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The Christmas Song | 
| Artist: Nat 'king' Cole
Label: Blue Note
Category: Music
New (4) Used (4) from £12.94
Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 89403
Format: Import
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.5
UPC: 724352125128
EAN: 0724352125128
ASIN: B00000JPM5
Release Date: August 24, 1999
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| Tracks:
| • | Christmas Song [1961] | | • | Deck the Halls | | • | Adeste Fideles | | • | God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen | | • | O Tannenbaum | | • | O Little Town of Bethlehem | | • | I Saw Three Ships | | • | O Holy Night | | • | Hark! The Herald Angels Sing | | • | Cradle in Bethlehem | | • | Away in a Manger | | • | Joy to the World | | • | First Noel | | • | Caroling, Caroling | | • | O Come All Ye Faithful | | • | Silent Night | | • | Nat's Introduction | | • | Christmas Song - Nat King Cole, Natalie Cole | | • | Nat's Christmas Wishes | | • | Christmas Song [Alternate Take] |
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| Editorial Reviews:
From Amazon.com
Like Bing Crosby's "White Christmas," Nat Cole's "The Christmas Song" stands as one of two or three pillars of holiday music. This collection of songs and greetings includes another technologically induced daughter-father duet on Mel Torme's classic hit as well daddy Cole's 1961 version of the tune. Fans of both Natalie and her dad will put this on the top of their wish lists. Two previously unreleased tracks--"God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman" and "O Come All Ye Faithful"--will prompt a lot of lovers of Christmas music to fall in love again with Cole's incomparable style and timeless voice. --Martin Keller
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| Customer Reviews:
A heartfelt holiday wish from one of the greats. December 15, 2006
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Singing traditional Christmas songs with dignity and feeling, this Nat King Cole holiday album gloriously captures the spirit of the season. Without fireworks, improvisations, catchy rhythms, or unusual variations, Cole gives us songs full of love in his relaxed and unpretentious style. Accompanied by two orchestras and choruses, which are directed by Ralph Carmichael, Cole still manages to keep his style simple and the songs "clean," sometimes slowing the lyrics in order to make them more expressive of the meaning.
"The Christmas Song," written by Mel Torme has always been Cole's biggest Christmas hit, beautifully sung to an accompaniment of piano and strings. "O Holy Night," with a 27-string orchestra, maintains its sense of quiet awe, instead of becoming loudly triumphant (as it is in many other recordings), while "Adeste Fidelis," sung partly in Latin, speaks to the listener on a personal level and invites him/her to "come, let us adore him," instead of demanding it. The jaunty "I Saw Three Ships" and "The First Noel" are sung with an a capella chorus, and two less-recorded songs, "A Cradle in Bethlehem," from England, and "Caroling, Caroling," written in the US by A. E. Burt add new songs to the Christmas repertoire.
The orchestra and choruses here, while large, are used to highlight Nat King Cole's vocal interpretations, instead of making their own statements, and the use of bells, bell lyre, flutes, and harp often add depth to the background while adding emphasis to the lyrics. Traditional and restrained, Cole's album honors the season and its message, an album one could listen to all day without tiring. Mary Whipple
Sounds of the Season November 26, 2002
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
How can you not love Nat King Cole's classic Christmas release? From the first note to the last, it just drips with memories of Christmases past. Of course, it does help that I grew up listening to it.It opens with the title song, which was introduced to the world by Nat. While I enjoy other renditions, this version is definitely a classic. This CD also includes the "duet" presented at the end with his daughter. Maybe I'm too much a traditionalist, but it just doesn't work for me nearly as well as the original, and I usually skip over it. While every song is wonderful, standouts for me are the songs I don't have as often in my Christmas music collection. "Deck the Hall," "O Tannenbaum" (Yes, recorded in German.), "I Saw Three Ships," and "Caroling, Caroling" are included in this group. And I have to make special note of "A Cradle in Bethlehem." This musical version of the Christmas story is very touching. I wish more artists would record it. Having listened to this album every Christmas I can remember, it just wouldn't be Christmas without it. Even now, listening to it makes me think of dark winter nights, decorating the tree, and wrapping presents. It has a special place in my collection, and I'm sure it will in yours as well. Don't hesitate, buy it today.
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