Christmas Comes Alive

http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Comes-Alive-Orchestra-Setzer/dp/B003X413LU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1283084675&sr=1-1

I wanna be the first to say it.

I just got the CD in the mail from Amazon, waiting for me when I got home from work.

I put it on my iPhone so I could listen to it while I work on some stuff to keep the house quiet for my wife.

And fans, friends, romans and centipedes...

This is the shit.



I know there are a lot of people that are going to bitch and whine about the releases from the live vault that Surfdog has, and yes, I am very much a cheerleader to them because I want to hear all of it. But SERIOUSLY!!! From the first song, if you need anything to make your day better, just blast this as loud as you can and piss off the neighbors.

I read the liner notes, which includes a letter from Dave Kaplan, and he mentions this recording mainly consists of the Nashville, TN show, as it contained a lot of magic. The man does not lie.


So to the nay-sayers, I am sorry, but you will be disappointed. Because this CD will kick your ass.

Thank you Brian, Thank you Orchestra, Thank you Surfdog, Thank you Mr. Kaplan.

Thank you for releasing this recording and sharing it with us. For all of the fans who want to ENJOY the beautiful experience that is the Christmas Extravaganza, this truly is a masterpiece.




Love, your cheerleader, and I look really really good in a nice short cheerleader's skirt.... just don't tell my wife.


BK

Thanks Johnny,
i wasn`t sure sure to purchase this album because i have enough X-Mas music for life.
But i think i will buy it now.
I trust your taste and i got the same thoughts with "Don`t mess...",
it`s got an awesome sound and great unique versions on it. (Fe: Jump, Jive and wail & Drive like Lightning)

Brian,
good attemp, but.... I am one of those nay-sayers!!

I'll get it for the collection, for sure, but with the Xmas Extravaganza DVD, more than enough. Same songs, same thing...

I sampled it on itunes, and decided not to buy it. I love the 2 studio Xmas albums, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the live BSO double album, but I just figured for as much as I listen to Xmas music (only at xmas time), I already have the 2 studio albums. Not being a nay-sayer, and I may break down and buy it anyway, but upon 1st listen, I just didn't feel like I "need" it.

"Album"... boy, that's showing my age!!

Totally dissapointed (as is my wife) that there's no BSO Xmas this year. It's become a tradition every Nov/Dec to go see the show... sigh...

In my opinion, it's pretty hard to beat 2004's Ultimate Collection in terms of setlist, sound, performance, etc. I'm looking forward to having live versions of some of those Christmas tunes.

Picked it up today, and I gotta tell 'ya, johnnykool is right. This thing kicks ass! It gives me a flashback to the show I attended last year and the production is superb. Hatton's bass is up front in the mix and Tony Pia's style really adds to the arrangements. Do yourself a favor and buy this. You must play it LOUD!

I have to admit, I was not too impressed with most of "Don't Mess With a Big Band." Parts of it were very good, and although the crowd was a little far back in the mix (must be a Japan thing) I loved the overall sound of the band. But I found it to be hit and miss with the performances. And I thought to myself at the time, with Grinch-like cynicism, "What's next? Another Christmas album?"

Shame on me, and my curmudgeon-ey ways.

Setzer Claus delivers the goods with Christmas Comes Alive!

The sound is superb! The Knoxville crowd is more up in the mix than on DMWABB, and it envigorates the entire album. Because the songs are mixed seamlessly, you get the feel of an actual show. There's no need to cherry-pick individual songs. Buy the entire daggone thing!

As a touring entity, the BSO has actually been the BSXO (Brian Setzer Xmas Orchestra) for most of the past decade, and they wear these holiday tunes like a comfy, kitschy holiday sweater. Make no mistake, this band bleeds red and green and is so at home with Christmas music, they have pine needles, tinsel, mistletoe and eggnog (spiked of course) in their collective DNA by now.

