Reviews (page 9 of 17)
The random generator probably didn't pick this album at random today, on Boxing Day. And that's the only reason I listened to it at all. It suited the mood quite well. I wouldn't have listened to it at any other time. And despite it being Christmas time, the music got on my nerves after a while. Because it's Christmas: 🎅🏽 2/5
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
The perfect Christmas album to listen to on Christmas Day with the family. This can only be listened to in December but Phil Spectors versions of these hits are good. Favourite song: Santa Claus is coming to town. Least favourite: silent night. I have always found this song creepy. Album artwork: Could be more festive
Perfect Xmas album, Spector notwithstanding.
Only a murderer could get me into the Christmas spirit like this
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.
There are some really great songs on this, but Phil Spector deserves no more of anyone’s attention.
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.
Is it going to be on regular rotation throughout the year? No. Is it an excellent Christmas album I will throw on 11 months from now? Definitely. Festive 🎄
This is a whimsical Christmas record featuring mostly standard & inoffensive covers. However, Sleigh Ride wormed its way into my brain as a high schooler in band and this classic version of it sparks very little joy at this point. The last track features a corny spiel by Phil Spector that destroys Silent Night and is something I hate. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) is a standout.
Christmas
Craziest Wikipedia section
decent christmas album with some bangers like “christmas (baby please come home)” and “a marshmallow world”
Un parfait album pour Noël. Je l’ai écouté pas tellement longtemps après le réveil vers 6h30, avec un café après être aller au froid regarder le ciel étoilé, la lune et les épinettes chargées de neige. Assez magique comme début de journée des Fêtes. Les grands classiques de Noël se succèdent, dignement interprétés par de multiples groupes ou chanteuse, aux sonorités des années 60. Gros contraste entre la joie et la paix qui se dégage de ce disque et l’être ignoble et méchant qu’est le producteur Phil Spector.
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.
I don't like Christmas music.
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.
I mean how are you supposed to rate this low Classics done right The production note at the end was cute
i’m not listening to this
CHRISTMAS
mery chisma!!!!!
sleigh (slay)
Not a big fan of christmas music in general...and this one is a tough sell since it's the one that plays in every store I walk into for a month straight every year.
I don't frequently listen to Christmas music, but when I do I prefer it to not be produced by a murderer.
YAYAYAYAYAYYA CHRISTMASAAAS
Ci stang
Ci sono molti album natalizi migliori ma devo dare 5 all algoritmo
Bel meme
Veldig bra for å være et julealbum. Interessant historie om produsenten og.
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.
NO. Christmas music is awful please use this record as a yule log.
i listened to a couple and they were fine, but i couldn't be bothered to listen to the whole thing
A good album for Christmas day and no other time.
Fuck jul
норм. сборник новогодних песен. прикольно что попался накануне НГ, добавляет вайба... еще понравилось название песни "i saw mommy kissing santa claus", забавно)) подойдет для вечеров в канун НГ
Christmas albums is not my cup of tea
Ouderwetse en dus slechtere versies van bekende kerstnummer.
Same świąteczne bangery. Trochę żałuję, że nie przesłuchałem tego w święta, na pewno dużo fajniejszy klimat by był. Ciekawe, że wrzucili na listę składankę i to w sumie samych coverów. Bardzo nietypowy wpis na liście. Nie zawsze są to moje ulubione wersje tych utworów i nie wszystkie klasyki tu są (może powstały później?), ale szkoda, że część z tych utworów została zapomniana, bo są naprawdę fajne ("I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"). Przy okazji sprawdzania czegoś o tej płycie doczytałem, że Phil Spector miał własną, oryginalną metodę produkcji, nazwaną "Wall of sound", która bardzo wpływowa w tamtych czasach. Warto sobie poczytać. Mega mi się też podoba ostatni utwór z wiadomością dla słuchaczy od samego Spectora. To miły dodatek, dobrze wpasowujący sie w klimat tego albumu. Myślę, że puszczę sobie w okolicy świąt :D
I guess it's like Michael Bubble of 60's?
I really enjoyed the Xmas songs on the album.3.5 wow
I love Christmas music. Any time of year. This is a great one.
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
Sorry, what? Not sure this is something for this list.
Why. I hate this. I do not like Christmas music. Yuck.
Classics
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.
There’s really nothing to say about this album other than it’s full of nothing but absolute Christmas classics. You really don’t need any other Christmas album. Every single song is an easy 5*.
The Phil Spector sound works so well for christmas songs. It feels warm and familiar and festive. “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” is one of my favorite Christmas songs. It’s hard to find fault with this one. Merry christmas!
