is growing on me, but hasn't reached full flame yet. The David >Foster song " Grown Up Christmas Wish" ( Amy Grant's version anyway) >hits home as well. Even though she's gone glitz diva these days, a >couple of Celine Dion's renditions are pretty spectaular too, >espevcially her bluesy , piano bar version of Blue Christmas and >"Another year has gone by" that Bryan Adams, of all people, wrote. > >As usual, there's a bunch I've probably forgotten about, so how bout >jogging my memory a little. > >DM&FS 49ersphil ___________________________________________________________ Tiscali Broadband from 14.99 with free setup! http://www.tiscali.co.uk/products/broadband/ Christmas gift ideas and festive features - visit the Tiscali Christmas microsite. http://www.tiscali.co.uk/christmas ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 01:34:43 -0500 From: "Steve O'Hearn" Subject: RE: Favorite Christmas Album/CD? There's a Christmas album from about 1990 by Twila Paris that has a recording of "O Holy Night" featuring Matthew Ward. That recording is my single all-time favorite recording of anything by anyone. And the overall album is excellent, too - "In The Bleak Midwinter" and others, really excellent. And then there's Michael W. Smith's first Christmas album from about the same time, including the greatest arrangement of Gloria that will wear you out just listening to it - really great stuff. > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-basia@smoe.org [mailto:owner-basia@smoe.org]On Behalf Of > Barry > Sent: Monday, December 19, 2005 10:17 PM > To: basia@smoe.org > Subject: Re: Favorite Christmas Album/CD? > > > > I always like the "out there" stuff, so 'Barenaked for the Holidays' by > Barenaked Ladies ranks high on my list. I also like 'Charlie Brown > Christmas', Jimmy Buffet's 'Christmas In the Caribbean', and Leon > Redbone's > 'Xmas Island'. > > Being partial to Celtic music there are also many Celtic CDs in my > collection. One artist that might be familiar is Loreena McKennitt. 'To > Drive The Cold Winter Away' and 'A Winter Garden: Five Songs For > The Season' > are really good. > > There are other good ones, but those are at the top of the list. I also > like the Kenny Rogers/Wynonna Judd version of 'Mary Did You Know', Mariah > Carey's 'All I Want For Christmas', and Madonna's 'Santa Baby'. > Normally I > am not too crazy about Madonna, Mariah or Wynonna. > > Barry > > > "Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no > path and > leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 02:16:55 -0500 From: Robert McCausland Subject: Re: Favorite Christmas Album/CD? Well, thank you, Max, for starting this one. I almost never participate in these threads - this may be only my second one since signing on a little more than half a year ago. Though this topic is off-topic, I find it particularly fun. I run a public access TV station, and choose a mix of music to play underneath our station's community announcements bulletin board - mostly a mix of world, jazz, new age, folk, and early music. They're mostly instrumental, since narrative lyrics interfere with comprehending the on-screen text, but I've a few lyrical ones thrown in, too - Basia, Eva Cassidy, and Ricki Lee Jones being three of my not so guilty pleasures - Basia because of her voice and arrangements, Eva because of her voice and emotion, Rickie Lee because of her arrangements and soul. Comes the holiday season, I migrate the play list over to seasonal and otherwise inspirational songs. Each year I try to add more - our Christmas playlist is up to 157 hours now. Favorite? Gosh, that's hard - I'm sitting here with 14 or so. Let's try to make short work of them. Of the previously mentioned, I include The Roches "We Three Kings" in my faves (and yeah, Barenaked Ladies' "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" is a blast, too.) My all-time most listened to in the last 20 years, I guess, is The Baltimore Consort's 1994 "Bright Day Star: Music for the Yuletide Season - Old Carols and Dance Tunes from the British Isles, Germany & Appalachia" (Dorian 90198). I continue to get lost in the early music trilogy by