Reviews (page 11 of 17)
The cover artwork for "A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector" captures a festive spirit that aligns well with the album's holiday themes. The design embraces a kitschy charm that is both nostalgic and visually appealing. However, while the vibrant colors and whimsical elements are engaging, the overall composition feels somewhat cluttered, which may distract from the album's classic status. Ultimately, it’s a fun representation of the season, but it lacks the elegance that could elevate it to iconic status. A solid three stars for its festive flair! Album artworks rated: 18/1001 Spector can rot in hell though.
Killer Christmas music from the good ol’ days
Nice Christmas jams
It is ok. I don't really like christmas songs but I could at least appreciate how cheerful it is
Pretty nice Christmas album. Better than most modern Christmas hits.
Christmas is perfect for the Wall of Sound
The songs are what they are (and Phil is who he is), but I do love that 'wall of sound' style, especially featured on classics from girl groups like The Ronettes and The Crystals. I'd take Nat King's Christmas album over this - I'm not all that into these jingly Holiday tunes - but this is worth a listen.
Christmas classics I actually enjoyed 1001 album worthy: Yes - 21/35
MERRY CHRISTMAS, everybody! Although Phil is a terrible man, i appreciate his effort on putting the wall of sound on christmas music, and makes it richer than before. It's better than other albums he produced, like "let it be" or "death of a lady's man", but less good than "imagine". actually, christmas music is as cheesy as ever. We should play non-christmas music on christmas, like the soundtrack of "love actually". 3/5
Pretty solid collection of classic Christmas songs!
All the Ronettes songs are the best. I sorta hate Christmas music but I can dig these vibes.
I'm not into Christmas music but this is about as good as a straight Christmas album can get. There are some really good versions of some traditional Christmas songs by some very talented artists here, and as deplorable a human as Spector was, this is a great example of his production prowess in shaping that presentation.
Fav song: Santa Clause Is Coming To Town I wish modern Christmas music still sounded like this! I love The Ronettes’ accent and how Santa Clause Is Comint To Town sounds lowkey quite threatening.
Bunch of classic Christmas songs by way of the many girl groups Phil Spector had a hand in producing. Most of them are simply pleasant interpretations but nothing I'd be listening to on the holidays really, especially as some like Sleigh Ride is basically a song that plays everywhere during this time of year so I mean, I don't wanna put myself though that more. I think my favorite performances were the ones by Darlene Love, she really gave it her all singing some of these, props to her
A fun take on some classic songs.
Good compilation of Motown Christmas songs. Merry Christmas! 3/5
Overall: 6/10 The production of these songs is quite honestly really impressive and shows off why Phil Spector was such a highly sought-after producer at the time. I'm personally not a big fan of christmas music but these songs are well done. Fav Song: Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) Least Fav Song: I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
The name of this album is instant OOPH. The Xmas music itself is solid enough, it’s Xmas music so it’s fine.
Ok ok I listened to it and wasn't too bad.
Well it’s better than Lana Clarkson got.
It's a fine holiday album. Certainly captures the mood.
It's alright. I'm not a big fan of themed Xmas albums, but there's nothing wrong with this, and it's good to play it on Xmas day, as I did.
Should I be worried about the sort of gift Phil Spector would be bearing...?
Phil produced the shit out of this, but the Wall of Sound is not really a sound I seek in my Christmas music. Count me among the many who wish the list's token Christmas album could've been the Vince Guaraldi Charlie Brown recording
Meh
nice
First listen. As an album it was ok. I have listened to quite a few of these songs before. Who hasn’t?
Hmmm... Feel like this was maybe not "random" but it did make me smile this morning. Solid album, many of these particular versions of the songs have become Christmas staples over the years, and it's always a delight to hear some Darlene Love. At the end of the day though, it's a Christmas album. And I'm not convinced it's the best Christmas album out there, but it's fine. It gets thrown on for one month of the year and then not thought of again for the other 11 months.
It was a very much of the time concept. Its fine.
-MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE 🎄🔥 -this was very nice to listen to. a lot of great classics anyone can recognize -maybe it just hits hard because it’s actually Christmas and like i said most of the songs are iconic. Either way i enjoyed it -Favorites are White Christmas, Sleigh Ride, and Winter Wonderland
This is a wonderful addition to the Christmas Playlist. So many hits, that most people recognize which make it a good choice for most cheerful Christmas parties or preparations
Merry Christmas.
I'm Jewish so I'm indifferent.
Wall of Sound!
just wanna quote Phil Spector's sportify bio "Spector re-emerged in the late '60s and was hired by The Beatles to do post-production on their controversial Let It Be album; critics and Paul McCartney himself found Spector's work faulty, although it must be pointed out that the material he was given to work with didn't rank among The Beatles' best." that's very funny that they put that there i think.
Don't love the 50s music
Fun performances of classic Christmas songs. Not much else to say - if you like Christmas music you'll like this album, if you don't you won't.
meh
Very much fits the mood, these are all classic Christmas songs but let's be honest here The Ronettes carry this album. Darlene Love is great too, everything else just misses the magic that those two artists had on these tracks
I just happened to get this one on actual Christmas! How serendipitous! I wouldn’t have wanted to listen to it any other day.
All standard oldies station Christmas hits. Not my jam, but it is of the season.
meh
For a Christmas album, probably about as good as it gets.
