This is the last of four new Christmas releases that I received at my P.O. Box that I'm reviewing this week. Ironically, this was one of the first of those four that arrived. It's been sitting patiently while I reviewed Emmanuel Shall, Kevin Koelbl, and Silvia Fleming, eyeballing me the entire time, tempting me with its artwork.
To quote the press sheet:
"Since 2004, The Hipwaders have performed their own original Christmas songs along with their 'wader-ized' versions of Christmas classics. Finally, the band got around to recording their original compositions for the holidays.
"Christmas music has traditionally always been "family music" and The Hipwaders carry on this tradition with their songs celebrating all aspects of Christmas with a special admiration for Santa Claus and his exploits. Some say The Hipwaders 'exploit' Santa - but that's for you to decide..."
Indeed it is... and I must admit, I'm pretty intrigued already...
TRACK REVIEWS:
1.) Santasploitation Quick, fun 49 second track that opens the CD. Don't take my word for it:
2.) There's Too Much Good Not sure if this qualifies as a Christmas song ("Silver Bells" is mentioned) but its sound is great and leads into...
3.) It's Wintertime Again, not too heavy on Christmas but the winter sounds make up for it. Everybody dance...
4.) Santa's Train WOW! Great song with a definite country feel to it! Well worth the train trip.
5.) Goodnight A Christmas lullaby that I wished was sung to me when I was a kid (instead of the usual cries of "SHUDDUP AND GO TO SLEEP!").
6.) Wake Up Natural follow-up to "Goodnight". I love this track but you decide for yourself:
7.) Yes, It's Christmas For a brief moment, I thought this was R.E.M. - it has that sound! Standout track.
8.) Tinsel & Lights There's not many modern songs that detail Christmas decorations, photos, and the small nuances that make up Christmas. Until now... Another standout track.
9.) Wake Up (reprise) Quick instrumental version of track six (see above) that has a video game feel to it that has me chuckling.
10.) Christmas Vicuna GREAT JUMPIN' ICEBERGS!!! Latin-flavored tale of a lonely vicuna in Peru who wants to join Santa's sleigh. Amazing, clever, and a whole lotta fun!
At their official blog this past Tuesday (official release date of this album), head Hipwader Tito Uquillas writes "It's the day that's been over 20 years in the making. Really. A couple of tracks from "A Kindie Christmas" date from the late '80's and, like a good fruitcake, have been properly aged to perfection. OK, I can't believe I just wrote that either."
I can't believe I cut and pasted that, either.
The album is a genuine gem of Christmas tunes - all original, some more Christmas than others, fantastic sounds throughout. It was worth the 20 year wait. Well done, 'Waders, one and all!
XM Satellite has been playing The Hipwaders' kiddie CDs for some time now and I suspect their seasonal Christmas stations will be cranking out their holiday fare. I only wish several of the tracks make it onto terrestrial Christmas radio to give us a break from the same 20 - 30 Christmas songs on shuffle mode.
This is the last of four new Christmas releases that I received at my P.O. Box that I'm reviewing this week. Ironically, this was one of the first of those four that arrived. It's been sitting patiently while I reviewed Emmanuel Shall, Kevin Koelbl, and Silvia Fleming, eyeballing me the entire time, tempting me with its artwork.
To quote the press sheet:
"Since 2004, The Hipwaders have performed their own original Christmas songs along with their 'wader-ized' versions of Christmas classics. Finally, the band got around to recording their original compositions for the holidays.
"Christmas music has traditionally always been "family music" and The Hipwaders carry on this tradition with their songs celebrating all aspects of Christmas with a special admiration for Santa Claus and his exploits. Some say The Hipwaders 'exploit' Santa - but that's for you to decide..."
Indeed it is... and I must admit, I'm pretty intrigued already...
TRACK REVIEWS:
1.) Santasploitation Quick, fun 49 second track that opens the CD. Don't take my word for it:
2.) There's Too Much Good Not sure if this qualifies as a Christmas song ("Silver Bells" is mentioned) but its sound is great and leads into...
3.) It's Wintertime Again, not too heavy on Christmas but the winter sounds make up for it. Everybody dance...
4.) Santa's Train WOW! Great song with a definite country feel to it! Well worth the train trip.
5.) Goodnight A Christmas lullaby that I wished was sung to me when I was a kid (instead of the usual cries of "SHUDDUP AND GO TO SLEEP!").
6.) Wake Up Natural follow-up to "Goodnight". I love this track but you decide for yourself:
7.) Yes, It's Christmas For a brief moment, I thought this was R.E.M. - it has that sound! Standout track.
8.) Tinsel & Lights There's not many modern songs that detail Christmas decorations, photos, and the small nuances that make up Christmas. Until now... Another standout track.
9.) Wake Up (reprise) Quick instrumental version of track six (see above) that has a video game feel to it that has me chuckling.
10.) Christmas Vicuna GREAT JUMPIN' ICEBERGS!!! Latin-flavored tale of a lonely vicuna in Peru who wants to join Santa's sleigh. Amazing, clever, and a whole lotta fun!
At their official blog this past Tuesday (official release date of this album), head Hipwader Tito Uquillas writes "It's the day that's been over 20 years in the making. Really. A couple of tracks from "A Kindie Christmas" date from the late '80's and, like a good fruitcake, have been properly aged to perfection. OK, I can't believe I just wrote that either."
I can't believe I cut and pasted that, either.
The album is a genuine gem of Christmas tunes - all original, some more Christmas than others, fantastic sounds throughout. It was worth the 20 year wait. Well done, 'Waders, one and all!
XM Satellite has been playing The Hipwaders' kiddie CDs for some time now and I suspect their seasonal Christmas stations will be cranking out their holiday fare. I only wish several of the tracks make it onto terrestrial Christmas radio to give us a break from the same 20 - 30 Christmas songs on shuffle mode.
This was the third new Christmas release to arrive at my P.O. Box. Unfortunately, no press sheet or additional material accompanied the CD. So it was off to their Facebook page to find some threads of info off their wall. A post on October 25th states "this album is currently the top-selling holiday album at CD Baby!"
I clicked on the CDBaby link and found the answer to several of my questions:
"Emmanuel Shall Come to Thee is a Chicagoland collective of musicians led by composer Matthew Prins. The group incorporates classical, folk, new-age, orchestral, jazz, and minimalist influences into their progressive interpretations of familiar works.