the Boston Camerata: A Medieval Christmas; A Baroque Christmas; and A Renaissance Christmas, as well as "On Yoolis Night" by Anonymous 4. Finally in the (mostly) early music genre, I've a great sampler called "The Carol Album: Seven Centuries of Christmas Music" by the Taverner Consort (EMI 749809 2). Coming into the present, there's "Navidad" by the terrific guitar duo (Sergio) Lara & (Joe) Reyes (Higher Octave 49488), coming from what I guess you'd call nuevo flamenco. Another guitar phenom I recently discovered is Winston Tan "Christmas for You - 8-String Classical Guitar (Golden Bell WT001). Moving from solo guitar to solo piano, there's the sublime "Down Came an Angel - Music for Christmas" by Boston-area folk and English Country dance great Jacqueline Schwab (Dorian 90275). Some of you may know her work with Bare Necessities, or her soundtrack work for Ken Burns. Another wonderful piano offering is "Solstice" by David Lanz & Michael Jones (Narada 61008). Just 4 pieces - an 11:30 "Good King Wenceslas" and a 6:40 "Carol of the Bells" by Jones; by David Lanz a 4:24 "What Child is This?" and a 12:01 "Improvisations on a Theme - adapted from Pachebel's Canon." On the jazz scene, there's Dave Brubeck's solo piano "A Dave Brubeck Christmas" (Telarc 83410). Also in jazz, just an INCREDIBLE swing album I found in a used CD store "Listener's Choice: A Big Band Christmas - Vol. 3." Coy about the performers, buried in the liner notes we find it's by the "Stardust Swing Band." Released by Metacom (Plymouth, MN) in 1993, no catalogue number is given. But the arrangements are really fresh and inventive - I wish my town's high school jazz band could get the charts! Liner notes, such as they are, are by Clark McAlister, if anybody knows him. I'll close with recommendations for "Star of Wonder" by Peter Buffett and the New World Ensemble, with voice and harp by Kim Robertson (Hollywood Records 62073-2), and coming back around to the Celtic & British, there's the two or three volumes of "Noel Sing We Clear" by John Roberts, Tony Barrand, and Fred Brunig - these folks are great - - and the awesome "The Mysteries" by The Home Service with assorted friends - quite a rarity stateside, I only have cuts caught from a radio show some 10 years ago. Thanks again, Max, for asking, and to all for your responses. On the sunny side, ~Rob McCausland On Dec 19, 2005, at 9:40 PM, Max Wellhouse wrote: > > Well, I don't start too many threads on this list and it may be > kinda dorky, but of all the Christmas albums out there, which one > is your favorite(gawd, I hope you folks didn't do this last year!) > > My favorites would be the double CD of the two Carpenters albums > from the 70's. Some of it is a little too Lawrence Welkish for me, > but the way Richard Carpenter orchestrates all those songs is pure > music to my ears. Even though his sister died way too early, few > women vocalists had the pipes that Karen Carpenter had. Still > remember listening to her sing in a local stereo store > back in the 70's(McIntosh electronics and Klipschorn speakers no > less) and for a moment I thought she was in the room. Ooopps, > getting distracted here. > > I also really like the Jimmy Webb produced Animal's Christmas that > featured Art Garfunkel and Amy Grant. The Dianas Krall Christmas > album is growing on me, but hasn't reached full flame yet. The > David Foster song " Grown Up Christmas Wish" ( Amy Grant's version > anyway) hits home as well. Even though she's gone glitz diva these > days, a couple of Celine Dion's renditions are pretty spectaular > too, espevcially her bluesy , piano bar version of Blue Christmas > and "Another year has gone by" that Bryan Adams, of all people, wrote. > > As usual, there's a bunch I've probably forgotten about, so how > bout jogging my memory a little. > > DM&FS ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 08:48:07 -0500 From: Bill Roberts Subject: Re: Favorite Christmas Album/CD? I'll second the Larry Carlton comment. Oh yes, there's also Nat King Cole's Christmas album. Quoting "" : > > I noticed the past three weeks that in all the music stores there has been a > > considerably smaller selection of Christmas music available. > > Hopefully there will be less of the "pop" Christmas music out there. I don't > > ever need to hear Stevie Nicks croaking "Silent Night". > > I, as usual, will put in my plug for the best Christmas CD to Larry Carlton, > > for his "At My House". I think this is 15 years old already, and it still is > > wonderful. The CD he did with Foreplay, "Snowbound", is excellent as well. > > Larry Carlton, in case I haven't mentioned it in a while, is the best damn > guitarist you will ever hear, in Wal-Mart or anywhere! > > Jim P. