Pop music wise, Christmas is traditionally soundtracked by that "blimmin' Slade tune" and a host of even more irksome ditties. So, thank the Lord for Berry Gordy and his Hitsville roster, whose A Christmas Present From Motown Volume 1 features 18 soulful seasonal songs. Selections include traditional carols, Christmas evergreens and a smattering of specially written festive numbers, mostly recorded during Motown's 60s and early 70s heyday. The Temptations offer a swoonsome croonsome Bing-like reading of "White Christmas", alongside their doo-wop gospel take on "Silent Night". On a more up-tempo tip are Smokey's self-penned shuffler, "Christmas Every Day", and the Jackson 5's playful "Frosty The Snowman". The Four Tops are dreaming of a blues Christmas with the bourbon soaked "Merry Christmas Baby"; Marvin Gaye's "Purple Snowflakes" is a balmy beauty; and Stevie Wonder contributes a trio of tunes in the supper club soul style of his early Tamla hits. Somewhat predictably, Diana Ross provides the only mawkish moment. "Children's Christmas Song" is as hideous as it sounds and yes, there's a vomit-inducing spoken interlude and a kids chorus. Program your CD to skip this track and have a merry Christmas. --Chris King

First of two great compilations, 25 Oct 2003
Many Motown stars recorded Christmas albums and tracks from those albums have been the source of many Motown Christmas compilations. This is one of a pair of British budget compilations that are as good as any I've seen, with an excellent mix of famous and obscure songs and all the singers you expect to hear.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Jackson five and Stevie Wonder are each represented by three tracks. The Temptations and Diana Ross and the Supremes each get two tracks, though Diana also gets a solo track. The Four Tops also get two, including one featuring guest vocalist Aretha Franklin. The Funk brothers and Marvin Gaye have one track each.

For me, the highlights are Everyone's a kid at Christmas time (Stevie Wonder), Merry Christmas baby (Four tops), (Temptations), One little Christmas tree (Stevie Wonder), Purple snowflakes (Marvin Gaye) and Christmas everyday (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles) but there are many great tracks here and you may have different favorites.

This compilation stands on its own or as a companion to the equally brilliant second volume.

Track listing

Everyone's a kid at Christmas time - Stevie Wonder
Have yourself a merry little Christmas - Jackson Five
Winter wonderland (instrumental) - Funk Brothers
Let it snow let it snow let it snow - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
Christmas here with you - Four Tops & Aretha Franklin
Miracles of Christmas - Stevie Wonder
Joy to the world - Diana Ross & The Supremes
Merry Christmas baby - Four Tops
Children's Christmas song - Diana Ross & The Supremes
This Christmas - Diana Ross
Give love on Christmas Day - Jackson Five
One little Christmas tree - Stevie Wonder
Santa Claus is coming to town - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
White Christmas - Temptations
Frosty the snowman - Jackson Five
Silent night - Temptations
Purple snowflakes - Marvin Gaye
Christmas everyday - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

A Christmas Present From Motown Volume Two contains a further 18 festive offerings from the Sound Of Young America. Once again, selections include traditional carols, seasonal standards and newly penned yuletide numbers, mostly recorded during the 60s. Not surprisingly, there is yet another version of "White Christmas". This time Diana Ross & the Supremes provide a schmaltzy Disney-esque reading... bah humbug. Far better is Diana and the gals' "Little Bright Star", a stomping pocket symphony. Remarkably, the titan-tonsilled Kim Weston injects genuine emotion into hubby William "Mickey" Stevenson's otherwise flimsy "Wish You A Merry Christmas". More substantial is a stately "Silent Night", which finds the Four Tops hooking up with Aretha Franklin. The Four Tops also contribute a bizarre version of "'Twas The Night Before Christmas", which appears to be narrated by a black Detroit equivalent of "the laughing Policeman". Also entering into the mood of rosy cheeked capering are the Jackson 5, who gleefully scamper through the aptly frivolous version of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus". --Chris King

First of two great compilations, 25 Oct 2003
Many Motown stars recorded Christmas albums and tracks from those albums have been the source of many Motown Christmas compilations. This is one of a pair of British budget compilations that are as good as any I've seen, with an excellent mix of famous and obscure songs and all the singers you expect to hear.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Jackson five and Stevie Wonder are each represented by three tracks. The Temptations and Diana Ross and the Supremes each get two tracks, though Diana also gets a solo track. The Four Tops also get two, including one featuring guest vocalist Aretha Franklin. The Funk brothers and Marvin Gaye have one track each.

For me, the highlights are Everyone's a kid at Christmas time (Stevie Wonder), Merry Christmas baby (Four tops), (Temptations), One little Christmas tree (Stevie Wonder), Purple snowflakes (Marvin Gaye) and Christmas everyday (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles) but there are many great tracks here and you may have different favorites.

This compilation stands on its own or as a companion to the equally brilliant second volume.

Track listing

Everyone's a kid at Christmas time - Stevie Wonder
Have yourself a merry little Christmas - Jackson Five
Winter wonderland (instrumental) - Funk Brothers
Let it snow let it snow let it snow - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
Christmas here with you - Four Tops & Aretha Franklin
Miracles of Christmas - Stevie Wonder
Joy to the world - Diana Ross & The Supremes
Merry Christmas baby - Four Tops
Children's Christmas song - Diana Ross & The Supremes
This Christmas - Diana Ross
Give love on Christmas Day - Jackson Five
One little Christmas tree - Stevie Wonder
Santa Claus is coming to town - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
White Christmas - Temptations
Frosty the snowman - Jackson Five
Silent night - Temptations
Purple snowflakes - Marvin Gaye
Christmas everyday - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

Second of two great compilations, 22 Oct 2003
Many Motown stars recorded Christmas albums and tracks from those albums have been the source of many Motown Christmas compilations. This is one of a pair of British budget compilations that are as good as any I've seen, with an excellent mix of famous and obscure songs and all the singers you expect to hear.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Temptations and Stevie Wonder are each represented by three tracks. The Jackson five get two tracks. The Four Tops also get two, including one featuring guest vocalist Aretha Franklin. Kim Weston and Marvin Gaye have one song each.

For me, the highlights are Everything for Christmas (Temptations), Little bright star (Diana Ross and the Supremes), Warm little home on a hill (Stevie Wonder), My Christmas tree (Temptations) and Someday at Christmas (Stevie Wonder) but there are many great tracks here and you may have different favorites.

This compilation stands on its own or as a companion to the equally brilliant first volume.

Recorded at the height of Mr. Superbad's reign, this high-octane, 17-song set is guaranteed to give Santa Claus a soul transfusion--and put a little extra kick into that mistletoe kiss. While JB spends a fair amount of time pouring his heart out on inspired renditions of favourites such as "Merry Christmas Baby" and "Please Come Home", he and his always-stellar band really shine on a spate of originals that takes Christmas from an idealised holiday and makes it real. They do so in ways that are fun ("Go Power at Christmas Time") or with a dose of social consciousness ("Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto"), but the mere fact that Brown makes it all work--and makes it funky in the process--is a joy to behold. --David Sprague

First of two great compilations, 25 Oct 2003
Many Motown stars recorded Christmas albums and tracks from those albums have been the source of many Motown Christmas compilations. This is one of a pair of British budget compilations that are as good as any I've seen, with an excellent mix of famous and obscure songs and all the singers you expect to hear.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Jackson five and Stevie Wonder are each represented by three tracks. The Temptations and Diana Ross and the Supremes each get two tracks, though Diana also gets a solo track. The Four Tops also get two, including one featuring guest vocalist Aretha Franklin. The Funk brothers and Marvin Gaye have one track each.

For me, the highlights are Everyone's a kid at Christmas time (Stevie Wonder), Merry Christmas baby (Four tops), (Temptations), One little Christmas tree (Stevie Wonder), Purple snowflakes (Marvin Gaye) and Christmas everyday (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles) but there are many great tracks here and you may have different favorites.

This compilation stands on its own or as a companion to the equally brilliant second volume.

Track listing

Everyone's a kid at Christmas time - Stevie Wonder
Have yourself a merry little Christmas - Jackson Five
Winter wonderland (instrumental) - Funk Brothers
Let it snow let it snow let it snow - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
Christmas here with you - Four Tops & Aretha Franklin
Miracles of Christmas - Stevie Wonder
Joy to the world - Diana Ross & The Supremes
Merry Christmas baby - Four Tops
Children's Christmas song - Diana Ross & The Supremes
This Christmas - Diana Ross
Give love on Christmas Day - Jackson Five
One little Christmas tree - Stevie Wonder
Santa Claus is coming to town - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
White Christmas - Temptations
Frosty the snowman - Jackson Five
Silent night - Temptations
Purple snowflakes - Marvin Gaye
Christmas everyday - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

Second of two great compilations, 22 Oct 2003
Many Motown stars recorded Christmas albums and tracks from those albums have been the source of many Motown Christmas compilations. This is one of a pair of British budget compilations that are as good as any I've seen, with an excellent mix of famous and obscure songs and all the singers you expect to hear.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Temptations and Stevie Wonder are each represented by three tracks. The Jackson five get two tracks. The Four Tops also get two, including one featuring guest vocalist Aretha Franklin. Kim Weston and Marvin Gaye have one song each.

