Reviews (page 11 of 17)
I don't get the cultural significance. Hm, make this project 1000 albums you'll need to listen to.
Owned Always loved this showcase of talent. Not much I can add to this. Could subtract the Phil Spector spoken word part but eh.
From a strictly personal standpoint: This is too much xmas for the day after xmas!
note 3
Schönes Weihnachtsalbum. Gute Hintergrundmusik.
Hm, I'm not a Grinch, but I'm not a fan of christmas music.
Not bad but there definitely are Christmas Albums I love better.
Nicht meins
Not for me. I'm not into Christmas Kitsch.
Bekannte Lieder, wirklich passend
Ohne das richtige Weihnachtsfeeling will das nicht so richtig rüber kommen und ich kann mich gerade nur schwer begeistern.
Nix für mich
Weltliches 60s-Weihnachtsalbum im Spector-Sound. Klassiker.
Nice compilation for Xmas. Useless for the rest of rhe year
I like all the artists soulful renditions of classic christmas songs. They really turned simple Christmas songs into something special that isn’t boring. I find myself only listening to christmas songs during December but tracks like sleigh ride are enjoyable to listen to all year
Weihnachtslieder... hängen mir mittlerweile zu den Ohren heraus!
Weihnachten...
It’s also not my musik
Christmas Pop der 60er
A lot of Christmas favorites I didn’t know where they came from. Added this to my Christmas playlist.
Na ja, Nur das "Chrismas (Baby please come home) ist gut.
WTF?
GOAT Christmas songs but didn't phil spector kill someone
okay the music on here is stellar but Phil Spector is a monster
Good Christmas album.
just an old school christmas album pretty fire
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.
A solid track selection, shame about the Phil Spector association.
Samey classic Christmas songs
Gute Alternative zu Last Christmas, Wonderful Dream usw....kann man sich anhören. Aber halt nur zu Weihnachten :)
It was a Christmas album. Some good ones, some I didn't care for.
Good seasonal play. Surprisingly entertaining.
Schöne Weihnachtslieder!
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
Ja es ist Weihnachten. Ja Phil Spector war ein innovativer Produzent. Und ja ich mag die Crystals und Ronettes. Aber ein Weihnachtslied nach dem anderen: No.
Christmas Songs, gut, aber immer nur zu einer Zeit des Jahres
If you like the 60s sound of “Dirty Dancing”, this is the right Christmas album for you. But unfortunately not for me.
60s very nice
Ganz nette Produktion.
This was recommended on Christmas of all days! Enjoyable and perfect for the season.
Lovely Christmas album
I hate christmas
Did not know that so many great classics come from a single album.
A welcome Christmas gift with a bunch of classics and good covers 4/5
Not interested
Great for Christmas
Was es damals so alles gab. Nichts für mich.
Nice Songs
Personally, I really dislike Christmas music, I long substance when it comes to music and I just don’t see Christmas music as full of substance.
Glorious
fun christmas songs w/ phil spec
Nice to get this one right on Christmas Day, all classics
Cozy Christmas vibes all over the whole record! Also it is incredible to think about how young Spector was when he revolutionized music production.
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
Certainly a festive selection to listen to today! But this is a weird one. Will I ever consciously return to this album? No. Is it a decent recording of Christmas songs? Sure. It does the job it sets out to do. But I’m not amazed at the production. 2.5/5
Didn't even listen because even when I love Christmas, I can't stan a full album of Christmas songs (especially one from Phil Spector).
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
Cómo album de Navidad es muy bueno!!
Great Christmas songs but probably will only listen to it on occasion.
The greatest Christmas album of all time? It's possible. Every song is a banger, the production is impeccable (obviously) and the voices are note perfect. Those drums, reverbed vocals, all of it. Nothing gets me into a Christmas mood more. I'd listen to this in July, I love it that much.
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
It’s a Christmas album.
