2014 Christmas LPs Review: Willie Nelson, The Vince Guaraldi Trio , Bing Crosby, Elf, Mahalia Jackson, Ernie Ford

This has been a favorite Christmas LP for many years. I have the same on I have had for around thirty-five years, but there is supposed to be a reissue out by the time you read this. If you like Willie’s album Stardust you should love this Christmas album. Every song on the album is a Christmas Classic except for the title song “Pretty Paper”; all the rest are just good old Christmas songs. The LP was released for Christmas 1979. In it, Willie Nelson teams up with another superstar producer/keyboardist Booker T. Jones to make one of the most successful holiday top charting hit albums of all time.

The album has been out of print for decades on vinyl, and so it’s nice that Friday Music has announced the first time 180 Gram Audiophile Vinyl presentation of Pretty Paper. It will be mastered by Joe Reagoso and also for a very limited time is pressed by R.T.I. on translucent Blue Vinyl, and features from the original LP artwork not seen in years, in a first time gatefold presentation, featuring full color photos of Willie Nelson from the Columbia Records archives. Like I said it’s one of my favorite Christmas albums.

This album is great Jazz and great Christmas music all at the same time. It’s nice to have such a great new reissue of the classic LP. It’s pressed at Quality Record Pressings on very nice, flat 200g vinyl and mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio from the original stereo analog master tapes. It simply sounds great. If you want to enjoy some great Christmas jazz just play this LP.

Can it get anyone more American at Christmas than Bing Crosby. This 1955 LP evolved from the period’s 78rpm records, some from as far back as the 1940s. It includes Crosby’s famous versions of “White Christmas” and “Silent Night.” On some cuts he is joined by the Andrew Sisters and Carole Richards. The album itself has sold over 15 million copies which makes it second only to Elvis Presley’s 1957 holiday album, Elvis’ Christmas Album, as the best-selling Christmas album of all-time. Don’t overlook this album as old fashioned, it is truly classic and very good.

I’ve never seen the movie and have no intention to, but when I saw the songs and the people performing them on this LP, I ordered it. Let me tell you I’m glad I did, this is a great selections of Christmas music. So in case you might’ve overlooked this LP because it’s the soundtrack of a really stupid movie, don’t. It’s a great Christmas LP.

This 1955 Gospel Christmas album is by Mahalia Jackson who many consider the all time greatest gospel singer. This is my favorite Christmas album. I grew up in a house with a very strange selection of music. My mother had almost every Tennessee Ernie Ford and Mahalia Jackson LPs. My dad had Peet Fountain and Al Hirt LPs. I’ve never outgrown my love for all these except for Al Hirt. So I guess it’s no surprise that this is my favorite Christmas LP. So get on eBay and pick one up, not for the sound but the great music.

Well, I already confessed my weakness for Ernie Ford’s music. This is simply a great Christmas LP. My mother had this record set when I was growing up. It is a great collection of Christmas songs; a few are only rarely played nowadays. Tennessee Ernie Ford sings these song beautifully. At Christmas time you can often find this LP dirt cheap at used record stores.