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 08:50:12 -0500 From: Bill Roberts Subject: Re: Favorite Christmas Album/CD? GRP had some good Christmas CDs too. Quoting Max Wellhouse : > > Amen!! And what's up with him releasing a greatest hits > CD. collection came out along time ago, but I want more new > stuff!! Have you ever found At My hOuse on CD? I have it in > vinyl(yeah I been a fan for a long time too) > > DM&FS > > At 09:13 PM 12/19/2005, JPovlock@aol.com wrote: > > >I noticed the past three weeks that in all the music stores there has been > a > >considerably smaller selection of Christmas music available. > > > >Hopefully there will be less of the "pop" Christmas music out there. I > don't > >ever need to hear Stevie Nicks croaking "Silent Night". > > > >I, as usual, will put in my plug for the best Christmas CD to Larry > Carlton, > >for his "At My House". I think this is 15 years old already, and it still > is > >wonderful. The CD he did with Foreplay, "Snowbound", is excellent as well. > > > >Larry Carlton, in case I haven't mentioned it in a while, is the best damn > >guitarist you will ever hear, in Wal-Mart or anywhere! > > > >Jim P. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 08:46:43 -0500 From: Bill Roberts Subject: Re: Favorite Christmas Album/CD? Larry Carlton - Christmas at My House David Benoit - (don't remember the name) Mannheim Steamroller - all of them Quoting Max Wellhouse : > > Well, I don't start too many threads on this list and it may be kinda > dorky, but of all the Christmas albums out there, which one is your > favorite(gawd, I hope you folks didn't do this last year!!) > > My favorites would be the double CD of the two Carpenters albums from > the 70's. Some of it is a little too Lawrence Welkish for me, but > the way Richard Carpenter orchestrates all those songs is pure music > to my ears. Even though his sister died way too early, few women > vocalists had the pipes that Karen Carpenter had. Still remember > listening to her sing in a local stereo store back in > the 70's(McIntosh electronics and Klipschorn speakers no less) and > for a moment I thought she was in the room. Ooopps, getting distracted > here. > > I also really like the Jimmy Webb produced Animal's Christmas that > featured Art Garfunkel and Amy Grant. The Dianas Krall Christmas > album is growing on me, but hasn't reached full flame yet. The David > Foster song " Grown Up Christmas Wish" ( Amy Grant's version anyway) > hits home as well. Even though she's gone glitz diva these days, a > couple of Celine Dion's renditions are pretty spectaular too, > espevcially her bluesy , piano bar version of Blue Christmas and > "Another year has gone by" that Bryan Adams, of all people, wrote. > > As usual, there's a bunch I've probably forgotten about, so how bout > jogging my memory a little. > > DM&FS ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 8:25:03 -0500 From: Subject: Re: OT - Worst Christmas Music > I dunno Jim... I just heard one yesterday that cause me to fire off a letter to Yahoo for having it online . It was sung to the tune of DECK THE HALLS and went LICK MY >>>>s. JOHN > From: JPovlock@aol.com > Date: 2005/12/19 Mon PM 10:17:53 EST > To: basia@smoe.org > Subject: OT - Worst Christmas Music > > > OK, here goes my nomination for Worst Christmas Song of all time: > > I have this compilation CD with a song by Loretta Lynn called "Shadrack The > Black Reindeer". It has all the worst imaginable negative racial stereotypes > you could ever imagine. I have to play it at least once a year to remind > myself how horrible it really is! > > Anybody else? > > Jim P. