Just Say Noel

Track Listings

1. Little Drum Machine Boy - Beck

2. Christmas Time - Aimee Mann, Michael Penn

3. Santa Doesn't Cop Out on Dope - Sonic Youth

4. Christmas - The Posies

5. Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa - The Roots

6. Merry Christmas, Baby - Southern Culture on the Skids

7. Christmas - Remy Zero

8. Gloria - Elastica

9. Christmas Is Quiet - Wild Colonials

10. Thanks for Christmas - XTC

11. Closing of the Year - Lisa, Wendy Melvoin, , , Wendy, Wendy

12. Amazing Grace - Ted Hawkins

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Good cheer is in limited supply among alt-rockers, but Just Say Noel is a small, charming garland with a couple of solidly terrific originals: Beck's long, loony "The Little Drum Machine Boy" takes a few well-known lines and spirals off into a groovy stream of consciousness, and Elastica's "Gloria" is one of their finest rockers. There are some unexpected cover choices, too: the Roots do De La Soul's grim "Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa," and Sonic Youth dig up Martin Mull's "Santa Doesn't Cop Out on Dope." Beyond that, the disc is split between warm renditions of well-known numbers and overproduced goop, but Ted Hawkins's deep, wrenching solo version of "Amazing Grace" shouldn't be missed. --Douglas Wolk

Average customer rating:

carousel
The Ideal Merry-Go-Round

Carousel Memories

Manufacturer: Dynamic Recording
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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Good Old USA Carousel Music Vol. 1
Good Old USA Carousel Music Vol. 2
Fair Organ Follies
Wurlitzer Christmas Carousel Music Vol. 1
Clown and Midway Calliope Music Vol. 1

ASIN: B00005V7GA
Release Date: 2002-01-01

Tracks:

A Smile Will Go A Long, Long Way
The Petite Waltz
Die Regimentskinder
With The Wind and Rain In Your Hair
Nights Of Gladness
Espanita Waltz
Three Little Fishes
Scatter Brain
Beer Barrel Polka
Over The Top
Royal Trumpeters
Say It Again
Georgia On My mind
After the Ball
Unter Dem Siegesbanner
Just A Gigolo
The Sidewalks of New York
Deep Purple
Liberty Bell
Trisch-Trasch
The Kings Horses and The Kings Men
Sweet Rosie O' Grady
The Carousel Waltz (Recorded on Moving Carousel)

Album Description

More marches, waltzes, and fox trots in this recording of the New Verbeeck Band Organ at Seabreeze Park in Upstate New York. On a hill above scenic Lake Ontario, the music of the band organ can be heard on the breezes drifting over the blue water. Twenty-three tunes bring back the sounds of summer from Seabreeze Park - the whirling carousel and prancing horses spin around to the music of childhood, and this fabulous recording captures the wonderful memories. Grab the popcorn, and come for a ride! This completely digital recording is crystal clear and an oversized insert includes pictures and fond memories of Merrick Price - to whom the album is dedicated. The last song was recorded on the carousel while it was moving - an innovative idea that captures the sensation of really being on the ride is enhanced by wearing headphones. This piece of Americana in music - a must for the audio collector, carousel enthusiast, or fan of mechanical music, is a one-of-a-kind gift item.

Customer Reviews:

carousel.......2007-01-03

Carousel Memories does not have the luster that I had expected. The music is not as clear as I would have liked, however, it does have some good qualities that make it worth while to listen.

The Ideal Merry-Go-Round.......2005-07-18

This is a recording by and for merry-go-round lovers. It assembles 23 tracks of mostly characteristic carousel music, played upon a newly constructed band organ handmade by Belgian Johnny Verbeeck to replicate the old Wurlitzer 165 destroyed by a fire around 1995. The fire also claimed most of the carousel itself, which was rebuilt using some restored parts from the original (PTC#36). The recording site is Seabreeze Park on Lake Ontario in upper New York.

In another review I mentioned that that CD offered a partial and rather idealized carousel experience, for it could only provide the sound, and that sound was much more refined and free of ambient noise than would be encountered during an actual carousel ride. That comment applies as well to this recording, and perhaps more so, for the band organ in a typical operating carousel never sounded so good as the one here. This instrument has a remarkably lovely, sweet tone and, being brand new, is in perfect condition. The rolls used were obtained from no less a source than the Library of Congress, and represent a very choice selection.

The music itself includes mostly waltzes, marches, polkas, and one-time popular songs, such as Beer Barrel Polka, Sweet Rosie O'Grady, Liberty Bell, and Scatter-Brain. Less to be expected, but supremely apt, is the fine waltz from Richard Rodger's overture to the musical show Carousel. This last was experimentally recorded on the moving carousel, and thus provides an especially realistic auditory image.

For merry-go-round and band organ enthusiasts this recording might well occupy a place of honor in their CD collection. For those who desire a more realistic, though less ideal, recording I would recommend the old 1973 Takoma Records release "Last Chance on the Merry-Go-Round" (# A 1038), which I believe is no longer in the catalog. (Takoma Records was acquired in 1995 by Fantasy Records.) My personal copy of A 1038 is an LP, and I suspect no CD version was ever released. That recording was made at the carousel on the pier at Santa Monica, California, shortly before the pier was to be demolished. (Thus the title of the recording.) Since it was made while the carousel was actually in operation, the sounds of bystanders and children, along with the carousel drive motor are included. I don't know what ever became of that carousel or its band organ, but would guess they were moved to some collection somewhere. In any case, I have fond memories of wandering along the pier on a fine Saturday afternoon and watching and listening to the carousel and its excited young customers.