I hate Christmas albums
I refuse to listen to this. Bah humbug!
Nice surprise indeed
Excellent. No notes. Getting this on Christmas was a nice treat. All bangers here - no faves.
4.5, but rounding up because I love most of these songs and the fact that we got this album on Christmas Day!
Minus a star for the Phil Spector of it, but there’s some true classic cuts here. Great coincidence to get this on christmas day itself!
8/10
For what it is and this time of year 3.5/5 it gets the job done and got some classics
3.5
3.5
Im staying the same... What keep this set so compelling is Darline Love's four songs which are the best on the album. (this was the reason Love was the Queen of Christmas before Mariah Carey stole her crown). Also the three Ronnettes songs are bangin'. The Crystals were the least compelling of the three girls groups, but really didnt do much to hurt the album as a whole... It would be an easy mid to light 4½ if it wasn't for the two Bob B. Sox songs, which are like his stage name, bland and bad. The spoken word Outro didn't do much to help the album. I'd sooner leave it off, but at least it short and doesn't go on infinitum like other credit tracks I've heard. Given that Darline, Ronnie, and the Crystal take up over 75% of the album I think it still warrents an (8.75) ★★★★
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.
yay yippee woohoo. i mean truly it is so much fun…take the christ OUT of christmas! “(baby please come home)” by darlene love is one of my favorite christmas songs. i’m copying what i wrote for my newsletter about sad christmas songs at the end of 2020: I love any song that hides heartbreaking lyrics beneath the veneer of an energetic performance and a healthy dose of bells. (Darlene’s other hit [*All Alone on Christmas](https://youtu.be/r1uJPGRfO5Y)* follows this same pattern.) She makes a desperate plea for the return of her lover because, despite the city’s festive atmosphere, Christmas isn’t the same without him there. It’s a simple concept made unfamiliar in the context of this year—coming home, of course, implies that a person has left the house in the first place. This is one of those sad songs that should be sung at the top of your lungs in a fit of theatrical despair.
I mean it’s Christmas music.
I'm not a big fan of Christmas songs, and the ones I do like are more things like Slade and Wizard. However, this is the best version of these sort of songs that I've heard. Good work for a murderer.
phil spector.
Pre-listening thoughts: I was kind of stoked at the odds of getting this on Christmas but it turns out… everyone gets it on Christmas. lol. Which is a really cool Easter egg thing but man I thought we just got really lucky to not have to hear this album in July or April. Post/during listening thoughts: ho ho ho I didn’t get to this until the day after Christmas and now Christmas is over and I’m here listening to Christmas music a year early or a day late, really however you view it. It’s a Christmas album tho which is such a strange pick for the list. Idk it’s not real music in my brain. 5/10 --> 1/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no Fav tracks: oh god do I have to eternally add a Christmas song to my playlist???? Least fav tracks: didn’t really have any but this genre of music has no longevity/playability outside of Christmas so its just incredibly limited in terms of what I would actually listen to. *Edit: changed to a 1 star rating from a 3. Phil Spector is a monster
We will put aside the status of Phil to enjoy the music. Classic Christmas songs!! Love it!!
The original formulaic Christmas record. Plus cheesy spoken words from Spector himself. It's all a bit much.
played it during christmas dinner, it slapped.
-1 for murder
Favorite Track: Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
It's a Christmas album
Ik had geen flauw benul dat één van de bekendste kerstalbums was geproducet door Phil Spector. Tof weetje I guess. Ik weiger trouwens te geloven dat dit een random pull is. 3.5
Jeez. Like a bad christmas cookie. Just sugar no actual taste.
The guy in the last two sounds very trustworthy. Too cheesy for my taste.
The Good: A Christmas album that pops up on the 26th of December The Bad: if it would not have been December The Ugly: having to listen to a Christmas message from Phil Spector, knowing what we know now… Yes, a great album of Christmas songs that can actually be played during a party, as most of them invite you to get up and shake your booty! However, nobody will ever play a Christmas album in the middle of summer… so, just 3 stars… Which doesn’t take away from the great artists featured on this album!… screw it, 4*
Here’s my Xmas music manifesto: I like it. Ok but actually when I am searching out new Xmas music to make it into my rotation, I’m hoping for ppl making classic ORIGINAL songs instead of cashing in and re-recording all the hits (the ones on this very album). I mean you can fill it out with some renditions of classics, but bring some of yourself to it! That being said, this album has some of the most classic renditions of the most classic songs, and they’re excellent! My fav is probably Baby Please Come Home, and I think Marshmellow World is underrated to. Here is a list of the holiday projects I’ve been spinning most this year: A Ginuwine Christmas Merry Christmas Lil Mama (Jeremih & Chance) Merry Xmas from the Space Age Bachelor Pad (Esquivel) Winter Wonderland (RXKNephew) A John Prine Christmas
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
No thanks to Christmas albums. 2 stars or D-.
