Disappointing Christmas album by an artist you like

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by czeskleba, Dec 5, 2018.

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  1. bRETT

    bRETT Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    I'd pick "Merry Christmas Baby" as one of the greatest things he ever did. Some of the original country songs on that album are cool too.
     
  2. twicks

    twicks Forum Resident

    Location:
    Detroit
    Man, this is the only Christmas album I like! I'd say it's his best front-to-back album since The Convincer.

    The Chris Isaak one a few years back was a letdown. Too many standards.
     
  3. Meyer

    Meyer Heavy Metal Parking Lot Resident

    I borrowed Gwen Stefani's Christmas album at the library yesterday to compile some playlists for the holidays. I overpaid.
     
  4. czeskleba

    czeskleba Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Seattle
    He really missed a golden opportunity by not doing an arrangement of White Christmas that incorporated the melody of White Wedding. Think about it... "I'm dreaming of a.... White Christmas." Seems like a no brainer.
     
  5. kiefer2

    kiefer2 Eastern European knockoff Mr. Potato Head

    Location:
    Brookhaven, Pa.
    "This Christmas" by Olivia Newton John and John Travolta. Revolting.
     
    David G. and twicks like this.
  6. Em.

    Em. Forum Resident

    Location:
    SoCal, USA
    It's only a 2-song release, but a Cocteau Twins Christmas release could've been SO lovely. Instead, "Frosty The Snowman" is goofy, and "Winter Wonderland" isn't as ethereal and floating as I'd hoped it'd be. I was pretty excited about this when I'd heard it was being released, but have never really been able to get into it.

    [​IMG]
     
  7. Trace

    Trace Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington State
    How about the opposite? A Christmas record bought as a joke by someone you really don't care for, but it turns out to be pretty darned good. Here's mine....

    [​IMG]

    It's all traditional and I can't believe how much I like this. :help:
     
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  8. snowdog66

    snowdog66 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lancashire UK
    Surprised no one has mentioned this one.

    [​IMG]
     
  9. mmars982

    mmars982 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    I did. Early in the thread. But I just said "Dylan's Christmas album".

    I love Must Be Santa but can't stand anything else on here.
     
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  10. Hardy Melville

    Hardy Melville Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    Gladys Knight is one of my all time all genre favorite singers, so I picked this up some years ago just like that.
    [​IMG]

    I put it on and could not listen to it. What a disappointment. And on top of that it got mostly good reviews on Amazon.

    I see she also did one by herself in 2006. I should probably pick that up instead, but I am a bit leery after the above one.
     
  11. Hardy Melville

    Hardy Melville Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    another shockingly bad Christmas album is this one:

    [​IMG]

    It's hard to understand how it could be so bad.
     
  12. Retro Hound

    Retro Hound Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pittsburg, KS
    Man, there are A LOT of artist on this thread that I didn't even know put out a Christmas album! I've just stuck with my Nat King Cole and Dean Martin I guess.
     
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  13. SoundDoctor

    SoundDoctor Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
  14. GubGub

    GubGub Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sussex
    I've gotta admit that I regard this as a work of perverse genius. I am not a blind and habitual defender of all things Bob and my first reaction to it, like most people's was WTF. But it is so wilfully strange that it must have been deliberate and I really like that aspect of it. It makes me smile.

    Another vote here for the dreary Sting album though and an act for whom you would have thought Christmas music would be second nature but actually delivered two stinkers, the Carpenters.
     
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  15. snowdog66

    snowdog66 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lancashire UK
    Sorry I completely missed that. Dylans album was the first one I thought of when I saw the thread. I'm pretty sure its the only Christmas album I own.
     
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  16. mmars982

    mmars982 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    His low, speak-sing voice just doesn't seem to fit the traditional songs well. In fact, my favorite track is the last one where he doesn't sing at all but just speaks. "Christmas As I Knew It"
     
    Hardy Melville likes this.
  17. czeskleba

    czeskleba Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Seattle
    Well, Elvis' first Christmas album is flawed in itself. Side one is truly great, but side two is padded out with four previously-released non-Christmas songs that are not so hot. I love the good stuff on that album, but it's disappointing he didn't bother to do enough material for a full-length Christmas album, due to laziness or cheapness or whatever.
     
  18. David G.

    David G. Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin, TX
    Yes indeed. I adore Olivia and own everything she's ever released, and This Christmas is just... terrible. It's like Olivia, John, and their guests were singing Christmas songs at a karaoke party.
     
  19. Brian Mc

    Brian Mc Member

    Location:
    Denver, CO
    The Monkees Christmas Party New songs are generic, forgettable and/or just not that good. Traditional songs are mostly badly produced and/or less than ideally produced.
    The Everly Brothers Christmas With The Everly Brothers And The Boystown Choir Same reasons listed in the OP
    Johnny Cash Classic Christmas Just doesn't sound inspired
    Harry Nilsson The Presence of Christmas The nadir of Nilsson's career.
    Dolly Parton Home for Christmas So terribly produced that I couldn't even finish the album. Awful. Note: I am not a fan of that late '80s sound that carried over into the early '90s
    Mandy Barnett Winter Wonderland I should like this. I want to like this. Just seems off. Doesn't hit the spot. Too generic sounding

    I see some people mention Dylan's album, which I love. That album just gets better every year. There's something special going on in that album. I get not liking late era Dylan's singing and if you don't like late era Dylan, fine, but I love late era Dylan's singing, and if you love late era Dylan like me, then don't dismiss this album so easily: it's a gem.

    On the flip side of the coin, I've been surprised at the number of artists whom I don't particularly care for on normal basis who turned in terrific Christmas albums. Something that I've noticed about Christmas albums is that it allows you some insight into what makes certain artists great that you may not "get" otherwise.
     
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  20. johnny q

    johnny q Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bergen County, NJ
  21. jalexander

    jalexander Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canada
    That’s a compilation spanning his three Columbia Christmas albums plus one outtake. It’s ok for a bargain bin filler, but nothing to write home about. His 60s Christmas album is quite good, the 70s one a bit hokey, and the 80s one orchestral schlock.
     
    czeskleba likes this.
  22. Keith V

    Keith V Forum Resident

    Location:
    Secaucus, NJ
    Johnny Cash

    Peggy Lee
     
  23. jconsolmagno

    jconsolmagno Forum Resident

    Yup, top 5 band for me. They were going through the motions on it. Not sure why they put it out.

    Still hoping for one final studio album from them.
     
  24. jconsolmagno

    jconsolmagno Forum Resident


    I've had my eye on this album for years based on the title track and it's inclusion in the Christmas Vacation movie. Is it like that track throughout or is that the stand out track?
     
  25. Dillydipper

    Dillydipper Space-Age luddite

    Location:
    Central PA
    Nope, closer to "brilliant". :agree:
    "Hey little sister, what's in your stocking...?"
     
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