Average customer rating:

Broadway: America's Music 1935-2005

Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000B8I93Q
Release Date: 2005-10-18

Tracks:

Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'
Summertime
I Could Write a Book
It Never Entered My Mind
I Can Cook Too
Make It Another Old Fashioned, Please
If I Loved You
My Heart Belongs to Daddy
Thou Swell
I Left My Heart at the Stage Door Canteen
There's No Business Like Show Business
South American Way

Tracks:

Shall We Dance
Ohio
Luck Be a Lady
Mack the Knife
There's a Small Hotel
Once in Love with Amy
Yodel Blues
Lazy Afternoon
There Must Be Somethin' Better Than Love
You're Just in Love
Now Is the Time

Tracks:

Impossible Dream
Love Makes the World Go 'Round
Try to Remember
Put on a Happy Face
I Say Hello
Happiness
She Loves Me
What Kind of Fool Am I?
Shy
Consider Yourself
Poor Little Person

Tracks:

Magic to Do
They're Playing My Song
I Don't Know How to Love Him
I Won't Send Roses
Good Morning Starshine
Don't Cry for Me, Argentina
Hard Candy Christmas
Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend
Won't You Charleston with Me?
Applause

Tracks:

Phantom of the Opera
Memory
On My Own
Muddy Water
How Could I Ever Know
American Dream
I Know Him So Well
Dr. Jazz
Me and My Girl
Suddenly Seymour

Tracks:

Mamma Mia!
Popular
Seasons of Love
Oh, the Thinks You Can Think
Whatever Lola Wants
Crazy
How Deep Is Your Love
Stars
People Like Us
I Go to Rio

Average customer rating:

Worst than a skiing holiday, better than socks
com"YULE"ation Cleric : Just Say Ohhh~Welll
Get only if you are a Beck fanatic
Much better than it sounds
This is Christmas?

Just Say Noel
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Geffen Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Wintersong

ASIN: B000000OW1
Release Date: 1996-10-29

Tracks:

The Little Drum Machine Boy - Beck
Christmastime - Aimee Mann With Michael Penn
Santa Doesn't Cop Out On Dope - Sonic Youth
Christmas - The Posies
Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa - The Roots
Merry Christmas Baby - Southern Culture On The Skids
Christmas - Remy Zero
Gloria - Elastica
Christmas Is Quiet - Wild Colonials
Thanks For Christmas - XTC
The Closing Of The Year - The Musical Cast Of Toys Featuring Wendy And Lisa
Amazing Grace - Ted Hawkins

Amazon.com

Good cheer is in limited supply among alt-rockers, but Just Say Noel is a small, charming garland with a couple of solidly terrific originals: Beck's long, loony "The Little Drum Machine Boy" takes a few well-known lines and spirals off into a groovy stream of consciousness, and Elastica's "Gloria" is one of their finest rockers. There are some unexpected cover choices, too: the Roots do De La Soul's grim "Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa," and Sonic Youth dig up Martin Mull's "Santa Doesn't Cop Out on Dope." Beyond that, the disc is split between warm renditions of well-known numbers and overproduced goop, but Ted Hawkins's deep, wrenching solo version of "Amazing Grace" shouldn't be missed. --Douglas Wolk

Customer Reviews:

Worst than a skiing holiday, better than socks.......2005-12-12

This was recommended to me by a friend with unusual taste in music and, given that, I wasn't suprised by the truly bizarre mix of tracks here. Its not consistently festive, conistently alternative, consistently good, or consistently anything else to be honest, but there are some gems buried here. The Beck opener is a solid track, not one of his best but no embaressment. The Sonic Youth track (a cover) is...interesting. Not one of their most tuneful, and thats saying something. The rest vary between cheesy 70s-style pop (XTC), mournful wrist-slitters (Remy Zero) and some delicately beautiful melodies (especially the dated but brilliant Posies number). Definitely worth a look if you can get it cheap, and a nice alternative to the usual Christmas suspects - just don't expect any miracles.

com"YULE"ation Cleric : Just Say Ohhh~Welll.......2001-06-28

Like the indispensable fruitcake this com"YULE"ation of late 9o`s alt-minstrels will remain fresh long after the Tannebaum turns brown. Modern-millennial-mirth-makers may even refer to these recordings as time-honored classics for many have such originalty. As it stands now, this disc is anchored by the Top Ten cross-genra track "Thanks for Christmas" from XTC, which also receives multiple inclusion elsewhere. But by no means is that the only starlight, as these songs grow on ya. If the listener enjoys a smorgasbord of stylings they`ll thrill with this discovery under the tree. Merrily Mix tracks 1,2,4,5,6,8,9,10,11,and 12. Post Script: I would like to thank the elfxecutive producers for "LAYing YOUR HANDS ON ME" by packaging songs from so many labels that benfit~ "A camera in the Right Hands at the Right Time at the Right Place can be more powerful than tanks and guns. Let the truth do the fighting." - Peter Gabriel. Posted Script: While riding this seasonal sleigh I`ve noted that paid rock critics and rock industry mucky-mucks tend to lack sincerity more so than thier contemporaries. In a true new millennium there would be more than just a handful of offerings each year.***buyit*saveit*sharemost*giveit*donateit***

Get only if you are a Beck fanatic.......2000-11-14

The Xmas tunes on this compilation are weak. The Beck tune is cool, but the other tunes are passable.

Much better than it sounds.......1998-12-19

Better than it has any right to be, this collection of unusual Xmas songs by Beck, Sonic Youth, Xtc and others puts the SPECIAL CHRISTMAS cd's for Special Olypmics to shame. Be forewarned, though--you need a sense of humor to appreciate these sometimes twisted Christmas songs.

This is Christmas?.......1998-11-12

This is some of the most ditastefull holiday music I have ever heard