"Featuring 19 new holiday arrangements and compositions by composer Matthew Prins, Noël fuses a myriad of influences into a Christmas album quite unlike any heard before. Performed primarily by Prins and multi-instrumentalist A.J. Nelson, Noël features a harmonious blend of hand bells, hand chimes, carillon, strings, woodwinds, and brass, as well as the talents of vocalist Amy Yassinger."
While there, I found yet another review from the good folks at ChristmasReviews.com:
"With just a hint of new age drama and a gentle heart, Nöel is touching in its understated brilliance....[T]he most striking fact about Nöel is its integral construction and execution. The tracks flow seamlessly, one into the next, and remind one of butter being stirred into hot fudge, swirling and glistening, warm and sweet."
Well... this could be interesting...
TRACK REVIEWS:
1.) Verbum supernum, prodiens. Played on the carillon and lasting 39 seconds... understated intros are sometimes the best!
2.) O come, all ye faithful. The different arrangements sound amazing but as it moved past the four minute mark, I was done.
3.) The holly and the ivy. This instrumental is beautifully constructed and executed with all elements firing on all cylinders.
4.) Good Christian men, rejoice. A 21st century take on a 14th century carol - excellente!
5.) Who mourns in lowly exile here. Take the first few measures of "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" and repeat. Different.
6.) Infant holy, infant lowly. Another well-constructed carol - very good work all around.
7.) Carol of the bells. Harp, hand bells, chimes, carillon, soft piano all meld together into a great instrumental version of this song. Skipping back to hear it again...
8.) God bless ye merry, gentlemen. Right as I was thinking "it's stretching a bit" around the 2:30 mark, Yassinger's sweet vocals arrive. Good save!
9.) And ransom captive Israel. The woodwinds on this track make the song - a definite change of sound! I like the way they keep playing with the arrangements...
10.) Let all mortal flesh be silence. The steady cannon drumbeat and church bells with snatches of "The First Noel" coming through gives this one ambiance deluxe!
11.) 'Twas in the moon of wintertime. I thought I had switched on Mike Oldfield for a moment... another well done, well arranged carol!
12.) O come, o come, Emmanuel. This one lasts just around 1:30... why so short?
13.) What child is this? Shades of Philip Glass! This one's going to need several re-listens as well... Amazing track from start to finish!
14.) Bring a torch, Jeanette, Isabella. At 36 seconds long, this is the shortest track on the CD.
15.) Sleep, holy babe. Very pretty - I will need to look for this carol in my church hymnal and show it to the music director there.
16.) Until the Son of God appears. Some of these tracks have a transition feel to it (see tracks 5, 12, and 14 above) and I'm guessing this is one of them.
17.) Holy night. A re-working of "Silent Night" that I didn't warm up to at first. After another listen, it clicked - nicely done.
18.) Rejoice, rejoice... o Israel. The transitions culminate with this loop track that repeats over and over and over...
19.) Benedictus Agnus Dei (hundredfold). Which leads into this loop track (6:45 !!) that's a disappointing way to end the CD.
When I first got this CD, I had my doubts - the track list looked very public domain. The fact that really scared me was CDBaby's recommendation that if you like Mannheim Steamroller, you'd like this album. After listening to this, I'm glad to report it's nothing like Steamroller's synthesized purile pop.
Producer/arranger/musician Matthew Prins really deserves a congratulatory pat on the back. There are some tracks on this album that are sheer artistry and deserve to be heard. He chose some wonderful carols forgotten by the passing of time (when was the last time you heard "Good Christian men, rejoice" on the radio at Christmas time?) and given them new life.
Yes, there were some tracks that rambled but I'm willing to overlook them. Emmanuel Shall could have made a Christmas CD with the usual mix of safe carols and Christmas pop standards. Instead, they made a unique album that mixes new age, jazz, orchestra, and even minimalism with Christmas. Listen for yourself - click on the link!
Kudos to Prins, A.J. Nelson, and Amy Yassinger for top notch work!
This was the third new Christmas release to arrive at my P.O. Box. Unfortunately, no press sheet or additional material accompanied the CD. So it was off to their Facebook page to find some threads of info off their wall. A post on October 25th states "this album is currently the top-selling holiday album at CD Baby!"
I clicked on the CDBaby link and found the answer to several of my questions:
"Emmanuel Shall Come to Thee is a Chicagoland collective of musicians led by composer Matthew Prins. The group incorporates classical, folk, new-age, orchestral, jazz, and minimalist influences into their progressive interpretations of familiar works.
"Featuring 19 new holiday arrangements and compositions by composer Matthew Prins, Noël fuses a myriad of influences into a Christmas album quite unlike any heard before. Performed primarily by Prins and multi-instrumentalist A.J. Nelson, Noël features a harmonious blend of hand bells, hand chimes, carillon, strings, woodwinds, and brass, as well as the talents of vocalist Amy Yassinger."
While there, I found yet another review from the good folks at ChristmasReviews.com:
"With just a hint of new age drama and a gentle heart, Nöel is touching in its understated brilliance....[T]he most striking fact about Nöel is its integral construction and execution. The tracks flow seamlessly, one into the next, and remind one of butter being stirred into hot fudge, swirling and glistening, warm and sweet."
Well... this could be interesting...
TRACK REVIEWS:
1.) Verbum supernum, prodiens. Played on the carillon and lasting 39 seconds... understated intros are sometimes the best!
2.) O come, all ye faithful. The different arrangements sound amazing but as it moved past the four minute mark, I was done.
3.) The holly and the ivy. This instrumental is beautifully constructed and executed with all elements firing on all cylinders.
4.) Good Christian men, rejoice. A 21st century take on a 14th century carol - excellente!
5.) Who mourns in lowly exile here. Take the first few measures of "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" and repeat. Different.
6.) Infant holy, infant lowly. Another well-constructed carol - very good work all around.
7.) Carol of the bells. Harp, hand bells, chimes, carillon, soft piano all meld together into a great instrumental version of this song. Skipping back to hear it again...
8.) God bless ye merry, gentlemen. Right as I was thinking "it's stretching a bit" around the 2:30 mark, Yassinger's sweet vocals arrive. Good save!
9.) And ransom captive Israel. The woodwinds on this track make the song - a definite change of sound! I like the way they keep playing with the arrangements...