I grew up on bing crosby🤷🏽♂️
Hate Christmas music
1/5
This may be the greatest Christmas album. This is Phil Spector's collection of seasonal classics, in his well-produced, orchestrated style.
I know he's a murderer or whatever but damn I appreciate this for the work everyone else contributed! idk the full story but these vocals are insanely good.
It’s Christmas music presented by a convicted murderer
christmas shit
the arrangement is so big and so unique that everything so old can sound so new to me like for "white Christmas". also realised this is the album where "Christmas (baby please come home)". also, how great is Darlene love? great new takeaway for me. The bells of st. mary is a stand out.
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.
Love this rendition of Christmas songs!
what a lovely Christmas album... shame about the artist
The best Xmas album ever.
I don’t really know the whole shindig about Phil Spector being a murderer, but this album slaps. -2 points for the accusations. 2.7/5 Favorite: “Frosty The Snowman” Least Favorite: “The Bells of St. Mary”
I'm not going to listen to this, tbh. I already know the whole thing and I also "know" Phil Spector. What it's like to be in his back to mono mind. He's very Nazi-like, the closest thing to Leni Riefenstahl pop music has. Oppressive, but undeniably impressive.
Christmas Day obviously this a 5 Don’t wanna hear this shit untill December 1st though
- yayyy merry christmas
Helt bra, julmusik e int kanske min genre
Jebena americka bozicna muzika, ko jos slusa ovo stvarno?
Guay para navidades. Le daría un %. Pero .... Phil Spector ...
Merry Merry Christmas produced by a murderer! I fucking hate Christmas music. I understand the exact appeal and atmosphere it is trying to build and its just a mental high i cant maintain past a couple minutes of Christmas cheer, at least without a break. Nonetheless, this album gets points for being one of strikingly many worked on by the infamous Phil Spector. The groups in the line up arent bad at all, i just dont enjoy Christmassy music as a genre :)
Good. Not great. Some heaters. Some beaters.
It was OK. Not really my style of music.
Fuck Christmas music with a cactus
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.
A classic - probably the classic Christmas album. not every somg is a winner but pretty darn close!
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.
The only Xmas album that matters. Darlene Love could sing the phone book and it would be a fucking banger.
The only Xmas album that matters. Darlene Love could sing the phone book and it would be a fucking banger.
A Christmas album on Christmas Day!
За ову врсту занимљиво 6/10
Pure class, from the mere inclusion of Darlene Lowe’s Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Hands down the best Christmas album of all time!
Not what I want to listen to the day after Christmas. Maybe if this had been put before me on Christmas Eve or earlier, it would have been appreciated. Being given this as exactly the wrong time, I must give it a 2.
01) White Christmas - 9,5 02) Frosty The Snowman - 9,5 03) The Bells of St. Mary - 8,5 04) Santa Claus Is Coming to Town - 9,0 05) Sleigh Ride - 10,0 06) Marshmallow World - 8,0 07) I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - 8,5 08) Rudolph The Red-Nosed Raindeer - 8,5 09) Winter Wonderland - 8,5 10) The Parade of the Tin Soldiers - 8,5 11) Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - 10,0 12) Here Comes Santa Claus - 8,0 13) Silent Night - 8,0 TOTAL: 8,81 (88/100) Merry Christmas everyone!
Pish
Christmas songs suck
Like some sort of sick joke I got this on Christmas day. For most people that would be a good thing. Unfortunately due to personal reasons that I won't go into, Christmas is a horrendous time of year for me. I couldn't listen to this and can't find a way to skip it.
christmas
Bah humbug
Spector killed it with this one.
Meh.... Xmas
I could really do without the spoken interludes on a couple of these songs. Phil Spector talking all over "Silent Night" knocked a full star off of this thing. Darlene Love has an incredible voice. I had never heard "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" before and, after listening, I understand why. Overall, this is a nice gift from Phil Second Degree Murder Spector. His "Wall of Sound" approach makes for exciting, stirring moments, and also for some muddiness and lack of clarity, sometimes on the same song. It's not my favorite Christmas album and sounds very dated to my ears, but I bet this went off in the early 60s. Highlights: Sleigh Ride, Winter Wonderland, Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Darlene Love forever
A lot of classics for Christmas. 4/5 but not in the library.
