Season's Greetings: 20th Century Masters/The Millennium Collection

• Artist: Various Artists
• Rating:
• Release Date: October 09, 2001
• Type: Collection (various artists), Christmas
• Genre: Vocal Music

Review

Universal Music Group's 20th Century Masters/The Millennium Collection, usually devoted to mid-priced single-disc best-ofs of individual artists, here expands to a three-disc compilation of seasonal music drawn from the label's extensive catalog. Season's Greetings is a sort of rough history of holiday music, starting with Bing Crosby's "White Christmas," the granddaddy of all Christmas songs, and proceeding in more or less chronological order through 36 tracks. (The less than two-hour running time would have fit easily on two discs, but a limited number of tracks is one of the hidden prices of discount releases.) This is not a thorough survey of the best and most popular Christmas recordings available to the compiler; rather, it's a bit idiosyncratic, substituting lesser-known tracks and including the occasional oddity, such as the Marvin Gaye instrumental "Christmas in the City." But it does trace the development of holiday music from a mainstream pop concern in the '40s and '50s to primarily a product of subgenres like country and black pop from the '60s on. (Artists of the rock era just haven't shown as much interest in recording Christmas songs, though there are a couple here.) By the third disc, any pretense at a broad stylistic range has been abandoned; all 12 tracks are by black pop acts. Robyn Flans' poorly written, error-filled liner notes (contrary to what she writes, the film White Christmas was not a remake of the film Holiday Inn, and the Andrews Sisters did not make "Winter Wonderland" popular, they only revived it) don't help an appreciation of the set, but it doesn't bear close scrutiny anyway. Accept the bargain price and use it as a miscellaneous addition to your holiday music collection. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

Tracks

CD 1

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
White Christmas	Irving Berlin	Bing Crosby	(2:58)
Winter Wonderland (Lyrics)	Felix Bernard, Dick Smith	Louis Armstrong	(3:00)
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Lyrics)	Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane	Judy Garland	(2:43)
The Little Drummer Boy (Lyrics)	Harry Simeone, Katherine Davis, Henry Onorati	Harry Simeone Chorale	(3:19)
Sleigh Ride	Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish	Leroy Anderson	(2:47)
Frosty the Snowman	Jack Rollins, Steve Edward Nelson	Jimmy Durante	(2:57)
Do You Hear What I Hear?	Noel Regney, Gloria Shayne	Do-Re-Mi Children's Chorus	(2:32)
This Time of the Year	J.J. Hollis, Cliff Owens	Brook Benton	(2:26)
The Christmas Song	Mel Tormé, Robert Wells	Mel Tormé	(2:45)
A Holly Jolly Christmas	Johnny Marks	Burl Ives	(2:21)
What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? (Lyrics)	Frank Loesser	Ella Fitzgerald	(2:14)
Silent Night	Franz Xaver Gruber, Joseph Mohr	Dinah Washington	(3:33)

CD 2

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree	Johnny Marks	Brenda Lee	(2:06)
Jingle Bell Rock (Lyrics)	Joe Beal, Jim Boothe	Bobby Helms	(2:10)
Merry Christmas, Baby	Lou Baxter, Johnny Moore	Chuck Berry	(3:14)
Santa Baby	Philip Springer	Eartha Kitt	(2:48)
Blue Christmas (Lyrics)	Bill Hayes, Jay Johnson	The Platters	(1:57)
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town	J. Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie	The Jackson 5	(2:25)
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer	Johnny Marks	The Temptations	(2:58)
Christmas Wrapping	Chris Butler	The Waitresses	(5:24)
Christmas Time	Bryan Adams, Jim Vallance	Bryan Adams	(4:08)
Nothing But a Child (Lyrics)	Steve Earle	Kathy Mattea	(4:07)
A Christmas to Remember	Amy Grant, Chris Eaton, Beverly Darnall	Amy Grant	(4:18)
It Won't Be the Same This Year	Vince Gill	Vince Gill	(3:42)

CD 3

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Silent Night (Lyrics)	Franz Xaver Gruber, Joseph Mohr	The Temptations	(6:03)
Christmas in the City [Instrumental]	Marvin Gaye	Marvin Gaye	(3:16)
White Christmas	Irving Berlin	Stephanie Mills	(4:08)
Give Love on Christmas Day (Lyrics)	Berry Gordy, Jr., Alphonso Mizell, Freddie Perren, Deke Richards, Christine Yarian	New Edition	(4:11)
Please Come Home for Christmas (Lyrics)	Charles Brown, Gene Redd	Aaron Neville	(2:51)
When You Love Someone (It's Christmas Everyday)	Redd Foxx	Gladys Knight & the Pips	(4:41)
The Christmas Song	Mel Tormé, Robert Wells	The Supremes	(2:12)
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen	Traditional	Brian McKnight	(3:52)
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!	Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne	Boyz II Men	(4:11)
Special Gift	Stanley Brown, Myron Davis	The Isley Brothers, Ronald Isley	(3:58)
All I Want for Christmas	Stanley Brown	Angela Winbush	(3:30)
This Christmas	Donny Hathaway, Nadine McKinnor	Dru Hill	(4:12)

Credits

Kathy Mattea (Performer), Leroy Anderson (Performer), Burl Ives (Performer), Amy Grant (Performer), Bing Crosby (Performer), Judy Garland (Performer), Eartha Kitt (Performer), Bryan Adams (Performer), Brook Benton (Performer), Chuck Berry (Performer), Boyz II Men (Performer), Marvin Gaye (Performer), The Isley Brothers (Performer), The Jackson 5 (Performer), Gladys Knight (Performer), Stephanie Mills (Performer), Aaron Neville (Performer), New Edition (Performer), The Platters (Performer), The Supremes (Performer), The Temptations (Performer), The Waitresses (Performer), Ella Fitzgerald (Performer), Mel Tormé (Performer), Dinah Washington (Performer), The Pips (Performer), Bobby Helms (Performer), Jimmy Durante (Performer), Brian McKnight (Arranger), Do-Re-Mi Children's Chorus (Performer), Louis Armstrong (Performer), Vince Gill (Performer), Ronald Isley (Performer), Brenda Lee (Performer), Andy McKaie (Producer), Andy McKaie (Compilation), Angela Winbush (Performer), Vartan (Art Direction), John Scott Trotter (?), Harry Simeone Chorale (Performer), Dru Hill (Performer), Dana Smart (Associate Producer), Gavin Lurssen (Mastering), Jim Hendin (Photography), Jim Hendin (Photo Courtesy), Wilson Design Group (Design), Michael Ochs Archives (Photo Courtesy), Pat Lawrence (Executive Producer), Robyn Flans (Liner Notes), Ken Darby Singers (?), Robin Schwartz (Licensing)