- Audio Cassette (17 Oct 1990)
- Format: Import
- Label: A&M
- ASIN: B000002G9O
- Other Editions: Audio CD | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
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Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. Winter Wonderland |
| 2. Jingle Bells |
| 3. My Favorite Things |
| 4. Christmas Song |
| 5. Mañanitas |
| 6. Sleigh Ride |
| 7. Bell That Couldn't Jingle |
| 8. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! |
| 9. Jingle Bell Rock |
| 10. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring |
Product Description
From Amazon.com
Now what could be more festive than Christmas songs, horns, and a Latin-infused rhythm section? Not much, which is why Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass's Christmas Album is perfect for that kitschy cocktail party or for trimming the tree. As background music, this collection is perfect. Paying too close attention to it, however, is not advised. For instance, the vocals on "Christmas Song" would have sounded so much better had they been replaced by the timbre of Herb's trumpet. But that mistake aside, the staccato stylings of the Brass's arrangement adds a south-of-the-border flair to "Winter Wonderland" and turns "Jingle Bells" into a hyper-salsa. "Las Mañanitas" and "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desirings" glow with a warm sentimental touch. As always, the interplay of the horns via melody lines and harmonies is first rate. --Steve Gdula
Album Description
One of the most loved holiday albums of all time, Christmas Album hit the #1 spot on the Billboard Albums chart three years in a row, 1968–70. And the album’s combination of holiday standards and the TJB’s special brand of south-of-the-border cheer is as much fun today as it was 35 years ago.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I like hearing brass band music occasionally as it provides a refreshing change to what I normally listen to. I've heard several other brass band Christmas albums and none of them are like this one by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass.
On page 5 of the 20-page booklet that accompanies this re-issue, somebody comments that a good Christmas album had better contain Little drummer boy or Silent night. Well, this album contains neither (and there are plenty of other great Christmas albums that also contain neither), but it does contain distinctive recordings of Winter wonderland, Jingle bells, My favorite things, Sleigh ride and Jingle bell rock, all performed superbly in a mainly instrumental style, sometimes accompanied by humming noises.
There are two genuine vocal tracks on which Herb sings. One is The Christmas song (but the liner notes claim that Herb prefers listening to Nat King Cole's version. The other song, which suits Herb much better, is The bell that couldn't jingle. Bobby Helms apparently recorded it first, but I haven't heard his version (yet) and I don't remember hearing the song elsewhere. Nevertheless, I think Herb is better as an instrumentalist than as a vocalist. In that role, he is outstanding. It's also worth noting that he was the co-founder of A and M records and that he was responsible for signing the hitherto-obscure Carpenters to that label.
If you're looking for a Christmas album that sounds different most yet contains plenty of familiar tunes, this might suit you.
On page 5 of the 20-page booklet that accompanies this re-issue, somebody comments that a good Christmas album had better contain Little drummer boy or Silent night. Well, this album contains neither (and there are plenty of other great Christmas albums that also contain neither), but it does contain distinctive recordings of Winter wonderland, Jingle bells, My favorite things, Sleigh ride and Jingle bell rock, all performed superbly in a mainly instrumental style, sometimes accompanied by humming noises.
There are two genuine vocal tracks on which Herb sings. One is The Christmas song (but the liner notes claim that Herb prefers listening to Nat King Cole's version. The other song, which suits Herb much better, is The bell that couldn't jingle. Bobby Helms apparently recorded it first, but I haven't heard his version (yet) and I don't remember hearing the song elsewhere. Nevertheless, I think Herb is better as an instrumentalist than as a vocalist. In that role, he is outstanding. It's also worth noting that he was the co-founder of A and M records and that he was responsible for signing the hitherto-obscure Carpenters to that label.
If you're looking for a Christmas album that sounds different most yet contains plenty of familiar tunes, this might suit you.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
After "Whipped Cream & Other Delights" the "Christmas Album" is actually one of the better albums put out by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. One of the most successful instrumental performers in music history, Albert shared arrangement duties on this 1968 album with Shorty Rogers, the "cool jazz" trumpeter, with Albert setting up the brass and Rogers the strings. The result is ten tracks of mostly familiar Christmas songs done in the Tijuana Brass' Ameriachi style works for the most part. "My Favorite Things" and "Sleigh Ride" have their problems, but most of these songs work, especially if you are partial to the Tijuana Brass sound. Rogers does the cool introductions to several of the songs, and we discover that for some reason the Tijuana Brass liked to do a lot of jingle songs, which explains why you have not only "Jingle Bells," "The Bell That Couldn't Jingle," and "Jingle Bell Rock." This "Christmas Album" ends on a note of class with Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring." This album came out at the end of Herb Alpert's best year, when he had his only #1 single with Burt Bacharach's "This Guy's in Love With You." This "Christmas Album" was the group's fifth album to hit #1 on the Billboard pop charts (and the last except for their "The Best of the Brass" hit collection).
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This album summarises Christmas perfectly. I remember it playing on an LP when I was a child so couldn't wait to buy it digitally remastered. It helps make Christmas with the great tunes. Even My Favourite Things which never strikes me as a christmas song sounds perfect here. The ultimate in background or relaxing music for the festive season.
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