Christmas Day, Wall of Sound, secular rocky Christmas tunes - good stuff for Christmas Day, but, you know, it's Christmas music.
Better than most Christmas songs 3/5
Nice collection of Christmas songs, can tell Spector had his hands in it with the “wall of sound” throughout, many of these still in heavy rotation even now. 3.25/5
Perfect Xmas album, Spector notwithstanding.
It's a compilation of some of the most modern classic Christmas songs (by that time). Nothing really outstanding besides the fact that these were all produced by Spector. This was released almost 40 years before his crime, so to judge this album by his later deed is pointless.
Nun glaube ich fast nicht mehr an Zufall in der täglichen Albenauswahl. Zum Superbowl 2024 kam ein Swift Album (Kelce) und heute am 25.12. diese Sammlung aus den 60er. Es gibt einem einen kleinen Eindruck des Lebensgefühl in den USA zur Kennedy Ära (übrigens wird er am Erscheinungstag des Albums erschossen). Insgesamt ein nettes Album mit vielen bekannten Songs, aber zu Bigband und Jazz lastig.
Christmas
decent christmas album with some bangers like “christmas (baby please come home)” and “a marshmallow world”
Très bon album de Noël.
thank you phil spector for the christmas gift. no thank you to murdering that person
Fine for Christmas day, don't think I need a relisten of this.
Tricky one. I feel given those are pretty old, and classics, BUT not really popular in my country, it's hard for me to judge. They're pretty okay though. Unsure 3.
Yep, that's Christmas music. I guess it's fine for what it is, I'm just generally not a fan of the standards because I've heard them all a million times. So unless you're doing something truly unique with the songs, I don't care. Also, while I recognize he made contributions to music that many respect and revere, maybe we should've stopped honoring Phil Spector by now.
Christmas Album on Christmas. Good stuff.
Bel meme
It’s Christmas music, but as it goes, it’s some of the less annoying Christmas music. Would I listen to it again? Probably not.
i listened to a couple and they were fine, but i couldn't be bothered to listen to the whole thing
Ouderwetse en dus slechtere versies van bekende kerstnummer.
I guess it's like Michael Bubble of 60's?
I really enjoyed the Xmas songs on the album.3.5 wow
it was good but then i looked up phil specter. and im sorry if you look like that you cant make cute christmas music
Some classic Christmas tunes on here
Songs i knew 1 Songs i liked 2 Lots of songs on here sound the same but still a decent vibe, then you have the one song everyone knows which you can't go wrong with. Old time lovin a tune too. Low to mid 3.
Very Christmasy.
Eh
Just squeezing this one into the window of Christmas. I’ve heard all these songs so often on the radio that i forgot they came from one album!
I'm sure the algorithm was nudged just a bit to give us this on a certain day... :p It's definitely a classic of the season, but listening to the tracks as an actual album highlights that there's a fair bit of variety in the overall quality of tunes here - but Darlene Love deserved so much more than she got, what a voice! Plus, being blindsided by Phil Spector at the end was a real whiplash moment, can go a long time without hearing that again
Phil Specter's brand of sugary pop music combined with christmas music is really a magical combination that was made to be. The perfect way to have a fun, classy christmas album. B
This album is not only christmas music, it IS christmas. It's warm and cozy, and after two days you're pretty much done with it, until you're having a blast with it once again the next year.
Nice surprise indeed
For what it is and this time of year 3.5/5 it gets the job done and got some classics
3.5
Far from my favourite Christmas record, but still quite enjoyable. 3.5 stars
I think it's well made, though a lot of these songs I'm just either sick of or there's other versions I prefer. I think the Darlene Love tracks are the best and the Bob B. Soxx songs are the worst. "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" is the clear standout and makes me wish there were more originals here. Don't need to ever hear "Frosty the Snowman" again no matter how well Phil Spector produces it. 3.5 stars.
A Christmas Gift that keeps on giving. Locked and loaded with tried and true Christmas hits and reinforced bombastically by his patented Wall Of Sound production, this splendorous seasonal showdown from Phil Spector is a complete bullseye. Minus 2 stars for holding my wife captive and shooting at my foot after a sharades game gone wrong an awful 15 Christmas’s ago.
I mean it’s Christmas music.
-1 for murder
It's a Christmas album
I love Christmas music and this is quite nostalgic but it also is the blueprint for Christmas music which has its negatives and positives. Quite enjoyed listening to this in July though
I have no relationship to christmas music and tend to avoid it because it is too cheerful and I have prejudice against christians. Luckily for this guy I like two things... Brill Building music and murderers so I will be giving this 3 stars
Appropriate for Christmas Day and a great classic Motown Christmas album.
Solid collection from a time before Phil lost his sh*t.
I'm kind of a Scrooge about Christmas music, but this one's not too bad. It's more fun than a lot of the crap we're all forced to listen to this time of year.
I've reach the point in my life where Rat Pack Christmas music is the only Christmas music I can still stand. This album is fine, and has some of the best renditions of certain songs, but it also has some clunkers. Red Water (Christmas Mourning) by Type O Negative is my all time favorite Christmas song for anyone wondering. Check it out if you like dark Gothic music. Mid 3.