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 8:22:17 -0500 From: Subject: Re: Favorite Christmas Album/CD? > HO HO HO For years now my Fav Christmass CD has been Russ Freeman's HOLIDAY. Got Ms Krall's for my B-Day last month and I agree... It is growing on me. Might make the top ten by 12/25/06! One of the wackiest out there is Christine Lavin's RUNAWAY CHRISTMASS TREE. Hmmm, think I'll go pop that one in right now! John > From: Max Wellhouse > Date: 2005/12/19 Mon PM 09:40:51 EST > To: Basia@smoe.org > Subject: Favorite Christmas Album/CD? > > > Well, I don't start too many threads on this list and it may be kinda > dorky, but of all the Christmas albums out there, which one is your > favorite(gawd, I hope you folks didn't do this last year!!) > > My favorites would be the double CD of the two Carpenters albums from > the 70's. Some of it is a little too Lawrence Welkish for me, but > the way Richard Carpenter orchestrates all those songs is pure music > to my ears. Even though his sister died way too early, few women > vocalists had the pipes that Karen Carpenter had. Still remember > listening to her sing in a local stereo store back in > the 70's(McIntosh electronics and Klipschorn speakers no less) and > for a moment I thought she was in the room. Ooopps, getting distracted here. > > I also really like the Jimmy Webb produced Animal's Christmas that > featured Art Garfunkel and Amy Grant. The Dianas Krall Christmas > album is growing on me, but hasn't reached full flame yet. The David > Foster song " Grown Up Christmas Wish" ( Amy Grant's version anyway) > hits home as well. Even though she's gone glitz diva these days, a > couple of Celine Dion's renditions are pretty spectaular too, > espevcially her bluesy , piano bar version of Blue Christmas and > "Another year has gone by" that Bryan Adams, of all people, wrote. > > As usual, there's a bunch I've probably forgotten about, so how bout > jogging my memory a little. > > DM&FS ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 14:59:05 EST From: Brucecigar@aol.com Subject: Re: Favorite Christmas Album/CD? I have another vote for Leon Redbone.....X-Mas Island with honorable mention: Jimmy Buffet Caribbean Christmas and...... Home Alone....soundtrack album....I'm just strange I guess ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 12:44:37 -0800 (PST) From: j w Subject: Re: Favorite Christmas Album/CD? The South Park Christmas CD. There is no other. Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 15:49:20 -0500 From: Subject: Re: Re: Favorite Christmas Album/CD? Nope. I also have Leon Redbone in one of my Christmas six packs on my Pioneer CD player. > > From: Brucecigar@aol.com > Date: 2005/12/20 Tue PM 02:59:05 EST > To: basia@smoe.org > Subject: Re: Favorite Christmas Album/CD? > > > I have another vote for Leon Redbone.....X-Mas Island > > with honorable mention: Jimmy Buffet Caribbean Christmas > and...... Home Alone....soundtrack album....I'm just > strange I guess ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 19:24:29 -0800 (PST) From: "Leslie O." Subject: Re: OT - Worst Christmas Music > > I dunno Jim... I just heard one yesterday that > cause me to fire off a letter to Yahoo for having it > online . It was sung to the tune of DECK THE HALLS > and went LICK MY >>>>s. That's my in-law's Boxer's theme song! But I digress.... ;-P I'm pretty boring when it comes to Christmas music--for me, it's all about hearing the traditional old stuff, which being an American under 30 means Bing and Frank and Nat. There's also a lot of Vince Guraldi going on at my house, my love of Charlie Brown Christmas being well-documented on this list! (though I haven't gotten the plastic "pathetic tree" yet, crap, I hope they've still got it in stock) There's a couple pop songs I like to hear just on the radio and around, and I'm always happy to hear them: "This Christmas," Mariah's "All I Want For Christmas is You," various Motown Christmas songs, stuff like that. But I don't really love Christmas covers. Part of it is that for me Christmas is stuck in the mid-20th century, but