For me, the highlights are Everything for Christmas (Temptations), Little bright star (Diana Ross and the Supremes), Warm little home on a hill (Stevie Wonder), My Christmas tree (Temptations) and Someday at Christmas (Stevie Wonder) but there are many great tracks here and you may have different favorites.

This compilation stands on its own or as a companion to the equally brilliant first volume.

Food for thought at Christmas, 02 Feb 2007
James Brown was always a big fan of Christmas - in fact, he recorded several Christmas albums over the course of his career, including a rare Internet-only release just a couple of years before his passing. That aside, 'Funky Christmas' gathers together tracks from each of Brown's festive LP's, so fans can have him on the stereo instead of Cliff Richard (sorry, Cliff)!

This record places more emphasis on his soul work, and there are not as many funky grooves as some might expect. It is also surprisingly serious, even grim in some places, as James sings of Christmas in the ghetto, and trying to get by without a dime in December. It's good music to reflect to, and certainly one of the most original Christmas albums I've heard. However, at Christmas time, I think most people want to play carefree, uplifting music, or at least something they can dance to, and a lot of these songs don't fit that description.

'Funky Christmas' is worth collecting if you are a serious JB fan, but is probably best enjoyed after the big Christmas party, rather than during.

Seasonal Soul Power!, 04 Dec 2001
You'd think from the cover that this would be no more than a novelty record, but baby its so much more! Oow!

The king of soul belts out some great christmas tunes that should have you a quakin' an a shakin' (like Go Power At Christmas Time) and some great soulful, serious tracks like the fantastic "Let's Make Christmas Mean Something This Year". Highly recommended listening!

First of two great compilations, 25 Oct 2003
Many Motown stars recorded Christmas albums and tracks from those albums have been the source of many Motown Christmas compilations. This is one of a pair of British budget compilations that are as good as any I've seen, with an excellent mix of famous and obscure songs and all the singers you expect to hear.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Jackson five and Stevie Wonder are each represented by three tracks. The Temptations and Diana Ross and the Supremes each get two tracks, though Diana also gets a solo track. The Four Tops also get two, including one featuring guest vocalist Aretha Franklin. The Funk brothers and Marvin Gaye have one track each.

For me, the highlights are Everyone's a kid at Christmas time (Stevie Wonder), Merry Christmas baby (Four tops), (Temptations), One little Christmas tree (Stevie Wonder), Purple snowflakes (Marvin Gaye) and Christmas everyday (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles) but there are many great tracks here and you may have different favorites.

This compilation stands on its own or as a companion to the equally brilliant second volume.

Track listing

Everyone's a kid at Christmas time - Stevie Wonder
Have yourself a merry little Christmas - Jackson Five
Winter wonderland (instrumental) - Funk Brothers
Let it snow let it snow let it snow - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
Christmas here with you - Four Tops & Aretha Franklin
Miracles of Christmas - Stevie Wonder
Joy to the world - Diana Ross & The Supremes
Merry Christmas baby - Four Tops
Children's Christmas song - Diana Ross & The Supremes
This Christmas - Diana Ross
Give love on Christmas Day - Jackson Five
One little Christmas tree - Stevie Wonder
Santa Claus is coming to town - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
White Christmas - Temptations
Frosty the snowman - Jackson Five
Silent night - Temptations
Purple snowflakes - Marvin Gaye
Christmas everyday - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

Second of two great compilations, 22 Oct 2003
Many Motown stars recorded Christmas albums and tracks from those albums have been the source of many Motown Christmas compilations. This is one of a pair of British budget compilations that are as good as any I've seen, with an excellent mix of famous and obscure songs and all the singers you expect to hear.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Temptations and Stevie Wonder are each represented by three tracks. The Jackson five get two tracks. The Four Tops also get two, including one featuring guest vocalist Aretha Franklin. Kim Weston and Marvin Gaye have one song each.

For me, the highlights are Everything for Christmas (Temptations), Little bright star (Diana Ross and the Supremes), Warm little home on a hill (Stevie Wonder), My Christmas tree (Temptations) and Someday at Christmas (Stevie Wonder) but there are many great tracks here and you may have different favorites.

This compilation stands on its own or as a companion to the equally brilliant first volume.

Food for thought at Christmas, 02 Feb 2007
James Brown was always a big fan of Christmas - in fact, he recorded several Christmas albums over the course of his career, including a rare Internet-only release just a couple of years before his passing. That aside, 'Funky Christmas' gathers together tracks from each of Brown's festive LP's, so fans can have him on the stereo instead of Cliff Richard (sorry, Cliff)!

This record places more emphasis on his soul work, and there are not as many funky grooves as some might expect. It is also surprisingly serious, even grim in some places, as James sings of Christmas in the ghetto, and trying to get by without a dime in December. It's good music to reflect to, and certainly one of the most original Christmas albums I've heard. However, at Christmas time, I think most people want to play carefree, uplifting music, or at least something they can dance to, and a lot of these songs don't fit that description.

'Funky Christmas' is worth collecting if you are a serious JB fan, but is probably best enjoyed after the big Christmas party, rather than during.

Seasonal Soul Power!, 04 Dec 2001
You'd think from the cover that this would be no more than a novelty record, but baby its so much more! Oow!

The king of soul belts out some great christmas tunes that should have you a quakin' an a shakin' (like Go Power At Christmas Time) and some great soulful, serious tracks like the fantastic "Let's Make Christmas Mean Something This Year". Highly recommended listening!

Christmas Songs From a Wonderful Singer, 24 Dec 2006
This is a collection of songs sung by Paul Carrack- the most famous singer that no-one appears to have heard of! Paul was the lead singer of Squeeze and Mike and the Mechanics amongst others and wrote the wonderful "How Long" when he was in the band 'Ace.'

If you like Christmassy songs then this CD is for you. Paul Carrack has a wonderful soulful voice and this album is made with a large "big band" sound.

If you haven't already bought it for this Christmas, then buy it for next.

First of two great compilations, 25 Oct 2003
Many Motown stars recorded Christmas albums and tracks from those albums have been the source of many Motown Christmas compilations. This is one of a pair of British budget compilations that are as good as any I've seen, with an excellent mix of famous and obscure songs and all the singers you expect to hear.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Jackson five and Stevie Wonder are each represented by three tracks. The Temptations and Diana Ross and the Supremes each get two tracks, though Diana also gets a solo track. The Four Tops also get two, including one featuring guest vocalist Aretha Franklin. The Funk brothers and Marvin Gaye have one track each.

For me, the highlights are Everyone's a kid at Christmas time (Stevie Wonder), Merry Christmas baby (Four tops), (Temptations), One little Christmas tree (Stevie Wonder), Purple snowflakes (Marvin Gaye) and Christmas everyday (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles) but there are many great tracks here and you may have different favorites.

This compilation stands on its own or as a companion to the equally brilliant second volume.

Track listing

Everyone's a kid at Christmas time - Stevie Wonder
Have yourself a merry little Christmas - Jackson Five
Winter wonderland (instrumental) - Funk Brothers
Let it snow let it snow let it snow - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
Christmas here with you - Four Tops & Aretha Franklin
Miracles of Christmas - Stevie Wonder
Joy to the world - Diana Ross & The Supremes
Merry Christmas baby - Four Tops
Children's Christmas song - Diana Ross & The Supremes
This Christmas - Diana Ross
Give love on Christmas Day - Jackson Five
One little Christmas tree - Stevie Wonder
Santa Claus is coming to town - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
White Christmas - Temptations
Frosty the snowman - Jackson Five
Silent night - Temptations
Purple snowflakes - Marvin Gaye
Christmas everyday - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

Second of two great compilations, 22 Oct 2003
Many Motown stars recorded Christmas albums and tracks from those albums have been the source of many Motown Christmas compilations. This is one of a pair of British budget compilations that are as good as any I've seen, with an excellent mix of famous and obscure songs and all the singers you expect to hear.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Temptations and Stevie Wonder are each represented by three tracks. The Jackson five get two tracks. The Four Tops also get two, including one featuring guest vocalist Aretha Franklin. Kim Weston and Marvin Gaye have one song each.

