Greatest Christmas Songs
Amazon.com
A Perry Como Christmas is the audio equivalent of a Norman Rockwell painting. Like Nat “King” Cole and Bing Crosby, whom Como fondly emulated, Como defined for many Americans what the holidays sounded like through the ’50s and ’60s. With the advent of widespread television, Como practically became the man for wholesome holiday pleasure and entertainment. Greatest Christmas Songs will reestablish that fact for many who’ve put on a Como record every season. This collection brings together many of his classic seasonal recordings and some tracks even collectors will be delighted to find, including “Some Children See Him,” recorded in 1954 but left off The Perry Como Christmas Album. At 21 cuts, complete with engaging liner notes, this is an essential collection of Como Christmas greats that the immortal baritone presents for the end of the century and the beginning of another. Call it a pop-cultural milestone that will never go out of style. –Martin Keller
Buy Greatest Christmas Songs at Amazon
3 Responses
As good as this compilation is, it’s clear that BMG didn’t do their homework. The author seems to think that Perry’s 1953 ( included here ) version of Mel Torme’s “Christmas Song” is rare but, in fact, it’s not! What’s rare is Perry’s 1946 version of “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” recorded with The Satisfiers ( not included here ) which was cut from the “Merry Christmas Music” compilation in 1961 when the RCA Victor album was down-graded to RCA Camden. Rarer still, is Perry’s 1946 version of “O Little Town of Bethlehem” which was cut in 1947 to make room for “White Christmas” recorded that year ( not included here ) and also not included is the 1946 version of “Winter Wonderland” which was a million seller for Perry and The Satisfiers! The author speaks about The Satisfiers working with Perry on his early television shows but, in fact, that was The Fontane Sisters who were popular regulars on his show and common performers on his records. The Fontane Sisters recorded “It’s Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas” with Perry and made it a popular hit. Unfortunately, BMG appears to have missed “A Lot” both for their printing of the song title, the mirror image of Perry on the cover, and the selection content of this album. But, it’s a great album inspite of them, and hopefully it’s the first installment of the box set!
I was born in 1953 and grew up listening to Perry Como as a kid. I’ve loved every type of music from hard rock to classical, but I am in love with Christmas music. Perry Como always had a great show, and to the young people of today, it was a time when the entire family would sit to enjoy not just musical talent, but a theme. A theme of family unity. I recently saw Mr. C. (his nickname) perform a Christmas concert in Ireland in 1993. Although his hearing is going, his voice is still smooth as silk. Singers of his ilk and breed are fast leaving. Since Sinatra died, it’s very important to hold on to performers like Perry Como. Is he a square? I’d say that by today’s standards…he is. But, in a timeless way, he is a standard of what Christmas music should be. His music was performed with a choir with a fire in the fireplace, a Christmas tree and all the trimmings. If I could get in my time machine and return to 1959 to hear one of the top Christmas balladeers from all time…I’d be ecstatic! Enjoy!!
This compact disc is worth every penny and more despite the fact that it’s claim of being Perry’s “Greatest Christmas Songs” is hardly credible! The only flaw with this set is what it might have been had BMG tried to create a definitive collection of Perry’s “Merry Christmas Music”. It should have been a 2 or 3 CD box set. The remastering and “remixing” is well done and with unusual sensitivity by someone named Mike Hartry who “remixed” several tracks. This set almost completes Perry’s popular 1968 “Christmas Album” and this will frustrate fans who would have liked to have the “whole” album. The songs from Perry’s “Merry Christmas Music” compilation and his 1959 “Season’s Greetings” are not as rare as these people seem to think but Perry’s delightful rendition of “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” certainly is, as are the two singles from 1967 and the unreleased song from 1968, and even Perry’s 1954 single version of “Home For the Holidays” ( which BMG fails to mention, by the way, for those who might have expected the 1959 popular stereo version ). The definitive collection of Perry Como Christmas Songs is still beyond our grasp but this CD is a first step.