7.5/10
cuki ötlet:)
syrupy
Classic Christmas hits. Couple of misses.
Good classic Christmas songs. If I ever play a Christmas album in my entire life, which I never have, then I would probably look to this.
It's a bit unfair to drop this on us on Xmas day. I had a brilliant day and this was on loop so of course it gets 5 stars. Merry Christmas everyone!
nostalgia. not for me ta.
Very nice, great renditions of some classic traditional songs including a few that remain decades later.
Absolute commercial rubbish
An interesting mix with some real contemporary classics mixed in. It's a fun listen when you're in the mood for something a little different.
Easily the best Christmas album of all
The only Christmas record I listen to. Everything is great - skip the weird Phil Spector thing at the end.
Guay para navidades. Le daría un %. Pero .... Phil Spector ...
I've never liked this kind of Christmas music.
Christmas innit
Gear: Grado Hemp Mische: geradezu antik und Treble-lastig abgemischt, quasi unerträglich mit Hi-Fi Kopfhörern - eher was für Supermarkt Deckenlautsprecher (bitte nich) Mugge: man möchte brechen Wertung: 1/5
Frosty the Snowman - The Ronettes Sleigh Ride - The Ronettes A Marshmallow World - Darlene Love
Full of Christmas classics.
I heard most of this
Yep, it's Christmas music
I get that its a classic, but I don't know if it really deserves to be among all these greats... holiday music will always be low hanging fruit to me.
Great Christmas album because of the artists.
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.
Phil Spector’s wall of sound is so influential. This album embodies that. Sucks that he became a murderer.
I’m not a huge fan of Christmas music, but as far as Christmas albums go, you can’t do much better than this. (Made me smile to see it pop up as the album for Christmas Day.)
I have heard many of these Christmas songs over the years and I was unaware that the ones that I have heard were all on the same record.
Wait, did they purposefully give me this for Christmas? I guess if a Christmas album is on this list, it makes sense to give it in December, not in July. I was just watching a video about how Phil Spector screwed Darlene Love out of royalties in the making of this album, as iconic as she was in Baby Please Come Home. Phil Spector sketchiness aside, this sounds pretty epic for a 60s Christmas album in the singing and instrumentals. Still, it's a Christmas album, 3*.
Listened to this while tidying up a few days after Christmas. Yasssss Phil Spector...sleigh girl, sleigh! Someone should have clarified that spelling with him. Before Phil Spector was a murderer, he definitely produced some killer jams with his signature sound. I hadn't heard a lot of these versions before, but I can imagine this becoming my go to Christmas album in future years.
Soul fueled Christmas and it came at a nice time.
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
Ba humbug. 1/5
Loved all of the songs. This is going to be one of my favorite Christmas album.
This has to be one of the best Christmas albums ever put out. I’m not likely to listen to it outside of a week or two before Christmas though. By my rubric, it’s somewhere between a 3 and 4. But since I will come back to it on purpose, even if only one short time of the year, let’s call it a 4. I’m sure I rate other albums at 4 that I listen to slightly less frequently than that!
A good Christmas album. It’s hard to rate this because after having lived through 40+ Christmases and working in retail for some of those years and restaurants in others, not really able to have an unbiased new opinion of these songs that get forced down my throat every December. They’re good, well recorded and produced for the era, but not making my socks roll up and down with excitement. Solid 2.5⭐️s.
Cheery
Rating: 5/10 It's alright, good performances but I hate Christmas music so I'll never return to this.
For Christmas some songs
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.