Dig That Crazy Santa Claus and Sleigh Ride kick off the festivities with a driving beat anchored by Spazz Hatton and Tony Pia. There's an ease with these songs that's not always found on some of the material in Don't Mess With a Big Band. But the orchestra really comes into its own with Boogie Woogie Santa Claus. Clocking in at more than seven minutes, this song features some fantastic solo work (I love that Brian recognizes most of them by name - they certainly deserve the attention) and some great sectional playing as well - dig those crazy screaming trumpets! This is one of those tunes that has this nice, seemingly effortless swing to it, with Spazz and Tony laying back in the pocket with a hefty, santa-suit-filling bottom.

Other highlights of the album for me upon the first listen include the dirty, bluesy bari-saxes, bass, and gritty guitar work on Santa Claus is Back in Town. I'm not sure what's in store for Brian on his upcoming guitar album, but I sure hope there's some blues on it. Ever since Drink That Bottle Down with the Stray Cats way back in the day, I've always wanted to hear more of Brian's bluesy side. The vocal blend on Angels We Have Heard On High is magnificent. I still marvel at how two Vixens, Brian, and Spazz can sound like a full choir. The rest of the orchestra is locked in tightly on all the big hits and gorgeous counterpoint during the choral section. Brian triumphantly shouts "Merry Christmas!" - a perfect punctuation for the end of this Setzmas classic that has really grown on me over the years.

The trio/small group section opens as Run Rudolph Run settles into the key of A, fitting Brian's ever-maturing vocal range perfectly. Tony gives it a nice
backbeat with the ever-solid Spazz locked in as well. I love the harmonies on Jingle Bell Rock. Brian fudges the lyrics a bit, but Spazz and the Vixens are so smooth, I barely noticed. Brian channels Cliff Gallup's Be Bop a Lula in his solo during Blue Christmas.

Brian takes the crowd on a rockabilly tour with Fishnet Stockings, dabbling in many different rockabilly guitar styles. Even though I miss Bernie Dresel's strength, intuitiveness, and his unsurpassed virtuosity, I do think Tony and Spazz have made this song visually very entertaining over the years with their stage antics - standing on the bass, spinning the cocktail drum... But you can't see that on the CD. Just wait a couple more weeks, and you'll see it on the Montreal DVD. This version still rocks, and is a nice warmup for a fantastic version of the Nutcracker Suite.

Boogie Woogie Christmas is one of my all-time favorite Christmas albums. And I really love Brian's version of Jingle Bells. But I wasn't all that excited when the Vixens came on board and inserted themselves into some of my favorites from that first Christmas album on subsequent tours. But I have to say, they sound pretty damn good on this super-charged version of Jingle Bells that closes the album.

I really enjoyed this album, and I confess I wasn't expecting to. I tend to think the Christmas releases are excessive and, to quote an old friend, "flogging a dead reindeer." But the energy of this live recording and its portability advantage over the Extravaganza DVD make this a welcome purchase for me.

Hopefully, it will brighten the holidays for many of you as well.

Kris Kringle-billy

Went to borders yesterday, they didnt have it in yet. Arg. I cant wait man. I for one am totally psyched for these new live releases. Sure its some of the same stuff, okay 95% of it is but thats also how much hating ive been hearing for the past couple months about the new releases. Who cares man, Im stoked for it, if someone isnt, then dont buy it. At least weve got stuff comin out. Gettin' the CD tomorrow

Just for collectors:

The Japanese edition will include one bonus track!!!

Unfortunatelly, I don't know which one, since the CD has yet to be released in the land of the rising sun, but it will come with one.

My guess is that it could be either Batman or Trouble Train, which is available for the rest of us through that thing called iTunes.

Man, us Setzer fans are like crack heads. We'll take ANYTHING for a fix...

Brian could put out a album of him tuning strings & we'd all buy it...