For me, the highlights are Everything for Christmas (Temptations), Little bright star (Diana Ross and the Supremes), Warm little home on a hill (Stevie Wonder), My Christmas tree (Temptations) and Someday at Christmas (Stevie Wonder) but there are many great tracks here and you may have different favorites.

This compilation stands on its own or as a companion to the equally brilliant first volume.

Food for thought at Christmas, 02 Feb 2007
James Brown was always a big fan of Christmas - in fact, he recorded several Christmas albums over the course of his career, including a rare Internet-only release just a couple of years before his passing. That aside, 'Funky Christmas' gathers together tracks from each of Brown's festive LP's, so fans can have him on the stereo instead of Cliff Richard (sorry, Cliff)!

This record places more emphasis on his soul work, and there are not as many funky grooves as some might expect. It is also surprisingly serious, even grim in some places, as James sings of Christmas in the ghetto, and trying to get by without a dime in December. It's good music to reflect to, and certainly one of the most original Christmas albums I've heard. However, at Christmas time, I think most people want to play carefree, uplifting music, or at least something they can dance to, and a lot of these songs don't fit that description.

'Funky Christmas' is worth collecting if you are a serious JB fan, but is probably best enjoyed after the big Christmas party, rather than during.

Seasonal Soul Power!, 04 Dec 2001
You'd think from the cover that this would be no more than a novelty record, but baby its so much more! Oow!

The king of soul belts out some great christmas tunes that should have you a quakin' an a shakin' (like Go Power At Christmas Time) and some great soulful, serious tracks like the fantastic "Let's Make Christmas Mean Something This Year". Highly recommended listening!

Christmas Songs From a Wonderful Singer, 24 Dec 2006
This is a collection of songs sung by Paul Carrack- the most famous singer that no-one appears to have heard of! Paul was the lead singer of Squeeze and Mike and the Mechanics amongst others and wrote the wonderful "How Long" when he was in the band 'Ace.'

If you like Christmassy songs then this CD is for you. Paul Carrack has a wonderful soulful voice and this album is made with a large "big band" sound.

If you haven't already bought it for this Christmas, then buy it for next.

Some of Mario's finest collection., 02 Oct 2007
A superb collection of some of Mario Lanza's finest recordings. Considering some go back to 1949 - 1958, the recordings to CD are excellent. You'll never walk alone, sung as it was originally intended by the great Mario Lanza. A perfect collection for new comers or fans looking for the best of Mario Lanza. A track for every occassion.

First of two great compilations, 25 Oct 2003
Many Motown stars recorded Christmas albums and tracks from those albums have been the source of many Motown Christmas compilations. This is one of a pair of British budget compilations that are as good as any I've seen, with an excellent mix of famous and obscure songs and all the singers you expect to hear.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Jackson five and Stevie Wonder are each represented by three tracks. The Temptations and Diana Ross and the Supremes each get two tracks, though Diana also gets a solo track. The Four Tops also get two, including one featuring guest vocalist Aretha Franklin. The Funk brothers and Marvin Gaye have one track each.

For me, the highlights are Everyone's a kid at Christmas time (Stevie Wonder), Merry Christmas baby (Four tops), (Temptations), One little Christmas tree (Stevie Wonder), Purple snowflakes (Marvin Gaye) and Christmas everyday (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles) but there are many great tracks here and you may have different favorites.

This compilation stands on its own or as a companion to the equally brilliant second volume.

Track listing

Everyone's a kid at Christmas time - Stevie Wonder
Have yourself a merry little Christmas - Jackson Five
Winter wonderland (instrumental) - Funk Brothers
Let it snow let it snow let it snow - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
Christmas here with you - Four Tops & Aretha Franklin
Miracles of Christmas - Stevie Wonder
Joy to the world - Diana Ross & The Supremes
Merry Christmas baby - Four Tops
Children's Christmas song - Diana Ross & The Supremes
This Christmas - Diana Ross
Give love on Christmas Day - Jackson Five
One little Christmas tree - Stevie Wonder
Santa Claus is coming to town - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
White Christmas - Temptations
Frosty the snowman - Jackson Five
Silent night - Temptations
Purple snowflakes - Marvin Gaye
Christmas everyday - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

Second of two great compilations, 22 Oct 2003
Many Motown stars recorded Christmas albums and tracks from those albums have been the source of many Motown Christmas compilations. This is one of a pair of British budget compilations that are as good as any I've seen, with an excellent mix of famous and obscure songs and all the singers you expect to hear.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Temptations and Stevie Wonder are each represented by three tracks. The Jackson five get two tracks. The Four Tops also get two, including one featuring guest vocalist Aretha Franklin. Kim Weston and Marvin Gaye have one song each.

For me, the highlights are Everything for Christmas (Temptations), Little bright star (Diana Ross and the Supremes), Warm little home on a hill (Stevie Wonder), My Christmas tree (Temptations) and Someday at Christmas (Stevie Wonder) but there are many great tracks here and you may have different favorites.

This compilation stands on its own or as a companion to the equally brilliant first volume.

Food for thought at Christmas, 02 Feb 2007
James Brown was always a big fan of Christmas - in fact, he recorded several Christmas albums over the course of his career, including a rare Internet-only release just a couple of years before his passing. That aside, 'Funky Christmas' gathers together tracks from each of Brown's festive LP's, so fans can have him on the stereo instead of Cliff Richard (sorry, Cliff)!

This record places more emphasis on his soul work, and there are not as many funky grooves as some might expect. It is also surprisingly serious, even grim in some places, as James sings of Christmas in the ghetto, and trying to get by without a dime in December. It's good music to reflect to, and certainly one of the most original Christmas albums I've heard. However, at Christmas time, I think most people want to play carefree, uplifting music, or at least something they can dance to, and a lot of these songs don't fit that description.

'Funky Christmas' is worth collecting if you are a serious JB fan, but is probably best enjoyed after the big Christmas party, rather than during.

Seasonal Soul Power!, 04 Dec 2001
You'd think from the cover that this would be no more than a novelty record, but baby its so much more! Oow!

The king of soul belts out some great christmas tunes that should have you a quakin' an a shakin' (like Go Power At Christmas Time) and some great soulful, serious tracks like the fantastic "Let's Make Christmas Mean Something This Year". Highly recommended listening!

Christmas Songs From a Wonderful Singer, 24 Dec 2006
This is a collection of songs sung by Paul Carrack- the most famous singer that no-one appears to have heard of! Paul was the lead singer of Squeeze and Mike and the Mechanics amongst others and wrote the wonderful "How Long" when he was in the band 'Ace.'

If you like Christmassy songs then this CD is for you. Paul Carrack has a wonderful soulful voice and this album is made with a large "big band" sound.

If you haven't already bought it for this Christmas, then buy it for next.

Some of Mario's finest collection., 02 Oct 2007
A superb collection of some of Mario Lanza's finest recordings. Considering some go back to 1949 - 1958, the recordings to CD are excellent. You'll never walk alone, sung as it was originally intended by the great Mario Lanza. A perfect collection for new comers or fans looking for the best of Mario Lanza. A track for every occassion.

Bit of a "one hit wonder", 07 Oct 2007
What a let down! I bought this for Nessum Dorma and found that the cupboard of his repertoire is actually pretty bare. Other than "Just one Cornetto" there aren't any big hits on this album. Surely they could have included the 1975 classic "everyone's a fruit and nut case"? More importantly, none of it is in english so i've no idea what he's on about.

That said, this guy can sing, proving, like Michelle McManus before him that being obese is no barrier if you have a decent voice. With the right material this guy could have a big career ahead of him. Maybe he should enter X-Factor, Simon Cowell could make him a big star.

THE KING IS DEAD LONG LIVE KING POTTS, 08 Sep 2007
Pavarotti is sadly gone but as if heaven sent by coincidence we have Paul Potts to walk in his shoes

The Best of One of the Greatest Tenors, 07 Sep 2007

Released in 1997 this 2 CD compilation contains 40 of Pavarotti's most popular performances. The word 'special' should really be included before the front cover's mention of guest stars for the voices, albeit only one track each, of Cecilia Bartoli, Andrea Bocelli and the late Frank Sinatra. Their contributions make this a special album.

The album opens with 'Nessun Dorma', the piece which launched Pavarotti into worldwide popularity when it was used for the opening ceremony of the FIFA 1990 Football World Cup. Pavarotti's subsequent performance of this piece with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras (during The Three Tenors Tour) on the eve of the World Cup final probably widened the appreciation of the general public to opera music more than any other performer of his generation.