Ого, новогодний подарок. ЭТО МНЕ????? ну, рождество я не праздную, так что у меня нет особых чувств к этому празднику. Но нас уже приучили что это "новогодняя" музыка. Окей, значит новогодняя... Честно сказать я сегодня в тухлом настроении и этот альбом не делает мне приятно. Хотя я и узнаю мелодии отсюда, и типа они новогодние, в балдёжной аранжировке. Но во-первых мне мешает оценить культурный код. Во-вторых моё собственное настроение духа. Мне вообще не новогодне. Так что два.
One of the best Christmas albums of all time.
Murderer is hard to ignore. Wall of sound redeems a little
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
a classic
Very nice album. Interesting approach to Christmas songs.
Phil Spector is an utterly repugnant human being but the music is really good. So the marking is right down the middle. Merry Christmas.
only because its christmas
Classic collection of Christmas staples, pity about Phil Spector’s name being attached though
Solid enough. Could’ve done without Phil’s victory lap track.
It's a very nice collection of Christmas songs 5/5
This brought back memories of working retail in a department store. I couldn't turn this off fast enough. Christmas music is horrible. 1.15
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.
no
Classics
fuck phil spector. shat all over let it be. well... and murder too of course. very jolly tho
Does what it says on the tin
5/10 Highlights: Sleigh Ride
Made me laugh getting this on the 25th.
Talent no doubt, but Im not a Christmas music gal.
its christmas
Brilliant. Festive. Season. And I hate Christmas, but I love the season, and the music!
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
Darlene Love is the best. 4.5
Old school Christmas classics
a holiday classic. You get what you expect! Fun
I hate christmas songs. This is an album of christmas songs. Significant 30/81 FUCK NO Liked 14/81 HELL NO Added 4/81 CHRIST NO
Classic tunes. Just right for Christmas.
Christmas standards that everyone loves. I don't love Phil Spector for many reasons but I'm giving this a 4 as a tribute to the artists
A classic Christmas album. "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" is an all-time great. A fantastic album, full of songs that I still hear all the time so many years later. Pretty incredible. Darlene Love has such a lovely voice.
Not bad for Christmas music.
All songs are classics. 5/5
I am not a fan of Christmas music and after listening to this album, I can confidently say that I still don't like it. At least I tried. Favorite Song(s): N/A
Classic Christmas album.
Sure it’s historically relevant and all that, but there’s absolutely no way I’m ever listening to this dreck ever again.
Absolutely delightful.
For Christmas music, this is great. I want to know what else Darlene Love did now!
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 one gets heavy rotation at my house around Christmas.
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.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone! I think it's really fun that the guy who runs this website decided to give everyone the Christmas album on Christmas itself. You know, I can't say I've ever wanted a Christmas gift from a convicted murderer, but I will gladly take "A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector", because this is some good stuff. There really isn't much to say. This is an album with some absolute Christmas classic. They're some pretty good covers too. Some of these, like the Ronettes version of "Sleigh Ride" are even considered by many to be the definitive versions of these songs. The songs themselves are good Christmas songs. None of them have aged particularly poorly (although as long as you're not including Baby It's Cold Outside, I'm pretty sure you're set). It does end weirdly with Phil Spector thanking the listener over an instrumental of Silent Night. Obviously that's weird now with what we know about Mr. Spector, but even on its own it's kind of a weird way to end the album. Overall, it's nothing crazy, but a nice little treat for the Christmas season. High 3/5.
It’s a good Christmas album. 2 stars
Highlights: The Bells of St Mary. Issued on a hot Christmas Day. Well played, Album Generator. Overall: 4/10
36/100 Based on this scale: 1 star - 0 to 19 2 stars - 20 to 39 3 stars - 40 to 59 4 stars - 60 to 79 5 stars - 80 to 100 I'm torn. On the one hand, I dislike Christmas music, but on the other hand, there is some legitimately good vocal work on this album. Strong 2 stars.
