Christmas Album

Christmas Album
Label: Camden/Wave
Category: Music


Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Format: Import
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1


UPC: 743216957620
EAN: 0743216957620
ASIN: B00002R0MO


Release Date: 2004-05-18

Christmas Album


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Tracks:

  1. Santa Claus Is Back In Town
  2. White Christmas
  3. Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)
  4. I'll Be Home For Christmas
  5. Blue Christmas
  6. Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me)
  7. Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem
  8. Silent Night
  9. (There'll Be) Peace In The Valley (For Me)
  10. I Believe
  11. Take My Hand, Precious Lord
  12. It Is No Secret (What God Can Do)

Similar Items:

  1. White Christmas
  2. It's Christmas Time
  3. If Every Day Was Like Christmas
  4. 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong, Vol. 2
  5. A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector

Amazon.com essential recording

It may seem weird to call a seasonal album "essential," but along with Phil Spector's Christmas Gift for You, this is arguably the finest rock & roll Christmas album of all time. Recorded in 1957 at the height of his artistry--when he truly could be called the King of Rock & Roll--this album demonstrates Presley having a lot of vocal fun with a variety of styles, whether it's a carol ("Silent Night") or pop standard (Gene Autry's "Here Comes Santa Claus"). He does one of the greatest versions of "White Christmas" ever recorded, basically using the Drifters' version as a blueprint--and then singing all the parts himself. His "I'll Be Home for Christmas" is definitive--but the best moments are the "new" tracks written specifically for this release, including the classic "Blue Christmas," Lieber & Stoller's "Santa Claus Is Back in Town" (one of the most sexually suggestive holiday tunes ever), and the wonderful, pop-based "Santa, Bring My Baby Back to Me." All these tracks are available on the King of Rock 'n' Roll box set--but if you don't own that, this belongs under any Christmas tree--though Elvis fans have been known to listen to tracks from this in the middle of July! <I>--Bill Holdship</I>

Album Details

Repackaged & Remastered. 12 Tracks Including: White Christmas, Here Comes Santa Claus, Silent Night & I Believe.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars A Christmas classic.......2006-08-22

This is the original Elvis Christmas Album as released in 1957. It was considered very controversial when it was released (as were most Elvis releases during that time), but it was still a huge hit commercially, hitting number 1 on the Billboard album charts (before they created a separate category for Christmas albums).

Eight Christmas songs were included in his original 1957 Christmas album along with the 4 Gospel songs from the "Peace In The Valley" EP. His original Christmas album was repackaged and re-released in 1970 with the 4 Gospel songs being replaced by "If Every Day was Like Christmas" (which was originally released as a single in 1966) and the non-Christmas song "Mama Liked The Roses". The 1970 edition was then re-packaged and released on CD as "It's Christmas Time" a few years ago.

Elvis' performance on the songs here are excellent! Several of these recordings have become Christmas classics, still receiving significant radio airplay nearly 50 years after they were recorded!

While this was a great album in its day, it has since been superceeded. All the songs on this album are currently available on the Elvis "White Christmas" CD along with "If Every Day was Like Christmas" and "Mama Liked The Roses" and every song from his "The Wonderful World of Christmas" album which was released in 1971. Unless you just want to buy this CD for its historical significance, I would recommend that you spend a few extra bucks and buy the Elvis "White Christmas" album instead. You will get a lot more Christmas cheer!

4 out of 5 stars Misleading Album Titles.......2004-12-26

When Elvis' christmas recordings were reissued on CD, there was apparently some mixing and matching going on. While I totally love this CD, it is not the same one I listened to that my mom had on LP when I was little. It has several additions and omissions from that one, most notably the lack of "If Everyday Was Like Christmas". That song can be found on a CD of the same title, but the track listing of another one called "It's Christmas Time" by Elvis looks more familiar as the one I liked as a kid. Elvis' stuff is always great, though, so I still recommend this one, too.

5 out of 5 stars Santa Claus is comin' down your chimney tonight!.......2004-12-15

This was Elvis's first Christmas album, recorded in 1957. It's a certifiable classic. Side one featured Elvis doing secular Christmas songs. "Santa Claus is Back in Town" is an awesome blues song that features D.J. Fontana's best drumming ever, arguably. "White Christmas" is a fine performance that owes a lot to the Drifters' version. "Here Comes Santa Claus" is a cool rockabilly style performance. "I'll Be Home For Christmas" is a good ballad. "Blue Christmas" is Elvis's best Christmas song, and it made everyone forget the original Ernest Tubb version. Side one closed with the original pop rocker "Santa Bring My Baby Back". Side two of the album featured religious songs. However, only two of the songs are actual Christmas songs. The last four songs are taken from the previously released "Peace in the Valley" EP. But when the songs are as great as these four are, why complain? I highly recommend this CD.

5 out of 5 stars A true classic.......2004-02-12

One of the few "rock and roll" Christmas albums I can stomach, "Elvis' Christmas Album" was recorded in the heat of summer 1957 and was regarded as an act of blashphemy upon its release later in the year.

How dare this ducktailed rock and roller with his pink Cadillacs and sexually suggestive performing style...this pelvis thrusting pied piper of indecency...this...this...multi-millionaire juvenile delinquent, record "White Christmas"? Even the song's composer, Irving Berlin, was upset and asked radio stations not to play Presley's version.

There are moments on this disc when the King seems to playfully mock the sentiments of some of these songs as if to taunt his critics, but for the most part he sounds sincere and never fails to be anything but superb. He breathes startling new life into "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem" and makes "I'll Be Home for Christmas" his own. "Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane") is delightful, and "Santa Claus is Back in Town" is as raunchy in its way as his recording of "One Night."

The album is padded out with four sublime gospel recordings originally released on the "Peace in the Valley" EP that break the lighthearted mood a bit, but also place the focus on the season's true meaning.

This is a true classic, but Elvis fans who can't get enough of the King in yuletide mode might be advised to pick up one of the Christmas compilations (there are several) that include all of Presley's seasonal recordings.

5 out of 5 stars

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