THE ESSENTIAL NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS (a J!-ENT World Groove Album Review)
December 19, 2008 by Dennis Amith
“A fantastic compilation of Christmas music from the last 50 years featuring artists from the past and the present.”
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ARTIST: Taylor Swift
ALBUM: THE ESSENTIAL NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS
LABEL: NOW Essential Xmas
DURATION: 79:09
RELEASE DATE: September 23, 2008
- Happy Xmas (War is Over)
- Blue Christmas – Elvis Presley
- It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Andy Williams
- Baby, It’s Cold Outside – Dean Martin
- It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas – Johnny Mathis
- The Little Drummer Boy – Harry Simeone Chorale
- A Holly Jolly Christmas – Burt Ives
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – Gene Autry
- Little Saint Nick – The Beach Boys
- The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late) – The Chipmunks
- Santa Claus is Coming to Town – Jackson 5
- Run Rudolph Run – Chuck Berry
- Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer – Elmo & Patsy
- Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee
- Jose Feliciano – Feliz Navidad
- This Christmas – Donny Hathaway
- Wonderful Christmastime – PaulMccartney
- Step Into Christmas – Elton John
- Last Christmas – Wham!
- Jingle Bell Rock – Hall & Oates
- Do You Hear What I Hear – Carrie Underwood
- Breath of Heaven (Mary’s Song) – Amy Grant
- Mistletoe – Colbie Caillat
- Ledisi – This Christmas (Could Be the One)
- The Temptations (Silent Night)
I guess you can say that I’m a person who owns a lot of Christmas albums. Perhaps I got that from my father and grew up listening to the Beach Boys, Elvis Pressley belt out the Christmas songs during the Holiday season. And of course, in the 90′s, my Christmas listening was literally dominated by Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Mariah Carey, Amy Grant and Harry Connick, Jr.
And typically, in the past with Christmas compilations, they were hit-or-miss. But NOW which are known for their many compilation albums that feature the hit songs of the time have holiday albums and the first is “THE ESSENTIAL NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS” which features 25 Christmas tracks featuring classics such as Gene Autry’s “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, Burl Ives “A Holly Jolly Christmas”, Andy Williams “Its Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” and also songs that I grew up with, such as Elvis Presley’s “Blue Christmas”, The Beach Boys “Little Saint Nick”, Wham!’s “Last Christmas”, Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime”, Amy Grant’s “Breath of Heaven (Mary’s Song) and John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Happy Xmas (War is Over)”.
And of course, there is quite a few songs from today’s artists such as Carrie Underwood with “Do You Hear What I Hear” and Colbie Caillat’s “Mistletoe” and many more.
With 25 songs of Christmas songs, this Christmas Album definitely has a lot of popular Christmas classics featuring popular singers from the past and also the present. You can’t go wrong with that.
When it comes to Christmas songs, you definitely get your money’s worth with these NOW compilations and “THE ESSENTIAL NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS” album is no exception. Granted, there are a few songs for me that would have been awesome if it were included on this album such as Mariah Carey’s “All I want for Christmas Time Is You” (which is on the second volume of the ESSENTIAL NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS series) and Amy Grant’s “Grown-Up Christmas List”.
But this album essentially has Christmas songs from the past 50 years from popular artists and songs that many of us have grown up with all in one album for a great price. So, it depends if you are the type that buys holiday music and if you’re looking for a Christmas album with a great variety of Christmas songs featuring a diverse group of artists, you can’t go wrong with this album at all. It’s a fantastic Christmas collection worth owning!
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