Ho, ho, ho!! Funny how the world is divided between people who just love Christmas music, and those who loathe it with an almost equal fervor. Me? I guess I fall somewhere in the middle... There are those countless songs that are simply great to sing along with, and yet Christmas music (and the rampant commercialism of the season) inexorably lends itself to the worst and cheesiest impulses among oh, so many artists...
This page covers the letter "I"
Chris Isaak "Christmas" (Mailboat Records, 2005)
Burl Ives "The Christmas Collection" (MCA Universal Records, 2003)
Have a holly, jolly Christmas! It's classic yuletide corn, from the fella who played Sam The Snowman on the "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" TV special. One of the most recognizable voices in 20th Century pop culture, old-school folkie Burl Ives recorded prolifically in the 1950s and '60s, but it's Christmas music he'll really be remembered for... This disc collects fifteen fine examples of his Decca Records holiday material, taken from a variety of sources... Most tracks feature prominent pop-orchestral arrangements, but Burl's rolling, grandfatherly tones cut right through the corn every time & draw you in. As cornball Christmas material goes, this is pretty hard to beat.
Burl Ives "Have A Holly Jolly Christmas" (MCA Records, 1995)
Pretty much the same material as in the album listed above, just with twelve songs instead of fifteen (and a slightly cheaper price tag...) It's Burl, it's corny -- it's great!
Burl Ives "Christmas Album" (Columbia Legacy, 1968/1995)
Following his decades-long association with the Decca label, Ives went on to record this set of holiday tunes for a rival label, in 1968. It's an entirely new repertoire, with some old traditional tunes, as well as new ones like "Santa Mouse..." Once again, it's Burl, it's corny -- it's great!
Hillbilly Holidays - Letter "J"