Cecilia Bartoli and Andrea Bocelli accompany Pavarotti on opera music by composers Mascagni and Morante, while Frank Sinatra helps teach Pavarotti the right way to sing `My Way'.

This is a fine example of Pavarotti's skill at crossing different musical genres while promoting, and succeeding in popularising, operatic music into general culture.

A great CD for Pavarotti fans and opera lovers.




Pavarotti's finest, 16 Mar 2004
HE'S BACK! This is a truly spiffing album! I was completely blown away! Pavarotti continues to be the most complete and absolutely superb opera singer around. As I was listening to it, my neigbours heard, and, even though they are of the rap kind, they came round to my house and listened, and they sheepishly admitted that they had been astounded by the marvelous music! Every single little bit is fantastic- congratulations Pavarotti! 10/10 WONDERFUL

I'd never want to visit Destiny's Child's homes for the holidays, if their nonsensically named holiday album 8 Days of Christmas is any indication of what they've got under the tree. Chilly, forced and overdone, this mixed bag of modern classics, tarted-up traditional carols and a trio of tunes penned by Beyoncé Knowles doesn't conjure up a single warm-and-fuzzy image of chestnuts roasting on an open fire or Jack Frost nipping at your nose. Rather, it's just another forum to showcase the band's Gucci bag of vocal gymnastics and crass materialism. The Texas trio takes seasonal classics such as Irving Berlin's "White Christmas", "Silent Night" and "Little Drummer Boy" and embellishes them with its own trills and off-kilter harmonies, overwhelming the songs so that their simple beauty is totally obscured. "On the eighth day of Christmas, my baby gave to me, a pair of Chloe shades and a diamond belly ring," brags Knowles in the title song--which is a take-off on the "12 Days of Christmas"--without ever explaining why they loped off four days. In addition, the band are shamelessly self-indulgent throughout the dozen songs found here, taking untold liberties, such as renaming the "Carol of the Bells", "Opera Bells" and recasting "Silver Bells" into "Platinum Bells", to reflect their multi-platinum status. But the low point of the record is when Destiny's Child hawk their own Hasbro Toy manufactured dolls in the intro of "Platinum Bells": "Ladies remember long ago we asked Santa to give us Christmas Dolls? But this year the dolls are you and me under the tree". Humbug. --Jaan Uhelszki

First of two great compilations, 25 Oct 2003
Many Motown stars recorded Christmas albums and tracks from those albums have been the source of many Motown Christmas compilations. This is one of a pair of British budget compilations that are as good as any I've seen, with an excellent mix of famous and obscure songs and all the singers you expect to hear.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Jackson five and Stevie Wonder are each represented by three tracks. The Temptations and Diana Ross and the Supremes each get two tracks, though Diana also gets a solo track. The Four Tops also get two, including one featuring guest vocalist Aretha Franklin. The Funk brothers and Marvin Gaye have one track each.

For me, the highlights are Everyone's a kid at Christmas time (Stevie Wonder), Merry Christmas baby (Four tops), (Temptations), One little Christmas tree (Stevie Wonder), Purple snowflakes (Marvin Gaye) and Christmas everyday (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles) but there are many great tracks here and you may have different favorites.

This compilation stands on its own or as a companion to the equally brilliant second volume.

Track listing

Everyone's a kid at Christmas time - Stevie Wonder
Have yourself a merry little Christmas - Jackson Five
Winter wonderland (instrumental) - Funk Brothers
Let it snow let it snow let it snow - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
Christmas here with you - Four Tops & Aretha Franklin
Miracles of Christmas - Stevie Wonder
Joy to the world - Diana Ross & The Supremes
Merry Christmas baby - Four Tops
Children's Christmas song - Diana Ross & The Supremes
This Christmas - Diana Ross
Give love on Christmas Day - Jackson Five
One little Christmas tree - Stevie Wonder
Santa Claus is coming to town - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
White Christmas - Temptations
Frosty the snowman - Jackson Five
Silent night - Temptations
Purple snowflakes - Marvin Gaye
Christmas everyday - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

Second of two great compilations, 22 Oct 2003
Many Motown stars recorded Christmas albums and tracks from those albums have been the source of many Motown Christmas compilations. This is one of a pair of British budget compilations that are as good as any I've seen, with an excellent mix of famous and obscure songs and all the singers you expect to hear.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Temptations and Stevie Wonder are each represented by three tracks. The Jackson five get two tracks. The Four Tops also get two, including one featuring guest vocalist Aretha Franklin. Kim Weston and Marvin Gaye have one song each.

For me, the highlights are Everything for Christmas (Temptations), Little bright star (Diana Ross and the Supremes), Warm little home on a hill (Stevie Wonder), My Christmas tree (Temptations) and Someday at Christmas (Stevie Wonder) but there are many great tracks here and you may have different favorites.

This compilation stands on its own or as a companion to the equally brilliant first volume.

Food for thought at Christmas, 02 Feb 2007
James Brown was always a big fan of Christmas - in fact, he recorded several Christmas albums over the course of his career, including a rare Internet-only release just a couple of years before his passing. That aside, 'Funky Christmas' gathers together tracks from each of Brown's festive LP's, so fans can have him on the stereo instead of Cliff Richard (sorry, Cliff)!

This record places more emphasis on his soul work, and there are not as many funky grooves as some might expect. It is also surprisingly serious, even grim in some places, as James sings of Christmas in the ghetto, and trying to get by without a dime in December. It's good music to reflect to, and certainly one of the most original Christmas albums I've heard. However, at Christmas time, I think most people want to play carefree, uplifting music, or at least something they can dance to, and a lot of these songs don't fit that description.

'Funky Christmas' is worth collecting if you are a serious JB fan, but is probably best enjoyed after the big Christmas party, rather than during.

Seasonal Soul Power!, 04 Dec 2001
You'd think from the cover that this would be no more than a novelty record, but baby its so much more! Oow!

The king of soul belts out some great christmas tunes that should have you a quakin' an a shakin' (like Go Power At Christmas Time) and some great soulful, serious tracks like the fantastic "Let's Make Christmas Mean Something This Year". Highly recommended listening!

Christmas Songs From a Wonderful Singer, 24 Dec 2006
This is a collection of songs sung by Paul Carrack- the most famous singer that no-one appears to have heard of! Paul was the lead singer of Squeeze and Mike and the Mechanics amongst others and wrote the wonderful "How Long" when he was in the band 'Ace.'

If you like Christmassy songs then this CD is for you. Paul Carrack has a wonderful soulful voice and this album is made with a large "big band" sound.

If you haven't already bought it for this Christmas, then buy it for next.

Some of Mario's finest collection., 02 Oct 2007
A superb collection of some of Mario Lanza's finest recordings. Considering some go back to 1949 - 1958, the recordings to CD are excellent. You'll never walk alone, sung as it was originally intended by the great Mario Lanza. A perfect collection for new comers or fans looking for the best of Mario Lanza. A track for every occassion.

Bit of a "one hit wonder", 07 Oct 2007
What a let down! I bought this for Nessum Dorma and found that the cupboard of his repertoire is actually pretty bare. Other than "Just one Cornetto" there aren't any big hits on this album. Surely they could have included the 1975 classic "everyone's a fruit and nut case"? More importantly, none of it is in english so i've no idea what he's on about.

That said, this guy can sing, proving, like Michelle McManus before him that being obese is no barrier if you have a decent voice. With the right material this guy could have a big career ahead of him. Maybe he should enter X-Factor, Simon Cowell could make him a big star.

THE KING IS DEAD LONG LIVE KING POTTS, 08 Sep 2007
Pavarotti is sadly gone but as if heaven sent by coincidence we have Paul Potts to walk in his shoes

The Best of One of the Greatest Tenors, 07 Sep 2007

Released in 1997 this 2 CD compilation contains 40 of Pavarotti's most popular performances. The word 'special' should really be included before the front cover's mention of guest stars for the voices, albeit only one track each, of Cecilia Bartoli, Andrea Bocelli and the late Frank Sinatra. Their contributions make this a special album.

The album opens with 'Nessun Dorma', the piece which launched Pavarotti into worldwide popularity when it was used for the opening ceremony of the FIFA 1990 Football World Cup. Pavarotti's subsequent performance of this piece with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras (during The Three Tenors Tour) on the eve of the World Cup final probably widened the appreciation of the general public to opera music more than any other performer of his generation.

Cecilia Bartoli and Andrea Bocelli accompany Pavarotti on opera music by composers Mascagni and Morante, while Frank Sinatra helps teach Pavarotti the right way to sing `My Way'.

This is a fine example of Pavarotti's skill at crossing different musical genres while promoting, and succeeding in popularising, operatic music into general culture.