10.) Let all mortal flesh be silence. The steady cannon drumbeat and church bells with snatches of "The First Noel" coming through gives this one ambiance deluxe!
11.) 'Twas in the moon of wintertime. I thought I had switched on Mike Oldfield for a moment... another well done, well arranged carol!
12.) O come, o come, Emmanuel. This one lasts just around 1:30... why so short?
13.) What child is this? Shades of Philip Glass! This one's going to need several re-listens as well... Amazing track from start to finish!
14.) Bring a torch, Jeanette, Isabella. At 36 seconds long, this is the shortest track on the CD.
15.) Sleep, holy babe. Very pretty - I will need to look for this carol in my church hymnal and show it to the music director there.
16.) Until the Son of God appears. Some of these tracks have a transition feel to it (see tracks 5, 12, and 14 above) and I'm guessing this is one of them.
17.) Holy night. A re-working of "Silent Night" that I didn't warm up to at first. After another listen, it clicked - nicely done.
18.) Rejoice, rejoice... o Israel. The transitions culminate with this loop track that repeats over and over and over...
19.) Benedictus Agnus Dei (hundredfold). Which leads into this loop track (6:45 !!) that's a disappointing way to end the CD.
When I first got this CD, I had my doubts - the track list looked very public domain. The fact that really scared me was CDBaby's recommendation that if you like Mannheim Steamroller, you'd like this album. After listening to this, I'm glad to report it's nothing like Steamroller's synthesized purile pop.
Producer/arranger/musician Matthew Prins really deserves a congratulatory pat on the back. There are some tracks on this album that are sheer artistry and deserve to be heard. He chose some wonderful carols forgotten by the passing of time (when was the last time you heard "Good Christian men, rejoice" on the radio at Christmas time?) and given them new life.
Yes, there were some tracks that rambled but I'm willing to overlook them. Emmanuel Shall could have made a Christmas CD with the usual mix of safe carols and Christmas pop standards. Instead, they made a unique album that mixes new age, jazz, orchestra, and even minimalism with Christmas. Listen for yourself - click on the link!
Kudos to Prins, A.J. Nelson, and Amy Yassinger for top notch work!
This is the second of four new Christmas releases that I recently received at my P.O. Box. Thanks to the good people at Phil Putnam Public Relations for sending me the CD and cover sheet.
Kevin Koelbl (pronounced "cable") has had a long and varied career in music. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance, Kevin went on to leading roles at various regional theatres across the country.
Some of the shows Kevin's appeared in include "Carnival", "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", "The Fantasticks", "A Little Night Music", "Beauty and the Beast", "Oklahoma", "Anything Goes" and "Show Boat" with legendary MGM star Van Johnson in the early 1990s.
This led to his co-starring role with Michael Crawford ("Phantom of the Opera" no less) in the Las Vegas megashow "EFX", once the most elaborate and expensive show ever to play in Vegas. After Crawford left the role, Koelbl took over the role and held it down until the producers brought in ex-Partridge Family heartthrob David Cassidy.
Several years later, Koelbl recorded his first album. "Somewhere In Time" was released in 2000 to good reviews and opened more doors in the music industry for Kevin. Along the way, he never lost his love for live performances and his time was split between the studio and the stage.
Earlier this year, Kevin went into the recording studio and recorded the album you are looking at. Working in L.A. with some master professionals (John Bisharat, Matt Harris, Ray Brinker), he wanted an album of lush collection of Christmas classics re-imagined with a modern twist. Drawing on his deep love of jazz, cabaret, and Christmas, this is the end result.
TRACK REVIEWS:
1.) The Most Wonderful Time of the Year Smooth, jazzy, upbeat version of this song - Kevin's voice reminds me a little of John Davidson. Fine rendition.
2.) Snowfall / White Christmas The two songs are perfect counterparts. Koelbl sandwiches "White Christmas" with "Snowfall" It works!
3.) This Is Christmas Time Original title track written by Steven Santoro. Lyrical walk through the Christmas season that meanders but stays on the path.
4.) Snow (duet with Heidi Godt) Move over Bing, Danny, Rosemary & Vera-Ellen... Kevin and Heidi have a trainload of fun with this rendition!
5.) Welcome Christmas / Christmas Time Is Here Dr. Seuss meets Charles M. Schulz, at last. Another teaming of Christmas songs complemented by Kevin's fine singing.
6.) Happy Holiday This one's so closely associated with Bing Crosby that many artists don't even attempt it. Kevin's jazzy version will open some ears.
7.) O Holy Night This one's a little too Manilow for me (arrangement wise).
8.) The Little Drummer Boy WOW! The drums, percussion, and bass give this a Caribbean feel throughout. A standout track.
9.) The Christmas Song As in yesterday's post, any version that adds the intro gets extra points. Nicely done.
10.) Count Your Blessings (duet with Tami Tappan Damiano) What was a small intimate duet in "White Christmas" is a full blown Broadway love ballad on this album - disappointing.
11.) Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Add an acoustic guitar accompaniment, the long lost intro to the song, and you get an excellent rendition.
12.) Sleigh Ride Starts with bass and Kevin's voice - then they crack the jazz whip and off on a great sleigh ride. Nice trip!
13.) Silent Night The press sheet states "and an arrangement of 'Silent Night' like you've never heard before". Yep. You can hear every production dollar in every note. And inbetween, the intimacy and power of the song gets drowned out by Michael Bolton-type swelling and singing. Ouch indeed. The song is called "Silent Night" for a reason.
14.) Merry Christmas In 2006, Bette Midler led off her Christmas album with this long-forgotten song written by Fred Spielman and Janice Torre. Here, Kevin ends his album with it, very stylishly and elegantly.
Koelbl writes on his liner notes: "Every year there always seems to be the usual hustle and bustle leading up to Christmas." To which I agree. During this journey, there are always a thousand and one things to do and process while preparing for December 25th.
And in a sense, that's what this album is. There are some fine moments on this drive with some occasional jolts that assault your attention. Like any good driver, you don't take your eyes off the road and the drive continues one smoothly.
Koelbl is a very talented singer and some of the arrangements left my head scratching. But never once does his voice fail to deliver and his time behind the wheel was pretty good.
If you live in the Los Angeles area, he will be performing a special concert on November 20th to celebrate the release of this CD. For more info on the concert and where to order of copy of this CD if your local music store doesn't have it, visit Kevin's website.