I'm not into Christmas music at all, but this is a lot of fun! The cheesy introductory message from Spector cracked me up.
What a fantastic album to receive on Christmas day I'm surprised by how many of these songs/versions I actually knew before hand The Ronettes and Darlene Love were the highlights - love love loved their songs I was not aware of Phil Spector's personal life, which led to a horrific read of his wiki page. However, I'm here to rate the music and not him so... 5 ⭐️
Kann man nicht durchhören
Well, duh…
merry christmas, chucklenuts
immaculate christmas vibes
Great Christmas album. But also a great album period. I tried to shed my lifetime of experience with these classics while listening, so I could better assess the album. I can confidently say that this album would be a masterpiece if these were the only renditions that existed. Pure, sugary, rocking, fun, happy, and overall enjoyable. 5/5 holiday album, 4.5 album overall. Didn’t know about Phil Spector murdering that actress though, so reading about this on Wikipedia went from festive to dark real quick.
Will now be forever part of my Christmas listening
Appropriate for Christmas Day and a great classic Motown Christmas album.
Probably the best xmas album ever. I dont like christmas songs but production wise this is amazing. If you must hear something christmas other than mariah careys song this has got to be it. Kind of odd being from phil spector who later killed a woman and all that crap.
How delightful. I definitely didn't listen to this on the 6th of January because I'm lazy.
A near perfect holiday album from a different time long ago. Nostalgic and never to be duplicated today
Solid collection from a time before Phil lost his sh*t.
I know we should give this project a pass on Christmas Day for whatever pops up, but this is pretty painful, and not just because Phil Spector was a creep and creepy guy and doesn't deserve any sort of accolades (especially given how dated his "wall of sound" seems these days). Moreover, I've really appreciated how strongly this collection has avoided "various artists"/"best of"/compilation albums, and this clearly violates that rule. I get it that it was a popular album back in the day, and I'm sure it was an interesting take on various Christmas songs, but it doesn't mean we have to like it. :)
Getting this on Dec. 26 made me feel like I got Rickrolled, except this was real and for some reason this album is actually in the 1001 albums book, which seems completely bizarre--why is a compliation here? WTF? Also, the title really hasn't aged well... sounds like a threat.
murderer
Soulless.
Thank god I got this for Christmas. Perfect for the day!
So let's ignore the while Phil Spector part because he is a bad person and I don't want him to taint the talented artists. Really fun, pop Christmas album. I think this is one of the best versions of Santa Claus is coming to town. Sleigh ride is also great, all the background sounds add to the album in a great way. A marshmallow world was a fun bop that seemed original. Christmas and Wooden Soldiers were also great classics. Overall a fun and festive album to celebrate with.
Ho Ho Ho! This album has some great ones that should be added to the Christmas Casserole. White Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, Sleigh Ride, Winter Wonderland, and Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) are all tops. Others like Parade of the Wooden Soldiers and Marshmellow World are flops. But there are enough good ones on here to stuff your stocking with.
What a gift, Phil! This is definitely one of the better Christmas albums to grace the ears. Something to be truly grateful for.
Gawd. ANOTHER album of all covers?? Jk, this was a great Christmas album. Love the song selection and how each group or singer put their own spin on the tracks they did, while all still hanging together as a cohesive holiday delight. A fun Christmas surprise!
So we had Suicide and Phil Spector in the same week. Feeling sick to my stomach giving this a good review, trying to separate the fact that this guy was a convicted murderer. I don't know much about his relationships with the artists involved, but everyone seems to have loved Darlene Love from what I've read. The Ronnettes and her songs have always been favorites of mine since childhood, and I never knew of their connection to Spector until now. Giving this a 4 and not making them guilty by association.
Upbeat fantastic Christmas album. Fun fact, Cher sang backup for Darlene Love on Christmas Baby Please Come Home. Spector ended up being a murderous lunatic but his musical genius cannot be denied.
Can’t go wrong with Christmas music
Fun holiday tunes
A gift Lana Clarkson and family would be hesitant to open. Too bad artistic genius so often comes with irreconcilable madness. As for this album, I have to say that I try to avoid Christmas music almost as much as pop country and for a lot of the same reasons.
The Ronettes and the Crystals rock these standards. Hokey intros, but that’s a part of Christmas.
Despite being from Phil Spector, I would listen to this again.
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.
