Jingle Bells (Greetings from Esquivel!) - Esquivel, Pierpont, James
White Christmas - Esquivel, Berlin, Irving
Here Comes Santa Claus - Esquivel, Autry, Gene
Parade of the Wooden Soldiers - Esquivel, Jessel, Leon
The Christmas Song - Esquivel, Torme, Mel
Frosty the Snowman - Esquivel, Nelson, Steve [1]
Snowfall - Esquivel, Thornhill, Claude
Sun Valley Ski Run - Esquivel, Applebaum, Stan
Blue Christmas - Esquivel, Hayes, Bill [Compos
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town - Esquivel, Coots, J. Fred
I Feel Merely Marvelous - Esquivel,
Auld Lang Syne (Adios from Esquivel!) - Esquivel, Burns, Robert [2]
What holiday cocktail party would be complete without some zooma-zoom-zoom and doo-doo-doo to add to all of the ho-ho-hos? Take some Christmas classics, add a little retro sci-fi, hand it off to Señor Juan Esquivel an... more »d let him shake. (Or stir.) The result is still the same, as Merry Christmas from the Space Age Bachelor Pad turns every lounge into a swingin' Santa joint. The real highlight here is a reworking of "Jingle Bells" as only a masterfully hip maestro like Esquivel could achieve, with the help of some latter-day cocktailors from Combustible Edison. There's also a surprise cut, not a holiday classic per se, but a festive tune all the same: "I Feel Merely Marvelous," an old B side from Esquivel's heyday that was all but forgotten until now. Who knows--with the right mix of mistletoe and martinis, "I Feel Merely Marvelous" could become a seasonal favorite yet. --Steve Gdula« less
What holiday cocktail party would be complete without some zooma-zoom-zoom and doo-doo-doo to add to all of the ho-ho-hos? Take some Christmas classics, add a little retro sci-fi, hand it off to Señor Juan Esquivel and let him shake. (Or stir.) The result is still the same, as Merry Christmas from the Space Age Bachelor Pad turns every lounge into a swingin' Santa joint. The real highlight here is a reworking of "Jingle Bells" as only a masterfully hip maestro like Esquivel could achieve, with the help of some latter-day cocktailors from Combustible Edison. There's also a surprise cut, not a holiday classic per se, but a festive tune all the same: "I Feel Merely Marvelous," an old B side from Esquivel's heyday that was all but forgotten until now. Who knows--with the right mix of mistletoe and martinis, "I Feel Merely Marvelous" could become a seasonal favorite yet. --Steve Gdula
"Throwing a Xmas cocktail party and need some tunes to set the mood? Look no further. The CD begins with a spoken word bit featuring the cheeky Esquivel himself welcoming you into his home and giving you a little "tour" of his pad. What follows is about 30 minutes of weird takes on Xmas favorites, with some of the sounds being pretty out there. Cheesy? Sometimes. Kitschy? Often. Fun? Always. My only complaint is that it is so short."
It's better than they say it is
Anthony J Ceci II | gaithersburg, MD United States | 12/16/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This collection of Esquivel's christmas music is NOT a cheap, thrown together affair. Some of the compositions are a little more traditional, but listen to Frosty the Snowman and the track right after it- Pure lounge, quality music. I give it two thumbs up."
The BEST Christmas album ever! The happiest album ever!
Anthony J Ceci II | 08/30/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is TOO happy! If this does not bring a smile to your face, let alone make you laugh out loud, you are really a Grinch! Plus, it is very creative! It is unbelievable!Christmas music IS cheesy! "Respectable" christmas music is the real absurdity! Equivel! honestly seems to want to just entertain, and leave his audience in a good mood! THE christmas album for those who thought they would never buy a Christmas album! BUY! BUY! BUY!"
Esquivel was in a hurry this time
Elwood Conway | Frankfort, KY United States | 01/18/2002
(3 out of 5 stars)
"All right, so RCA wanted Esquivel to flesh out one side of a Christmas LP. He did it in a hurry and with fewer participants than you usually have on his recordings (the one exception is WHITE CHRISTMAS which was recorded on an earlier date than the rest of the compositions and features the whole orchestra BUT which has been butchered by Bar-None who LEFT OFF THE FIRST SLEIGH BELL NOTE. If you want a much better and complete rendition of this song, see SWINGIN' CHRISTMAS - Rhino 79998). At least Bar-None released this baby, which is NOT available as an import. And it is cool to have the man himself giving an intro and exit to the CD. Your best bet is to find a used copy of this cool Christmas CD."
Feliz Navidad, baby!
Johnny Heering | Bethel, CT United States | 12/13/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Esquivel is known today as "The King of Space Age Bachelor Pad Music". After years of obscurity, he experienced a revival of his eccentric brand of adult pop instrumentals in the 1990s (which were originally recorded in the '50s and '60s). In 1959, he recorded half the songs on an album called The Merriest of Christmas Pops (the other half were by Ray Martin, who faded into obscurity and has not experienced a revival). The six songs by Esquivel are good, although a few of them rely too much on a vocal chorus, instead of being in his familiar instrumental style. "White Christmas" and "Frosty the Snowman", however, are marvelous. Of course, six songs insn't enough for an album, so other songs had to be added. The winter themed "Snowfall" and "Sun Valley Ski Run" are a natural fit, and "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" fits in with the Christmas toy thing. "I Feel Merely Marvelous" doesn't really fit in at all, but at least it's rare. Two new tracks were recorded for the CD by admirers of Esquivel, to which the Mexican Maestro added voice overs. These two new tracks serve as the intro and outro of the CD. Overall, this CD is quite enjoyable. Adios!"