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Holiday Music Thread

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  • mhardy6647mhardy6647 Posts: 21,247
    edited December 2008
    Yes I have one of their CDs, which I found at the dump but is actually quite entertaining :-)

    (Sounds of Marky scurrying to the living room to find it)

    The one I have is A Canadian Brass Christmas

    0965b340dca05a45f0353010._AA240_.L.jpg
  • manmanmanman Posts: 256
    edited December 2008
    strider wrote: »
    A Charlie Brown Christmas by the Vince Gauraldi Trio

    Available on SACD and 45 rpm vinyl for the true audiophile Christmas experience.

    Thanks for the link, "Christmas Time is Here" (both the instrumental and vocal) is my very favorite christmas song ever!

    I also like "Baby it's Cold Outside" by Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Jordan, and "Let it Snow" by Boyz II Men
  • ND13ND13 Posts: 7,648
    edited December 2008
    Sabbath , dudes!!!
    "SOME PEOPLE CALL ME MAURICE,
    CAUSE I SPEAK OF THE POMPITIOUS OF LOVE"
  • davidcitydavidcity Posts: 31
    edited December 2008
    Josh Groban Christmas is terrific...and was the no 1 seller last year.
  • jgido759jgido759 Posts: 578
    edited December 2008
    Current favorite this year:

    61-O53Z4JlL._SL500_AA240_.jpg
    Oh, you hate your job? Why didn't you say so? There's a support
    group for that. It's called EVERYBODY, and they meet at the bar.
    -Drew Carey

    There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
    -Unknown

    My DVD Collection
  • skrolskrol Posts: 2,732
    edited December 2011
    'Tis the season to resurrect the holiday music thread....

    Last year one of my favorite Christmas finds were: Berl Ives, "Holly Jolly Christmas" and Aimee Mann, "Another Drifter in the Snow". This year I went with Shack's advice and picked up The Carpenters, "Christmas Portrait".

    Stan
    Stan

    Main 2ch:
    Polk LSi15 (DB840 upgrade), Parasound: P/LD-1100, HCA-1000A; Denon: DVD-2910, DRM-800A; Monster HTS3600-MKII, Grado SR-225i

    HT:
    Denon AVR-888, Polk: RTA11TL (RDO198-1, XO and Damping Upgrades), S4, CS250, PSW10, Marantz UD5005, Panasonic TC-P42S60

    Other stuff:
    Denon: DRA-835R, DCD-660, DRM-700A, DRR-780; Polk: S8, Monitor 5A, TSi100; Pioneer: CT-6R, PL-530; Onkyo CP-1046F; Ortofon OM5E, Marantz: PM5004, CD5004, Polk: RM7, Parasound C/PT-600, HCA-800ii
  • rromeo923rromeo923 Posts: 1,517
    edited December 2011
    http://top40.about.com/od/top10lists/tp/christmasalbums.htm

    I am a fan of #8 and #9 which I would have #1 and #2
    I got static in my head
    The reflected sound of everything
  • mhardy6647mhardy6647 Posts: 21,247
    edited December 2011
    skrol wrote: »
    'Tis the season to resurrect the holiday music thread....

    Last year one of my favorite Christmas finds were: Berl Ives, "Holly Jolly Christmas" and Aimee Mann, "Another Drifter in the Snow". This year I went with Shack's advice and picked up The Carpenters, "Christmas Portrait".

    Stan
    Aimee Mann has a "Christmas" album?!?
  • deronb1deronb1 Posts: 4,520
    edited December 2011
    This is a tradition in our house. We have listened to this while putting the tree up for over 20 years.
  • steveinazsteveinaz Posts: 18,902
    edited December 2011
    Carpenters Christmas Portrait
    Kenny G Wishes
    Nat King Cole Christmas Song
    Bing Crosby White Christmas
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i | Preamp/DAC: PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell | Power Amp: Parasound Halo A21 | Speakers: PSB Imagine T2 | Cables: Signal Cable Analog 2 XLR; Kimber 8VS Bi-Wire; DH Labs D-75 Dig Coax | AC Power: Panamax M5300-PM
  • Toolfan66Toolfan66 Posts: 14,098
    edited December 2011
    Michael Buble Christmas is where it's at for me this year...
  • Tour2maTour2ma Old School Posts: 10,176
    edited December 2011
    steveinaz wrote: »
    Nat King Cole (The) Christmas Song
    You betcha... There are multiple releases of this classic from 1960.