A great CD for Pavarotti fans and opera lovers.




Pavarotti's finest, 16 Mar 2004
HE'S BACK! This is a truly spiffing album! I was completely blown away! Pavarotti continues to be the most complete and absolutely superb opera singer around. As I was listening to it, my neigbours heard, and, even though they are of the rap kind, they came round to my house and listened, and they sheepishly admitted that they had been astounded by the marvelous music! Every single little bit is fantastic- congratulations Pavarotti! 10/10 WONDERFUL

on the 8th day of christmas my baby gave to me.............., 07 Nov 2005
.............A copy of this great cd, i dare you to buy it and only get it out at christmas! It can be enjoyed the whole year round i mean i was listing to in greece in June! A absolute must have in your collection, next to the writings on the wall and survivor of course! 10/10 Good on you girls, you're at your best on this album.....Beyonce, Michelle and Kelly you rock! God bless you all!

on the 8th day of christmas my baby gave to me.............., 07 Nov 2005
........A copy of one of destiny's child's best cds!
Before i got this album i personally had no liking for christmas carols, they were to slow for my taste and didnt have any beat to them, then............Tada as if by magic this cd appeared and it jazzed christmas carols up for me. Destiny's child's original approach to christmas carols finally gave them the beat they needed, now im singing them all year round! A definate 10/10 for this album. Well done beyonce, michelle and kelly you opened my eyes to the true meaning of christmas.......the great music!
If your a fan of destiny's child you will love this album, how ever if your not......you will still love this album. I recomend it to anyone

Destiny Child Does Christmas, 02 Jun 2005
I brought the album for a BIG Destinys Child fan for Christmas, and personally found the R'n'B versions of the Christmas classics refreshing in a world where about anyone can get a Christmas cover version in the charts, thus taking the originality out of the Christmas classics that we all know and love. Saying that, i enjoyed the Destinys Child version of the songs with Beyonce Knowles unique voice and their combined harmonys making it great.

IT'S A CHRISTMAS ALBUM - WHAT DO YOU EXPECT??, 29 Apr 2003
Now, there have been people complaining loads about this album. "It's nowhere near as good as The Writing's On The Wall"! Well, no it isn't, but then this is a Christmas album, and every multi-platinum artist has done one - Mariah, Christina Aguilera, Toni Braxton - so Destiny's Child have given it a go.
Some of the songs are, in all fairness, quite bad, worthy of the skip button on the CD player! But then, it's all about the Christmas spirit, and these devoutly Christian girls sing about something they believe in.
'8 Days Of Christmas' is a great contemporary Christmas track, tearing away from the bore-fests that are 'let's all be happy and sing with sugar sweet voices about love' songs. And each girl gets their own track to sing on individually. At the end of the album, Solange (Beyonce's sister) has a track, 'The Proud Family', the theme from the Disney show which she sings. Yes, it is very clever marketing by Mr Mathew Knowles, but so what?
So to every fan of Destiny's Child out there, this is no masterpiece and it was never intended to be. It's just the girls havin' fun and doing their thing with the Christmas songs everyone knows.

So disappointing! Lucky Destiny's child are splitin now!, 15 Oct 2002
I was once a HUGE Destiny's child fan and I once believed that every single song that they recorded would be brilliant. After my friend brought me this album for my christmas present last year, I expected it to be to be along the same lines of 'The writings on the wall' but it wasn't. It's so obvious that this album was made with as small a budget as possible to suck as much profit out of the huge Destiny's child fan-base as possible. I think it's really outrageous how Destiny's child's management can do this to their loyal fans!!! compared to 'The writings on the wall' (in my opinion Destiny's child's best album) this recording is a sham!! What happened to those songs that oozed with pure talent; those expertly produced songs created by the likes of Rodney Jerkins (Dark Child), Missy Elliott and Wyclef Jean. You simply can't compare any song on this album to the songs that in my opinon made Destiny's child where they are today like 'Say my name', 'No, no, no', 'Get on the Bus' and 'Independent women'! ---These songs were Spectacular!! unlike the cruddy cover versions of 'white christmas' and 'The proud Family' sung by Solange that was blatantly dumped on the album to make up the number of tracks on it!! If I could rate this album less than 1 star I would--it's that bad!!! The only song that is'nt that bad is the title track '8 days of christmas' but this song only seems good because of the other awful songs it has to share the cd with!! The title track '8 days of christmas' was used to promote the album but obviously Destiny's child's mangagement didn't even realise that '8 days of christmas' is'nt even as good as the worse songs on 'The writings on the wall' or even the 'Survivor' album!! What does that tell us about the rest of the album!!

Opera is in fashion, and the woods are full of pop vocalists who think they have the chops to sing arias. The best contender so far is Andrea Bocelli, who at least has a real voice, if a small one, and sometimes manages a really exciting tenor sound. Unfortunately, he is inconsistent in his tone and production, and, despite the fact that he's singing in his native language, he often sounds as though he has only the barest idea of what the words mean. The Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Vladimir Fedoseyev, plays stodgily. Anyone with a real interest in tenor arias would be much better advised to check out recordings by the young Luciano Pavarotti. --Sarah Bryan Miller

First of two great compilations, 25 Oct 2003
Many Motown stars recorded Christmas albums and tracks from those albums have been the source of many Motown Christmas compilations. This is one of a pair of British budget compilations that are as good as any I've seen, with an excellent mix of famous and obscure songs and all the singers you expect to hear.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Jackson five and Stevie Wonder are each represented by three tracks. The Temptations and Diana Ross and the Supremes each get two tracks, though Diana also gets a solo track. The Four Tops also get two, including one featuring guest vocalist Aretha Franklin. The Funk brothers and Marvin Gaye have one track each.

For me, the highlights are Everyone's a kid at Christmas time (Stevie Wonder), Merry Christmas baby (Four tops), (Temptations), One little Christmas tree (Stevie Wonder), Purple snowflakes (Marvin Gaye) and Christmas everyday (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles) but there are many great tracks here and you may have different favorites.

This compilation stands on its own or as a companion to the equally brilliant second volume.

Track listing

Everyone's a kid at Christmas time - Stevie Wonder
Have yourself a merry little Christmas - Jackson Five
Winter wonderland (instrumental) - Funk Brothers
Let it snow let it snow let it snow - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
Christmas here with you - Four Tops & Aretha Franklin
Miracles of Christmas - Stevie Wonder
Joy to the world - Diana Ross & The Supremes
Merry Christmas baby - Four Tops
Children's Christmas song - Diana Ross & The Supremes
This Christmas - Diana Ross
Give love on Christmas Day - Jackson Five
One little Christmas tree - Stevie Wonder
Santa Claus is coming to town - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
White Christmas - Temptations
Frosty the snowman - Jackson Five
Silent night - Temptations
Purple snowflakes - Marvin Gaye
Christmas everyday - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

Second of two great compilations, 22 Oct 2003
Many Motown stars recorded Christmas albums and tracks from those albums have been the source of many Motown Christmas compilations. This is one of a pair of British budget compilations that are as good as any I've seen, with an excellent mix of famous and obscure songs and all the singers you expect to hear.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Temptations and Stevie Wonder are each represented by three tracks. The Jackson five get two tracks. The Four Tops also get two, including one featuring guest vocalist Aretha Franklin. Kim Weston and Marvin Gaye have one song each.

For me, the highlights are Everything for Christmas (Temptations), Little bright star (Diana Ross and the Supremes), Warm little home on a hill (Stevie Wonder), My Christmas tree (Temptations) and Someday at Christmas (Stevie Wonder) but there are many great tracks here and you may have different favorites.

This compilation stands on its own or as a companion to the equally brilliant first volume.

Food for thought at Christmas, 02 Feb 2007
James Brown was always a big fan of Christmas - in fact, he recorded several Christmas albums over the course of his career, including a rare Internet-only release just a couple of years before his passing. That aside, 'Funky Christmas' gathers together tracks from each of Brown's festive LP's, so fans can have him on the stereo instead of Cliff Richard (sorry, Cliff)!

This record places more emphasis on his soul work, and there are not as many funky grooves as some might expect. It is also surprisingly serious, even grim in some places, as James sings of Christmas in the ghetto, and trying to get by without a dime in December. It's good music to reflect to, and certainly one of the most original Christmas albums I've heard. However, at Christmas time, I think most people want to play carefree, uplifting music, or at least something they can dance to, and a lot of these songs don't fit that description.

'Funky Christmas' is worth collecting if you are a serious JB fan, but is probably best enjoyed after the big Christmas party, rather than during.

Seasonal Soul Power!, 04 Dec 2001
You'd think from the cover that this would be no more than a novelty record, but baby its so much more! Oow!

