Bing At Christmas

Delighted with purchase

I wont pretend to be a particular fan of Bing Crosby but I have been on the lookout for some time now for a Christmas album with more traditional music and the minute I saw the advert on tv for this, I knew that this was the album i have been looking for. It is such a lovely, gentle mix of songs and perfect to chill out to at this time of year. There are one or two songs i am not keen on - I think the versions of White Christmas with Pentatonix and The Christmas Song with The Tenors are unnecessary but thankfully the versions with just Bing himself are also included and are much nicer in their simplicity of just Crosbys voice with the London Symphony Orchestra. On the other end of the scale however my favourite song is this collection is the collaboration with David Bowie for Little Drummer Boy.All in all I think this is a beautiful album, worthy of any Christmas Album collection.

As a long time admirer of Bing Crosby and a member of the appreciation society, I am delighted with this CD. Yes, the original versions are wonderful, but they have been heard to extinction, and to have Crosby's warm, rich tones extracted, re-wrapped in lush modern orchestration and augmented by some contemporary singers is a real treat. There are some surprises: the original recordings cover vocals from four decades, yet his voice is as fresh on the track from the 'seventies as it is on the track from the 'forties, while the Bowie track seems to have the Thin White Duke actually duetting on 'Little Drummer Boy', against the received wisdom that he refused to sing it. Of course, Crosby is not just a Christmas singer, and I hope that this excellent CD will encourage people to explore the terrific legacy of the man who virtually invented popular singing. Wonderful.

Love this album, the partnership with the LPO and of course the greatest Christmas songster of all time is superb. It re-awakens those Christmases of long ago, those that have been overtaken by contemporary artists trying to leave their stamp on Christmas, and to be fair a few with some success.

I recently purchased this album approximately 12 months after its release for £2.82 with free p&p and I’m so glad I didn’t pay anymore! Not only am I a massive fan of Christmas music but I am a fan of Bing too but this album seems to be a money maker more than anything else. There are two songs that are featured twice (albeit slightly different versions) which are just not needed. ‘White Christmas’ with ‘Pentatonix’ was not needed, just his original which is the last song on the album. The same goes for ‘The Christmas Song’ with ‘The Tenors’; this was not needed, just the version by him only was needed rather than both. I’ve never been keen on ‘Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy’ with David Bowie although I understand it being on the album as it’s very popular.The solo versions of the rest of the songs on this album with the new orchestrations are refreshing and an improvement on the original versions. Rather than repeating songs, they could have done an album just of Bing and included other Christmas songs he has recorded such as ‘Silver Bells’, ‘Here Comes Christmas’ & the really fun ‘Mele Kalikimaka’, etc. I wonder if when they do these albums with orchestras if they are trying to reach a new & younger audience which for this & the Elvis Presley album is just not needed as both these artists have enough talent to appeal to audiences of all ages. I think if it ain’t broke then don’t try & fix it!!Overall, not a terrible album but not worth anymore than £5 absolute maximum!

I was never a great fan of Bing Crosby, but I thought I would give this CD a try. I am really glad I did. These recordings are superbly enhanced by the London Symphony Orchestra and in doing so nothing of the original recordings has been lost. Only improved. The original recordings are all still available, if you prefer.There are 14 tracks, including 2 versions of `White Christmas`, lasting just under 40 minutes. It is hard to pick out a favourite song, although the duet with David Bowie stands out. All the songs are familiar, so a sing-along would be quite in order. Very good value and, in my opinion, rates among the best Christmas Collections currently available.

I wasn't sure whether I'd like this, as I'm not normally a fan of tinkering with classic recordings, but the orchestral arrangement are very sympathetic and fit well with Bing's gorgeous voice. You can probably skip the Pentatonix-enhanced version of White Christmas - a far superior solo Bing version closes the album - and the 12 Days of Christmas was always a bit of a chore in its original version, but that still leaves a dozen classic tracks for a mellow and very traditional Christmas.

Saw on my suggestion list, always loved the sound of Bing Crosby and for the price of £2.91 it was a cd that had to be brought sound quality is wonderful