This is the second of four new Christmas releases that I recently received at my P.O. Box. Thanks to the good people at Phil Putnam Public Relations for sending me the CD and cover sheet.
Kevin Koelbl (pronounced "cable") has had a long and varied career in music. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance, Kevin went on to leading roles at various regional theatres across the country.
Some of the shows Kevin's appeared in include "Carnival", "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", "The Fantasticks", "A Little Night Music", "Beauty and the Beast", "Oklahoma", "Anything Goes" and "Show Boat" with legendary MGM star Van Johnson in the early 1990s.
This led to his co-starring role with Michael Crawford ("Phantom of the Opera" no less) in the Las Vegas megashow "EFX", once the most elaborate and expensive show ever to play in Vegas. After Crawford left the role, Koelbl took over the role and held it down until the producers brought in ex-Partridge Family heartthrob David Cassidy.
Several years later, Koelbl recorded his first album. "Somewhere In Time" was released in 2000 to good reviews and opened more doors in the music industry for Kevin. Along the way, he never lost his love for live performances and his time was split between the studio and the stage.
Earlier this year, Kevin went into the recording studio and recorded the album you are looking at. Working in L.A. with some master professionals (John Bisharat, Matt Harris, Ray Brinker), he wanted an album of lush collection of Christmas classics re-imagined with a modern twist. Drawing on his deep love of jazz, cabaret, and Christmas, this is the end result.
TRACK REVIEWS:
1.) The Most Wonderful Time of the Year Smooth, jazzy, upbeat version of this song - Kevin's voice reminds me a little of John Davidson. Fine rendition.
2.) Snowfall / White Christmas The two songs are perfect counterparts. Koelbl sandwiches "White Christmas" with "Snowfall" It works!
3.) This Is Christmas Time Original title track written by Steven Santoro. Lyrical walk through the Christmas season that meanders but stays on the path.
4.) Snow (duet with Heidi Godt) Move over Bing, Danny, Rosemary & Vera-Ellen... Kevin and Heidi have a trainload of fun with this rendition!
5.) Welcome Christmas / Christmas Time Is Here Dr. Seuss meets Charles M. Schulz, at last. Another teaming of Christmas songs complemented by Kevin's fine singing.
6.) Happy Holiday This one's so closely associated with Bing Crosby that many artists don't even attempt it. Kevin's jazzy version will open some ears.
7.) O Holy Night This one's a little too Manilow for me (arrangement wise).
8.) The Little Drummer Boy WOW! The drums, percussion, and bass give this a Caribbean feel throughout. A standout track.
9.) The Christmas Song As in yesterday's post, any version that adds the intro gets extra points. Nicely done.
10.) Count Your Blessings (duet with Tami Tappan Damiano) What was a small intimate duet in "White Christmas" is a full blown Broadway love ballad on this album - disappointing.
11.) Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Add an acoustic guitar accompaniment, the long lost intro to the song, and you get an excellent rendition.
12.) Sleigh Ride Starts with bass and Kevin's voice - then they crack the jazz whip and off on a great sleigh ride. Nice trip!
13.) Silent Night The press sheet states "and an arrangement of 'Silent Night' like you've never heard before". Yep. You can hear every production dollar in every note. And inbetween, the intimacy and power of the song gets drowned out by Michael Bolton-type swelling and singing. Ouch indeed. The song is called "Silent Night" for a reason.
14.) Merry Christmas In 2006, Bette Midler led off her Christmas album with this long-forgotten song written by Fred Spielman and Janice Torre. Here, Kevin ends his album with it, very stylishly and elegantly.
Koelbl writes on his liner notes: "Every year there always seems to be the usual hustle and bustle leading up to Christmas." To which I agree. During this journey, there are always a thousand and one things to do and process while preparing for December 25th.
And in a sense, that's what this album is. There are some fine moments on this drive with some occasional jolts that assault your attention. Like any good driver, you don't take your eyes off the road and the drive continues one smoothly.
Koelbl is a very talented singer and some of the arrangements left my head scratching. But never once does his voice fail to deliver and his time behind the wheel was pretty good.
If you live in the Los Angeles area, he will be performing a special concert on November 20th to celebrate the release of this CD. For more info on the concert and where to order of copy of this CD if your local music store doesn't have it, visit Kevin's website.
Silvia Fleming has been surrounded by music all her life. That's not surprising considering she had a mother who was a professional singer and a father who was an electronics engineer and a music manager for his wife.
Needless to say, her mother's influence instilled a deep love of Big Band tunes, jazz, and all of the great American standards by George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Harold Arlen, and Irving Berlin. Fleming combined her love of singing with the study of classical piano and received a B.A. in Music Education from California State University, Fullerton.
Last November, Fleming released this album which got a tremendous review from our friends at Christmasreviews.com:
"Silvia Fleming has one of those honey-sweet voices that are just made for singing jazzy, romantic easy listening pop tunes. And with occasional support from the great Sam Levine on alto sax, she is able to deliver a sound that supports the romantic aspirations of 'Love for Christmas'.
"Although Ms. Fleming is primarily striking a romantic pose, she delves more into sacred music here than one might expect. I particularly enjoyed her sweet and reverent More Than A Child. The Joy of Christmas was also quite quite lovely. Though her voice is a bit more sultry, these renditions are reminiscent of Karen Carpenter, and fans of Carpenter will most likely enjoy Silvia Fleming's 'Love For Christmas'."
A voice of reminiscent of Karen Carpenter? Oooooo...
TRACK REVIEWS:
1.) Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Silvia's voice is rich and mellow (like Karen's) and the longing in her voice suits the song's mood perfectly.
2.) Christmas Time is Here With a great arrangement by Tim Hayden and another dose of Fleming gives this Vince Guaraldi chestnut a new spin that I enjoyed.
3.) Love for Christmas The title track was written in 1998 by two Caroles (King & Bayer Sager) and recorded for King's 2007 deluxe album. The message is timely in this economically depressed season.
4.) Santa Baby Silvia won't make you forget Eartha Kitt but she'll definitely hold your attention with this Christmas classic.
5.) The Other Side of Christmas Unique original Christmas song (written by Tim Hayden) that reminds us about the secular side of Christmas intruding on the real meaning of Christmas. Enjoyed this one quite a bit.
