{Moved from the CHRISTMAS ALBUM song ranking thread}
I thought about this overnight, and realized I couldn't possibly rank the tunes on the CHRISTMAS ALBUM, as all are truly favorites. It's such a joy each year to put this album on - and each track holds a special place in my heart, bringing back memories of lots of past Christmases.
So instead, I'll simply list the versions of the album I've gotten over the years.
1. - LP - SP 4166 - The first copy of the album that I got during its release week. What a treat it was to listen to then, just as it is now. I was impressed with the color photograph on the back of the album. Looking at it now, even reproduced in the new liner notes though, that photo was a bit underexposed, wasn't it?
2. - LP - SP 3113 - A surprise one year in the early '80s when I saw this in the racks at the local record store. I was really surprised to see it with a new cover design, with the white border and now black & white photo on the back. This one didn't have the signature representations of the earlier release, but it did at least print out the band members original names under the photo. I bought this one to replace my aging copy from the '60's, and it served for a couple of years before...
3. - CD - CD 3113 - A CD replica of SP 3113, with the white border, released in the mid '80s. This was a joy to find and was among my earliest CD purchases. I recalled being thrilled to hear these great tunes on the new-fangled CD player, and it made me eager to own more of the Alpert catalog in the new format. Thankfully, I bought everything I could find back then.
4. - CD - 544 327-2 - A CD copy from Europe with the altered title of HERB ALPERT & HIS TIJUANA BRASS AT CHRISTMAS. This one was put out by Spectrum Music with a date on it of 2000. I think I picked it up used either at a used store or on eBay. I got it at one of those periods in the last few years when the album was really out of print and I wanted a copy with the different title, just to add to the collection. As such, it's just a bit of a curiosity, but it sounds like a clone of the '60's disc.
5. - CD - DK 34411 - The Shout! Factory CD release from two years ago. This is, of course, the currently available version out there. It's the only Shout!-Alpert release that I haven't yet picked up a duplicate for. I think it's because I just don't often see it in the racks at a time when $15 or so seems reasonable for a duplicate! It was nice to see the original full-picture cover restored for this release, but one wishes they'd have come up with a bonus track or two, even if it was just the "bell" version of "Jingle Bell Rock" from ¡SOMETHING FESTIVE!
No-one's mentioned it in this thread yet, so I will. I've heard a number of people over the years mention that they dislike the Shorty Rogers choral vocals added to many of the tracks. I think they're perfect and wouldn't change a thing.
Harry
...not picking favorites out of perferction, online...
I thought about this overnight, and realized I couldn't possibly rank the tunes on the CHRISTMAS ALBUM, as all are truly favorites. It's such a joy each year to put this album on - and each track holds a special place in my heart, bringing back memories of lots of past Christmases.
So instead, I'll simply list the versions of the album I've gotten over the years.
1. - LP - SP 4166 - The first copy of the album that I got during its release week. What a treat it was to listen to then, just as it is now. I was impressed with the color photograph on the back of the album. Looking at it now, even reproduced in the new liner notes though, that photo was a bit underexposed, wasn't it?
2. - LP - SP 3113 - A surprise one year in the early '80s when I saw this in the racks at the local record store. I was really surprised to see it with a new cover design, with the white border and now black & white photo on the back. This one didn't have the signature representations of the earlier release, but it did at least print out the band members original names under the photo. I bought this one to replace my aging copy from the '60's, and it served for a couple of years before...
3. - CD - CD 3113 - A CD replica of SP 3113, with the white border, released in the mid '80s. This was a joy to find and was among my earliest CD purchases. I recalled being thrilled to hear these great tunes on the new-fangled CD player, and it made me eager to own more of the Alpert catalog in the new format. Thankfully, I bought everything I could find back then.
4. - CD - 544 327-2 - A CD copy from Europe with the altered title of HERB ALPERT & HIS TIJUANA BRASS AT CHRISTMAS. This one was put out by Spectrum Music with a date on it of 2000. I think I picked it up used either at a used store or on eBay. I got it at one of those periods in the last few years when the album was really out of print and I wanted a copy with the different title, just to add to the collection. As such, it's just a bit of a curiosity, but it sounds like a clone of the '60's disc.
5. - CD - DK 34411 - The Shout! Factory CD release from two years ago. This is, of course, the currently available version out there. It's the only Shout!-Alpert release that I haven't yet picked up a duplicate for. I think it's because I just don't often see it in the racks at a time when $15 or so seems reasonable for a duplicate! It was nice to see the original full-picture cover restored for this release, but one wishes they'd have come up with a bonus track or two, even if it was just the "bell" version of "Jingle Bell Rock" from ¡SOMETHING FESTIVE!
No-one's mentioned it in this thread yet, so I will. I've heard a number of people over the years mention that they dislike the Shorty Rogers choral vocals added to many of the tracks. I think they're perfect and wouldn't change a thing.
Harry
...not picking favorites out of perferction, online...