Merry Christmas
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)
This is probably one of the best Christmas albums out there. From a wide variety of artists, these classics are very good renditions of popular holiday songs. It is unfortunate that Phil Spector shot that poor actress in the mouth.
Quality variety Christmas combo album
Classic Christmas songs, classic phil spector sound. Not much to say here, good album, kind of standard/boring song selection but they're all good. Repeats: bells of st mary, Santa clause is coming to town, Christmas (baby please come home) Skips: frosty the snowman, parade of wooden soldiers
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.
Merry Christmas!
No. 78/1001 White Christmas 3/5 Frosty the Snowman 3/5 The Bells of St. Mary 3/5 Santa Claus is Coming to Town 4/5 Sleigh Ride 4/5 A Marshmallow World 4/5 I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa 3/5 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer 3/5 Winter Wonderland 3/5 Parade Of The Wooden Soldier 3/5 Christmas 5/5 Here Comes Santa Claus 3/5 Silent Night NR Average: 3,42 Liked the songs by The Ronettes & Darlene Love the best. On some other songs I thought the production didn't age too well. Comparable songs from Dean Martin or Frank Sinatra from this era did age way better. Was debating between 3 and 4, but since it contains so many classics I had to give a 4.
Familiar Christmas songs, but hearing them outside the festive period they tend to blend into one another
This is nothing groundbreaking, but if you need a classic Christmas album to throw on during the holidays then this one fits the bill easily. You've probably heard many of these renditions before, and they're classics for a reason. Hard to see much wrong with it, but the highs aren't quite 5-worthy to me. Highlight: Sleigh Ride Lowlight: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Surprise Hit: Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers
A flawless album to satisfy your Retro Christmas needs. Never mind who produced it, every performer on here gives it their all and you can absolutely tell. A must play for the Christmas period.
Not into that xmas music lol
Solid Christmas album. Nothing more, nothing less.
Loved it
I’m not wanting any gift from Phil cos it might be a gun to my face
Is it a gun Phil? Did you get me a gun?
Nice collection of Christmas songs
I hope hell it's nice Mr Spector 🔥🔥🔥
3. As good as a murderer can made
This would automatically get a 1 from me because it's a Christmas album, but there is a terrific amount of talent behind this. Shame it's wasted on a Christmas album. Christmas (Baby Come Home) is one of the five Christmas tracks or so that I actually enjoy
Probably the most iconic Christmas album that isn't Mariah Carey. Dude was a maniac though learning about his later years. I keep separating the artist from the music though and I'll keep doing that I guess. Phil Spector was not a good guy.
Lots of fun songs, not too long. No low points.
What a nice Christmas surprise! That was very cute
Xmas music sucks
like all the other reviews, can't really get away from the killer phil spector association catchy tunes though
What cruel person would rate this fewer than 5 stars?
Pretty much has to be the definitive 'hipster-approved/quite tasteful' Christmas album. All good
Darlene Love and The Ronettes?? 5
Thoughts before listening: This is appropriate for Christmas. Looks to be classic Christmas songs but with Phil Spector's over the top orchestral production style. I am sure this will be great. Review: This is a nearly perfect Christmas album. The Phil Spector wall of sound style really elevates these songs, and he is working with some of the best female vocalists of all time: Darlene Love, The Ronettes, and the Crystals. The versions of Sleigh Ride, A Marshmallow World and Christmas (Baby Come Home) on this album have become staples of Christmas playlists so it is fun to hear them amongst the other songs recorded in those same sessions. This is a 4-star album. That being said, I will only be adding one of these songs to the playlist: "The Bells of St. Mary" which is the only discovery I made while listening (and its a very good track). Great as they are, these songs don't make sense outside of the context of Christmas. I would rather add this album to my Christmas record collection to bust out every year during the holidays than add something to a playlist that I end up skipping 11 months out of the year.
Don’t like Xmas music but can’t argue that this isn’t a classic.