While I do have to give props to these renditions of the typical Christmas tunes for how the groups give 'em their own spin, I've also got to make mention of the Wall Of Sound shaped elephant in the room, and the little-known fact that Phil Spector is, oh, how do I put this, an ACTUAL FUCKING CONVICTED MURDERER WHO DIED IN PRISON LIKE THE FILTH HE IS. But anyways, 3.5 bumped down to 3. Merry Christmas, y'all.
Ugh, way to ruin Christmas. I hate Phil Spector. Besides being a murderer of people, I'm of the opinion he murdered a lot of music with his crappy wall of sound style. I'm not opposed to wall of sound — I quite like George Harrison's take on it. I just hate the way Spector does it, especially since he usually combines it with overwrought, schlocky orchestration that makes me want to gouge my eyes out. Nowhere is that more apparent than on this album. I'm a Jew (a lonely Jew), so Christmas music has never really been my jam. There are a few songs I rock with, but there are many more I can't stand. Most of the songs that I actively avoid are on this album, so that's fun. The singers and musicians involved in this album are undoubtedly talented. But the sum of everything turned up to eleven adds up to an overwhelming assault on the ears, not to mention that by track four all the instrumentation starts to sound the same and it feels like you're listening to the same song over and over. I'll give it a three because of the talent involved and the grudging acknowledgment that many of these songs have entered the canonical Christmas playlist. But Spector sucks, and Spector Christmas is no exception. Also, I thought "various artists" compilations were disqualified from this list, so wtf, Dimery? 3/5
Your generic hit or miss classic Christmas compilation :)
well... christmasy
Great Xmas Album!
one star off because it's christmas music and i'm the grinch, another star off because spector is creepy as fuck
Ok
from the title it sounds like a threat! collection of 50's christmas songs
Great voices participated on this album. Too bad it was Christmas music.
A lot of incredibly iconic Christmas songs, of which my favorite recordings are not part of this album
Meh. A compilation. Fine.
I hate to be a Grinch, but I'm going to go against the prevailing wisdom: the Wall of Sound kinda sucks. Especially for background music, which Christmas music almost always is. It sounds like a Wall of Mush. The performances were good, but as for listenability it's a bit disappointing.
Full of bangers
5/10 Christmas songs are the definition of mid, but I liked the production. I look forward to more from this...Phil Spector.
decent
Good Christmas album!
Classic Christmas album
Merry Christmas 2024!
Solid Christmas album. I'd hate the radio around the holidays less if they mostly stuck to these tracks.
lo escuché en agosto no puedo decir que eran las vibes. 7,5/10
A bit of fun! I recognise a couple of these as the canonical forms of the songs … and a couple that most certainly are not. It might have registered another half star had it been listened to on Christmas Day (t’was Boxing Day down here in Aus) but I dare say I’ll keep it in mind for next year. The wall of sound and Christmas make for great friends.
christmas album
ba humbug
a nice xmas album, very fun to listen to
The classic Christmas songs
ba humbug
Den tjugofemte december är det i dag, Juldagen och smart nog är det programmerat att få detta album just idag "A Christmas Gift For You" i hopp satt av Phil Spector, producenten av Let It Be och mördare, enkelt sagt har han en av de konstigaste CVn någonsin. Släppt 1963 samma dag som lönnmordet av John F. Kennedy som ledde till dålig försäljning. Om det inte vore för det är jag säker på att detta skulle vara en av de mest storslagna albumen någonsin och hur än dålig Phil Spector som person må ha varit är det omöjligt att neka hans talang här. Alla dessa låtar låter helt enkelt som singlar och alla med tid har i princip blivit det. Ett problem dock, jag gillar inte jullåtar. Att skriva om än hur bra julen är, skulle jag aldrig kunna se som bra lyrik. Men jag ger mig lite och måste säga att det låter bra, jag vill inte skippa något och detta album uppfyller sin viktigaste funktion att ha i bakgrunden under julafton eller juldagen då. Jag bara önskar att detta album var något så intressant som det som var den omgivet, en lönnmördare och en mördare.
Christmas
I felt the Christmas spirit so I think it was decent. 6.5/10
Pretty good Christmas album. I was a little late in getting to it (and I'm also in Australia so I think it was a day late) so I'm a bit over it, but there are some good classic Christmas songs on there.
Didn’t actually listen to it because all of the songs i’ve heard a MILLION times. 5/5 album during christmas time but another time 1/5. I’ll meet in the middle with the ranking.
not a huge fan of christmas songs in general. however, some beautiful singing brings this up to 3/5
While these Christmas tracks are iconic and have graced many an 80’s film, I just don’t have a lot of fondness for Christmas music.
i usually despise all kinds of christmas music, but these are some good tunes to set the mood
A good Christmas album
Really not a fan of Christmas music in general, but the variety of great artists and the amount of Christmas classics makes up for it. If I would be a bigger fan of Christmas this would be my favorite album.
Great Christmas album! Still a Christmas album.
Makes me want to deck the halls with boughs of holly. It's alright.
I'd give it 3.5 if I could. Pretty decent versions of these songs but the underlying ickiness of Phil Spector takes the shine off it.
great christmas vibes, wouldnt listen to otherwise, though.
Very clever
It was decent. Love the Ronettes as always.
