What I Really Want For Christmas

[Wilsonista]

Plus I love that bit of Joy To The World at the end of MWATT...

I though that was a bit of a James Watt moment, given the considerable superiority of the Wilson/Thomas version.

You're joking, right? The Thomas versionis offensively bland, to me.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Plus I love that bit of Joy To The World at the end of MWATT...

I though that was a bit of a James Watt moment, given the considerable superiority of the Wilson/Thomas version.

You're joking, right? The Thomas versionis offensively bland, to me.

Nope - best vocals on the album.

[Wilsonista]

To each their own, I guess.

That version puts me sleep.

[Rocker]

I have to agree with AGD (hey that sounds cool ). The vocals on the Thomas-version of "Joy to the world" are the best on the album and it also sounds very moody and not that much "joyful". I alos like that they put a part of JTW at the end of TMWATT, because it gives the record some kind of togetherness, know what I mean?

[drlandy]

My favorite x-mas album:

THE MAN WITH ALL THE TOYS by Brian Gari!

[Luther]

I am, out of nowhere, listening to this again now. And I am a bit, uh, in the holiday spirit, so to speak. And I can't help but say I think this is a really nice album. And the new songs are good. Nothing crazy, nothing about "the best songs ever" or anything. But it is a good little Christmas album. And I HATE Christmas albums.

[Jim McShane]

I am, out of nowhere, listening to this again now. And I am a bit, uh, in the holiday spirit, so to speak. And I can't help but say I think this is a really nice album. And the new songs are good. Nothing crazy, nothing about "the best songs ever" or anything. But it is a good little Christmas album. And I HATE Christmas albums.

I took it out a week ago and played it - every time I hear the acapella opening of WIRWFC I get goosebumps. To me, that one has made it into the "best songs ever" category. A lot of credit has to go to Bernie Taupin - those lyrics are fantastic. And the band... hearing them sing "Peace is more than just a sentimental card"... wow... Magnificent.

[Hickory Dichotomy®]

Listening to this album again, since next month is Christmas. I love it.  One thing I must mention is that this version of "Man with all the toys" IMHO is far superior to the original, as the original to these ears sounded unfinished.

I love Brian's vocals on this too.

[Lonely Summer]

Love the arrangements, love the group vocals, Brian's voice is in good form, and WIRWFC is his best song in years (I even got the 7 inch vinyl). I can listen to this album any time of year, but it is especially good at Christmas. Really puts a Scrooge like me in the holiday spirit. A fresh take on the old carols and spirituals, and a couple BB's remakes, and some new songs. "Bah! Humbug!"?? More like "hallelujah!"

[theduke]

I enjoyed this collection from the first listen, and my appreciation of it grows with each subsequent hearing. brian sounds sincerely engaged and the arrangements are great. fits nicely among his best work as a producer. love the title track.

[The Heartical Don]

On the Spector/Wilson Xmas album debate, I do think that Linett has gotten great, clearer sounds from the instruments without losing their power, which I prefer. As much as the wall of sound interests me, I can't listen to it for too long. Too muddy. That said, I do prefer Spector's overall.

Meaning my overall Christmas album rankings go:

1) Spector
2) BW
3) BB
4) God, I hate Christmas and its albums, so nothing else even counts as music to me.

Luther. I must have a word with you here. Now, I know that you mostly write in slightly drunk. But that is no excuse for looking down on these:



and:

[TdHabib]

Overrated by the Blueboarders and underrated by almost everyone else. Not the best Christmas album, but close. Many good tunes and some duds. "Silent Night" sucks, plain and simple; "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" was never a great song; "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" isn't very strong...

Great ones include the title track with beautiful harmonies, the excellent remake of "The Man with all the Toys," "The First Noel" with an excellent Brian vocal, "Christmassey" which is BWPS meets SMiLE," a moving "O Holy Night" and "On Christmas Day," which might be the best Christmas song of the last 10 years and Brian's best seasonal offering from 1999-2008. Why wasn't that the starter for this LP??!!  "Joy to the World" is also very good, moody and atmospheric, but Joe Thomas deserves a credit?!

The TdHabib mix of WIRWFC is this:
Side One-uptempo
1. On Christmas Day
2. The Man With all the Toys
3. Little Saint Nick
4. Hark
5. Deck the Halls
6. Christmassey

Side two-downtempo
7. WIRWFC
8. Joy to the World
9. O Holy Night
10. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
11. The First Noel
12. Auld Lang Syne

That makes for a truly special holiday offering...

[Andrew G. Doe]

Just listened for the first time since last December. The two new songs have worn well... "JTTW" is still the best track by a country mile... otherwise, disposable. Brian's vocals are by and large, oddly strident. Eh.

[Wirestone]

Have to say AGD -- I love ya, but your affection for the JT-helmed JTTW always bemuses me. It's just so -- eh. A bland synth wash backing, slurry autotuned Brian vocals, and a general air of slapped-together-in-an-afternoon laziness. I mean, no one could bother to look up the second verse of the song? Really?

[Wilsonista]

I hated the JT/Brian version of Joy To The World. Sleepy, sleazy listening. It's inoffensiveness is offensive. Now the snippet on the tag of the Man With All The Toys screams Quirky Brian. Quirky Brian, if it were up to him, would have farted all over the Joe Thomas track. Might have actually improved it, in fact.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Have to say AGD -- I love ya, but your affection for the JT-helmed JTTW always bemuses me. It's just so -- eh. A bland synth wash backing, slurry autotuned Brian vocals, and a general air of slapped-together-in-an-afternoon laziness. I mean, no one could bother to look up the second verse of the song? Really?

Hey... what can I say ? I can picture Brian singing it to his kids when they were babies. I can't visualise him shouting the 2005 tag at them (OK, actually I can, but you get my point). World would be very boring iffn we agreed on everything. 

[Wirestone]

Actually, that's pretty sweet AGD. Maybe I had ya all wrong ... 

I will say, I dig the little wordless vocal part in it (which subsequently popped up as a new flute part in the remade DLHKSAA), and the couple of times the song transitions to that are cool.

But I always find myself trying to correct Brian on the second verse -- "He rules the world / with truth and grace" Come on! Doesn't everyone know that? Actually, it just strikes me -- maybe JT just pasted the first-verse vocals on a second time to make the song longer ... ?

[Andrew G. Doe]

But I always find myself trying to correct Brian on the second verse -- "He rules the world / with truth and grace" Come on! Doesn't everyone know that? Actually, it just strikes me -- maybe JT just pasted the first-verse vocals on a second time to make the song longer ... ?

Have to say, they sound pretty identical to me. Wouldn't be the first time, nor the last. Intro to "HCWSBD" is nothing more than the vocal tracks from the middle of the song isolated out and stitched on the front of the song. And, of course, Wild Honey. 

[lance]

I finally bought this album in October. The new originals are pretty good-even very good, and yes, The Man with all the toys is better than the undercooked original. That said, it does not bring the X-mas spirit to me, overall. the song that moves me the most is, well, JTTW. I simply LOVE Brian's vocal on that, I think it is by far his best(on this album). It's not shouty, it sounds natural and tender, like he was really trying.

I know it's a commonly voiced sentiment, but hearing Brian's band harmonizing...it's just not a particularly nice sound compared to the Beach Boys. I was sort of shocked. I think they did a pretty good job on SMiLE and TLOS, on this one there's something very brash and messy about the harmonies. Still prefer it to Wall of Brian treatment ala GIOMH.

Overall a bit disappointing. I give it a 3, but if I weren't a fan it would have had to have been a 2.