also it seems that in a bid to be different, the singer will go off the melody and just start warbling the line randomly. I hate that, it tends to drive me nuts. I appreciate the effort, but it's got that melody for a reason, you know? Lately I've taken notice of the Trans Siberian Orchestra one, though it's pretty bombastic Xmas music, and Anita Baker's new Christmas album. I didn't buy it, but after hearing most of it I really like it. Didn't Peter White have a Christmas album? I vaguely remember not being opposed to it. Finally, I really despise the freaking Live Aid Christmas song. - -- Leslie O. www.basiaweb.com Look at us -- we should be thankful After all -- we've got everything And others in the world Would be grateful For a chance of having half as much --Matt Bianco,'Say the Words' Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 20:11:34 -0800 (PST) From: "Desianto F. W." Subject: Re: OT - Worst Christmas Music When you said that Peter White has a Christmas album, I remember that I did see it last November somewhere in a music store in my town. At that time, I did not pay much attention to it cause I was busy looking for Laura Fygi - I got an import CD but the price is not so different from the Indonesian copy though it has a better quality. Now, since you mentioned it, maybe I will look at it again. ---- Czesc, Desianto F. W. - --- owner-basia@smoe.org wrote: > > > > I dunno Jim... I just heard one yesterday that > > cause me to fire off a letter to Yahoo for having it > > online . It was sung to the tune of DECK THE HALLS > > and went LICK MY >>>>s. > > That's my in-law's Boxer's theme song! But I > digress.... ;-P > > > I'm pretty boring when it comes to Christmas > music--for me, it's all about hearing the traditional > old stuff, which being an American under 30 means Bing > and Frank and Nat. There's also a lot of Vince Guraldi > going on at my house, my love of Charlie Brown > Christmas being well-documented on this list! (though > I haven't gotten the plastic "pathetic tree" yet, > crap, I hope they've still got it in stock) > > There's a couple pop songs I like to hear just on the > radio and around, and I'm always happy to hear them: > "This Christmas," Mariah's "All I Want For Christmas > is You," various Motown Christmas songs, stuff like > that. But I don't really love Christmas covers. Part > of it is that for me Christmas is stuck in the > mid-20th century, but also it seems that in a bid to > be different, the singer will go off the melody and > just start warbling the line randomly. I hate that, it > tends to drive me nuts. I appreciate the effort, but > it's got that melody for a reason, you know? > > Lately I've taken notice of the Trans Siberian > Orchestra one, though it's pretty bombastic Xmas > music, and Anita Baker's new Christmas album. I didn't > buy it, but after hearing most of it I really like it. > > Didn't Peter White have a Christmas album? I vaguely > remember not being opposed to it. > > Finally, I really despise the freaking Live Aid > Christmas song. > > > > -- Leslie O. > www.basiaweb.com > > Look at us -- we should be thankful > After all -- we've got everything > And others in the world > Would be grateful > For a chance of having half as much > --Matt Bianco,'Say the Words' > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 21:10:11 -0800 (PST) From: "Leslie O." Subject: Re: OT - Worst Christmas Music > When you said that Peter White has a Christmas > album, I remember that I > did see it last November somewhere in a music store > in my town. I bopped over to PW's site just for kicks (arrgh, auto-launching audio!) and he says there that it is hard to find, so much so that he was bringing copies on his Christmas tour for people to buy. Which is way cool, 'cause I'd rather give my moolah to him directly than, say, Borders. - -- Leslie O. www.basiaweb.com Look at us -- we should be thankful After all -- we've got everything And others in the world Would be grateful For a chance of having half as much --Matt Bianco,'Say the Words' Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ End of basia-digest V10 #231 ****************************