A great collection of Christmas songs! And it was given to me ON Christmas! Coincidence? I think not. Still this is an excellent collection of xmas favorites including the Baby Please Come Home by Darlene Love which became a staple on Letterman for all those years.
Didn't get to this one until the 30th. Looks like a lot of classics but I'm not listening. 3/5.
Of any christmas album, this one tops the list. Only issue - works exactly one week of the year
This is fun, and would be great for a Holiday party…I would just try to leave Phil Spector’s name out of it, though. It’s 3 stars for me.
Only works at one time of year. Some magnificent performances on here, particularly the singing and drumming. Baby Please Come Home has an unexpected emotional power in the voice. Slightly overrated?
A nice album overall however I have heard better version of those songs.
Oh this is where all these incredibly American ones come from to drive me a bit mad every December. I did know almost all of them so fair enough. Also a Christmas compilation, so not going on my home page thank you.
Not sure if this was intended, but got this album generated right in time for the holidays :) Picks: Sleigh ride, santa is coming to town, Christmas (Baby please come home)
I did not use a private Spotify session for this album, though it would have been better before Christmas. Before he came out being a gun loving weirdo, I knew Phil as the Wall of Sound innovator, the genius behind countless classics. I like this album, it is exactly what I would expect from a Phil Spector Christmas album, but like most Christmas albums it will only get pulled out once a year.
Pretty good compilation album
Here we go, the Phil Spector Christmas album. I heard about this album on the r/1001AlbumsGenerator subreddit and how it’s picked for a project’s first Christmas if it hasn’t been chosen already. I also heard about this album’s unfortunate associations, that it was released on the same day as the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and that the man behind the production Phil Spector would later be convicted for the murder of actress Lara Jackson. This is on top of it being a Christmas album, which in of itself is a novelty limited to a specific window of the year for a specific audience celebrating that holiday. With all that said, this album is fine for what it is. The selected acts do a solid enough job with their renditions of these Christmas classics, aided by the Wall of Sound production Phil was known for to make these songs come off brighter. In some cases, these renditions became staples of their own such as The Crystals’ cover of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”, Darlene Love’s original “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”, and The Ronettes’ covers of “Sleigh Ride” and “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”. Come to think of it, I consider the Ronettes to be the best act on this collection, given the harmonious vocals that they shared alongside the tight compositions. That said, again it is a Christmas album which is a novelty that doesn’t get sought after beyond the last two months of the year at best. Not helping matters is the fact that not every song on here has exactly aged well in the pantheon of holiday music. I can’t imagine how often people seek out “The Bells of St. Mary”, “A Marshmallow World”, or even “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers”. Also the sign-off at the end from Phil over “Silent Night” is a bit creepy, not gonna lie. Still, I get why this album is special for the time of year when holiday spirits are bright, in spite of some unfortunate circumstances outside of the actual music. I’m at least glad to have listened to it during the appropriate season.
It's a classic Christmas album that sounds great.
White Christmas (Darlene Love) 3 Frosty the Snowman (The Ronettes) 3 The Bells of St. Mary's (Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans) 3.2 Santa Claus is Coming to Town (The Crystals) 3.1 Sleigh Ride (The Ronettes) 3.1 Marshmallow World (Darlene Love) 3.3 I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (The Ronettes) 3 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (The Crystals) 3 Winter Wonderland (Darlene Love) 3.2 Parade of the Wooden Soldiers (The Crystals) 3.3 Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) (Darlene Love) 3.3 Here Comes Santa Claus (Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans) 3 Silent Night (Phil Spector and Artists) 2.8 Score: 3.125
Respect where it's due, these are excellent performances of some classic Christmas standards, including what's probably my favorite version of Christmas (Baby Please Come Home). I don't think Christmas standards can get much higher than this line, but it's still nice to hear them in the season.
253/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
I was a few days behind in my album listening and I just can't listen to any more Christmas music. I'm sure this is great and I will try to listen to it next year.
Yay. I love a Christmas album on Christmas. That said I’d have preferred Elvis or frank Sinatra.
Christmas, 1963 -> 3
pretty good but samey after a little bit. i can imagine how it’s a christmas classic due to its timelessness and nostalgic 50s style production as well as the sheer quality of the melodies on here but personally it doesn’t rank too too high
Leuk voor op de achtergrond ig
Phil Spector is such a creep. The Darlene love songs are the best.
Listened to this while making a ham. This is a hard one to rate. Sure, it’s a five star Christmas album, but I’m not going to want to listen to this one in June. We’ll call it a 2.5 ⭐️ album, but round up to 3 because it’s Baby Jesus’ Birthday.
The best thing that this album has going for it, besides Phil Spector, is that the songs aren't religious. Never been a huge on Christmas music, but greatly prefer these types of songs over the praise baby Jesus songs. Kind of wish it was all Darlene Love and The Ronettes...."Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" is probably the best non-traditional Christmas song ever. Since it's Christmas tunes, it can't be a four....but it's definitely not a two. I liked quite a few renditions of the songs.
абсолютный передоз рождественскими песнями но вайб задает однако первый минус в том что тут ни одной моей любимой песни а второй в том что Фил Спектор гребанный убийца)
хэппи нью э что ль
Well, it's a Christmas album, which is a strike against it. But it's good as far as Christmas albums go--some now-standards, and some otherwise interesting takes on classics. The sound is of its time. 3 stars because it's hard to imagine how a Christmas album could be better, i.e., this is no "A Very Special Christmas with Perry Como" or "Holidays Together with Josh Grogan."