A lot of great familiar songs, not quite sure how to rate a compilation album because I’ve heard this all before and the order or choices aren’t anything special.
Pretty solid.
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.
A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector Just getting this in before going back to work tomorrow, when the Christmas dream truly dies. One little thing I wanted to mention that I really love is how you can hear the New York accent on Frosty the Snowman, ‘Frorsty the snowman…’, so great. Amyway all the songs are familiar from so many Christmases and playlists, but it’s a great album, 35 minutes of brilliant sounding do-wop rock’n’roll Christmas pop. I don’t think you can give it anything but 5, it’s obviously not a Revolver or Rumours but it’s unfair to judge it by the criteria of classic albums, as it’s in a specific genre outside of normal pop 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 Playlist submission: Christmas Baby, Please Come Home
The Spector formula for Christmas really is faultless. Is there any other Christmas album that is bearable in such a fashion? I may put the recent Dylan one up there. And Chas n Dave's cockney Christmas. But nothing else comes close. And I haven't even mentioned the incredible vocals of Ronnie Spector, Darlene Love et al - incredible. It's hammy, It's over the top, and it sounds like Christmas. Great.
As I'm writing this, Christmas is pretty much over. In two-and-a-half hours, it'll be Boxing Day and 364 days 'til the most wonderful time of the year comes around again. So, I guess this can be taken as my farewell to the season. And, y'know, Christmas music gets a lot of flack — rightfully so, in most cases. After all, it's either yet another cover of the same handful of songs that've existed as far back as the 1930's (keeping the boomer's Christmas memory alive and well!) or it's some tossed off piece of whatever, whether it's attempting to become the next Christmas standard or not. Yet, despite my awareness of that fact... I mean, I do genuinely love the season, even if these days I generally end up getting more excited for Halloween. So, hey, why not get ready for the season by listening to a small selection of the abundance of Christmas music there is? It just doesn't surprise me too much that what I end up listening to is either old classics like Elvis's Christmas album or extreme novelties like Richard Cheese's SILENT NIGHTCLUB. And if A CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR YOU FROM PHIL SPECTOR isn't part of that line-up... Well, believe it or not, it has nothing to do with the fact that I refer to him as a murderer first and a producer second. Like, don't get me wrong, he deserves all the shit he got and more, but... I'unno. Maybe it's just because Phil Spector's brand of "Wall Of Sound" mono mixes are just way before my time, but it's not like I can't listen to "Be My Baby" without thinking "OH, HE'S A MURDERER." Not in the same way there's such a vile vibe for me coming off, say, I'unno, the shit Kanye West produces these days. Really, the only reason why A CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR YOU isn't in my Christmas album rotation is just because... I guess I figure I have enough? I already have THE BEACH BOYS' CHRISTMAS ALBUM in there, and that's essentially Brian's attempt to do this album for himself, so it'd maybe be a little redundant to have both. Let me be fair, though — at least as fair as we can be to a man who died in prison for murder. How does it actually sound? Should I be giving it more of a chance in my rotation? My immediate conclusion, even from track one, is that I can understand why this would be the only Christmas album someone would listen to. This is classically Christmas; the kind of overproduced Christmas music all other overproduced Christmas music compares itself to. It's fun, lush, grand and **huge**, despite it being in mono. Only the original originals can really beat this out in being the ur-sound of Christmas. 'Coz, look, Phil Spector as a person sucks to hell and back; no one's gonna argue that. And, sure, not every production decision he made was... Y'know, **great**; LET IT BE... NAKED and the recent remix of ALL THINGS MUST PASS exist for a reason. But the man could overproduce like no one else. There's a reason why Brian Wilson made such attempts to be like him, and why a lot of the songs Spector produced are among the greatest of all time. Goodness, just "Be My Baby" alone would be enough. And as much as I wanna keep "yeah, but"-ing myself and covering my ass with the "he's a murderer first" thing, that's just the truth. Sometimes the shittiest of people are just that good at what they do. And Spector is just that good. I do suspect that at the very least we should be giving just as much credit, if not maybe a little more, to all of the people who actually performed on the damn record. Like, yeah, Spector can produce and mix, but without the compendium of master session musicians The Wrecking Crew to pull off these arrangements, and without vocalists like Darlene Love, The Ronettes and Crystals to sing the damn thing, where would he even be? Let's not "auteur" "great man" Spector too much here. Like, really thinking about it, there's something not terribly great about the fact that a box set of Phil Spector's production work gets to be 358 spots higher on the 2003 ROLLING STONE 500 than The Ronettes debut — the one with "Be My Baby" — y'know? For whatever the RS500 lists are worth, anyway. Regardless of all that, though... Yeah, for better or for worse, this is an absolute Christmas classic. One I should probably try to work in my Christmas rotation more, between the Jackson 5 Christmas album and the midwestern emo cover of "The Christmas Shoes". I mean, it's not gonna top A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS as my favorite Christmas record of all time, but in any case, it's a 5, for sure. I'm very happy that the Randomizer was likely rigged to let me, my group, and anyone else who partakes in this spend their Christmas with it — or to end it off, specifically, in my case. I suppose the only question now is "What on Earth is my group gonna get **next Christmas?**" 'Coz I'm pretty sure this is the only Christmas album on this list. Well, I guess we'll just hafta wait 364 more days to find out. And whatever it is, maybe I can spend a little less time "yeah, but"-ing myself. Goodness.
