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Songs for Christmas
Sufjan Stevens
Retail Price (not our price): $22.98
Release Date: 2006-11-21
Manufacturer: Asthmatic Kitty
Format: Audio CD
Discs: 5

Track List
Now here, for your listening pleasure, the tracks...

Disc 1
1. Silent Night style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
2. O Come O Come Emmanuel style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
3. We're Goin' To the Country! style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
4. Lo How A Rose E'er Blooming style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
5. It's Christmas! Let's Be Glad! style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
6. Holy Holy, etc. style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
7. Amazing Grace style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
 
Disc 2
1. Angels We Have Heard on High style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
2. Put the Lights on the Tree style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
3. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
4. I Saw Three Ships style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
5. Only at Christmas Time style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
6. Once in Royal David's City style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
7. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing! style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
8. What Child Is This Anyway? style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
9. Bring A Torch, Jeanette, Isabella style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
 
Disc 3
1. O Come, O Come Emmanuel style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
2. Come on! Let's Boogey to the Elf Dance! style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
3. We Three Kings style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
4. O Holy Night style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
5. That Was the Worst Christmas Ever! style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
6. Ding! Dong! style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
7. All the King's Horns style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
8. The Friendly Beasts style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
 
Disc 4
1. The Little Drummer Boy style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
2. Away In A Manger style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
3. Hey Guys! It's Christmas Time! style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
4. The First Noel style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
5. Did I Make You Cry On Christmas Day? (Well, You Deserved It!) style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
6. The Incarnation style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
7. Joy To The World style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
 
Disc 5
1. Once in Royal David's City style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
2. Get Behind Me, Santa! style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
3. Jingle Bells style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
4. Christmas in July style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
5. Lo! How A Rose E'er Blooming style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
6. Jupiter Winter style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
7. Sister Winter style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
8. O Come O Come Emmanuel style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
9. Star of Wonder style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
10. Holy, Holy, Holy style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1
11. The Winter Solstice style="font-size: 10px;" valign="top">1

Editorial Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):

1) Amazon.com
Every year it's an issue: how does one stomach the onset of holiday music? With an endless stream of overplayed pop stars stirring what Sufjan Stevens calls "That Creepy Christmas Feeling," how does one navigate the sound of the season? Back in 2001, Stevens began making annual EPs of traditional carols and songs mixed with his own holiday-themed tunes. With 2006 and Volume 5, he's compiled a perfect gift for the Christmas-inclined indie rockster: all five EPs in one box, separately slipcased, plus a booklet filled with lyric sheets, chord charts, a Rick Moody essay, and more. Yes, Stevens knows that "Jingle Bells" features him playing (as he notes) "insipid piano," but he also writes gorgeous arrangements. Check out the three versions of "O Come O Come Emmanuel"; each aches. And "O Holy Night" from Volume 3 is lo-fi genius, never mind anyone's resistance to theology; it's a time-stopper. Stevens's own tunes are unmistakably his, hushed vocals highlighting a unique mix of whimsy and yearning--much like the justly-lauded Illinois and Michigan. In the end of the liner essay, Stevens writes that the Christmas story is about love, and on that note, he proclaims that these songs and the "Creepy Christmas Feeling" prompt "a transformation of the heart" for him and bring out affection and reflection. Isn't that a great holiday vibe? --Andrew Bartlett

2) Album Description
In December 2001, Sufjan set out to create a Christmas gift for his friends and family. The result was a seven-song recording that he called "Noel Vol. 1". Over the next several years, he created new EPs to add to the collection. This 5-CD box set includes all five volumes, plus a 42-page booklet with an original Christmas essay by acclaimed American novelist Ricky Moody, two essays, a short story by Stevens, a holiday sticker, chord charts, lyrics, comic strip, family portrait poster, photos, and an animated video.


Customer Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5

1) Bringing families together with christian holday music   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
This box set is full of fun times as soon as you open it. Besides the amazingly complex yet honestly raw christmas songs, there are short stories that we can all relate to about the materialism of christmas and the coming together of dysfunctional families, as well as chords and lyrics to all of the songs so you can sing and even play along. My mother and i sang together for the first time ever when i put these CDs in the player.

2) A holiday hit!!   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
All five cd's are fabulous, I played them the entire holiday and gave this as a gift to everyone. A perfect blend of classics and new songs.

3) a new staple for the collection   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
great twist on the classics and beautiful orginal compositions, though the collection is 5 CDs deep it is not a chore to listen through all, each song has wonderful holiday sentiments and melody. Sufjan continues to brighten the standards with his signature.

4) Worth snail mail!   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
Cool and ambitious takes on old and new tunes...plus fun packaging that makes the "hard copy" well worth it (actually, a steal.)

5) Buy it - don't dowload it. More than music. Outstanding!   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
In an age where packaged CD's are giving way to downloads, this remarkable effort made me re-think the whole business. For not only does this box set contain outstanding music (more on that later), it contains a poster, a comic strip, well written essays, stickers and more. The CD jackets and the CD's themselves are noteworthy for the graphic artwork. Last but not least there is another most welcome surprise. Not only are the lyrics printed but you get the chord book as well! There's so much in the box that one wonders whether they lose money selling this for the price you pay.After listening to some artists whine about about how there's no reason to buy music CD's anymore, I can't tell you how refreshing it is to see the whole concept redefined. You don't just buy good music here. You get music, illustration, creative writing and drawing, sheet music and more. So it's not only a must listen but it's a must buy. In that respect this collection may be remembered for breaking important new ground. It would not surprise me at all if this collection became a classic, maybe not this year or next but somewhere down the road in time. It's that different and that good.As for the music, let me explain it this way. I guess I wouldn't evaluate a Christmas album buy slapping on a pair of headphones and sitting back to listen with undivided attention. I bought the set for the wife after only hearing two or three tunes. She hadn't even heard of Sufjan Stevens. She opened up the set, put all the CD's into the CD changer and played the whole thing start to finish while we were setting up for Christmas. Cookies were baking and she and I were decorating and the two kids were helping out. Heard in that setting this may be the best Christmas collection I've ever heard. The four of us have different musical tastes but not one of us could find fault with it. Sitting with headphones on perhaps one might find fault with the simplicity of the some of the instumentation, but in the traditional Christmas setting that same simplicity just tempts you to sing or hum along which makes it all that much better. Sufjan's family Christmas poster greeting, included in the box set, suggests that my family's experience might have been just what he had in mind for this work. Can't say for sure though. Read his included Christmas essay and he comes across as borderline genius, borderline disfunctional, borderline humble, borderline cynical, borderline crazy... Not all that unusual though for some of the great ones when you think about it.Christmas is over but I'm going to buy a few more copies now to give away next year. Can't wait till next year cause I'm afraid that Steven's record label, Asthmatic Kitty Records, might go out of business from selling these things at a loss or worse yet some big record label will buy up the rights and put the whole collection on two or three plain silver CD's in classic empty plastic packaging. That would be borderline criminal.


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