It's just a Christmas album. nothing special.
I appreciate it was a classic collection of Christmas music, but wouldn't be my favorite one to listen to
This album has a few popular (on the radio) songs, and overall I’d rate it three stars. I am unfamiliar with Bob B Soxx. Seems like he was thrown in there just for variety.
comfy
Had no idea Phil Spector was involved in all of these songs. Clearly a talented guy. There's obviously a time and place for this music- which is obviously December, before the family row and the endless washing up. The fact a few of these versions have stood the festive test of time says something... Either that they're classics or that people were too scared not to play them in case this maniacal birds nest of a man crawled out of the fireplace and blasted you in the face. 3 stars as a Christmas album. Some classics, some covers I'm not a big fan of.. and because of the fact it's now boxing day and I've eaten myself into having gout, I currently have a more apathetic view on this sort of music.
I mean dit is zo bedoeld voor een specifieke periode van het jaar dat het haast absurd is om het nu te beoordelen maar toch wel aardig :)
Een klassiek kerstalbum van een veroordeelde moordenaar
"can you believe it guys christmas just a week away"
Here's a conundrum. If you extract a Christmas Album out of the season, is it still a good album? Or is the fact that I am listening to this album on Christmas Day irrevocably biasing my review? Yeah, it probably is. But I don't really care. It's still a decent album.
These were ok for christmas, fun for once. They are well performed but not all arrangements have aged as gracefully and it does not quite fit my european conceptions of christmas. My dad said it was a 3, and I agree.
Christmas!
Classic Christmas songs
This leaves me very conflicted, since I have a soft spot for 60s girl groups, but generally hate Christmas music. That said, this Christmas music is some of the most tolerable for me. Love that wall of sound. Fav tracks: White Christmas, Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, Sleigh Ride, Winter Wonderland
Phil Spector is a convicted murderer. Kinda wild this album is on here (but appropriately assigned on Christmas). I also know Phil Spector was an extremely influential producer and is known for developing the "Wall of Sound" production style. He also produced the Beatles album "Let It Be" including the song "The Long and Winding Road" which I love. That being said, I do enjoy how this album is a huge collaboration project between a ton of musicians. I didn't really like the songs that Bob B. Soxx worked on tho. However...I have trouble ranking a Christmas album much higher than a 3 and even at that, it's not my favorite Christmas album. The "Silent Night" last track was a pretty creative way to say "goodbye and thanks for listening" tho. I do like how these albums sound old which is fun.
Christmas Oldies. Like.
what's not to like about this on Christmas day? Besides, its a break & getaway from the Buble!
A real solid Christmas album. But it is a Christmas album.
This was fine. A nice Christmas album. I’ll put it on this year in December.
Pretty good takes. Listening to this with my New Year’s Day hangover is my punishment for falling behind
Fun Christmas album, Baby Please Come Home is an all-timer, can’t say that it is a 4 though because it’s just a Christmas album
Fine. Christmas music.
Schöne Weihnachtslieder, etwas kitschig.
Have a very goodfellas christmas
Better than Mariah, that’s for sure
I generally enjoy having Christmas music around for December, and Christmas music of all stripes - sacred, secular, traditional, classic, modern, weird, reverent, irreverent, whatever. I liked A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector by Various Artists well enough. Plenty of well-known songs from the general Christmas radio rotation. These mostly aren't my personal favorite recordings of these songs - "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" was done better by The Jackson 5, I like Autry's original "Here Comes Santa Claus" best, and so on - but there's something to be said for having an album with a bunch of classics handled in a fairly consistent style. Makes for a nice listening experience. Wish it didn't have the outro narration by Phil though.
I'm not a fan of Christmas music or Christmas albums. There are some classics on here, so it moves itself up from the 1 star I would normally give most Christmas albums. 3 stars.
Just because it's Xmas and I need to be generous with grades..
Frankly I don't think I would want to get a gift from Phil Spector given his track record
6/10 Fav tracks - Frosty the snowman, sleigh ride, Winter Wonderland
It’s the most tolerable Christmas album I’ve ever heard. Great version of frosty the snowman. Listenable 1/365 days of the year.
Phil Spector presiding over an album celebrating joy and family feels....wrong. Darlene Love is the best part of the album and if Phil laid a finger on her I'll piss on his grave
Apparently Brian Wilson’s favorite album. I’m a bit of a grinch, but this sounds as good as any Christmas music I’ve heard.
A nice change from the standard versions of these songs. Sonically good as well.
I liked this. Fun Christmas songs. I'll need to spend some more time with it in the future.
Felt weird to listen to in January but is obv amazing
phil spector murdered someone insane how much staying power these songs have. hope the artists who performed them got the royalties (I unfortunately doubt it very much prob all went to the murderer) but I’m giving them their flowers this is quintessential stuff here. But also I’m jewish so 3/5
It's OK but not really great.
Fine for christmas music, but won't be listening to this album again for a year.