The king of soul belts out some great christmas tunes that should have you a quakin' an a shakin' (like Go Power At Christmas Time) and some great soulful, serious tracks like the fantastic "Let's Make Christmas Mean Something This Year". Highly recommended listening!

Christmas Songs From a Wonderful Singer, 24 Dec 2006
This is a collection of songs sung by Paul Carrack- the most famous singer that no-one appears to have heard of! Paul was the lead singer of Squeeze and Mike and the Mechanics amongst others and wrote the wonderful "How Long" when he was in the band 'Ace.'

If you like Christmassy songs then this CD is for you. Paul Carrack has a wonderful soulful voice and this album is made with a large "big band" sound.

If you haven't already bought it for this Christmas, then buy it for next.

Some of Mario's finest collection., 02 Oct 2007
A superb collection of some of Mario Lanza's finest recordings. Considering some go back to 1949 - 1958, the recordings to CD are excellent. You'll never walk alone, sung as it was originally intended by the great Mario Lanza. A perfect collection for new comers or fans looking for the best of Mario Lanza. A track for every occassion.

Bit of a "one hit wonder", 07 Oct 2007
What a let down! I bought this for Nessum Dorma and found that the cupboard of his repertoire is actually pretty bare. Other than "Just one Cornetto" there aren't any big hits on this album. Surely they could have included the 1975 classic "everyone's a fruit and nut case"? More importantly, none of it is in english so i've no idea what he's on about.

That said, this guy can sing, proving, like Michelle McManus before him that being obese is no barrier if you have a decent voice. With the right material this guy could have a big career ahead of him. Maybe he should enter X-Factor, Simon Cowell could make him a big star.

THE KING IS DEAD LONG LIVE KING POTTS, 08 Sep 2007
Pavarotti is sadly gone but as if heaven sent by coincidence we have Paul Potts to walk in his shoes

The Best of One of the Greatest Tenors, 07 Sep 2007

Released in 1997 this 2 CD compilation contains 40 of Pavarotti's most popular performances. The word 'special' should really be included before the front cover's mention of guest stars for the voices, albeit only one track each, of Cecilia Bartoli, Andrea Bocelli and the late Frank Sinatra. Their contributions make this a special album.

The album opens with 'Nessun Dorma', the piece which launched Pavarotti into worldwide popularity when it was used for the opening ceremony of the FIFA 1990 Football World Cup. Pavarotti's subsequent performance of this piece with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras (during The Three Tenors Tour) on the eve of the World Cup final probably widened the appreciation of the general public to opera music more than any other performer of his generation.

Cecilia Bartoli and Andrea Bocelli accompany Pavarotti on opera music by composers Mascagni and Morante, while Frank Sinatra helps teach Pavarotti the right way to sing `My Way'.

This is a fine example of Pavarotti's skill at crossing different musical genres while promoting, and succeeding in popularising, operatic music into general culture.

A great CD for Pavarotti fans and opera lovers.




Pavarotti's finest, 16 Mar 2004
HE'S BACK! This is a truly spiffing album! I was completely blown away! Pavarotti continues to be the most complete and absolutely superb opera singer around. As I was listening to it, my neigbours heard, and, even though they are of the rap kind, they came round to my house and listened, and they sheepishly admitted that they had been astounded by the marvelous music! Every single little bit is fantastic- congratulations Pavarotti! 10/10 WONDERFUL

on the 8th day of christmas my baby gave to me.............., 07 Nov 2005
.............A copy of this great cd, i dare you to buy it and only get it out at christmas! It can be enjoyed the whole year round i mean i was listing to in greece in June! A absolute must have in your collection, next to the writings on the wall and survivor of course! 10/10 Good on you girls, you're at your best on this album.....Beyonce, Michelle and Kelly you rock! God bless you all!

on the 8th day of christmas my baby gave to me.............., 07 Nov 2005
........A copy of one of destiny's child's best cds!
Before i got this album i personally had no liking for christmas carols, they were to slow for my taste and didnt have any beat to them, then............Tada as if by magic this cd appeared and it jazzed christmas carols up for me. Destiny's child's original approach to christmas carols finally gave them the beat they needed, now im singing them all year round! A definate 10/10 for this album. Well done beyonce, michelle and kelly you opened my eyes to the true meaning of christmas.......the great music!
If your a fan of destiny's child you will love this album, how ever if your not......you will still love this album. I recomend it to anyone

Destiny Child Does Christmas, 02 Jun 2005
I brought the album for a BIG Destinys Child fan for Christmas, and personally found the R'n'B versions of the Christmas classics refreshing in a world where about anyone can get a Christmas cover version in the charts, thus taking the originality out of the Christmas classics that we all know and love. Saying that, i enjoyed the Destinys Child version of the songs with Beyonce Knowles unique voice and their combined harmonys making it great.

IT'S A CHRISTMAS ALBUM - WHAT DO YOU EXPECT??, 29 Apr 2003
Now, there have been people complaining loads about this album. "It's nowhere near as good as The Writing's On The Wall"! Well, no it isn't, but then this is a Christmas album, and every multi-platinum artist has done one - Mariah, Christina Aguilera, Toni Braxton - so Destiny's Child have given it a go.
Some of the songs are, in all fairness, quite bad, worthy of the skip button on the CD player! But then, it's all about the Christmas spirit, and these devoutly Christian girls sing about something they believe in.
'8 Days Of Christmas' is a great contemporary Christmas track, tearing away from the bore-fests that are 'let's all be happy and sing with sugar sweet voices about love' songs. And each girl gets their own track to sing on individually. At the end of the album, Solange (Beyonce's sister) has a track, 'The Proud Family', the theme from the Disney show which she sings. Yes, it is very clever marketing by Mr Mathew Knowles, but so what?
So to every fan of Destiny's Child out there, this is no masterpiece and it was never intended to be. It's just the girls havin' fun and doing their thing with the Christmas songs everyone knows.

So disappointing! Lucky Destiny's child are splitin now!, 15 Oct 2002
I was once a HUGE Destiny's child fan and I once believed that every single song that they recorded would be brilliant. After my friend brought me this album for my christmas present last year, I expected it to be to be along the same lines of 'The writings on the wall' but it wasn't. It's so obvious that this album was made with as small a budget as possible to suck as much profit out of the huge Destiny's child fan-base as possible. I think it's really outrageous how Destiny's child's management can do this to their loyal fans!!! compared to 'The writings on the wall' (in my opinion Destiny's child's best album) this recording is a sham!! What happened to those songs that oozed with pure talent; those expertly produced songs created by the likes of Rodney Jerkins (Dark Child), Missy Elliott and Wyclef Jean. You simply can't compare any song on this album to the songs that in my opinon made Destiny's child where they are today like 'Say my name', 'No, no, no', 'Get on the Bus' and 'Independent women'! ---These songs were Spectacular!! unlike the cruddy cover versions of 'white christmas' and 'The proud Family' sung by Solange that was blatantly dumped on the album to make up the number of tracks on it!! If I could rate this album less than 1 star I would--it's that bad!!! The only song that is'nt that bad is the title track '8 days of christmas' but this song only seems good because of the other awful songs it has to share the cd with!! The title track '8 days of christmas' was used to promote the album but obviously Destiny's child's mangagement didn't even realise that '8 days of christmas' is'nt even as good as the worse songs on 'The writings on the wall' or even the 'Survivor' album!! What does that tell us about the rest of the album!!

The Album Viaggio Italiano, 22 Nov 2003
A fantastic selection of classic songs sang by one of the world's foremost singers. Bocelli doesn't try to alter the sound of such classics as O Sole Mio and Ave Maria he simply graces these songs with his vocal richness. An important note, the UK version is a must as it features The Pearl Fisher's Duet which in its self is worth the price of the album.

Probably Andrea's Best Album, 08 Nov 2003
Andrea's singing on this album is incredible, as he delivers powerful, emotional performances of some of my favourite tunes - Nessun dorma, Ave Maria, Panis Angelicus and Core are all favourites - and the addition of the beautiful I Believe (in English - this is special) and the passionate duet with Bryn Terfel help to make this, for me, Andrea's finest album.

Superb vocalist., 31 Aug 2000
I have listened to Andrea Bocelli since his first big hit album "Romanza". I am a classical music fan and have been waiting and listening as this mans voice matures to true operatic capability. The versatility of his voice is amazing from singing Italian "pop" to his latest ventures into pure opera. He is still maturing (voice wise) yet he already sounds better than Pavarotti. I predict a great future in the world of opera for this man. All that aside I admire him as a person, he never tries to "play" on his disability and has certaily not let it stop him doing what he wants to do. To watch him on horseback galloping along a beach is a great inspiration to many other people with disabilities. Life is for living and Andrea Bocelli is a walking testament to that. Buy all his music, you will never be disappointed.