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.
It’s a 5. I suppose Christmas is as good of a day as any to learn that Phil Spector committed murder in 2003 and died alone in a jail cell, rotting for his crimes 18 years later. That shadow will now loom over this, and the rest of the stuff he produced, and it only gives me even more disdain for the fucking wall of sound. However, because it’s the holiday season, I feel no desire to shit on the man, at least not yet – I get the feeling I’ll have plenty of opportunities to do that on some of the more prominent records of the 1960s soon to come. For now, I think this is as good of a time as any to explain that I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas music; when it’s good, it’s so fucking good, but you have to be in the season, in the mood, and most of all, you have to avoid oversaturating yourself. Too much Christmas music, and suddenly, that inner Scrooge takes over and you’ll never want to hear another refrain of any of these tracks for at least a year. Thankfully, it’s the season, I’m in the mood, and the only Christmas music I’ve really indulged in so far is George Michael, Mariah against my will, and oddly, Jschlatt. There’s not a lot of overlap, thankfully, so a lot of these compositions felt pretty fresh to my ears – I have to imagine some of the performances here became the standards over time, at least in a more pop-driven atmosphere for the 6 decades since this dropped. Although I have to give a huge credit to the standout vocal performances and extra flair added on each track because of these singers, I think the orchestral compositions and big-band feel of this whole thing really make this album. It’s a combined harmony for sure, but I know most of these tracks by their more “basic” forms. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, for example, doesn’t normally sound like a 1970s Western film, but to hear it in that style on this album really shakes it up a bit, and stops this from being a traditional, paint-by-numbers Christmas album. Those shake-ups and Beatles-esque moments are here in spades, and it’s a rather enjoyable 34 minutes because of it. So, yeah, I’m at a 5. Realistically, more of a 4.5 that goes up to a 5, but I’m in the holiday spirit, and this scratched a real itch – great singers, great compositions, great melodies, and yes, solid production, even if that murderous motherfucker tainted some of it with his stupid wall of sound. It’s just a damn good Christmas album, and I’m glad the site owner rigged it just for this occasion (or did they?). Really fun stuff. That last track could’ve been skipped, though. Put the vocals in the bag, or whatever the kids say.
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
A couple people featured have nice voices, but I hate Christmas music with every fiber of my being. The only genre worse than Christmas music is country Christmas music
So so unbelievably cruel for this to come up on the 26th of December. I find it had to rate christmas music like this on its merits because all of these songs are well known and widely produced, so once you have your set favourite version of a song you stick with it for life really, and on this album there were only two songs that i consider *the* songs, being Baby Please Come Home and Sleigh Ride. for that i cant really rate it higher than a 2.
Your generic hit or miss classic Christmas compilation :)
Good funky Christmas album
A good album of Christmas music with a doo-wop twist, the Spector Wall of Sound and featuring Spector artists. I was surprised how many of these specific recordings of these songs I recognized and enjoy. White Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Winter Wonderland and Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) are all great. Darlene Love and the Ronettes really stand out too. If you're looking for a good album of Christmas music and can ignore Phil Spector's legacy, this is definitely worth a listen.
Honestly kind of a banger
well... christmasy
A Christmas Treasure! Giving it 4 stars because of Spector's commentary at the end. I kept thinking about him going to prison for murdering a woman. Not a very Christmasy ending.
Solid Christmas album
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
I’m listening to this on January 7th and I don’t care. I like Christmas songs and these are some of the best. In the lead up to Christmas put this album on instead of Mariah/Arianna etc.
Fantastic Christmas album.
Ok
from the title it sounds like a threat! collection of 50's christmas songs
Might be one of the best Christmas albums.
Just relentless Christmas music. Stop.
Great voices participated on this album. Too bad it was Christmas music.
Classic
If you forget about who Phil Spector actually is you’ll enjoy this Christmas album
Best Christmas album ever… sorry Mariah!