I don't know. Xmas (Baby Please come home) is an undeniable classic and some of the other classic tracks work with the WOS treatment (Sleight Ride) but does Frosty the Snowman really need this maximalist reinterpretation. This was made in a moment where pop culture was shifting and so much of the American experience was reimagined - this is perhaps best understood as a counterpoint to Burl Ives. In the end - the album does work on getting into some holiday spirit. There are some clunkers but you can help but get caught up.
Didn’t review this until Jan so didn’t put it on. The songs are good so I’ll give it a prospective 6/10
Crazy to hear the Phil Spector story!
Wow, that's a murders row of excellent singers. Christmas music is only good for 2 days of the year, but these are classics.
Fuck Phil Spector. Unfortunately this album is actually pretty good.
I can't help but think this album would've been better to listen to around Christmas time, but here we are. I've always said there are only a dozen Christmas songs ever, just redone a million times, and here they all are. These are great versions, especially The Ronettes songs. It's a pleasant listen, even in January, and one of the better all around Holiday albums ever recorded. I'll give it a 3, because bah humbug!
Not really my shit, but you have to respect it.
Standard Christmas album
Hard to judge a Christmas album objectively... but these are hits and its solid from beginning to end.
Everything you could wish for in a 1960’s Christmas album.
A festive treat that the whole family enjoyed on Christmas Day. Not quite Slade and Wizzard standard but did the job.
Solid Christmas album
Exceptional singing from legends. Obviously seasonal. Makes me wonder why we don’t have a collection of awesome Independence Day jamz! Curious about this Phil Spector. Gonna do some additional research about his life and career.
I am not particularly a Christmas music enjoyer, but these were certainly not the worst christmas musics
Fun and timely but unfortunately just heard the majority of these songs leading into Christmas
This came through on December 26th.. so close! What a fun coincidence. For a sec I thought the 1001AG creator was being clever and wedging this one into every participant's list, but was then flooded with reasons of just how buck wild that would be haha. The timing was fun, even though I'm a little sick of Christmas music at this point, compared to what's out there, this one's a shining star on the highest bough. Now to continue muddling through somehow...
Justo un 26 de diciembre me viene a aparecer la re puta madre.
Whomever is playing drums for the Ronettes on Frosty is really going to town. Come to think of it listening to the drums alone on this whole album it's hard to believe it's a Christmas album. The whole band really brings it to the table. This is a Christmas Album that has some refreshing approaches overall. There's some deep cuts in here too to cut the banality of Xmas playlists such as "The Bells of St. Mary" & "Marshmallow World" which is nice. Weird choice for this 1001 list but alright.. whatever.
Some Christmas Classics, especially the Ronettes tunes.
Leuk om zo eens goed naar de Wall of Sound van Phil Spector te luisteren. En ook al is deze gemaakt om in de jaren 60 toch een beetje geluid uit crappy radiotjes te toveren (en dus niet voor Bluetooth AirPods), is het een plezier om naar te luisteren. De studio als instrument. Het blijft natuurlijk wel kerstmuziek en eigenlijk moet ik daar gewoon niks van hebben. 6,5/10
Wall of sound meets Christmas.
Nu når der er et decideret jule album på, så acceptere jeg at listen ikke er helt tilfældig. Den er kort og fin, men sætter den nok ikke på næste jul.
Cute little Christmas album, but it’s no Michael Bublé. Easy to throw on during the holiday season and impress the old folks that would recognize all these oldies, but it’s just aight.
Christmas album so hard to rate. Includes a lot of good songs, as well as multiple songs that are the “best” version of that song. 3 stars!
Definitely conflicted with rating this album. It’s such a situational album that you can really only listen to for about a month out of the year. But, it also has a handful of tracks that I’ve heard around Christmas time pretty much every year that I’ve been alive with classics that have stood the test of time for the past sixty years. I love the Motown sound, and I think it would be higher if it wasn’t exclusively a Christmas album.
This is a weird one to rate. I love Christmas music in the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas but not the other 11 months of the year. This was a solid mix of many classics but I’m not adding any to my albums faves playlist because I don’t need Rudolph in June.
Fine but it’s no Sia…
It’s a good Christmas album, but it’s still just a Christmas album
Ok, let’s address the festive elephant in the room. We all know that the producer of this record is very much on the naughty list but on the plus side his nuts are now definitely roasting on an open fire somewhere hot. Anyhoo, this album pretty much defined the canon of Christmas pop songs in the 60s. The highlights for me are the classic songs from the adorable Darlene Love who is still with us and will be getting royalties from this. Merry Christmas all!
Beautiful Christmas songs
Despite listening to it in April when I’m not in the Christmas spirit, I still think this is somewhat overrated. The standouts are classics you hear year after year for a reason, sure, but there’s a lot of chaff on this. Of the “four” artists, I’d really say only The Ronettes pull through consistently; Darlene Love is good but not great aside from “Frosty the Snowman,” The Crystals are pretty consistently mediocre considering how much space they take up here, and Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans are easily the weak link here and I thank god they only have 2 songs on this album. And that’s not even discussing Spector’s closer. Like, sure, the production is great, but couldn’t Spector’s Wall of Sound have been exemplified by a non-Christmas album like Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes, which would also do a better job showcasing doo-wop and girl group aesthetics? For that matter, where are the other essential Christmas albums: Charlie Brown Christmas, Mariah’s Merry Christmas, or Bing Crosby’s White Christmas, even if it’s from before the era when the book starts? Sometimes it’s hard to sympathize with a listen at face value when you know its inclusion means the exclusion of other albums with a similar purpose that are as good or even better than what I just listened to, and I think when only half the album works compared to other doo-wop and/or Christmas albums, it’s a fair complaint. Still, it’s mostly good, just overhyped in my opinion. At the very least, you’ll 1000% hear most of this before you die, because they play it every year, and what they don’t play from this album is better left unheard anyway.
i saved this one until xmas. it was ok as far as xmas albums go.
