Search - Beach Boys :: Xmas Album

Lee K. (amarikidd) from HERNDON, VA
Reviewed on 1/2/2014...

Beautiful, fun, harmonious Beach Boys for Christmas. Sound quality is great. Perfect for Christmas

Santa's Beach

Johnny Heering | Bethel, CT United States | 12/21/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is the legendary Beach Boys Christmas Album, augmented by a handful of bonus tracks. The album consists of five Brian Wilson originals performed in the classic Beach Boys style, and six older songs featuring the boys singing to an orchestral backing, plus an a capella "Auld Lang Syne". The five original songs are the highlights here, for me. Fun little songs performed the way we expect from the Beach Boys. The orchestral songs take some getting used to. They are well sung by the boys, but they don't have that "Beach Boys" feel to them. Still, they are enjoyable in their own way. "Auld Lang Syne" features a spoken part by Denny, where he wishes us Merry Christmas and whatnot. Something I find amusing about this song is that Denny hap-happens to stammer while reading his lines. Why they didn't record another take where he didn't mess up, I'll never know. Now a few words about the bonus tracks. The single version of "Little Saint Nick" is included. This differs from the album version by featuring additional instruments added (glockenspiel, sleigh bells, xylophone, etc.). I like this version better. The original b-side of "Little Saint Nick", "The Lord's Prayer" is included. This is beautifully sung a capella. This is the one track here that is not included on the Ultimate Christmas collection (probably because it is technically not a Christmas song). Then there is an odd track featuring the lyrics to "Little Saint Nick" sung to the backing track to "Drive-In". Just a fun bit with the boys horsing around. The final track here is "Auld Lang Syne" without the spoken part by Denny. This version really lets us hear the beautiful harmonies by the boys. This CD seems to be out of print now, but if you can find a used copy for a reasonable price, it is worth getting."

MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS RECORDING

Unlucky Frank | Lalaland, CA United States | 11/25/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was born in 1960 and growing up in Southern California, I can't remember a single Christmas morning when my mother didn't put this record on the single speaker HI FI. (Back then, that's what you had.) Christmas morning isn't Christmas morning without this record. I can remember one Christmas morning waking up and seeing the tree all lit up, this ALBUM was playing, and there was actually snow on the ground in The San Fernando Valley. I've haven't seen snow on the ground on a Christmas morning since. The only snow I see is inside my snow globe. THAT'S CHRISTMAS IN BEACHBOY COUNTRY.



THE HARMONIES ON THIS RECORDING ARE SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THE BEACH BOYS EVER DID.



A few years back I gave the CD to my mom as a gift. Now, I want it for myself. Too bad it's out of stock. I'll have to buy it from another store. THIS IS THE ONE TO HAVE. FORGET THE ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS CD. That one has a few clunkers. This is the ORIGINAL CAPITOL RELEASE. I don't even want to hear the bonus tracks. I WANT TO HEAR IT JUST LIKE I REMEMBER IT. I hate it when record companies put extra bonus tracks of the same tunes done with a smattering of different takes. I just want to hear the recording the way it was intended. Sometimes I'll burn the whole CD without the bonus tracks. When are they gonna stop cluttering up classic recordings with this bonus track nonsense? Put it on a separate CD for those who want it. I don't want to hear the same song 3 or 4 times at the end of a recording. THIS MADNESS HAS GOT TO STOP!! GEEZ!! Just kidding. HAPPY HOLIDAYS."