This album has two things I hate: Phil Spector and Christmas music.
This was so much fun! I have a Christmas playlist that I love to put on shuffle during this month and this whole album (except for the last track) is going on it. My favourite track was The Ronettes' version of "Sleigh Ride" - it's undeniably a classic.
I’m not that big into Christmas music. Fine songs, not something I’d put on unless it’s December 24 or 25.
I have an intense hatred for Christmas music. I can't decide if Velvet Underground or Christmas music is worse
As far as holiday albums go, everything about it is great and a great mix of tradition and upbeat arrangements.
A lot of incredibly iconic Christmas songs, of which my favorite recordings are not part of this album
Meh. A compilation. Fine.
Not giving money to a convicted murderer.
50s/60s bands singing Christmas songs - they all had something unique about them, but they were not my favorite style
Just now reading the book "The Wrecking Crew" Early R & R Producer and its musicans. Good Stuff!
beetje overgegeven in mijn mond ... toch nog 1 ster omdat 'war is over' er niet opstaat
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.
Surprisingly great Christmas album.
Full of bangers
❤️
Just hit after hit
It's a very novelty album. YOu'll love it if you like Christmas songs... I don't
ok
Wish I'd seen this on Xmas Day, listening to it on 3 Jan!
5/10 Christmas songs are the definition of mid, but I liked the production. I look forward to more from this...Phil Spector.
decent
No
I honestly can't stand listening to Christmas music, especially in this style. I would give this a 0 if I could.
A nice compilation of classic Christmas songs. Not sure if any of these were originals at the time but they've mostly become classics regardless. 7.5/10 (3.75/5)
This is an excellent collection of Christmas songs that we have all heard before. I love the Motown vibe and the artists are top-notch. Always a classic.
It just hits. I didn't know Darlene Love's name, and now I must look into her work. Could definitely do without the murderer's monologue. Maybe there's a version of the album that cuts it?
navidad flojita
damn! wish I had opened this website up on the 26th to listen to it. Damn, wish this actually was on christmas day and not the day after. This is a great album. I was aware of one of these tracks but completely forgot about the album.
Lovely, simply a terrific album that wholeheartedly captures the spirit of the season.
Good Christmas album!
Good timing on the appearance of this album in my lineup - it’s December! Most of these are classics, what can I say? Only a few lesser tracks.
Classic Christmas album
Nice
At first I thought this was a joke that everybody gets on their first Christmas doing the project as a bit of a fun nod, but this Christmas album actually goes really hard - I’m very impressed [insert obligatory Phil Spector killed it joke here].
Love that sound
I really enjoyed this album. Very festive, and some great voices come alive again
I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!
9/10 Thanks “random” list! The best Christmas album, one that stands out as great amongst albums in general. When an album is over 50% classics that most people recognise, you’ve got a good one. Wall of sound + Christmas = banger Best: Frosty the Snowman
Merry Christmas 2024!
An album of Christmas classics.
Doesn’t have ‘Last Christmas’ or ‘Fairytale from New York’ so no reason to listen to these.
Fun!
Solid Christmas album. I'd hate the radio around the holidays less if they mostly stuck to these tracks.
Hate to give a murderous loser 5 stars, but here we go...
Listened to this before Christmas but forgot to rate it. People who don't like Christmas music are miserable.
lo escuché en agosto no puedo decir que eran las vibes. 7,5/10
loved the phil specter interlude. such a calm and kind man. wonder what he did in his later years.
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.
Not interested in Christmas music, however, I guess they're all nice classics. If you're into that.
This album gave me some nice Christmas endorphins—very fun.
christmas album
All songs have the same style (unsurprisingly) so got a little repetitive but still really enjoyed it as a Christmas listen. Wouldn't put it on any other time of the year
A better Christmas album. It got ryhtm and soul and doesn't feel too commercial. It will enter the Christmas rotation for sure moving forward.
ba humbug
9.3/10. Best XMAS album ever
a nice xmas album, very fun to listen to
2nd best Christmas album of all time.
I can’t
very cute christmas album, has a charm
Well its a Christmas album not sure if these are all original songs they wrote but all classics but also these are not the versions Ive ever heard. Honestly not that great in my opinion unless they wrote them all then more impressive. Got this on Christmas Eve so thats fun. R&B flare to Christmas.
It is a Christmas album and while there are a few classics in there, it didn’t move the needle.
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.
By the book xmas songs is how my better half described it, and he's not wrong. Maybe if I liked xmas I'd rate it higher. Quite possibly something I'll look back up when the time comes to put up the tree next year.
!!! good.
Nice, uplifting and oldschool Christmas album.