Good christmas old time songs
I would not recommend listening to this in March, as I did, but the Xmas songs are decent versions of classics. Not sure I needed to listen to this before dying though
dnf
great Christmas album but all a bit creepy having Spector talking at the end knowing what a Grade A ars*hole he was to everyone.
3 etoiles
Weihnachten
Classic Christmas
A few bangers in there, not great recording quality
Nice listening on Christmas day :)
this album was most likely suggested to be played on the big day, which i guess we're a little behind one. anyways... it's fine. it's vintage christmas music, typical campy pop from that era. the vocal performances are actually pretty alright! there's just only so much i can say about a woman beltin frosty the snowman.
It wouldn't be Christmas without Phil Spector's 'wall of sound'. A bit kitschy, but who cares! Contains some of the classic Christmas sounds, including "Frosty the Snowman" and "Sleigh Ride" by The Ronettes, "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" by The Crystals, plus "Winter Wonderland" by Darlene Love.
Llegamos al post-navidad, un momento que conjuga resaca de comida sumamente calórica mezclada con litros del alcohol. El disco tocaba ayer pero se pasó para hoy: no había energías en el día siguiente a la Nochebuena para analizar música. Música alegre, extraña para éstas tierras: pese a que los villancicos nunca logran adecuarse a nuestra región, las canciones son pegadizas.
Oh. Uh. Phil. You.. you shouldn't have. (after reading up on the man) Jesus fucking Christ, you REALLY shouldn't have, Phil.
From a strictly personal standpoint: This is too much xmas for the day after xmas!
note 3
Weltliches 60s-Weihnachtsalbum im Spector-Sound. Klassiker.
Nice compilation for Xmas. Useless for the rest of rhe year
Phil Spector was a weirdo that ended up where he belonged, but I won't hold that against the black artists that made this classic album possible.
After listening to Christmas music for hours the night before I was all out of Christmas spirit. That being said it's still a great Christmas album with the once a year replay value.
Gute Alternative zu Last Christmas, Wonderful Dream usw....kann man sich anhören. Aber halt nur zu Weihnachten :)
Good seasonal play. Surprisingly entertaining.
Чисто рождественский ламповый альбом Никакого попсового драйва, только милые спокойные рождественские песни. Жаль что альбом чисто под 1 сезон((
merry christmas white christmas- 6 its ummmm christmas idk what to say frosty the snowman- 5. its hwatever. the bells of st mary- oh that was it?? 4 ig santa claus is coming to town- 4. ear worm. PHIL MURDERED SOMEONE??????????? sleigh ride- im still hung up on the murder thing hold the fucking phone. omg hes the guy christmas kids is about. the more yknow ig. ummm this song is whatever a 4 ig ive been kind of caught up in the murder part. rest in peace lana clarkson a marshmallow world- OH MY GOD HIS MUGSHOT?????? anyway like a 3 its kind of ass i saw mommy kissing santa claus- this song is weird anyway. 3. its weird man. rudolph the red nosed reindeer- its whatever 4. winter wonderland- boring. 3 parade of the wooden soldiers- boring too. 2 christmas (baby please come home)- isnt it crazy how come and home dont rhyme. anyway. ummmmmm 3 ig here comes santa claus- boring ass. 2 silent night- alright phil. oh thats it? bye phil that murderer thing really threw me off
Christmas Songs, gut, aber immer nur zu einer Zeit des Jahres
Nice Songs
fun christmas songs w/ phil spec
наступила весна, а значит самое время слушать новогодние песни. не поклонник рождественской музыки, тк это почти всегда коммерция, но посмотреть на продюссерскую работу Фила Спектора было интересно, попутно читая всякую инфу про него и артистов из сборника. конечно в самих песнях ничего интересного особо нет, это дефолт попса 60х, просто качественная. настолько что даже сейчас слушается приятно. думаю, на следующий новый год я буду подрубать этот сборник для вайба. ну а так ладно, было круто ознакомиться с хитами 60х. короче пон п.с. слушать весёлые песни, читая статьи про то как Спектор убил Лану Кларксон охуенно оценка - 6,5/10
Maybe I would have liked more If I was American. Much of the songs did not hit me at all, but It feels that 90% of the USA knows them. Cool album. 3/5
all time christmas music
Yaya christmas
I personally don’t have the nostalgia factor that so many do for this record (my mom strangely can’t stand most girl groups, so this was not a household staple growing up). Additionally, I think the cuts that have survived on holiday radio stations over here for the past 50 years are clearly the highlights, and the others don’t do a whole lot for me. But I totally respect its place in the pantheon of music history and enjoy it well enough when it’s on. Mostly, it just means so much to feel like I have a personalized gift from ultimate good guy Phil Spector, a man who arguably embodied the Christmas spirit more than anyone in history. 3.5/5
christmas shit
This is a good album but I don't need to hear Phil Spector stroke his ego at the end
Will have to listen again next year.