6.) In a Lowly Manger Sleeping Lovely reworking of this standard Christmas carol. Her voice gets more rich and mellow as I continue to listen.
7.) I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day If only more artists would make standard Christmas carols like this more accessible... wonderful rendition.
8.) More Than a Child Different arrangement showcases Fleming's vocal attributes to a "T".
9.) My Grown Up Christmas List CONFESSION: I've never been a fan of this song (too adult contemporary for me). Silvia does a great job but I couldn't warm up to it.
10.) The Joy of Christmas WOW! We need more original songs like this - the Christmas songbook needs new blood! Very, very nice!
11.) What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? Any version of any Christmas song that adds the intro gets an extra star from me. This is exquisite - my favorite track on the album.
I must admit, the review from Christmasreviews.com made me think of Karen Carpenter quite a bit when I listened. However, if I hadn't read that first before listening, I would have declared the second coming of Karen Carpenter.
Fleming has a wonderful Christmas album here and should you want a copy for yourself, CD Baby has it for sale or you can head over to Silvia's website to listen to samples from this album and learn more about her.
Silvia Fleming has been surrounded by music all her life. That's not surprising considering she had a mother who was a professional singer and a father who was an electronics engineer and a music manager for his wife.
Needless to say, her mother's influence instilled a deep love of Big Band tunes, jazz, and all of the great American standards by George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Harold Arlen, and Irving Berlin. Fleming combined her love of singing with the study of classical piano and received a B.A. in Music Education from California State University, Fullerton.
Last November, Fleming released this album which got a tremendous review from our friends at Christmasreviews.com:
"Silvia Fleming has one of those honey-sweet voices that are just made for singing jazzy, romantic easy listening pop tunes. And with occasional support from the great Sam Levine on alto sax, she is able to deliver a sound that supports the romantic aspirations of 'Love for Christmas'.
"Although Ms. Fleming is primarily striking a romantic pose, she delves more into sacred music here than one might expect. I particularly enjoyed her sweet and reverent More Than A Child. The Joy of Christmas was also quite quite lovely. Though her voice is a bit more sultry, these renditions are reminiscent of Karen Carpenter, and fans of Carpenter will most likely enjoy Silvia Fleming's 'Love For Christmas'."
A voice of reminiscent of Karen Carpenter? Oooooo...
TRACK REVIEWS:
1.) Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Silvia's voice is rich and mellow (like Karen's) and the longing in her voice suits the song's mood perfectly.
2.) Christmas Time is Here With a great arrangement by Tim Hayden and another dose of Fleming gives this Vince Guaraldi chestnut a new spin that I enjoyed.
3.) Love for Christmas The title track was written in 1998 by two Caroles (King & Bayer Sager) and recorded for King's 2007 deluxe album. The message is timely in this economically depressed season.
4.) Santa Baby Silvia won't make you forget Eartha Kitt but she'll definitely hold your attention with this Christmas classic.
5.) The Other Side of Christmas Unique original Christmas song (written by Tim Hayden) that reminds us about the secular side of Christmas intruding on the real meaning of Christmas. Enjoyed this one quite a bit.
6.) In a Lowly Manger Sleeping Lovely reworking of this standard Christmas carol. Her voice gets more rich and mellow as I continue to listen.
7.) I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day If only more artists would make standard Christmas carols like this more accessible... wonderful rendition.
8.) More Than a Child Different arrangement showcases Fleming's vocal attributes to a "T".
9.) My Grown Up Christmas List CONFESSION: I've never been a fan of this song (too adult contemporary for me). Silvia does a great job but I couldn't warm up to it.
10.) The Joy of Christmas WOW! We need more original songs like this - the Christmas songbook needs new blood! Very, very nice!
11.) What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? Any version of any Christmas song that adds the intro gets an extra star from me. This is exquisite - my favorite track on the album.
I must admit, the review from Christmasreviews.com made me think of Karen Carpenter quite a bit when I listened. However, if I hadn't read that first before listening, I would have declared the second coming of Karen Carpenter.
Fleming has a wonderful Christmas album here and should you want a copy for yourself, CD Baby has it for sale or you can head over to Silvia's website to listen to samples from this album and learn more about her.
On September 21, 2009, I typed a blog entry that dropped a hint that I would be interested in reviewing new Christmas releases BEFORE December 25th. Indeed, I received four new Christmas releases that were sent to my P.O. Box by members of the music industry.
Then the other shoe dropped.
On October 5, 2009, the Federal Trade Commission issued new guidelines regarding the blogging community: "The long standing principle that "material connections" (sometimes payments or free products) between advertisers and endorsers – connections that consumers would not expect – must be disclosed."
Failure to do so could mean fines up to $11,000 per post.
I quickly called my lawyer (a genial fellow whose name I can't use - otherwise he'd sue me) and asked what I needed to do. He informed me these new FTC guidelines take effect December 1st of this year. All posts after this date will need a quick disclosure clause - no statement is needed on any prior posts.
After driving home from his office (a shabby place), I began to think about all of the CDs I've received and reviewed here. Only one came to mind that caused an ethical dilemma.
Back in 2006 - the first year of this blog - I received at my P.O. Box a package from an unknown person. Inside was a Christmas CD (with some tantalizing artwork), a cover letter, and a business card. Paper-clipped to the business card was a neatly folded $10 bill.
I placed the entire package into a US Mail priority mail envelope and sent it back to the return address listed with a note: "Sorry, I do not review anything by or with a dead president".
OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1.) I swear or affirm all of the following statements are true.
2.) Many of the albums or CDs I have reviewed at this blog since January of 2006 have been my own purchases, gifts given to me by friends or family, or have been downloaded online.
3.) In each blog entry since January of 2006, I have always disclosed the origins from which the albums or CDs came from - usually in the first sentence or paragraph of the entry.
4.) There have been 14 specific past blog entries in which I have received a promotional CD - either from the artist themselves or from a member of the music industry who had the authority to send the CD to me.
In each of these cases, I received a FREE promo CD and occasionally various press materials (cover letters, business cards) to review the CD. Nothing else additional was included in any of this packages.
5.) I have added a new label entitled "Promotional CD" below - you may click on this link to read all of the entries in which I have received nothing other than a free CD in exchange for a review. All future posts in which I receive a CD via the P.O. Box will have this label as well.