This album on Christmas Day? How could I not give it a 5?
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
No thanks.
I didn’t realise how old these Christmas classics were.
Phil Spector is a trash human… album is good for the holidays though!
Well done but I'd settle for never listening to any of these ever again.
Solid Christmas album with a lot of these renditions being the classic go-to-versions of the songs. Nothing more to really add.
Very christmasy
Pretty good for Christmas music
This album is the worst thing Phil Spector has ever done 2.5/10
As a Christmas album it's listenable. Why it ended up on this list I'm not sure.
Should have listened to it a month ago I guess 😅
Prefer ‘now that’s what I call Christmas’ 1.5
DINGALINGALINGALING DONG DING DINGALINGALINGALING DONG DING DINGALINGALINGALING DONG DING DINGALINGALINGALING DONG DING
It’s a nice little touch that this is given on Christmas, but I agree with the comments that it’s kinda the last thing I actually want to listen to on Christmas Day, personally because I’ve already come up with my alternative Christmas playlist. It’s a good album though, as a producer Phil Spector could do no wrong
kinda funny. probably has some of the most wifey heard songs on here. it obviously is a needed classic and hard to rate within this context.
Lyrics: The lyrics of "A Christmas Gift for You" are quintessentially festive, capturing the joy and warmth associated with the holiday season. The songs explore themes of love, celebration, and togetherness, providing a mix of traditional Christmas tunes and original compositions. Standout tracks include Darlene Love's emotive rendition of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" and The Ronettes' lively performance of "Frosty the Snowman." The lyrics, although not groundbreaking, effectively convey the festive spirit and contribute to the overall charm of the album. Music: The musical arrangements on this album are a testament to Phil Spector's signature "Wall of Sound" production technique. The use of lush orchestration, vibrant horns, and infectious rhythms creates a grandiose and immersive sonic experience. The artists' vocal performances are spirited and soulful, adding a layer of depth to the music. From the jingling bells in "Sleigh Ride" to the upbeat tempo of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," the album showcases a diverse range of musical styles, making it accessible to a wide audience. Production: Phil Spector's production on "A Christmas Gift for You" is both the album's greatest strength and, arguably, its primary flaw. The "Wall of Sound" technique, characterized by densely layered arrangements, contributes to the album's lush and cinematic quality. However, in some instances, the production may feel overwhelming, with the instrumentation occasionally overshadowing the vocals. Despite this, the production style has become synonymous with the album's iconic sound and has influenced countless artists in the decades that followed. Themes: The overarching theme of "A Christmas Gift for You" is the celebration of the holiday season. The album successfully captures the magic and excitement of Christmas, creating a festive atmosphere that resonates with listeners of all ages. While the themes are not particularly profound, the emotional resonance of the performances elevates the material, turning familiar tunes into enduring classics. The album's thematic consistency is one of its strengths, providing a cohesive and enjoyable listening experience from start to finish. Influence: The influence of "A Christmas Gift for You" extends far beyond its initial release. Phil Spector's production techniques, showcased prominently on this album, have left an indelible mark on the music industry. The "Wall of Sound" approach influenced future producers and artists, shaping the sound of popular music in the 1960s and beyond. Additionally, the album's enduring popularity has inspired numerous covers and reinterpretations, cementing its status as a holiday staple. The influence of this album is not limited to the Christmas genre; its impact on production aesthetics has reverberated throughout the broader musical landscape. Pros: Timeless Sound: The album's production and musical arrangements have a timeless quality, ensuring its continued relevance and appeal across generations. Iconic Performances: The standout performances by artists like Darlene Love and The Ronettes contribute to the album's lasting impact. Diverse Song Selection: The inclusion of both traditional and original compositions adds variety to the album, catering to a broad audience. Influence on Production: Phil Spector's innovative production techniques have had a profound and lasting influence on the music industry. Cons: Overwhelming Production: At times, the "Wall of Sound" production can be overwhelming, potentially detracting from the clarity of the vocals. Limited Diversity in Themes: While the album effectively captures the joy of Christmas, the thematic scope is somewhat limited, focusing primarily on celebratory aspects. In conclusion, "A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector" remains a holiday classic that has stood the test of time. Its iconic production, stellar performances, and enduring influence on the music industry make it a must-listen during the festive season. While the album is not without its minor flaws, its overall impact and contribution to the Christmas music canon are undeniable. As a result, it continues to be a cherished and essential part of holiday music collections worldwide.