Totally worth it!, 11 Mar 2000
With Viaggio Italiano, Bocelli sings with warmth and sensitivity bringing his whole Tuscan character and heart into the arias. Although the album is traditionally arranged, the personality of the singer is not be suppressed! Andrea Bocelli's is a strikingly individual voice, a plangent tenor given to shaded crooning yet capable of exhilarating, effortless lifts to high C. The individual behind the voice is equally remarkable: blind from childhood, Tuscan Bocelli became a lawyer whose passion for music led him to study with his idol Franco Corelli. Bocelli, in my opinion, is the best performer of popular classics. I totally recommend all his CDs

First of two great compilations, 25 Oct 2003
Many Motown stars recorded Christmas albums and tracks from those albums have been the source of many Motown Christmas compilations. This is one of a pair of British budget compilations that are as good as any I've seen, with an excellent mix of famous and obscure songs and all the singers you expect to hear.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Jackson five and Stevie Wonder are each represented by three tracks. The Temptations and Diana Ross and the Supremes each get two tracks, though Diana also gets a solo track. The Four Tops also get two, including one featuring guest vocalist Aretha Franklin. The Funk brothers and Marvin Gaye have one track each.

For me, the highlights are Everyone's a kid at Christmas time (Stevie Wonder), Merry Christmas baby (Four tops), (Temptations), One little Christmas tree (Stevie Wonder), Purple snowflakes (Marvin Gaye) and Christmas everyday (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles) but there are many great tracks here and you may have different favorites.

This compilation stands on its own or as a companion to the equally brilliant second volume.

Track listing

Everyone's a kid at Christmas time - Stevie Wonder
Have yourself a merry little Christmas - Jackson Five
Winter wonderland (instrumental) - Funk Brothers
Let it snow let it snow let it snow - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
Christmas here with you - Four Tops & Aretha Franklin
Miracles of Christmas - Stevie Wonder
Joy to the world - Diana Ross & The Supremes
Merry Christmas baby - Four Tops
Children's Christmas song - Diana Ross & The Supremes
This Christmas - Diana Ross
Give love on Christmas Day - Jackson Five
One little Christmas tree - Stevie Wonder
Santa Claus is coming to town - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
White Christmas - Temptations
Frosty the snowman - Jackson Five
Silent night - Temptations
Purple snowflakes - Marvin Gaye
Christmas everyday - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

Second of two great compilations, 22 Oct 2003
Many Motown stars recorded Christmas albums and tracks from those albums have been the source of many Motown Christmas compilations. This is one of a pair of British budget compilations that are as good as any I've seen, with an excellent mix of famous and obscure songs and all the singers you expect to hear.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Temptations and Stevie Wonder are each represented by three tracks. The Jackson five get two tracks. The Four Tops also get two, including one featuring guest vocalist Aretha Franklin. Kim Weston and Marvin Gaye have one song each.

For me, the highlights are Everything for Christmas (Temptations), Little bright star (Diana Ross and the Supremes), Warm little home on a hill (Stevie Wonder), My Christmas tree (Temptations) and Someday at Christmas (Stevie Wonder) but there are many great tracks here and you may have different favorites.

This compilation stands on its own or as a companion to the equally brilliant first volume.

Food for thought at Christmas, 02 Feb 2007
James Brown was always a big fan of Christmas - in fact, he recorded several Christmas albums over the course of his career, including a rare Internet-only release just a couple of years before his passing. That aside, 'Funky Christmas' gathers together tracks from each of Brown's festive LP's, so fans can have him on the stereo instead of Cliff Richard (sorry, Cliff)!

This record places more emphasis on his soul work, and there are not as many funky grooves as some might expect. It is also surprisingly serious, even grim in some places, as James sings of Christmas in the ghetto, and trying to get by without a dime in December. It's good music to reflect to, and certainly one of the most original Christmas albums I've heard. However, at Christmas time, I think most people want to play carefree, uplifting music, or at least something they can dance to, and a lot of these songs don't fit that description.

'Funky Christmas' is worth collecting if you are a serious JB fan, but is probably best enjoyed after the big Christmas party, rather than during.

Seasonal Soul Power!, 04 Dec 2001
You'd think from the cover that this would be no more than a novelty record, but baby its so much more! Oow!

The king of soul belts out some great christmas tunes that should have you a quakin' an a shakin' (like Go Power At Christmas Time) and some great soulful, serious tracks like the fantastic "Let's Make Christmas Mean Something This Year". Highly recommended listening!

Christmas Songs From a Wonderful Singer, 24 Dec 2006
This is a collection of songs sung by Paul Carrack- the most famous singer that no-one appears to have heard of! Paul was the lead singer of Squeeze and Mike and the Mechanics amongst others and wrote the wonderful "How Long" when he was in the band 'Ace.'

If you like Christmassy songs then this CD is for you. Paul Carrack has a wonderful soulful voice and this album is made with a large "big band" sound.

If you haven't already bought it for this Christmas, then buy it for next.

Some of Mario's finest collection., 02 Oct 2007
A superb collection of some of Mario Lanza's finest recordings. Considering some go back to 1949 - 1958, the recordings to CD are excellent. You'll never walk alone, sung as it was originally intended by the great Mario Lanza. A perfect collection for new comers or fans looking for the best of Mario Lanza. A track for every occassion.

Bit of a "one hit wonder", 07 Oct 2007
What a let down! I bought this for Nessum Dorma and found that the cupboard of his repertoire is actually pretty bare. Other than "Just one Cornetto" there aren't any big hits on this album. Surely they could have included the 1975 classic "everyone's a fruit and nut case"? More importantly, none of it is in english so i've no idea what he's on about.

That said, this guy can sing, proving, like Michelle McManus before him that being obese is no barrier if you have a decent voice. With the right material this guy could have a big career ahead of him. Maybe he should enter X-Factor, Simon Cowell could make him a big star.

THE KING IS DEAD LONG LIVE KING POTTS, 08 Sep 2007
Pavarotti is sadly gone but as if heaven sent by coincidence we have Paul Potts to walk in his shoes

The Best of One of the Greatest Tenors, 07 Sep 2007

Released in 1997 this 2 CD compilation contains 40 of Pavarotti's most popular performances. The word 'special' should really be included before the front cover's mention of guest stars for the voices, albeit only one track each, of Cecilia Bartoli, Andrea Bocelli and the late Frank Sinatra. Their contributions make this a special album.

The album opens with 'Nessun Dorma', the piece which launched Pavarotti into worldwide popularity when it was used for the opening ceremony of the FIFA 1990 Football World Cup. Pavarotti's subsequent performance of this piece with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras (during The Three Tenors Tour) on the eve of the World Cup final probably widened the appreciation of the general public to opera music more than any other performer of his generation.

Cecilia Bartoli and Andrea Bocelli accompany Pavarotti on opera music by composers Mascagni and Morante, while Frank Sinatra helps teach Pavarotti the right way to sing `My Way'.

This is a fine example of Pavarotti's skill at crossing different musical genres while promoting, and succeeding in popularising, operatic music into general culture.

A great CD for Pavarotti fans and opera lovers.




Pavarotti's finest, 16 Mar 2004
HE'S BACK! This is a truly spiffing album! I was completely blown away! Pavarotti continues to be the most complete and absolutely superb opera singer around. As I was listening to it, my neigbours heard, and, even though they are of the rap kind, they came round to my house and listened, and they sheepishly admitted that they had been astounded by the marvelous music! Every single little bit is fantastic- congratulations Pavarotti! 10/10 WONDERFUL

on the 8th day of christmas my baby gave to me.............., 07 Nov 2005
.............A copy of this great cd, i dare you to buy it and only get it out at christmas! It can be enjoyed the whole year round i mean i was listing to in greece in June! A absolute must have in your collection, next to the writings on the wall and survivor of course! 10/10 Good on you girls, you're at your best on this album.....Beyonce, Michelle and Kelly you rock! God bless you all!

on the 8th day of christmas my baby gave to me.............., 07 Nov 2005
........A copy of one of destiny's child's best cds!
Before i got this album i personally had no liking for christmas carols, they were to slow for my taste and didnt have any beat to them, then............Tada as if by magic this cd appeared and it jazzed christmas carols up for me. Destiny's child's original approach to christmas carols finally gave them the beat they needed, now im singing them all year round! A definate 10/10 for this album. Well done beyonce, michelle and kelly you opened my eyes to the true meaning of christmas.......the great music!
If your a fan of destiny's child you will love this album, how ever if your not......you will still love this album. I recomend it to anyone

Destiny Child Does Christmas, 02 Jun 2005
I brought the album for a BIG Destinys Child fan for Christmas, and personally found the R'n'B versions of the Christmas classics refreshing in a world where about anyone can get a Christmas cover version in the charts, thus taking the originality out of the Christmas classics that we all know and love. Saying that, i enjoyed the Destinys Child version of the songs with Beyonce Knowles unique voice and their combined harmonys making it great.