    h02419psg7m.jpg


    Also have a soft spot for this 1992 Telarc release, by none other than the co-writer of The Christmas Song...

    d82955tr4c9.jpg
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
  • mhardy6647mhardy6647 Posts: 21,247
    edited December 2011
    since I've been guilty of much thread pollution on this topic already... might as well pollute some more :-)

    The preferred mode of holiday reproduction at my house - decades' worth of solstice vinyl dubbed to VHS HiFi Audio tape!
    Actual, unretouched photo of a December dubbing session from a few years back. The side-load Zenith VCR was a Stereo Discounters' "HiFi show and sale" buy ca. 1986 - still going strong. This one was designed to be used for both audio and video recording (i.e., it has variable record level, peak hold display rec level meters, headphone monitor jack and output level... stuff like that). I've actually used it for live recording (with reel to reel in parallel for a "safety" copy) with good results.

    holidaydubbing121209.jpg
  • steveinazsteveinaz Posts: 18,902
    edited December 2011
    I used to do a lot of transfers to a Panasonic H-fi VHS in the mid/late 80's. Excellent sound, minimal background hiss. because of the head speed/high tape speed; freq response and S/N were very, very good. I also did party mixes via CD, and hi-fi VHS--it did a great job of giving the CD music a more analog sound.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i | Preamp/DAC: PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell | Power Amp: Parasound Halo A21 | Speakers: PSB Imagine T2 | Cables: Signal Cable Analog 2 XLR; Kimber 8VS Bi-Wire; DH Labs D-75 Dig Coax | AC Power: Panamax M5300-PM
  • mhardy6647mhardy6647 Posts: 21,247
    edited December 2011
    90-plus dB dynamic range (even at "LP" speed - 6 hours of high-quality audio on a cheap T-120 tape!). No NR needed, as the audio is recorded as an FM signal (and the hiss and most other noise on the tape is AM). Beta HiFi (the originator) and VHS HiFi were the last great analog recording formats to be developed. :-)

    The only real drawback is the potential for occasional dropouts - esp. at low tape speeds. Using very high quality tape helps considerably. We have 20-plus year old tapes that still sound excellent.
  • Ern DogErn Dog Posts: 2,239
    edited December 2011
    If you are a Sarah McLachlan fan then you'll love this cd. It's called Wintersong and was released in 2006.

    Check it: http://www.amazon.com/Wintersong-Sarah-Mclachlan/dp/B000HBKCDC/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpi_1
  • mhardy6647mhardy6647 Posts: 21,247
    edited December 2011
    Ern Dog wrote: »
    If you are a Sarah McLachlan fan then you'll love this cd. It's called Wintersong and was released in 2006.

    Check it: http://www.amazon.com/Wintersong-Sarah-Mclachlan/dp/B000HBKCDC/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpi_1

    Yeah it is pretty good - the medley The First Noel/Mary Had a Little Baby thereupon is stunning in all respects; a favorite latter-day holiday track.
  • Tbone289Tbone289 Posts: 664
    edited December 2011
    It's not all traditional tunes, but I really like The Jethro Tull Christmas Album and Jingle all the Way from Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. If you want something harder, check out Gary Hoey's Christmas stuff (Ho Ho Hoey).
    2.1: S/PDIF>Schiit Gungnir>NAD 114>NAD C 370 (power)>Wharfedale Denton 80, HSU STF-2
    5.1: HDMI Bitstream>Denon AVR-1910>polkaudio RTE55, CS350-LS, RT3, HSU STF-2, Visio M55-F0
  • jgido759jgido759 Posts: 578
    edited December 2011
    Current favorite...

    51SEjUb8P2L__SL500_AA300_.jpg
    Oh, you hate your job? Why didn't you say so? There's a support
    group for that. It's called EVERYBODY, and they meet at the bar.
    -Drew Carey

    There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
    -Unknown

    My DVD Collection
  • skrolskrol Posts: 2,732
    edited December 2011
    The Jethro Tull Christmas Album, now that is one I gotta hear. The lyrics are pretty interesting.

