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Einfach Das Beste - Die Schönsten Weihnachtslieder Von Elvis

October 09, 2006 | Music
Released without any previous notice by SONY/BMG on October 9, 2006 is a Christmas compilation entitled "Einfach das Beste - Die schönsten Weihnachtslieder von Elvis Presley".

Track listing:

Santa Claus is Back to Town - White Chritsmas - Silent Night - Silver Bells - It Won't Seem Like Christmas (Without You) - The First Noel - Crying In The Chapel - O Come, All Ye Faithful - In My Father's House - O little Town Of Bethlehem - Amazing Grace - How Great Thou Art - An Evening Prayer - His Hand In Mine
Source:Collectors Service
PTCJones wrote on October 10, 2006
I like the cover of this better than Elvis Christmas. They have at least tried to change the tracklisting too. A pretty line up.
Shakingruud wrote on October 10, 2006
Great cover, great tracklist!
FJE wrote on October 10, 2006
So so cover. Awful tracklist. Some of them don't have anything to do with Christmas.
PTCJones wrote on October 10, 2006
Why is it an awful tracklist? Elvis' 1st Christmas album had three tracks not connected with the festivities. In the budget release a decade or so later, they put in Mama Liked The Roses. Christmas Peace had a whole CD without Xmas tracks.
FJE wrote on October 11, 2006
Yes I know the 1st Christmas Album included material not directly associated with Xmas & should not have been included either. The only logic for their inclusion was because Elvis had only recorded 8 Christmas songs up to that time so they had to fill the album with some extra material. The religious tracks included were the only choice. I also had reservations about the inclusion of "Mama Liked The Roses" on the later album. I associate this song more with Easter than Christmas. As for "Christmas Peace", I suppose you mean the 2-Disc Edition which I didn't bother about. I opted for the single disc version which in my opinion is the perfect Elvis Christmas Album, soundwise and for the song selection, even including "If Every Day Was Like Christmas". It's the only Christmas Album one needs to have in his collection.
elvis-aotc wrote on October 11, 2006
The two perfect Christmas cd's of Elvis are still yet to come. The first one should be for the general public and the Elvis fan. This cd should contain both original first Christmas albums from Elvis, including the song "If Every Day Was Like Christmas" with a total of 24 tracks. All the songs should be newly remastered complete takes, so that you also have the complete take of "Silent Night" on it, without the spoken words of Elvis in the beginning. The second perfect Christmas cd should come from the "Follow That Dream" label. This cd should contain all the outtakes from both albums. The best thing to do is, that FTD (Label Follow That Dream) make a special two disc release. The first cd as mentioned earlier with the 24 tracks, the second cd with the outtakes. A bit like the "If Every Day Was Like Christmas" cd, but then with only outtakes on the second cd. Artwork for this 2 disc release should come from the original first album releases. Nice project would that be…… BMG/ Sony (Ernst) can contact me... (elvis-aotc)
PTCJones wrote on October 11, 2006
You make a good point EJF, but I think the same still holds true today. There just isn't that many Christmas tracks recorded by Elvis and what has been done has been released to death. Unless we want to keep getting releases such as Elvis Christmas, this at least gives the appearance of a different album.
Steve V wrote on October 13, 2006
Totally uncalled for release!
FJE wrote on October 14, 2006
elvis-aotc, I still insist that "Christmas Peace" is the only Xmas Album one needs to have in his collection. It has ALL the Christmas Songs Elvis recorded (20), the sound is pretty good since it has DSD re-mastering and if I'm not mistaken also includes the full version of "Silent Night" without the spoken intro. So there, your first CD you wish for is out there ready to purchase if you haven't done so already. The four extra religious songs originally included on the 1st Christmas Album can be found elsewhere and are out of place on a Christmas Album. On the other hand I agree wholeheartedly with your suggestion of a whole (stand-alone) CD from FTD with alternate takes from both Xmas Albums.
elvis-aotc wrote on October 14, 2006
EJF, On the cd "Christmas Peace", indead you do not hear the spoken words of Elvis in the beginning of the song ‘Silent Night’, but they also clipped off the original piano intro, losing the beautiful start of the song. The audio here has been upgraded with a DSD transfer off the LP masters, however this is not the sensational improvement of ‘Elvis 30 #1s’ or ‘2nd To None’ it is an upgrade on the ‘White Christmas’ CD with a better dynamic range. This truly sounds better, but it could be as good as the ‘Elvis 30 #1s’ or ‘2nd To None’. In my opinion the perfect cd has still to be released, and this cd should be for the general publik and the Elvis fan and should come from the original two first albums "Elvis Christmas Album" with the four non Christmas songs, by now these songs in general are so indentified with this album that they should be included (totall 12 tracks) and "Elvis sings The Wonderful World Of Christmas" (totall 11 tracks) + the single "If Every Day Was Like Christmas". If you count that up, you have a totall of 24 tracks. So, if you have this in a upgraded version in your collection with all remastered complete takes, you only need the outtakes, that's where FTD comes in.