Search - Various :: The Ultimate Motown Christmas Collection

A Motown masterpiece

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 10/18/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This holiday two CD set is jam packed with wonderful songs and short rarities of "season's greetings" tracks from some of the most talented artists that ever recorded at Motown. Motown fans can rejoice that this is readily available or they can download just the tracks that they want to enjoy right NOW! The quality of the sound is excellent and the artwork is really nicely done.



The Jackson 5 start things off with their famous "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town;" Michael is nicely in the spotlight and he never misses a note. I miss him but it's comforting to hear him sing. Stevie Wonder's "What Christmas Means to Me" has a fine beat and the percussion couldn't have been better! The drums and brass sound great and Stevie sings this upbeat tune with all his heart and soul. I love it! The Temptations also do a great job on "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer;" and other gems would have to include Stevie Wonder's gorgeous "Ave Maria" and "Joy to the World" as performed by The Supremes. The Funk Brothers do "Winter Wonderland;" and they don't exactly sound too shabby either!



"Someday at Christmas" never fails to move me with its beauty and grace; it's very poignant and absolutely beautiful. It's easily one of my very favorite holiday tunes. The Supremes sing "White Christmas" very well and that added piano arrangement is very pretty. The percussion adds to the musical arrangement but The Supremes were going to make "White Christmas" their hit no matter what the musicians played! Johnny Gill's "Give Love on Christmas Day" is another major highlight; Johnny's sophisticated phrasing impresses me and that's grand. The first CD ends well with The Temptations doing a superb job on "Silent Night."



The second CD continues the excellent holiday music. Smokey Robinson & The Temptations outdo even themselves on "The Christmas Song;" their rendition really sparkles and I think you'll like it especially if Motown is what you crave. Michael Jackson and the rest of The J5 do great on "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus;" Michael's brothers give him fine backup and that music fits perfectly with their vocals. Diana Ross' "This Christmas" charms me; Diana's voice is as clear as a bell and the music is easy on the ear without drowning her out--terrific! Boyz II Men do their "Let It Snow" with lots of style; and Marvin Gaye's "Purple Snowflakes" is a pretty good number, too. Kim Weston's "Wish You a Merry Christmas" is very well done; and The Twistin' Kings sound just great on "Xmas Twist." "Xmas Twist" has that early rock and roll twistin' flavor that I love so much--it makes me want to jump up and dance practically wherever I am! "A Child Is Waiting" makes a lovely ending for the second CD.



If you like Motown artists as much as I do, you would do well to add this to your music collection. In addition, this two CD set is full of music from the 1960s and 1970s; people who like holiday music from that era should consider getting this, too."