- Bob Gajarsky
With the holiday season fast approaching, many labels are rushing to release Christmas albums. Oglio Records has given music lovers an especially palatable treat for the winter of 1994 with their compilation collection, The Coolest Christmas.
Coolest covers a wide range of Christmas songs from the 50s to the 90s on the 14 song collection. The standout track is the David Bowie/Bing Crosby duet, "Little Drummer Boy / Peace On Earth", which first appeared in the 1977 special "Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas" and most recently only appeared with special copies of Bowie's singles collection as a 3" CD single.
The artists that are represented cover the musical gamut, from ye olde Irish sound of "Jingle Bells" as sung by the Clancy Brothers, the classics your grandparents grew up with such as "Let It Snow" by Dean Martin and "Auld Lang Syne" by Guy Lombardo, artists of the 1960s (Beach Boys, Roy Orbison, Temptations) through some of today's alternative acts (The Alarm, Cocteau Twins)
Even the best selling holiday hit by Elmo and Patsy, "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer", is included here. This reviewer has no tolerance for the song - but for most people, this song is a must around the holiday time.
All in all, Oglio has done another outstanding job with The Coolest Christmas compilation. If it is unavailable at your local store, you may purchase it at the toll free number, 1-800-COOL-CDS.
Track listing: David Bowie/Bing Crosby - Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth; The Alarm - Happy Christmas (War Is Over); Roy Orbison - Pretty Paper; Clancy Brothers - Jingle Bells (Buala Bas); The Ventures - Sleigh Ride; George Thorogood & The Destroyers - Rock & Roll Christmas; Eartha Kitt - Santa Baby; Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree; Beach Boys - Little Saint Nick; Cocteau Twins - Frosty The Snowman; Temptations - Christmas Everyday; Dean Martin - Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!; Elmo & Patsy - Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer; Guy Lombardo - Auld Lang Syne