Like I said, I'll probably end up buying it too, especially when Xmas gets closer, I guess I've just been so spoiled with the 1st 4 BSO albums (as well as Ignition!) that I'm waiting for more of THAT. But every era ends. Since' Born To Run', Springsteen has never done anything as good.

The BSO Xmas show is the highlight of my year, SO dissapointed they aren't doing it this year... thank God for the Xmas DVD... I settle in & watch it at least once every Xmas season (with many re-vists to particular tunes, looking for a lick or a tone!)

If Brian really is doing a guitar album, THAT will be killer. That'll be the "one I have been waiting for" since Ignition!

Great review Rickabilly! There's enough "new" on here to make it worth a listen/purchase. The solos alone transform and elevate songs you've heard for years. I forgot to mention the great liner notes from Dave Kaplan - they tell the story of how BSO got into the holiday business.

Slim Jon Phantom wrote:

Just for collectors:

The Japanese edition will include one bonus track!!!

Unfortunatelly, I don't know which one, since the CD has yet to be released in the land of the rising sun, but it will come with one.

My guess is that it could be either Batman or Trouble Train, which is available for the rest of us through that thing called iTunes.

Say that again... Is there a live version of Trouble Train available on iTunes? Tied to Christmas Comes Alive? On the US version of iTunes, it's not there, but it should be on the Montreal digital download when it becomes available.

Does anyone know if there was a bonus track on the Japanese Don't Mess With a Big Band?

Bonus-billy

.

I heard it was the Ryman (Nashville) show... anybody know which it is?

The liner notes and all the promo material say that most of the tracks were recorded in Knoxville. I have no idea which ones weren't. Brian clearly mentions Knoxville at least twice that I can recall. I think it was from 2009.

If they recorded this at the hallowed Ryman, Surfdog would be shouting it from the mountaintop, as that would be too cool to mention just in passing.

Knox-me-off-my-feets-a-villy

Yay!

Rickabilly, I guess you're right, possibly not versions of Trouble Train through iTunes... but I remember someone saying something about it, maybe I am completely mistaken with the Montreal DVD.

Concerning the DVD, what's the point in buying the Audio when you can rip it from the DVD?? just my point of view...

And back to you, Rickabilly, no bonus tracks for Dont Mess With... I still have yet to get it, but a friend of mine from Germany got it and he said that no bonus, nothing new apart from the OBI thing and the Japanese booklet. Since all my editions are Japanese, this one must be too...

I'm hanging out until I get to the US at Christmas to buy this CD, what better place or better time to buy it. I'm sure this CD is awesome!!!!

.

This is where the "Most of what you're listening to on this album was taken from that magical night (Knoxville)" comes into play. On a second listen, it is obvious that "Santa Claus is Back in Town" is an example of a tune that is not from the Knoxville show. The fadeout of the Knoxville crowd is not so subtle, and Brian's "I'm into that blues thing lately..." prove that this song is definitely from the Christmas Extravaganza DVD.

I feel so used...

On the bright side, all of you who were in the audience at that December 2004 Gibson show can say you made it onto a Brian Setzer Orchestra album!

Nice catch, Mr. Penguin!

Ear-witness Account-a-billy

I'm just chuckling to myself over this one.


hrg

Well, you can't blame me for wanting to believe in Santa, er, Surfdog. I got caught up in the holiday spirit, not wanting to believe double dipping had occured. It's not like I was there when ALL the tracks were recorded...

You might say I was missin'a ll the information.

Re-gift-a-billy

I was caught up in a whirlwind and an ever changing mood, yeeeahhh!!!

I just want it because of the setzer crack head thing and Vince did the artwork No new Xmas music and no new Xmas show totally blows but eh..who wants to be on the road at Xmas especially if you have a family and kids are only young once. Brian's gettin his christmas on!

Just get ready for the presale tickets coming for the NYE show dec 31st!

Hey, I've just got some new information about the Japanese edition:

Release date: Nov 17, 2010
includes Lonely Avenue as bonus