Having said all that, the four new reviews will be posted starting tomorrow.
On September 21, 2009, I typed a blog entry that dropped a hint that I would be interested in reviewing new Christmas releases BEFORE December 25th. Indeed, I received four new Christmas releases that were sent to my P.O. Box by members of the music industry.
Then the other shoe dropped.
On October 5, 2009, the Federal Trade Commission issued new guidelines regarding the blogging community: "The long standing principle that "material connections" (sometimes payments or free products) between advertisers and endorsers – connections that consumers would not expect – must be disclosed."
Failure to do so could mean fines up to $11,000 per post.
I quickly called my lawyer (a genial fellow whose name I can't use - otherwise he'd sue me) and asked what I needed to do. He informed me these new FTC guidelines take effect December 1st of this year. All posts after this date will need a quick disclosure clause - no statement is needed on any prior posts.
After driving home from his office (a shabby place), I began to think about all of the CDs I've received and reviewed here. Only one came to mind that caused an ethical dilemma.
Back in 2006 - the first year of this blog - I received at my P.O. Box a package from an unknown person. Inside was a Christmas CD (with some tantalizing artwork), a cover letter, and a business card. Paper-clipped to the business card was a neatly folded $10 bill.
I placed the entire package into a US Mail priority mail envelope and sent it back to the return address listed with a note: "Sorry, I do not review anything by or with a dead president".
OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1.) I swear or affirm all of the following statements are true.
2.) Many of the albums or CDs I have reviewed at this blog since January of 2006 have been my own purchases, gifts given to me by friends or family, or have been downloaded online.
3.) In each blog entry since January of 2006, I have always disclosed the origins from which the albums or CDs came from - usually in the first sentence or paragraph of the entry.
4.) There have been 14 specific past blog entries in which I have received a promotional CD - either from the artist themselves or from a member of the music industry who had the authority to send the CD to me.
In each of these cases, I received a FREE promo CD and occasionally various press materials (cover letters, business cards) to review the CD. Nothing else additional was included in any of this packages.
5.) I have added a new label entitled "Promotional CD" below - you may click on this link to read all of the entries in which I have received nothing other than a free CD in exchange for a review. All future posts in which I receive a CD via the P.O. Box will have this label as well.
Having said all that, the four new reviews will be posted starting tomorrow.
With eight days left before Christmas, I wanted to spend today looking at several new Christmas albums on the shelves this season - perhaps a last minute gift guide for those who love Christmas music.
This is review number eight today - my final one for Review Tuesday.
You've probably never heard of this gentlemen so let me take a moment to introduce you to him. Larry Pestor is well known throughout the music and advertising scene of my hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana. This is a man who wrote and sold a radio jingle to Saudi Arabian Airlines right after the Iraq war began! And Larry don't speak Arabic!
I first became aware of Larry when an article was published in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette back in April of this year. The line of the article that stood out was "Pester will even turn your 78 rpm records into digital files for you."
Armed with a small stack of 78s, Larry has helped me immensely this year; the transfer of the "Dragnet" Christmas LP was done at his studio.
Larry has always had a desire to do a Christmas album and he finally stopped procrastinating about it this year. Recording it was no problem considering he was not only playing on the album but producing it.
There are ten tracks of standard Christmas music on this album. Nothing overblown, nothing pretentious, nothing that sounds bad. Larry handles the piano beautifully and adds guitars and synthesizer just at the right moments.
My favorite tracks are "Away In A Manger" (I know it's synth but it sounds like the musical glasses), "Angels We Have Heard On High", and "Joy To The World" has some of the best piano work I've heard in quite a while on any Christmas album.
In short, this is a very good Christmas album that deserves to be heard. In this day and age of the same 50 songs being played on Christmas radio, I would love to hear music like Larry's on the radio now and then.
You can spend $10 on an album like Neil Sedaka and get totally blindsided. Or you can spend $10 on an album from an artist who's poured some time, effort, and sweat into his project.
If you're interested in this album, check out his website. Tell him the Captain sent you...
With eight days left before Christmas, I wanted to spend today looking at several new Christmas albums on the shelves this season - perhaps a last minute gift guide for those who love Christmas music.
This is review number eight today - my final one for Review Tuesday.
You've probably never heard of this gentlemen so let me take a moment to introduce you to him. Larry Pestor is well known throughout the music and advertising scene of my hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana. This is a man who wrote and sold a radio jingle to Saudi Arabian Airlines right after the Iraq war began! And Larry don't speak Arabic!
I first became aware of Larry when an article was published in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette back in April of this year. The line of the article that stood out was "Pester will even turn your 78 rpm records into digital files for you."
Armed with a small stack of 78s, Larry has helped me immensely this year; the transfer of the "Dragnet" Christmas LP was done at his studio.
Larry has always had a desire to do a Christmas album and he finally stopped procrastinating about it this year. Recording it was no problem considering he was not only playing on the album but producing it.
There are ten tracks of standard Christmas music on this album. Nothing overblown, nothing pretentious, nothing that sounds bad. Larry handles the piano beautifully and adds guitars and synthesizer just at the right moments.
My favorite tracks are "Away In A Manger" (I know it's synth but it sounds like the musical glasses), "Angels We Have Heard On High", and "Joy To The World" has some of the best piano work I've heard in quite a while on any Christmas album.
In short, this is a very good Christmas album that deserves to be heard. In this day and age of the same 50 songs being played on Christmas radio, I would love to hear music like Larry's on the radio now and then.
You can spend $10 on an album like Neil Sedaka and get totally blindsided. Or you can spend $10 on an album from an artist who's poured some time, effort, and sweat into his project.
If you're interested in this album, check out his website. Tell him the Captain sent you...
With eight days left before Christmas, I wanted to spend today looking at several new Christmas albums on the shelves this season - perhaps a last minute gift guide for those who love Christmas music.
This is review number seven today and the third that arrived at my P.O. Box. A big thank you to Glenn Holmes from On Target Media for sending us this.
My wife has been watching me come home as of late with packages from Kasio Kristmas and Verve Remixed and dozens of homemade Christmas comps from friends and others alike. Her quote was "When do you get the GOOD Christmas music?"
The look on her face when I opened this package and this brand new Christmas CD fell out was one of total astonishment, joy, and excitement. She's a HUGE Amy Grant fan and I knew this was going to get played early and often on the CD boombox at my house.
