Christmasville - Dark Publications

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
Who knows what you want for Christmas better than Mannheim Steamroller?

Here at Christmas HQ, we've hit the right note every holiday season since 1985. This Christmas, we're serving a mix of nostalgia (Where Are You Christmas?) and flat-out fun (You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch! And 'Humbugs'!

'Christmasville' is the album the whole family will listen to as you travel over the river and through the woods this season!

This record was born out of a once-in-a-lifetime project: Universal Theme Parks commissioned Chip Davis to create music WITH vocals-- for a holiday show called 'Grinchmas'. Thus, for the first time, you'll hear Mannheim Steamroller with voice as the final instrument

Album Description
Distinctive vocal flavor with music from the classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, plus brand new Chip Davis originals! Mannheim Steamroller has sold more than 30 million Christmas albums - more than any other artist in music history! Mannheim Steamroller is a "New Age" group founded by Chip Davis, and co-founded by Jackson Berkey, well-known for their modern recordings of Christmas music.

Customer Reviews: Read 13 more reviews...

2 out of 5 stars

WAY too short and a somewhat half-hearted effort October 9, 2008
34 out of 36 found this review helpful

Let me start by saying I've always enjoyed Steamroller's Christmas albums. The first two were brilliant, the rest were, at the very least, enjoyable. But something about this latest one is just lacking.

The first thing you should know is that this is NOT a typical Steamroller Christmas album, and maybe it's not even fair to compare it to the previous ones. Unlike those earlier albums, almost every song on this CD has lyrics, and the styles of music occasionally depart drastically from what we've come to expect from a Steamroller album. There's a big-band number, for example, and a screeching electric guitar solo on the finale. There's also an R&B song, and even a bizarre kiddie song ("Humbugs.") On one hand, I'm glad they're stretching themselves creatively, but sadly, it stills ends up feeling very half-hearted.

The biggest problem with the album is the length. This CD is barely half and hour long... WAY too short to be charging full price. This should be priced as an EP. With the amount of money Chip Davis rakes in from fans for these albums every year, it's practically offensive that he can't take the time to release a proper length album. Three of the 12 tracks clock in at under 2 minutes, which is ridiculous. Adding insult to injury, two of the longer songs are recycled from previous albums ("Messengers Of Christmas" appeared on "The Christmas Angel" CD, and "The Sign Of Love" appeared on both "Impressions" and "Romantic Melodies." The only difference this time is that they added schmaltzy lyrics to it.)

There ARE a few highlights, though. Even though "Messengers Of Christmas" is recycled, it's a good piece, and since it wasn't from one of their more popular Christmas albums, a lot of people may have missed it the first time around, and it will be new to them. "Where Are You Christmas" is a really touching song, beautifully arranged and sung. "The Man With The Bag" is a very successful attempt at the big-band sound (so successful, in fact, that it feels out of place on a Steamroller album.) The rest of the tracks range from "okay" to "forgettable" to "cringe-worthy".

Bottom line: This is the first time I bought a Steamroller album and really felt cheated. If you're a diehard Steamroller fan, there may be just enough good stuff on here to make it worthwhile, but ONLY if you can find it for very cheap. I regret paying full price for it.

If you're new to Steamroller, start with one of their first two Christmas albums ("Christmas" or "A Fresh Aire Christmas"), or buy yourself a copy of "Christmas Celebration", which offers a solid collection of the best tracks from their first four albums.

1 out of 5 stars

Avoid At All Costs October 11, 2008
24 out of 25 found this review helpful

Full price for a cd that's not even 31 minutes long, and a half-hearted effort at that. Chip Davis and Co. are coasting big time on this release. I have listened to the cd one time and cannot think of a single reason to listen to it again.

1 out of 5 stars

Big disappointment October 28, 2008
18 out of 19 found this review helpful

Terrible, disappointing, I am sorry that I bought 3 of these cd's for Christmas gifts. I am a 10+ year Mannheim fan, have almost all their CD's/DVD's and driven 3 hours to attend concerts. I give all new CD's to my 2 sons and their families when they are released. Thus when I heard about Christmasville, I ordered 3 cd's. Today I listened to it and was very disappointed. I do not think that I will give them to my sons. Money
and time wasted.

5 out of 5 stars

Great addition for Mannheim completists October 14, 2008
13 out of 19 found this review helpful

What most people don't know, is that this CD was a result of work done for a theme park. Chip Davis was contacted by Universal Studios Florida to help with their "Grinchmas" event, and the result is the music that's on this CD. This happened several years ago, but fans have been asking for all things Mannheim, which spurred this CD's release.

It's a shame that some will accuse them of coasting, or cheating the fans, when the truth is the opposite. And there are enough sources, including right here on Amazon, where you can listen to tracks before you buy it.

That said, if you are unsure or just curious, listen to the clips here, or go to Mannheim's MySpace page, and listen to the complete tracks first.

Personally, I'm glad they released this CD, and showed another facet of what they do. It isn't necessarily everyone's taste, but none of their CDs are.

This is a fun, festive holiday treat, and I look forward to playing it for many Christmases to come!

1 out of 5 stars

Disappointed October 25, 2008
9 out of 10 found this review helpful

Purchased, played once, and then thrown out. Nothing like previous delightful compilations by Chip Davis, this quirky product contained little, if any joy for the season.

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