Great early wall of sound document and perfect Christmas album.
Fuck Phil Spector, but this goes hard as fuck. Merry Christmas!
Phil's magic at Christmas
Ronnie Spector could sing the most boring page of the phone book and I would think it was amazing. I truly believe she has the greatest voice of all time. The Crystals are also effortless, and while Darlene Love feels a touch more forced, the whole album is packed with great vocalists singing classic songs. Add to that the absolutely majestic horns dotted throughout the album and the trademark Spector harmonies and 'throw everything at it' production, and you can totally ignore the fact that a lot of the songs are, basically, stupid.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!! I woke up this morning intrigued to see if I would get a Christmas themed album. Lo and behold, I was right. And in terms of Christmas songs, this has just about everything. This is a bit hard to review for me though. Because although this helped me get into the spirit a lot, and has pretty much every classic and essential Christmas song you can imagine on it, I still want to look at it as objectively as possible. And objectively, this isn’t bad, but I’m also not listening to it any other time of the year except for the week of Christmas. So it’s the best album per se, but it is a good collection of fun songs that fits the season. Since this is basically a compilation album, there is a variety of different artists on here. And the best songs are the ones that were made by The Ronettes and Darlene Love. Pretty much every song sounds the same, but these two particular artists have the best singers, who both also sound very similar, which puts them above the other two groups. Rating: 5/10
Serves a purpose. I listened a week after Christmas which may have hurt the rating.
3.5/5
As Christmas music goes, this is about as good as it gets. 4 stars because I generally don't like Christmas
Uninspiring Christmas collection.
The recording’s era really makes this feel nostalgic, especially when mixed with the season. I don’t care about who produced it, I just like its vibe.
A collection of classic Christmas songs. If this is your kind of thing, I’d imagine it is great. I don’t really care for Christmas music, so I was not really interested in the album. 2/5 Wouldn’t listen again, although will probably here all these songs anyway around the holidays
I’m convinced they play this album 24/7 at Guantanamo Bay to torture the inmates. These songs play for months in every shopping center and store. It’s just awful and over played.
All great Christmas staples, obviously only will listen to around Christmas, but when you do they’re fantastic. 3.3
This saccharine overdose has me reaching for the insulin. The vocalists all deliver brilliant performances, the melodic phrasing remains surprisingly fresh despite the saturation of these songs, and the hit machine soul side of the production/arrangements (horns, swinging rhythms) is in full effect. But I can't stand these damn strings all over every track and, going full Grinch-mode, the songs are truly grating at this point.
Yes he was a terrible person but separate the art from the artist and all that. Classic and joyful. Knocking a star off because I won’t be listening to it again any time soon
Это было прикольно. Родителям не понравилось, но мне песни подарили новогоднее настроение.
Quality christmas album despite Spector being a wierd murderer
it's a christmas classic for a reason. i am an absolute fan of this era of music and a lot of the girl groups and adjacent groups, especially the work on philles (despite the monster in charge). everything on this album is great, with the exception of when the convicted murderer and serial abuser, phil spector, speaks directly to you at the end. that aside, the sound is iconic, and some of the best sounding music made of all time. i'm not a huge christmas music fan and this is still tops.
Look lads, I don't have it in me for another set of christmas songs. Can we just leave it at 3 stars and call it even? thanks.
Ho ho ho.
Great Christmas album!