Amy Grant released her first Christmas album when she was the Queen of Christian radio back in 1983 with "A Christmas Album". Several years later when she went mainstream, she released "Home For Christmas" in 1992. Then in 1998, we were treated with "A Christmas To Remember".
Now a fourth Christmas collection?
To quote Amy in her liner notes: "In The Christmas Collection, I've chosen my favorite songs from my earlier projects and added four new recordings." Aha! Those four new songs are:
TRACK REVIEWS:
1.) Jingle Bells (Track 1) A remake of Barbra Streisand's classic arrangement right down to Bab's vocal inflections. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery never sounded so good.
2.) I Need A Silent Night (Track 3) A great Christmas song that asks pertinent questions about the lost message of Christmas (fast forward to 0:35):
3.) Baby It's Christmas (Track 5) Written with husband Vince Gill (who plays guitar = bonus), this is a perfect "end of a Christmas day" song, full of the exhaustion and wonderment only these weeks before Christmas can bring.
4.) Count Your Blessings (Track 7) With the London Session Orchestra behind her, Amy sings Bing's song from the 1954 Irving Berlin movie "White Christmas". Lush and majestic.
If you don't own anything Christmas related by Amy Grant, this CD is a great collection for your archives. The four new Christmas songs are definite highlights - especially "I Need A Silent Night".
This one got my wife's endorsement - what more do you need?
With eight days left before Christmas, I wanted to spend today looking at several new Christmas albums on the shelves this season - perhaps a last minute gift guide for those who love Christmas music.
This is review number seven today and the third that arrived at my P.O. Box. A big thank you to Glenn Holmes from On Target Media for sending us this.
My wife has been watching me come home as of late with packages from Kasio Kristmas and Verve Remixed and dozens of homemade Christmas comps from friends and others alike. Her quote was "When do you get the GOOD Christmas music?"
The look on her face when I opened this package and this brand new Christmas CD fell out was one of total astonishment, joy, and excitement. She's a HUGE Amy Grant fan and I knew this was going to get played early and often on the CD boombox at my house.
Amy Grant released her first Christmas album when she was the Queen of Christian radio back in 1983 with "A Christmas Album". Several years later when she went mainstream, she released "Home For Christmas" in 1992. Then in 1998, we were treated with "A Christmas To Remember".
Now a fourth Christmas collection?
To quote Amy in her liner notes: "In The Christmas Collection, I've chosen my favorite songs from my earlier projects and added four new recordings." Aha! Those four new songs are:
TRACK REVIEWS:
1.) Jingle Bells (Track 1) A remake of Barbra Streisand's classic arrangement right down to Bab's vocal inflections. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery never sounded so good.
2.) I Need A Silent Night (Track 3) A great Christmas song that asks pertinent questions about the lost message of Christmas (fast forward to 0:35):
3.) Baby It's Christmas (Track 5) Written with husband Vince Gill (who plays guitar = bonus), this is a perfect "end of a Christmas day" song, full of the exhaustion and wonderment only these weeks before Christmas can bring.
4.) Count Your Blessings (Track 7) With the London Session Orchestra behind her, Amy sings Bing's song from the 1954 Irving Berlin movie "White Christmas". Lush and majestic.
If you don't own anything Christmas related by Amy Grant, this CD is a great collection for your archives. The four new Christmas songs are definite highlights - especially "I Need A Silent Night".
This one got my wife's endorsement - what more do you need?
With eight days left before Christmas, I wanted to spend today looking at several new Christmas albums on the shelves this season - perhaps a last minute gift guide for those who love Christmas music.
This is review number seven today and one of several that arrived at my P.O. Box. Thanks to Guy McCain and Jen Onsum of Luck Media & Marketing, Inc for sending these to us.
I had never heard of this group before I received these. So I went to the bio notes sent to me and the paragraphs that caught my eye were these:
"Mega-popular Minnesota based four-piece vocal group sets the industry standard taking care of business completely DIY.
"Without any major label backing, they've earned sales of over a million albums (CAPT'S NOTE: Damn!), a popular annual PBS Christmas special, more than 100 tour dates annually, and an appearance on "The Today Show".
Tonic Sōl-Fa began with Mark McGowan (baritone) and lead vocalist Shaun Johnson, who both attended St. John's University in 1996. Shortly after forming, the two auditioned for a local entertainment agency which helped jump-start the group's performance and appearance schedule. Greg Bannwarth (tenor) and Jared Dove (bass) joined soon after, completing the group.
They've released several Christmas CDs, the first being "Carol" in 1997. Their second Christmas album came in 2002 with the release of "Sugarüe" - click on the link to hear samples of the entire album.
Featuring eight standards and two original songs ("Joseph's Song" and "Snō" - wow!), this a great accapella album and Christmas to boot!
All their hard work led them to 2006 when they taped their PBS special and began to get some well-deserved recognition, garnering write-ups in Newsweek and MediaStyle magazine.
Thanks in large part to this special, a new companion CD entitled "Christmas" is available this season. I must admit I've never seen the special on my local PBS station but after hearing the crystal clear melodies and hearing the audience worked up into a frenzy, I'm checking the local listings.
I have hardly any accapella Christmas music in my collection. I now own these and I can't think of a better start.
With eight days left before Christmas, I wanted to spend today looking at several new Christmas albums on the shelves this season - perhaps a last minute gift guide for those who love Christmas music.
This is review number seven today and one of several that arrived at my P.O. Box. Thanks to Guy McCain and Jen Onsum of Luck Media & Marketing, Inc for sending these to us.
I had never heard of this group before I received these. So I went to the bio notes sent to me and the paragraphs that caught my eye were these:
"Mega-popular Minnesota based four-piece vocal group sets the industry standard taking care of business completely DIY.
"Without any major label backing, they've earned sales of over a million albums (CAPT'S NOTE: Damn!), a popular annual PBS Christmas special, more than 100 tour dates annually, and an appearance on "The Today Show".
Tonic Sōl-Fa began with Mark McGowan (baritone) and lead vocalist Shaun Johnson, who both attended St. John's University in 1996. Shortly after forming, the two auditioned for a local entertainment agency which helped jump-start the group's performance and appearance schedule. Greg Bannwarth (tenor) and Jared Dove (bass) joined soon after, completing the group.
