The Jackson 5 is fabulous, and that holds true in their Christmas album as well. I love all their covers of the classics. Little Michael is incredibly talented.
This is a GREAT CD, if you love traditional Christmas music but hate organ music and those old-time choirs that always sounds like they're singing at a funeral. Jim Brickman takes all the classics and tweaks them into beautiful, recognizable but much more current music. I have all of his Christmas CDs and they are ALL great!!
A word of caution this album has one actual "song" which is the amazing ballad featuring Sting, Rod Stewart and Bryon Adams. Though the other tracks are songs they are instrumentals that are actually in the movie. Though don't let that turn you aside as they are all well done and each offer a wide variety of different musical emotions. Many of the tracks start off slow and quiet and then eventually become adventurious or more epic. 'M' Lady DeWinter' and 'All For One' being my personal favourite tracks. This is worth a listen especially seeing how I got it for .50 new still in original wrapping.
A View to a Kill is a great score from the legendary John Barry, who has done pretty much all of the James Bond films up until 1989. I wish he'd come back and do the score to the next James Bond film. A few pieces of music are missing though from the movie, such as when Bond is attacked in Siberia and escapes but they never finish the music. Another piece missing is where Bond and Tibbett arrive at the Zorin's chateau in France. I think the most important piece that's missing is when Stacy gets taken by Zorin for a ride in the blimp and Bond hangs on to the rope going to the Golden Gate Bridge. The music that leads to the climax is always important! The best part of the album is that the music is very much James Bond and incorporates, at the time, a more modern theme to the music. Duran Duran's song is still awesome to this day and can still hold a candle to any crappy song out there today! Overall, a great job well done!
I bought this CD because one of my dogs is a very anxious dog and thought that it may help ease her during all the changes with a new baby. I also thought that maybe she wouldn't notice since she is use to hearing noise come from the CD player. I was wrong. Both of my dogs came running upstairs once I turned the Baby Sounds CD on and they were trying to figure out where the crying was coming from; looking outside, etc. I did as the CD instructed by giving treats to them while playing it and they handled it very nicely. Now we will just wait and see what happens when the real live baby comes!
Super Hits of the '70s: Have a Nice Day, Vol. 13 gives us ten great hits from the 1970s that really made the airwaves hot! These songs still sound great today on this very well digitally produced CD; and the artwork is pretty good as it always is in this multi CD series.
Maria Muldaur begins the tracks set with her hit entitled "Midnight At The Oasis." "Midnight At The Oasis" has a romantic, attractive melody that catches your attention and never lets it go. Maria sings this with a lot of sensitivity and that's probably a big reason why this song went so far the way it did in the `70s. The guitars work well and the percussion adds to the beauty of the number--awesome! Jim Stafford follows with another hit entitled "My Girl Bill." "My Girl Bill" hints at an alternative lifestyle--before turning into a song about two men who both love the same woman! I think "My Girl Bill" is very neatly done and I really like that number.
Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods turn in a bubblegum flavored anti-war song with "Billy, Don't Be A Hero;" this tune has a great melody as well. The guitars and percussion enhance the natural beauty of the song, too. Listen also for Paper Lace doing "The Night Chicago Died." The singing and percussion marking the beat stuns me with its creativity and good sound; and they play and sing "The Night Chicago Died" to perfection.
Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods return for another awesome hit--in my opinion--that they called "Who Do You Think You Are." "Who Do You Think You Are" sounds great and this is clearly a highlight of this album. Andy Kim also does a great job on "Rock Me Gently;" Andy sings this flawlessly with ladies doing backup harmonizing; and the guitar arrangement makes this number shine! First Class also does "Beach Baby." "Beach Baby" always makes me smile; this is easily one of my favorite tunes from the entire 1970s. First Class sounds a bit like The Beach Boys on this number but they hold their own well; and the musical arrangement uses the guitars and percussion really well. Billy Swan's "I Can Help" rocks with just enough of a country twist to make this number memorable; and Billy sings this one out like a pro!
Overall, this is one major installment in this multi CD series of great hits from the `70s. I highly recommend this for people looking for high quality controlled music from the `70s; and newcomers to this type of music will find this to be a great starter CD.
Some of the other reviews are correct. If your an audiophile and want the original recordings in their original sound you may not find it here. Also, if your wanting to find only the Beach Boy hits you remember you might want to buy one of the Greatest Hits albums. This box set has many songs never released to the public I believe. If you want the hits, plus some, and the recording method doesn't bother you then this is good buy. Personally, I do not have the high end equipment I didn't mind if there were songs I had never heard before. I am glad I bought this box set and enjoy it.
Beach Boys Photos
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More from The Beach Boys
 Sounds of Summer |  Pet Sounds |  20 Good Vibrations, The Greatest Hits |
 More Good Vibrations, Greatest Hits: Vol.2 |  Endless Harmony |  Sunflower/Surf's Up |
