Search - :: In the Swing of Christmas

Manilow Swings!

Deanna S. Neeley | Ogden, Ut USA | 11/21/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you want Christmas music with a different color, this album really swings. I wish I could figure out how Manilow is able to take traditional songs and manipulate them into magic pieces that demands attention to arrangement structure. I know the titles speak the same traditional Christmas music, but believe me, it's Manilow Magic again that recreates traditional into something new and exciting. I want more!"

Love it, Love it, LOVE IT!

Kathy W | Baltimore | 12/21/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wow! High-powered beauty PLUS creative jazz! I love it, I love it, I LOVE IT!!! This is the previously released 2007 Hallmark Christmas CD by Barry, now re-released with 2 additional tracks added.



There are 12 tracks in all now, between a half hour and 45 minutes in total. Yes, I wish it was longer, but it's still great. These are mainly traditional Christmas songs. Yes! I said CHRISTMAS!!! And I'm proud of it! I get tired of all this "HOLIDAY" stuff. Christmas is Christmas. If you don't like the word, don't celebrate it!



OK. I'm off my soapbox now. Anyway, the songs are:



1)Silver Bells (all 5 or 6 tracks done by Barry overlaying each other)

2)Carol of the Bells/Jingle Bells (verrrrry jazzzzzy) (I love those J-I-N-G-L-E B-E-double L-S U-C)

3)Joy to the World/It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

4)Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

5)Violets for Your Furs (slow--very pretty--about winter in Manhattan and a guy buying violets for his girl's furs)

6)O Tannenbaum/Winter Wonderland (a bit jazzy on Winter Wonderland)

7)Christmas Time is Here (the song you hear on the Snoopy cartoon Christmas special)

8)The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)

9)Toyland

10)Count Your Blessings

Bonus Tracks (added to the 2009 version):

11)Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

12)Christmas is Just Around the Corner



Like I said, these are Christmas standards and you already know what they sound like. He stayed fairly straight on most of them, keeping the original beauty. Of course, you know what Toyland sounds like and I love it. It always makes me think of the special times watching children play at Christmas time. "Count Your Blessings" is one of many pretty songs that Rosemary Clooney sings in the movie "White Christmas."



Rudolph, Barritized version is excellent! It is a combo dixieland clarinet plus big-band and it is REALLY hard to listen to without singing along with B. He is one of the few artists who can take a classic like R the RNR, make it his own, and still keep the integrity of the original song in tact.



CisJAtheCorner was written by B for the 2008 childrens' special cartoon "Cranberry Christmas". A cute little show for the kids and a delightful little song, my inner child loves its freshness, energy and enthusiasm. When I first got the CD, I played this track about 10 times. (Yeah. I know. Get a life!) No kidding--I LOVE it! It is such a light, airy tune. It resonates well with both me and the child within me. It makes me want to jump up and do the "Freddy," even when I'm driving on the interstate (so I have to restrain myself). "Christ-maaas, is just around the cor-ner. . ." I love it.



By the way, for the young whippersnappers reading this, the Freddy was a dance from the mid 1960s where you waved your arms and legs (legs one at a time, preferably).



Yep, Barry's still got it! 37 years of making records and still going! These arrangements are great! I am happy to see that Hallmark chose Barry as their Christmas artist for the original and glad to see the re-release.



Lovely, simply lovely! I bought it the first day it became available and have played it about 50,000 times already! (OK. Maybe that's a SLIGHT exaggeration.)"

This is a rerealse

David Park | Salem, Oregon | 10/23/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a rereales of the 2007 one that Hallmark put out. The rereales puts two new songs on it at the end. It just adds to a really great one."