What's Hot   All Categories     Email this Page     Upload Your Video     Your Account  
Home > Music > Indie Music > New Age Indie Music > Christmas
Smarter Video Review now playing for this product:
Christmas
Click to watch Video Reviews
related to this product.

Christmas

From: $9.97

Depending on your point of view, Christmas is either a quaint sonic time capsule extracted from the mid-1980s or a timeless holiday classic. The first in what has become an ongoing series of Mannheim Steamroller Christmas recordings, this CD has sold millions, which seems to indicate that it is everything its advertising claims it to be: "America's favorite Christmas music." The powerfully successful Mannheim Steamroller formula, conceived by group mastermind Chip Davis, involves a blend of Renaissance-flavored moods and instrumentation (strings, harpsichord, flute, French horn) intertwined with polite pop instrumental music. At times, the analog synthesizers used in this 1984 recording sound dated and a little cheesy, particularly on "Deck the Halls" and "Good King Wenceslas." But it is a forgivable offense since live instruments and the earnest but ersatz medieval atmosphere they evoke dominate 8 of the 11 tracks. As pleasant and soothing as a Willard Scott birthday wish, Christmas does offer one selection that truly merits "classic" status: the reverent, prayerful, slow-motion interpretation of "Silent Night" ("Stille Nacht") for piano and strings that closes the album--a beautiful and heart-touching work. This selection alone makes this album worth owning. --Terry Wood

Not Yet Qualified

At Smarter.com, we aim to ensure we give you the most sound buying advice possible. With our 'Cumulative Product Rating' system, in order for a product to receive a rating score, it must have a minimum number of ratings to qualify.

This system is not intended to diminish the value of products with a low number of ratings and reviews, they're great, and hopefully very helpful, but if you want our advice, we want to make sure that the product you're thinking of buying has been rated and reviewed by enough shoppers like you to be a valuable indicator of product quality.

Additional Product Information

More Video Reviews

Sold at 2 Stores

Get price with tax & shipping*   Sort by Price | Sort by Merchant
deepdiscount.com
DeepDiscount.com
Smarter Certified Store
761

761 reviews
    close

    DeepDiscount.com coupon info

    • Offer: Free Standard shipping on any order
    • Code: no code required
    • Expires: Aug 31, 2010
    • Click to use
    • Restrictions:

  • (1 coupon)
9.97
oldies.com
OLDIES.com
4

4 reviews
    close

    OLDIES.com coupon info

    • Offer: Free shipping on orders over $50
    • Code: no code required
    • Expires: Dec 31, 2008
    • Click to use
    • Restrictions:

  • (1 coupon)
11.03

Reviews

Love it (90%)  |  Hate it (5%)  |  On the Fence (5%)  |  Didn't Rate it (0%)
From: Amazon Posted: Jan 29, 2008 Type: User Review A Musical Christmas Spirit MUST

What a wonderful, imaginative, exhilarating arrangement of traditional Christmas music!. As a musician, I've composed Christmas carols, and specially enjoy the Christmas season. This recording adds much to the festive spirit of Christmas in my...
read full review | report as inappropriate





5.00 Star Rating
5.00/5
From: Amazon Posted: Jan 28, 2008 Type: User Review fine

No problems with shipment or with product CD itself.
read full review | report as inappropriate





5.00 Star Rating
5.00/5
From: Amazon Posted: Jan 05, 2008 Type: User Review Mannheim Steamroller rolls on!

Mannheim Steamroller continues to take the traditional and make it modern without debasing the music. This time the title is simple: "Christmas." In this CD enjoy everything from "Deck the Halls" to "Stille Nacht" with modern instrumentation,...
read full review | report as inappropriate





5.00 Star Rating
5.00/5
From: Amazon Posted: Dec 24, 2007 Type: User Review Frankly, only one great song - Stille Nacht

Out of the 11 tracks - you will have to decide for yourself if the purchase is worth the one great track - # 13 - Stille Nacht. Most all of the other tracks sounds like a Grade 9 student's 1980 synthesizer project. Yuck. I suggest passing by this...
read full review | report as inappropriate





2.00 Star Rating
2.00/5
From: Amazon Posted: Dec 13, 2007 Type: User Review Ho Ho Hum

Here, the Steamroller lives up to their name, squashing all the fun and joy out of usually charming little Christmas carols, and, in the case of Deck the Halls, transforming it into a call-to-arms straight out of Braveheart. Every time I hear...
read full review | report as inappropriate





1.00 Star Rating
1.00/5

Similar Products:

*Shipping costs are based on an estimate of the lowest shipping rate available within the contiguous US, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. Only merchants with this product in stock are listed (Merchants with this product back ordered have been removed from this list).

Do you see a pricing error? Please let us know by filling out a simple form: Click here

Note: Smarter.com is a comparison shopping website that compares prices and products at online stores to help consumers save money. Stores are responsible for providing us with accurate price and product information, including the proper codes for coupons, discounts and rebates. Tax and shipping costs are estimates. Please confirm all costs before making your final purchase at the online store. All merchant ratings, product reviews and video reviews are submitted by shoppers or third-party websites. We are not responsible for their content. If you have any concerns about content on our website, please contact us.