In 1964, AL MARTINO and his christmas classic, A MERRY CHRISTMAS, was released. Arranged and conducted by PETER DE ANGELIS, this record has become a rare 'crooner' christmas classic that is pretty much up there with the best of the best of 'crooner' christmas albums. Even though AL MARTINO is pretty known in the 'crooner' world, try to find somebody who has this record or even heard it or even knows about it. Not too many do which is a shame becasue of how beautiful it is.

One great highlight about this christmas classic is the chorus that backs up AL MARTINO. When the chorus and MR. MARTINO sing together (which is often, by the way), then combined with the wonderful orchestra music of PETER DE ANGELIS, you are taken to a most beautiful world of christmas music. This three-way combination is found in songs such as I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS, THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY, SILVER BELLS, O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL, and some more which all bring that perfect 'duet style' of singer, chorus, and orchestra performing together to a most highest and professional degree.

From start to end, every song is a wonderful christmas mood setter in the traditional 'crooner' styles similar to PERRY COMO, BING CROSBY, DEAN MARTIN, FRANK SINATRA, etc....

While not my absolute favorite christmas 'crooner' album, that belongs to various christmas albums by PERRY COMO, JOHNNY MATHIS, and a few others, this AL MARTINO classic is still way up there somewhere around the top and is a nice and different 'crooner' christmas recording that is fresh from the usual christmas music of PERRY COMO or BING CROSBY that usually fills the air at christmas time. With this whole review in mind, it easily receives my very high recommendation for it.

My parents have this on record and it is good. However the sound quality is so much better on CD and me and my brother love the version of "You're All I Want For Christmas." Al Martino ranks up with Perry Como, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby with some of the best versions of Christmas music there are. Highly recommended in particular because the label does say "Collector's Choice."

Interestingly, the contents of this album were recorded the week of my parents' wedding.
Al Martino's stylish, lovely, and often lighthearted sounding chart-topper consists of 11 carols and one bonus version of one, which are both secular and religious.
Most of Martino's versions of these carols are ones with which I have only become familiar in recent years. But the whole reason I bought this CD from Amazon was because of the one that captured my fancy when I was ten: "What Child is This?".
I first heard it as part of a compilation of carols on an 8-track tape(Remember those?), and then I didn't hear it for years afterwards until I heard it again on an oldies radio station. The trouble is that the station only played it about once per Christmas season. So I would just have to be lucky enough to be listening to the radio when it aired.
The album kicks off with a wistful and sensuously sung ballad, "You're All I Want for Christmas"--to date, the only version of this song that I know of--then takes us through the most poignant version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" I can confess to having heard. We are then treated to "White Christmas", then there is a medley of "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" and "Silver Bells", then a version of "I'll Be Home for Christmas", which, while lacking the depth of versions by Crosby, Sinatra, and Mathis, is still good. Then we hear "The Little Drummer Boy" , the aforementioned "What Child is This?", "Silent Night", "O Holy Night", "O Come All Ye Faithful", and a bonus track of "Silver Bells", all delivered with graceful, albeit dated-sounding orchestral and choral arrangements, and Martino's spirited squillo.
I only wish that "What Child is This?", "Silent Night" and "O Holy Night" contained all the available stanzas. Not to mention that Al's handling of the Latin lyrics of "O Come All ye Faithful" would have been beautifully done.
Perhaps it was Martino's hip and bold delivery of these carols that made this album fly off the shelves in 1964. I've decided simply that, in this instance, what was good enough for the audiences of four decades ago is good enough for me.

I was 10 years old in 1964 when my mother ordered a copy of this 33rpm LP from a lady that she worked with named Viola! Ever since the first time I heard this outstanding work I was hooked.I now own the original Album that my family owned for many years and have purchased several more copies that were in better shape then mine in Good Will Stores and Used Record Shops.Over the years I have taped this record several different times on cassette tapes and now after seeing this record on CD form I am going to buy it ASAP.
This work by Al Martino for Christmas is in my opinion the finest collection of Holiday music ever recorded. In my household it would not seem like Christmas if we didn't play these songs. Even my kids who are now grown and my grandchildren love hearing this special album. When the record starts with "Your all I want for Christmas",all you want to do is set back and begin to get in the yule-tide mood and begin to focus on the Great Celebration and birth of our Dear Lord and Savior (just wait until you hear "Oh come all ye Faithful").

