Johnny Mathis - Christmas With (10 tracks) +Album Reviews +Used CD available for Swap

Classic Mathis Christmas Music

John O'Neill | Alpharetta, GA | 12/15/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Don't let the picture on the cover of this one fool you. This is a Columbia release of Mathis's 1963 Mercury release "The Sounds of Christmas". It is also, in this listener's opinion, the best holiday release from Mathis. For this, his 2nd Christmas album, Mathis teams up with arranger Don Costa who provides some truly original arrangements. They're more fun, and at time more dramatic, than the typical "easy listening" style which Percy Faith came up with for Mathis's "Merry Christmas" release. Some of the highlights include a dramatic arrangement for "God Rest Ye Merry Gentelemen" which gives this traditional carol some extra power. Also the "Let It Snow" contained on this album is ultra-lush and may be the definitive version. "Carol of the Bells" also gets a wonderful arrangement with Mathis heading a choir. You'll also find tracks here that you won't find on other Christmas releases such as "Christmas is a Feeling in Your Heart" and "The Secret of Christmas" which speak to the true spirit of the holiday. Great stuff. The only concern I have about this CD reissue: When Columbia/Sony reissued it they deleted the whimsical and charming "Have Reindeer Will Travel" and the best version of "Little Drummer Boy" I've ever heard. If only they would issue it again with the two tracks restored and the original cover art... a nice close-up of a yonger Mathis with snowy mountains in the back-ground. Oh well... still it's the best of the lot."

A gorgeous classic album, but stripped of 2 songs

J. Grey | Indianapolis, IN USA | 12/27/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"At Christmastime, I think most people reach for things comfortable, things that bring back happy memories of Christmases past. For many of us, that means reaching for Johnny Mathis records. Er, make that CDs. And while Mathis's classic, _Merry Christmas_, is available in all its glory, his other classic, _The Sounds of Christmas_, isn't.Well, sort of. This album repackages _The Sounds of Christmas_, but deletes "Have Reindeer Will Travel" and "The Little Drummer Boy." What were these people thinking?!I borrowed my mother's well-worn 1964-ish pressing of _The Sounds of Christmas_ and made a tape that combines _Christmas with Johnny Mathis_ and the two lost songs. It's not perfect, but it'll do."

Those "missing" songs have been absent since vinyl days

Tim Neely | WI, USA | 10/27/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Columbia first re-released this on vinyl in 1971 on the old Harmony label (KH 30684). Because it was a budget label, the two songs "The Little Drummer Boy" and "Have Reindeer, Will Travel" were deleted at that time to save money. This CD is a straight reissue of that budget release.

That doesn't excuse the two songs' absence now, though; this just puts their absence into historical perspective.

Perhaps the Legacy label will do a full reissue of this album, which deserves greater recognition, the way it did Johnny's classic first Christmas album a couple years ago. It's a very good album as it is; it would be even greater in its complete form.

"

The definitive Christmas album, but missing two tracks

Todd Lewis | Washington DC | 11/20/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I honestly can't imagine what Christmas would be like without Johnny Mathis (it would probably be dull and dreary and rain instead of snow). Just putting on this Christmas album will turn a room into a sugar-coated, snow-packed, glittering yuletide fairyland with a Christmas present for everyone under every tree. No one taps into the soul of Christmas like Johnny Mathis... He is one of those singers, like K.D. Lang or Elizabeth Frazer, who has a voice of unearthly beauty; perfect for Christmas music.
This is an old album, but has a wonderful period feel to it. It's a classic. A lot of the old classic Christmas recordings just can't be beat (Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole...) because they're so achingly beautiful.
Every year I eagerly rush to the cd stores and frantically search the Christmas cd bins to see if this album has been properly re-issued. You see, for some bizarre and perverse reason the record company decided to delete two of the songs from the original album, the enchanting "Have Reindeer Will Travel" and, my favortite of the album, "The Little Drummer Boy". The version of "The Little Drummer Boy" that pops up on one of his later Christmas albums is not the same version and isn't nearly half as nice. But every Christmas my hopes are dashed... Those two beloved songs are languishing in a box of tapes somewhere in some greedy record company's vault, guarded by the Grinch, song rights owned by Scrooge. Luckily my family has the original release on record so we can still enjoy those two **wonderful** songs, although on scratchy worn-out thirty year old vinyl. It's just not fair...
I suppose that we should all just consider ourselves lucky that it's in print at all...
Not this year, but maybe next they'll release this album intact and with the lovely original art instead of the bargain throwaway packaging they've got now.
But don't let that stop you! Buy "Christmas With Johnny Mathis" and make your Christmas beautiful! Happy Holidays!"

An Amazing Star

jgleve@webtv.net | NC | 12/10/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Johnny Mathis is the most gifted singer living today. His versatile style transcends all segments of the music audience. Whether he sings love ballads, sacred tunes, or secular music, his appeal reaches all ages. This CD demonstrates his scope in reaching all listeners with the song "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", which most people consider a standard Yuletime classic. For those listeners with a classical Christmas music collection will not be disappointed in his rendition of the "Hallelujah Chorus". The kids would love the "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow"...of course adults enjoy our childhood tunes as well! No songs that Johnny Mathis performs are disappointments..he can cross all gender and racial lines. After all music has no prejudices. I also recommend all of Mathis's Christmas music to add to any holiday collection. There will never be another voice that is so unique and distinct. No one can imitate or duplicate Mathis. His voice sounds heavenly and soars upward among the greatest stars of the years past."

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