They've released several Christmas CDs, the first being "Carol" in 1997. Their second Christmas album came in 2002 with the release of "Sugarüe" - click on the link to hear samples of the entire album.
Featuring eight standards and two original songs ("Joseph's Song" and "Snō" - wow!), this a great accapella album and Christmas to boot!
All their hard work led them to 2006 when they taped their PBS special and began to get some well-deserved recognition, garnering write-ups in Newsweek and MediaStyle magazine.
Thanks in large part to this special, a new companion CD entitled "Christmas" is available this season. I must admit I've never seen the special on my local PBS station but after hearing the crystal clear melodies and hearing the audience worked up into a frenzy, I'm checking the local listings.
I have hardly any accapella Christmas music in my collection. I now own these and I can't think of a better start.
With eight days left before Christmas, I wanted to spend today looking at several new Christmas albums on the shelves this season - perhaps a last minute gift guide for those who love Christmas music.
This is review number six today and the second that arrived at my P.O. Box. This one came from someone within the music industry who is a faithful reader and wished to remain anonymous. Thanks for thinking of me.
Verve Records was founded in 1956 by Norman Granz as a jazz label. Over the years it has been the home for jazz legends and young up-and-comers who became legends.
However, by the early 1970s, the label nearly folded completely, reduced to re-releasing older jazz albums and being sold off to one musical conglomerate to the next.
That changed in the mid-1980s when Verve was revived and began reissuing its back catalogue. The "Verve By Request" label began to reissue many original Verve bossa nova titles on CD in the late 1990s, and the Elite series revived many obscure albums which had languished for many years.
In 2002, we were introduced to the "Verve Remixed" compilation discs. Classic tracks by Verve artists are remixed by contemporary electronic music DJs. Seven releases later, they decided to put the "Verve Remixed" treatment to their Christmas catalog.
The end result is a mix of both good and bad. Hearing artists like Ella Fitzgerald made to sound like a pop princess, Louis Armstrong with a thumping bass behind him, and the legendary Billie Holiday to sound like a reggae queen is just plain wrong.
But... I listen nonetheless. I admire the new takes on the old classics. Anything that takes the same songs you've heard 50,000 times and gives it a new spin is worth a listen (although several remixes go on far too long).
Try to get your 10 or 15 year old to listen to the originals and you probably won't get far. Let them listen to this album and they just might get into it. Maybe they'll discover Ella, Louis, and the rest down the road like we did.
If that's what Verve's intentions were with this series, then I applaud them for trying to introduce the younger generations to the past. Then I flip the coin and think Verve is just recycling the catalog to squeeze more money out their cash cow - two years ago this December, they laid off 85% of their staff in a cost-cutting move.
In any case, you might want to listen to see if you want to buy this first. There is not one but two videos at YouTube to give you a feel for this album.
With eight days left before Christmas, I wanted to spend today looking at several new Christmas albums on the shelves this season - perhaps a last minute gift guide for those who love Christmas music.
This is review number six today and the second that arrived at my P.O. Box. This one came from someone within the music industry who is a faithful reader and wished to remain anonymous. Thanks for thinking of me.
Verve Records was founded in 1956 by Norman Granz as a jazz label. Over the years it has been the home for jazz legends and young up-and-comers who became legends.
However, by the early 1970s, the label nearly folded completely, reduced to re-releasing older jazz albums and being sold off to one musical conglomerate to the next.
That changed in the mid-1980s when Verve was revived and began reissuing its back catalogue. The "Verve By Request" label began to reissue many original Verve bossa nova titles on CD in the late 1990s, and the Elite series revived many obscure albums which had languished for many years.
In 2002, we were introduced to the "Verve Remixed" compilation discs. Classic tracks by Verve artists are remixed by contemporary electronic music DJs. Seven releases later, they decided to put the "Verve Remixed" treatment to their Christmas catalog.
The end result is a mix of both good and bad. Hearing artists like Ella Fitzgerald made to sound like a pop princess, Louis Armstrong with a thumping bass behind him, and the legendary Billie Holiday to sound like a reggae queen is just plain wrong.
But... I listen nonetheless. I admire the new takes on the old classics. Anything that takes the same songs you've heard 50,000 times and gives it a new spin is worth a listen (although several remixes go on far too long).
Try to get your 10 or 15 year old to listen to the originals and you probably won't get far. Let them listen to this album and they just might get into it. Maybe they'll discover Ella, Louis, and the rest down the road like we did.
If that's what Verve's intentions were with this series, then I applaud them for trying to introduce the younger generations to the past. Then I flip the coin and think Verve is just recycling the catalog to squeeze more money out their cash cow - two years ago this December, they laid off 85% of their staff in a cost-cutting move.
In any case, you might want to listen to see if you want to buy this first. There is not one but two videos at YouTube to give you a feel for this album.
With eight days left before Christmas, I wanted to spend today looking at several new Christmas albums on the shelves this season - perhaps a last minute gift guide for those who love Christmas music.
This is my fifth review of today and the first CD that was sent to our P.O. Box earlier this month.
It arrived in a bubble mailer with very sloppy handwriting for the addresses which I found odd. When I opened it up, out slid an entirely black CD with this very cryptic message:
Since then, there's been an oversized white truck parked outside my house from time to time. What have I gotten myself into here?
The inside cover tells us only Casio instruments were used in this recording. For those technical people reading, their arsenal includes the SK-5, SK-1, VA-10, VL-Tone, Rapman, EP-10, PT-87, CZ-1, SA-21, TA-10, DH-100, Turbo Drive Calculator, Karate Fight, CG-610, DG-20, and PG-380 (no relation to PG-13 at the theaters - throwing out my bad pun book).
The 8-bit Peoples released a Christmas album a few years back that used old computer systems to produce Christmas music. However, the Kasio guys really improved on that theme with this album. The end result is a Christmas album that must be heard to be believed.
To that end, I found several YouTube videos that give you snippets of what their music is like. The visuals are something out of "Yo Gabba Gabba" that I watch with my kids now and then.
Some things just can't be explained...
Amazon.com is reporting at present that this CD is out of stock but you can still download the full album. You might want to check Kasio Kristmas' MySpace page for more info and extended listens.
Thanks for sending us the CD fellas and in the future, you might want to put a full return address on ... excuse me, there's a knock at the door...