Enough said,Get a copy of this CD and hear some of the best Christmas music this side of Heaven.For 40 years it has been a staple in my house!

"ENJOY" JFKopeck

Feeling nostalgic for the Christmas mood of my childhood, I bought up several CD's from the late 50's, 60's and early 70's here on Amazon. I almost passed on "Al Martino's Merry Christmas" because I already had purchased about 15 versions of 9 of the 10 songs listed, but the CD being a rarity (I knew no one else who had it) I added it to my shopping cart sure it would be a superfluous but nice addition to my Christmas Music collection. Boy was I wrong! I believe Al's versions of these Christmas Classics rank amongst the best versions of all time, and each and every one of them found their way right to the top of my favorites! The opening track, "You're All I Want for Christmas", is a song I know I've never heard before yet at the same time FEELS like I've heard it my entire life. A true find for those who want to bring back a Nostalgic Christmas when there WERE still Christmas songs we were hearing for the very first time. Next up are very good versions of "Rudolph" and "White Christmas", which, though very good, are the least memorable songs on this CD. But the four songs that follow are so spectacular in their execution that I found myself literally holding my breath as I listened to them. The Medley of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas/Silver Bells" has to be the DEFINITIVE version of "Silver Bells" ever released. Yup, here on Al Martino's album and not Frank Sinatra's, Bings, or any modern Christmas collection. THIS IS THE ONE THAT COUNTS! No other version will give you quite the same goosebumps or conjure the Christmas/Wintertime images. Then, lightening strikes again, and we're given the definitive version of "I'll be Home for Christmas". All other versions of this song have slipped from memory after one listening of Al's. He has the sort of voice which is both strong and smooth/mellow all at the same time and it has never been more effective than on this old war song about a soldier overseas missing his lover at Christmastime. Pure, unaffected schmaltz, but it's not hokey for a minute, it's all feels very real when Martino performs it. Al's version of "The Little Drummer Boy" is next and is among the finest ever with it's resounding drum and bass line. Only two contenders that come to mind for the top spot of this much loved tune are Anne Murray and Bing Crosby's version. The song next, "What Child is This", is once again, absolutely among the finest ever recorded, only Julie Andrew's is more mesmerizing, but Al's final chorus is actually more unique being both moving yet rousing at the same time, an odd but very brilliant and welcome contrast from the usual religiously sanctified versions. "Silent Night" "Oh Holy Night", and "Come All ye Faithful" close out the CD with seemingly "adequate" arrangements that can't quite live up to the excellence of the previous four songs but, it only seems that way. After comparing Al's versions of these songs to those of his competition: Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, or Mario Lanza, Al Martino does as excellent a job on these songs, his versions holding their own or surpassing Nat King Cole. But nothing can quite live up to those 4 songs, "Silver Bells" through "What Child is This" on any Chirstmas CD that I have. Now for the one sour note, this CD version closes with a rather tinny mix of the aforementioned "Silver Bells" minus "We Wish you a Merry Christmas" which does the song and performer an injustice. The sound quality lacks both depth and resonance. Something is wrong in the mix with the bass, and further releases should fix this version or leave it off the CD entirely. It ruins an otherwise superlative Christmas CD. So there it is, my choice for the best nostalgic Christmas Album of all time. Neither too fast nor too slow, neither too loud or too soft, not too schmaltzy or too indifferent and cold, Al Martino's Merry Christmas comes across as "just right" for that Silent Night in your Holiday Season and will be a welcome addition to any Christmas Music Collection. It'll move you with all the magic and wonder of your childhood, charging your emotions by tinkling the little bells that haven't wrung for you for a long while, bells that I had completely forgotten even existed and had ever rung at all. It was terrific to hear their sounds again! Truly, Al Martino's "Merry Christmas" is THAT MAGICAL and THAT GOOD for bringing back all that Christmas Magic with mile-a-minute memories and cheer. Please take my word for it, this is as essential to your Music Collection as Bing Crosby's White Christmas! May the smile that crosses your face while listening to it last you throughout the entire year.