| “ | The Ventures "Christmas Album" sounds as fresh today as it did when it was first released. The opening song starts with the intro to their biggest hit, "Walk, Don't Run" but soon segues into "Sleigh Ride." Several other songs begin with a familiar opening riff to a sixties hit song but then change into a Christmas classic. The album also contains an original Ventures instrumental, the humorous "Scrooge." "Snow Flakes" is really the traditional tune "Greensleeves." The Ventures are the greatest instrumental band in the world, and their Christmas album makes the perfect stocking stuffer.
The Ventures Christmas album was originally released in 1965. It features Christmas songs played in the group's trademark instrumental style. Most of the songs start with the first few seconds of a familiar rock hit, before transforming into a Christmas song. Some examples: "Sleigh Ride" opens with "Walk, Don't Run". "Santa Claus is Coming To Town" opens with "Wooly Bully". "Jingle Bells" opens with "What'd I Say". "Jingle Bell Rock" opens with "Memphis". "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" opens with "I Feel Fine". And "Frosty the Snowman" opens with "Tequila". Frequently, riffs from the rock hit that opens the song will be repeated later in the song. The song titled "Snowflakes" is really "Greensleeves". "Scrooge" is an original tune. This is a really fun album, which will bring a smile to the faces of fans of instrumental rock.
This is one of the few must-own Christmas discs of the rock era. The Ventures (probably the most creative of all the 1960s instrumental bands) took a handful of Xmas chestnuts and blended them with mid-1960s riffs and licks. The result, while probably dreamed up by an executive to squeeze some cash from those 60s teenyboppers, definitely stands the test of time a lot better than most subsequent Xmas albums by other artists. Why? No matter what material the Ventures recorded in the 1960s, they approached the task with fuzzed out Mosrite guitars, nimble drumming, generous reverb, and no-nonsense bare-knuckled gusto. The result is one of the few holiday CDs you might play once the holidays are over. I can't recommend this one enough. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Blue Christmas" are the standouts.
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