Not gonna listen to a christian abum. Im not american
Love this!
While not every song on this album is perfect, the highs are so unbelievably high, it made me tear up. A near perfect Christmas album
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.
Much fun, much cheer.
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.
classic
4/5 Blast from the past. This album has some great bops on it. "Sleigh Ride" from the Ronettes being my favourite. Although it is strange (and a bit ironic) to hear Phil thanking you for listening and wishing you the happiest of new years while I was looking up and reading about his trials for murder. Merry Christmas everybody. Please don't go and kill your friends like Phil did. Only then, I could wish you the happiest of new years as well. 4/5
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.
Not bothered
вайбово
i usually despise all kinds of christmas music, but these are some good tunes to set the mood
I’m getting to this one late (after Xmas). It feels a bit weird listening to “Frosty The Snowman” on January 3rd. I will however make two points about A Christmas Gift For You 1) it is widely considered the greatest holiday album of all time, so much so that it has been included in lists of the greatest albums of all time, not just Christmas, which is quite a feat if you think about it. 2) it features hands down the greatest Christmas song of all time, Darlene Love’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”. A song even this Jewish writer could love.
Just impossible not to smile listening; I mean that literally, I had a wide grin on my face for most of the runtime. Wall of Sound + Christmas music is a genius combination.
delightful
A good Christmas album
A perennial Christmas favorite, despise the despicable producer Phil Spector's later history. Sleigh Ride, White Xmas and others done in a unique way, oddball entries like Marshmallow World and the Bells of St Mary's that still work, and a short run time. Solid.
Wow it has like all the classics i didnt even know it was on one 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.
All of the proper xmas songs, no mariah carey, no modern bullshit, just classic xmas music that makes it feel like christmas rather a corporate overspending holiday.
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.
Two things are contributing to my rating here: 1. Phil Spector was such a terrible person that the average dumpster fire seems pleasant in comparison. He'd been abusing women and children loooooooong before he committed murder at age 63. 2. On a less serious level, I can't stand Christmas music. I can't stand Christmas. Ugh. Even if it wasn't produced by a malignant person, I'd be avoiding this because it's a bad genre-to-listener mismatch for ME as a person. In conclusion, NOPE NOPE NOPE
🎄
great christmas vibes, wouldnt listen to otherwise, though.
Very clever
Underrated classic
Will not listen to this. Grinch to the core.
Brilliant. Every one of these tracks should be played on the radio during the Season. All these artists and the producer (big separate the art from the artist energy needed on this one. Skip the final track I say) working at their peak.
Wonderful Christmas
The obvious timing aside, and Phil Spector's indiscretions, this actually was a very fun album to listen to. The wall of sound recording method was on full display here with some very rich instrumentals and tidy production
Eh, Christmas music.
Christmas!
It was decent. Love the Ronettes as always.
The album was pretty good. Lots of good Christmas songs. Fuck Phil Spector though
Not a big fan of Christmas music, I only listen to it during the season. Sure, I have a few songs from over the years that I'll enjoy any time I hear it, but that's a pretty small list. In saying that, how can you go wrong with doing Christmas music, to Phil Spector's, "Wall of Sound". Always loved the Phil Spector sound, no matter how weird he got in his older years. Therefore, to me, this album is a winner.
A fantastic Christmas album. Some great covers from a variety of artists but the cohesive production brings it all together. And it avoids most religious songs which is another pro in my books. I could do without the spoken message from Phil over the last song though.
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.
Good holiday album
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.