It's a little cheesy especially with the spoken word bit at the end, but the production is nice and all the performances are good. Only problem is obviously you'll only want to listen to it in a period of about 2 weeks all year, but for what it is it's good.
No
I will probably never listen to this album outside of December, but it’s still really really amazing.
Always been a big fan of 60's classic christmas songs, produce by a genius producer Phil Spector, who was also out of his mind crazy but that's another story. Its song that we all know, but not necerally from those particular artist, and its intersting to re-discover thoses. +i'm from québec so i know the french version of those song, so its even more wierd for me but its pretty cool. And for a lot of them wixch are traditionly sing by men are by woman who are RNB singer wich give it a special touch that is beautifull i think. Best songs: Sleigh Ride (Ronettes) Frosty the snowman (Ronettes) White Christmas (Darnele Love) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Crystals) Winter Wonderland (Darnele Love) Santa Claus is comming to town (Crystals) I Saw Mommy Kissign Santa Claus (Ronettes) The album closing is a spoken message from Phil Spector who thank the people who help him produce this album, the artists, the public and himself, with the music of silent night. Honneslty i'm not a fan of chrismtas album, except those form various artist like this one and i even like more song from the 60s, so the combination is just perfect. Merry Christmas (2023) to everyone who will read this!!! Joyeux Nöel à tous!!!!!
What a wonderful album.
Classic Except for Silent Night Screw you, Phil Merry Christmas Favourite tracks: White Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, Marshmallow World, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, Winter Wonderland, Christmas, Here Comes Santa Claus Worst track: Silent Night
Joulu
Great classic, must listen on Christmas time and unfortunately only then.
Really nice actually
Like most folks in the USA, I've heard almost all of these tunes many many times, but I personally never owned a copy of this record, and have never listened to it all the way through. Frankly, amazingly high quality, great stuff. Not a huge Christmas music fan, but this is a great record.
The best Christmas album. Such a gift.
Some very nice tunes here, but it’s Phil Spector…
Guay para navidades. Le daría un %. Pero .... Phil Spector ...
ITS YULETIDE BITCHESSSSS MERRY MF CHRISTMAS! such a 5/5, best album made by an actual fucking ballsack of a human
One of the best Christmas albums out there. I love Motown and the wall of sound production style. Spector is who he is, but his artists are legendary.
Full-throttle joyriding in the 1963 Christmas Sleigh.
Has gotta be the GOAT Christmas album right? Rating; 4.8
Favorite Songs: Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) A Marshmallow World Sleigh Ride
An excellent Christmas album. I was surprised to hear that I had heard some of these exact versions before! Not quite a 5 because it has to be a specific time for it, and because they aren’t all my favourite versions, but great tunes.
3.5
This is the type of Christmas music I feel os stereotypical and therefore good
Possibly the best christmas album of all time
It's Christmas so I'm being VERY generous by giving this a 3 star rating. I would have preferred it without the creepy message at the end or some of the less well known songs replaced.
Guay para navidades. Le daría un %. Pero .... Phil Spector ...
Definitely a Christmas album
Album 268 of 1001 A Christmas Gift For You from Phil Spector - Various Artists Rating : 4 / 5 Favorite Track : Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Darlene Love Nice listen for Christmas morning. Since David Letterman went off the air, I've missed my yearly fix of Darlene Love singing Baby Please Come Home. Was good to hear it here. Other songs feature The Crystals, The Ronettes & Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans. Awkward final track featuring a message from Phil Spector, who would find his place as a convicted murderer. Nevertheless, it is still a great Christmas album.
It's a Christmas Album. 5/10
Phil Spector is an utterly repugnant human being but the music is really good. So the marking is right down the middle. Merry Christmas.
Great Christmas music. A gift it is. From a Phil Spector. Great producer. Don't Google him though.
3.5/5
There is no Slade, Wizzard, or Mud but it’s still probably the best Christmas compilation I’ve come across