Merrily.
Good. Not great. Some heaters. Some beaters.
Love Christmas classics and the listening enjoyment was certainly enhanced by the fact that it was actually Christmas Day. I think a Christmas album is an odd choice for this list though and would have been less positively received any other day of the year.
Love Christmas music, but over the years I like other versions better
Yeah I'm not really a big Christmas music guy. I didn't hate it. I just didn't really like it. But I don't think it's bad so 3 stars.
За ову врсту занимљиво 6/10
Pure class, from the mere inclusion of Darlene Lowe’s Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Meh.... Xmas
cuki ötlet:)
Classic Christmas hits. Couple of misses.
Very nice, great renditions of some classic traditional songs including a few that remain decades later.
Full of Christmas classics.
I heard most of this
The bands performing on this album are fantastic, and the music is high-quality. The actual songs being covered are overplayed and exhausting to give a close listen to after months of hearing them day-in-day-out at every shop in the city. Still, the charm and passion of the musicians means I can't really justify giving this less than 3 stars.
A lot of Christmas classics all wrapped up in a Phil Spector bow. Talented producer, but you know what, the murder taints it just a little bit. Might be easier to forget about if his name wasn't in the title and he didn't give a creepy, "heartfelt" message at the end. As it stands, a little uncomfortable, but the music here is classic.
A good collection of christmas music, but it being christmas music it is not something I'll often listen to
I don’t do Christmas songs but if I did I wouldn’t mind this. Listens: 1 Fave Track: Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) Rating: 3
Phil Spector is one of the most complicated artists for me in terms of “separate art from the artist.” An abusive, exploitative, murderous man who is also in some part responsible for the sound of all popular music since the 60s. An incredible innovator for sound who touched so many iconic albums. The benefit of an album like“Let it Be” is that you can kind of “forget” about his involvement. Not so with an album that has his name in its title. He haunts this album full of cheery Christmas classics! And even as the album goes on and you’ve nearly forgotten about him, he decides to show up like a dick and mansplain the record to you on the final track. Ugh. So many of these songs are so endlessly nostalgic, and it’s easy to not realize that many of the song arrangements that are so familiar originated from this album. Some of the sound has aged poorly, but it was revolutionary stuff in its time. The Darlene love tracks are the best—and especially “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” which is one of the greatest Christmas records of all time.
This is certainly a niche record, a "once a year" kind of thing. That's ok, of course, and these are solid versions of Christmas classics. It's bathed in that Phil Spector Wall-Of-Sound (TM), which works in this early 60's framing. Members of the Wrecking Crew ensure the music is perfect. The Ronettes' version of Sleigh Bell is especially good. All of it is good, and several of the arrangements have become "standard". But, it's just not a record with broad appeal. I' don't own this one, and won't be adding it to my collection. 3/5
Phil Spector is an utterly repugnant human being but the music is really good. So the marking is right down the middle. Merry Christmas.
Solid enough. Could’ve done without Phil’s victory lap track.
There are a couple of songs in this album that never fail to fill me with joy. Others not so much but I’d play this in a heartbeat next Christmas.
Made me laugh getting this on the 25th.
Talent no doubt, but Im not a Christmas music gal.
its christmas
I don't really know how to rate it. It's Christmas music, it's good performances, but only really applicable during Christmas. I guess 3 for being decent Christmas music. Will I listen to again: 50% at Christmas, 0% otherwise
a holiday classic. You get what you expect! Fun
A Christmas gift for me? Got the gift receipt? I'll keep the songs by The Ronettes and "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" by Darlene Love though...
Love christmas
Not bad for an xmas album
This feels like my generations version of classic Christmas songs. This is how I remember hearing them when I was younger. It’s nice, not over the top, just solid.
Covers of classic christmas songs by artists such as the Ronettes. Not bad but I prefer the versions of Elvis, Frank Sinatra etc. Stand-out: Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Rockin Christmas classic from your favorite wife beater - Phil Spector! Bruce Springsteen later borrowed the chorus from the Crystals' Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and U2 also covered Darlene Love's Christmas (Baby Please Come Home). All the songs are nice versions of Christmas standards, but I'll give a thumbs down for Phil Spector's speaking over Silent Night.
Familiar Christmas songs, but hearing them outside the festive period they tend to blend into one another
Solid Christmas album. Nothing more, nothing less.
3. As good as a murderer can made
What a nice Christmas surprise! That was very cute
Don’t like Xmas music but can’t argue that this isn’t a classic.
Great to get this on Christmas day because it would be hard listening and rating it in August! Today it feels like the perfect vibe for the most magical day of the year.
1. uuhite chriztmaz - 2 2. frozty the znouuman - 3 3. the bellz of zt mary - 1 4. zanta clauz iz coming to touun - 1.5 5. zleigh ride - 1.5 6. a marzhmallouu uuorld - 1 7. i zauu mommy kizzing zanta clauz - 2 8. rudolph - 2 9. uuinter uuonderland - 1 10. parade of the uuooden zoldierz - 0 11. chriztmaz - 2 12. here comez zanta clauz - 0 13. zilent night - 2
Merry Christmas/10