    The Carpenter's Christmas Portrait is truly worth having. It puts me in mind of a Christmas musical. "Little Alter Boy" touches my heart. Is/was there a high-res version of this album available?
    Stan
    Stan

    Main 2ch:
    Polk LSi15 (DB840 upgrade), Parasound: P/LD-1100, HCA-1000A; Denon: DVD-2910, DRM-800A; Monster HTS3600-MKII, Grado SR-225i

    HT:
    Denon AVR-888, Polk: RTA11TL (RDO198-1, XO and Damping Upgrades), S4, CS250, PSW10, Marantz UD5005, Panasonic TC-P42S60

    Other stuff:
    Denon: DRA-835R, DCD-660, DRM-700A, DRR-780; Polk: S8, Monitor 5A, TSi100; Pioneer: CT-6R, PL-530; Onkyo CP-1046F; Ortofon OM5E, Marantz: PM5004, CD5004, Polk: RM7, Parasound C/PT-600, HCA-800ii
  • Tbone289Tbone289 Posts: 664
    edited November 2012
    I'll revive this one and add Squirrel Nut Zippers - Christmas Caravan to my previously mentioned selections.
    2.1: S/PDIF>Schiit Gungnir>NAD 114>NAD C 370 (power)>Wharfedale Denton 80, HSU STF-2
    5.1: HDMI Bitstream>Denon AVR-1910>polkaudio RTE55, CS350-LS, RT3, HSU STF-2, Visio M55-F0
  • Danny TseDanny Tse Posts: 5,227
    edited November 2012
    Holiday music on SACD....

    5282485480_0e91382557.jpg
  • dkr919dkr919 Posts: 388
    edited November 2012
    The last chorus is stupendous.
  • mhardy6647mhardy6647 Posts: 21,247
    edited December 2017
    OK -- I went diggin' around for a "holiday music" thread and found this one :)
    Untouched by human -- umm -- bytes since 2012.

    Why dare you disturb its slumber? I hear you ask.

    :)

    Back in September, Mrs. H & I attended an open house to visit the new studios of Vermont Public Radio (VPR) in Colchester, VT. One of the unexpected bonuses of that visit was a 'freebie' pile of CDs that their music library was getting rid of :)

    I picked up a few (imagine that?!) -- one of them was a "holiday" themed album called Enchanted Winter by one Jillian LaDage. As it happens, we have a proscription at our house against playing "holiday music" out of season. Well, the "holiday season" is here, and I am just now listening to this disc.

    It consists of Celtic-style takes on some well known (and unknown, at least to me) winter/Christmas music, and I'd opine (so far) that it's pretty darned good (if, of course, one likes that sort of thing). Think Loreena Mckennit, that sort of stuff. I don't know if any of y'all are fans of such, but it's a guilty pleasure for me, so I thought it worthy of mention.

    Found it on YT, too, if you'd care to give a listen :)



    Moody and atmospheric as all get out, it is. :)

    Happy Holidays, y'all!
  • marvda1marvda1 Posts: 3,421
    can't believe this was not mentioned

    hymoiiy1hh44.png
    Amplifiers: MasterSound Compact 845, Ayre v6xe, Consonance Cyber 800, Usher R1.5
    Preamp: deHavilland Ultraverve 3
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    Speakers: Rosso Fiorentino Volterra
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    Interconnects: Analysis Plus Copper Oval-In Micro, MG Audio Design Planus Cu2,
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  • mhardy6647mhardy6647 Posts: 21,247
    what year was it released? This really is an old thread! ;)
  • Viking64Viking64 Posts: 3,784
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    Back in September, Mrs. H & I attended an open house to visit the new studios of Vermont Public Radio (VPR) in Colchester, VT.

    Eye is uhmembah dat! :p
  • Viking64Viking64 Posts: 3,784
    edited December 2017
    Here's a good one. :) "The Twelve Days of Christmas"

  • txcoastal1txcoastal1 Posts: 10,265
    NO
    2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
    Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
    Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
    Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC
  • FestYboyFestYboy Posts: 3,433
    sa96zdl36syu.jpg
    Caety's favorite Christmas album. I just happen to like near everything he puts out, so...
2
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