IT'S A CHRISTMAS ALBUM - WHAT DO YOU EXPECT??, 29 Apr 2003
Now, there have been people complaining loads about this album. "It's nowhere near as good as The Writing's On The Wall"! Well, no it isn't, but then this is a Christmas album, and every multi-platinum artist has done one - Mariah, Christina Aguilera, Toni Braxton - so Destiny's Child have given it a go.
Some of the songs are, in all fairness, quite bad, worthy of the skip button on the CD player! But then, it's all about the Christmas spirit, and these devoutly Christian girls sing about something they believe in.
'8 Days Of Christmas' is a great contemporary Christmas track, tearing away from the bore-fests that are 'let's all be happy and sing with sugar sweet voices about love' songs. And each girl gets their own track to sing on individually. At the end of the album, Solange (Beyonce's sister) has a track, 'The Proud Family', the theme from the Disney show which she sings. Yes, it is very clever marketing by Mr Mathew Knowles, but so what?
So to every fan of Destiny's Child out there, this is no masterpiece and it was never intended to be. It's just the girls havin' fun and doing their thing with the Christmas songs everyone knows.

So disappointing! Lucky Destiny's child are splitin now!, 15 Oct 2002
I was once a HUGE Destiny's child fan and I once believed that every single song that they recorded would be brilliant. After my friend brought me this album for my christmas present last year, I expected it to be to be along the same lines of 'The writings on the wall' but it wasn't. It's so obvious that this album was made with as small a budget as possible to suck as much profit out of the huge Destiny's child fan-base as possible. I think it's really outrageous how Destiny's child's management can do this to their loyal fans!!! compared to 'The writings on the wall' (in my opinion Destiny's child's best album) this recording is a sham!! What happened to those songs that oozed with pure talent; those expertly produced songs created by the likes of Rodney Jerkins (Dark Child), Missy Elliott and Wyclef Jean. You simply can't compare any song on this album to the songs that in my opinon made Destiny's child where they are today like 'Say my name', 'No, no, no', 'Get on the Bus' and 'Independent women'! ---These songs were Spectacular!! unlike the cruddy cover versions of 'white christmas' and 'The proud Family' sung by Solange that was blatantly dumped on the album to make up the number of tracks on it!! If I could rate this album less than 1 star I would--it's that bad!!! The only song that is'nt that bad is the title track '8 days of christmas' but this song only seems good because of the other awful songs it has to share the cd with!! The title track '8 days of christmas' was used to promote the album but obviously Destiny's child's mangagement didn't even realise that '8 days of christmas' is'nt even as good as the worse songs on 'The writings on the wall' or even the 'Survivor' album!! What does that tell us about the rest of the album!!

The Album Viaggio Italiano, 22 Nov 2003
A fantastic selection of classic songs sang by one of the world's foremost singers. Bocelli doesn't try to alter the sound of such classics as O Sole Mio and Ave Maria he simply graces these songs with his vocal richness. An important note, the UK version is a must as it features The Pearl Fisher's Duet which in its self is worth the price of the album.

Probably Andrea's Best Album, 08 Nov 2003
Andrea's singing on this album is incredible, as he delivers powerful, emotional performances of some of my favourite tunes - Nessun dorma, Ave Maria, Panis Angelicus and Core are all favourites - and the addition of the beautiful I Believe (in English - this is special) and the passionate duet with Bryn Terfel help to make this, for me, Andrea's finest album.

Superb vocalist., 31 Aug 2000
I have listened to Andrea Bocelli since his first big hit album "Romanza". I am a classical music fan and have been waiting and listening as this mans voice matures to true operatic capability. The versatility of his voice is amazing from singing Italian "pop" to his latest ventures into pure opera. He is still maturing (voice wise) yet he already sounds better than Pavarotti. I predict a great future in the world of opera for this man. All that aside I admire him as a person, he never tries to "play" on his disability and has certaily not let it stop him doing what he wants to do. To watch him on horseback galloping along a beach is a great inspiration to many other people with disabilities. Life is for living and Andrea Bocelli is a walking testament to that. Buy all his music, you will never be disappointed.

Totally worth it!, 11 Mar 2000
With Viaggio Italiano, Bocelli sings with warmth and sensitivity bringing his whole Tuscan character and heart into the arias. Although the album is traditionally arranged, the personality of the singer is not be suppressed! Andrea Bocelli's is a strikingly individual voice, a plangent tenor given to shaded crooning yet capable of exhilarating, effortless lifts to high C. The individual behind the voice is equally remarkable: blind from childhood, Tuscan Bocelli became a lawyer whose passion for music led him to study with his idol Franco Corelli. Bocelli, in my opinion, is the best performer of popular classics. I totally recommend all his CDs

A cracking festive helping of Britain's finest comedy., 26 Jan 2001
Messers Elton and Curtis serve up a festive edition of the nations favourite sardonic, scheming and manipulative rogue, only this time he's an all round nice bloke. It's Christmas Eve and want is keenly felt, but unlike his self-centred ancestors, Ebeneezer Blackadder is the most benevolent man in old London town. Even the exploitation of his boundless generousity by Mrs Cratchitt (who's son 'Tiny' Tom should, the later-transformed Blackadder suggests, be scooped out and used as a houseboat), loathsome niece Millicent et al cannot dampen this paragon of altruism's good cheer. But in a twist on Dickens' classic tale, the arrival of the oversized Robbie Coltrane as the ghost of Christmas, sees the hero transformed from loveable philanthropist to loathsome misanthropist, serving up the kind of scathing character we all know and love -Great! Visions from Elizabeth's court and Prince George's home awaken him to the profit to be made from being a selfish 'git' in the mould of his forefathers, and Mr Baldrick is bound to suffer for this change. Blackadder's Christmas Carol, though not of the consistent quality of many of the episodes from the full series, does not fail to amuse. It contains several of the classic one liners and put downs that Captain Blackadder would have been proud of, and there's a hilarious paucine version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (or Mr Blackadder in this case) which stirs the transformed hero's loathsome nature into memorable disgust. This is well worth a look, or listen, whether at the festive season or not. A must for the ardent fan.

Jumping high heels first into the Christmas genre, Toni Braxton's Snowflakes is a spectacular first effort. Teetering into smooth jazz territory, Braxton gives her sophisticated, breathy vocals a workout on this untraditional Yuletide collection. Instead of revamping old holiday standards, Braxton has co-written seven new songs--along with husband Keri "Mint Condition" Lewis, her sister Tamar, David Foster, and Kenny "Baby Face" Edmonds--and has created what sounds more like a proper Toni Braxton album than it does a seasonal offering. When Braxton did decide to cover a classic, she choose more contemporary tunes such as perennial favourite "The Christmas Song", which she revives with aplomb and crisp pacing and the beloved "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", which she doesn't tinker with at all. Braxton also pulls Charlie Brown's "Christmas Time Is Here" out of mothballs and gives it a contemplative, melancholy spin that serves the tune well. "Snowflakes of Love", is penned by Braxton and Lewis and uses the same instrumental that Memphis soul giant Isaac Hayes recorded for the soundtrack for 1974's Truck Turner, giving it a jazzy, masterful feel. The real stand-out on the album is the reggae spun "Christmas in Jamaica" with the raunchy, comic vocals of Shaggy. Like the snowflakes it's named after, this CD is a real original. --Jaan Uhelszki

First of two great compilations, 25 Oct 2003
Many Motown stars recorded Christmas albums and tracks from those albums have been the source of many Motown Christmas compilations. This is one of a pair of British budget compilations that are as good as any I've seen, with an excellent mix of famous and obscure songs and all the singers you expect to hear.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Jackson five and Stevie Wonder are each represented by three tracks. The Temptations and Diana Ross and the Supremes each get two tracks, though Diana also gets a solo track. The Four Tops also get two, including one featuring guest vocalist Aretha Franklin. The Funk brothers and Marvin Gaye have one track each.

For me, the highlights are Everyone's a kid at Christmas time (Stevie Wonder), Merry Christmas baby (Four tops), (Temptations), One little Christmas tree (Stevie Wonder), Purple snowflakes (Marvin Gaye) and Christmas everyday (Smokey Robinson and the