happy christmas to one and all! i hope santa was good to each and every one of you celebrants of this wonderful holiday. well, we find ourselves at last at the the conclusion of my countdown of my favorite holidays season albums with the top 6 on the list. one of the best parts of doing this countdown has been sharing music that i find to be so very special, some of which some of you may be hearing for the very first time. i have more of the same today, and i hope it provides a fitting soundtrack to this christmas day. so starting this final segment of the countdown, we have ...
6. december - kenny loggins
i believe i mentioned earlier in the month that one of my annual holiday season traditions is, though i consider the christmas season officially begins the day after thanksgiving, i will not play this particular album until the first day of december. given how much i love it, as soon as that day hits, this album is the first one playing. the interesting thing about this particular album is that it started out with very low expectations on my part. i actually found it in that little christmas music display that target always sets up in their in-store pop-up christmas section. i saw it, i liked kenny loggins, and so i thought, "why not?" and purchased it. am i ever grateful for that simple decision because this amazing collection of lyrical almost ethereal songs has added such a richness to many a holiday season. as i type this, a surprise snow is gently falling to the ground. i can't think of a better backdrop to the songs i will be sharing today.
on christmas morning
some children see him
december
5. a christmas to remember - amy grant
oh, what a surprise to find a christmas album from amy grant in my top five. naturally, i kid. not only is amy grant tied with james taylor as my two all-time favorite singers, but to date, i believe she has like six christmas albums to her name with half of them being part compilation part new music. in addition, over the course of the month, i think amy is the artist with the most songs shared. of the three albums of original music, i've chosen two for the countdown. i do greatly enjoy all three. i think this particular one has a wonderful combination of original and classic songs -- songs that come from the canon of sacred music that celebrate the birth of jesus and songs that celebrate the delights of the modern holiday season. it is always one of the first christmas albums i play every year and one that i revel in all season long. i hope the songs i share today demonstrate why this is the case.
a christmas to remember
mister santa
'til the season comes around again
agnus dei
4. christmas, love and you - will downing
and speaking of one of the first christmas albums i play every year, count this one in that number. to me, mr. downing has created what is the perfect contemporary christmas album. original arrangements of classic christmas tunes, wonderful new songs to add to the catalog of beloved holiday music, and sumptuous vocals delivered in a relaxed soulful style. if you're a fan of r&b music, expect to like this one a lot. you may even find yourself adding it to your own christmas music collection.
the first noel
love on christmas morning
christmas time after time
3. the christmas song - nat king cole
the final three albums have a truly special place in my heart. not just because they have such a sublime collection of songs and vocal performances, but more so, because they have been with me so long and evoke deep memories of times and places in my life. this album is literally the first christmas album of which i have any memory (well this and gene autry's rudolph the red nosed reindeer). this is likely due to the fact that my mother put this lp on our aircraft carrier sized stereo console every year until the needle practically dug a groove through the vinyl. even though i've listened to this and many a christmas album for the past 45 years (of which i'm aware), i'm not sure there is an album that brings back to my consciousness my memories of christmas as a child for me more than this one. with all of the emotional challenges that this holiday has brought to me in recent years, i am blessed to have had many a wondrous christmas as a child. thank you nat for contributing to that being the case for each and every one.
deck the hall
i saw three ships
caroling, caroling
the christmas song (merry christmas to you)
2. a christmas portrait - carpenters
this album is all about my college years. that's when i first met its acquaintance though i had been a carpenters fan since my pre-teen years. a good friend and i would listen to this album non-stop as we studied for our fall semester final exams, looking forward to being done with those dreaded (at least for me) tests and back at home with family for a much needed break. there is only one singer that i can think of that has a voice as distinctive in the way that karen carpenter's is and that is judy garland. in both cases, their voices are so mellifluous with a touch of pathos that you can't help but be affected to the core of your soul. when you place karen's vocals in the context of richard carpenters' exquisite orchestrations then you have a musical experience that absolutely has few equals.
silent night
home for the holidays
ave maria
merry christmas darling
1. home for christmas - amy grant
and we have finally reached number one on the countdown of my favorite christmas albums, and yes the top spot goes to none other than amy grant. this was the second of amy's christmas albums and to me it is the very best. for several of the tracks she hearkened back to earlier days of music recording history by recording with a live orchestra rather than the current practice of singing to already recorded music. this album is actually the first i play at the outset of every holiday season, and it's one that i love to have on as i begin my holiday decorating. while this album has many of the traditional christmas carols and standards, it has two very special songs that amy popularized and that have become a part of many a christmas album since (both of which i've included here). a more apt title could not have been chosen for this album, for it indeed makes you feel so at home in the very best sense of the word, providing a deep sense comfort, peace and most of all love.
breath of heaven (mary's song)
grown-up christmas list
the night before christmas
emmanuel, god with us
have yourself a merry little christmas
and that closes out my countdown of my favorite christmas albums. it has been a privilege to share this music with you, and i hope you found it worth your time to visit my blog this week. i will be back for the remaining days of the month to share a few more songs, but right now, as our last song expressed, "have yourself a merry little christmas now."
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