I didn’t know this generator automatically gave you this album on Christmas Eve. That’s cute and makes a lot of sense. So I’ll admit to being a bit of a sucker for Christmas music. On the day after Thanksgiving (and not a day sooner unlike some people), after Santa caps off the Thanksgiving Day Parade, any music playing from the radio will always be Christmas music. It’s been like that ever since I was a kid and I’ve been here for 28 Christmases. And I anticipate doing it for at least 28 more. For those in the state of New York, there’s a radio station: 106.7 Lite FM. Every December, they play Christmas music constantly until the end of the holiday. It’s what I’ve listened to every Christmas season, as I would spend a holiday weekend with my family in Manhattan or enjoy the big day at my grandparent’s house in Brooklyn. There are so many Christmas songs that have been a part of my life at this time of year. Christ knows how many versions of Sleigh Ride and Winter Wonderland I heard. Yet I never considered the impact this album had until getting it today. I believe that this album is the reason many artists even do Christmas albums in the first place, giving their own twist to some classic carols much like what was done here. I usually spilt Christmas music into two categories: crooners and everything else. Sounds lazy to do that. It get probably go deeper but I’m simplifying. A majority of Christmas music that 106.7 plays are usually the works of Frank Sinatra, Gene Autry, Andy Williams, Dean Martin, Perry Como… you get the point. Many of there are classics in their own right and it wouldn’t be Christmas without them, but playing them back-to-back tends to feel… monotonous. They start to blend together. But after this album, I feel this is when the crooner era ended and Christmas music entered a more modern iteration. I recognized a majority of these songs. The only ones I wasn’t familiar with were the Bobb B. Sox and the Blue Jeans songs, Parade of the Wooden Soldiers, the Darlene Love version of White Christmas and Silent Night. (I’ll get to that) Many of these tracks to me are the most memorable versions of these classic songs. From the little intro in Santa Claus Is Coming to Town to the “ring-a-ding”ing in Sleigh Ride (which became a staple), each track has something that make each carol stand out from the 15 other versions out there. That can be attributed to the Wall of Sound, which makes every song sound grand. The orchestral backings sound epic in scale to match with the vocals and there is a constant vibrant energy. All the artists on this album are great, but this album belongs to Darlene Love. His songs are objectively the best and her own song Baby Please Come Home is a classic. If there is anything to knock the album for, I could say that the tracks do somewhat sound a bit similar to one another, probably thanks to the Wall of Sound. And there is the elephant in the room that this album is headlined by a convicted murderer. That makes the last track, Silent Night, age like milk when Phil Spector comes on the record with his creepy voice. It’s…unfortunate to have a name like his attached to these classics. But I won’t let that diminish the work of the artists who were a part of this and I say the honor should go to them. Many of these songs have been around for me every Christmas season. Honestly, Christmas has started to feel different each year. After the passing of my grandfather and my grandmother entering late stage dementia, I no longer go to my grandparents for Christmas. This has left somewhat of a hole to fill for my holiday season as things have certainly changed over many Christmases, as we all probably experience. But if there is one constant every year, it’s that the music will always be there. And while there are other Christmas songs out there that mean a lot to me, like Last Christmas, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and even All I Want For Christmas Is You before everyone made that song annoying, the songs on this album also share a place in my heart every December on 106.7 Lite FM. Favorite track: Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) Other hits: The other Darlene Love tracks (White Christmas, A Marshmellow World, Winter Wonderland), Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Parade of the Wooden Soldiers, Sleigh Ride, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Impressive listen counts on Spotify, this is clearly a holiday favorite. "Sleigh Ride" has almost 670M listens alone, wow! Good songs from top to bottom, very early 60s vibe, apparently the greatest Xmas album of them all and the influence Darlene Love had on future recordings of the same songs is evident.
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.
1 out of 5. It's Christmas songs.
This is a great collection
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.
The Christmas album is usually the last refuge of the has been heritage act but this is a genuine effort to make something really good. Will definitely stick it on next Christmas. 4*
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.
Just a bunch of Christmas songs. I listened to it on Christmas Day. This album wasn't one of the highlights of that day. This record is only on this list because it featured the pioneering "wall of sound" technique. Otherwise, it would just be an album with songs played on the radio every December. 2 stars for "A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector".
did anyone else get this on Christmas day???? was it meant to be???
Christmas music is not something I'm a big fan of. I understand why people like it, but this is not the reason I started this project.
It's a classic Christmas album that sounds great.
This is a great Christmas album. I’m especially glad that I didn’t get shot in the face while listening to it
So what do we judge this on? The best of the Christmas albums? Sure, it’s top 5. You have to like the old time sound though and not be some Michael Buble freak. Every song is a cover, every song serves its purpose. Every artist sounds great. Is it the artist that makes the album or is it Phil Spektor? Who knows. I’ll give it a 5 based on the spirit of the album. There’s no choice cut, pick your favorite song and roll with it, yo I won’t be disappointed unless you wanted the song to sound different.
One of the all-time great Christmas albums. Every track is stellar and classic, but not exactly an all-purpose anytime-listening album. Four stars.
Absolute holiday classic from a convicted murderer
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.
Not sure how to rate this. Christmas albums are gimmicky in my opinion. I feel like to be consistent with my other ratings I'd have to base my rating on how much I'd enjoy listening to this album at a random time of year. Sleigh ride is a classic for a reason, the rest I could take or leave
Hard pass
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.
Cute but nothing special
Yay. I love a Christmas album on Christmas. That said I’d have preferred Elvis or frank Sinatra.
It has survived the test of time. It's not the best Xmas rock album of all time, but it goes on.
****A great, fun Christmas album
Christmas! But certainly not one of the best Christmas albums…
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
Very wall of soundy!
Leuk voor op de achtergrond ig