Mannheim Steamroller [Christmas]

[Rachmaninoff]

If you're not familiar with this group then here are two places to get you acquainted with them: [URL="http://shop.mannheimsteamroller.com/content/About_Chip.htm"][U]History[/U][/URL] & [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mannheim_Steamroller"][U]Wiki[/U][/URL]

Now basically Mannheim Steamroller is considered to be an 18th century classical rock group for their style of combining acoustic, electronic and digital and analog into their works. But what really makes them fun is the combination of songs where they add a modern rock sound to them and then they also have songs where they use real instruments to create a more authentic recreation of how a song would have sounded when it was originally composed. I really like those songs the best. I'd link you to a sample but I haven't really found one that would let you hear more than the simple thirty seconds you get at a place like Amazon.

Christmas music is always rather iffy for me, other than some of the more traditional classics like the Messiah and the Nutcracker. I've never been all that keen on the jingles from popular cartoons or even albums produced by rock groups. But Mannheim Steamroller is by far one of my favorite types of Christmas music just because I really like what they've done with a lot of different Christmas songs.

If you haven't heard of them, though I suspect you probably have since some of their Christmas arrangements have been used quite a lot. Anyway, I'd definitely recommend checking them out. I'll be doing the same since I'll be picking up their newest Christmas album that they released this year: Christmas Song. Also, another great thing about this group is they're reasonably priced with their albums running at only $13 per CD.

Also, if you already know about them, then you'll want to check to see if they'll be stopping in your area for their next [URL="http://shop.mannheimsteamroller.com/content/Tour.htm"][U]Tour[/U][/URL]. I know I plan on attending when they come to Salt Lake City later this month.

[Nomurah!]

[quote name='Rachmaninoff']If you're not familiar with this group then here are two places to get you acquainted with them: [URL="http://shop.mannheimsteamroller.com/content/About_Chip.htm"][U]History[/U][/URL] & [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mannheim_Steamroller"][U]Wiki[/U][/URL]

Now basically Mannheim Steamroller is considered to be an 18th century classical rock group for their style of combining acoustic, electronic and digital and analog into their works. But what really makes them fun is the combination of songs where they add a modern rock sound to them and then they also have songs where they use real instruments to create a more authentic recreation of how a song would have sounded when it was originally composed. I really like those songs the best. I'd link you to a sample but I haven't really found one that would let you hear more than the simple thirty seconds you get at a place like Amazon.

Christmas music is always rather iffy for me, other than some of the more traditional classics like the Messiah and the Nutcracker. I've never been all that keen on the jingles from popular cartoons or even albums produced by rock groups. But Mannheim Steamroller is by far one of my favorite types of Christmas music just because I really like what they've done with a lot of different Christmas songs.

If you haven't heard of them, though I suspect you probably have since some of their Christmas arrangements have been used quite a lot. Anyway, I'd definitely recommend checking them out. I'll be doing the same since I'll be picking up their newest Christmas album that they released this year: Christmas Song. Also, another great thing about this group is they're reasonably priced with their albums running at only $13 per CD.

Also, if you already know about them, then you'll want to check to see if they'll be stopping in your area for their next [URL="http://shop.mannheimsteamroller.com/content/Tour.htm"][U]Tour[/U][/URL]. I know I plan on attending when they come to Salt Lake City later this month.[/QUOTE]


Ah yes. MHSR. :] My second favorite nu-Christimas group. My first would be Trans-Siberian Orchestra, of course. But MHSR are fun to listen to, and powerful as well.
My granparents like them too. XD I've never gotten a full CD from them... but. I may.

I don't know... :] Could you compare them to TSO?

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR="goldenrod"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]I love Mannheim Steamroller's Christmas music. ^_^ My mom has every single one of their albums for Christmas except for the newest one which we plan on picking up next week. I don't like every song, but pretty close and some of the ones that sound like they were played centuries ago are so pretty. A couple of my favorites for that are We Three Kings, Coventry Carol, Wassail Wassail, I saw three ships, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and lots more. :catgirl:

You do realize Rach that I'll be pestering you and Beth to go to the concert since it is on a Friday. I just need to figure out where I'm going to get $33 for the ticket. XP [/FONT][/COLOR]

[Rachmaninoff]

[quote name='Whoa, Mann;796132]I don't know... :] Could you compare them to TSO?[/QUOTE]I couldn't do a very good job of it. What little I've heard of TSO I did not care for. Even in Mannheim Steamroller I prefer the more authentic to the time period sounding tracks than those that are more modernized. Don't get me wrong though, what I heard of TSO was well done, I just didn't care for it as far as my tastes go. [quote name='Aaryanna'][COLOR="goldenrod"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]You do realize Rach that I'll be pestering you and Beth to go to the concert since it is on a Friday. I just need to figure out where I'm going to get $33 for the ticket. XP [/FONT'][/COLOR][/quote]Yeah, Beth mentioned that you like Mannheim Steamroller. I'll have to talk to you about that actually. Still, for you, with it being on the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend, it's perfect timing and all.

[SunfallE]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"]I positively adore Mannheim Steamroller's Christmas music. I sort of gave up on modern Christmas music since other than some of the older stuff like the Messiah I just don't like most if not all of the stuff done by different rock groups. And even stuff done for movies like White Christmas and children's songs don't appeal anymore.

But Mannheim Steamroller... When I first heard them back in I believe 1994 I became hooked on their music. :catgirl: I have all of their albums including their newest one they just put out. And though each album has a song or two I don't care for, there is plenty that I do. Some of the more authentic Christmas carols are great and some of the more modernized once with a bit of a rock slant are great too.

I tend to make a mixed disk of their work and then listen to it once Thanksgiving is over until Christmas arrives. I always look forward to it since I really like their music a lot. [/FONT][/COLOR]

[Rachmaninoff]

[quote name='SunfallE'][COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"]I tend to make a mixed disk of their work and then listen to it once Thanksgiving is over until Christmas arrives. I always look forward to it since I really like their music a lot. [/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]Same here, I take all the songs I like the best and put them on a disk as well as a seperate play list for my computer. In fact I'm getting the ones off the newest release that I like the best to add to my current list on my computer.

So which one is your favorite out of the songs on the new album? Right now I'm leaning towards Feliz Navidad.

[SunfallE]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][quote name='Rachmaninoff']So which one is your favorite out of the songs on the new album? Right now I'm leaning towards Feliz Navidad.[/QUOTE]Several of them are turning into favorites, including the Feliz Navidad you mentioned. I also like [B]Catching Snowflakes On Your Tongue[/B] since it reminds me of music from Chrono Cross or rather parts of that game.

[B]Masters In This Hall[/B] is quickly becoming a favorite since I love the Renaissance style to the music, but it is a tad disappointing that about halfway through the song they move to a modern sound. I would have liked another full song done in the older Renaissance style.

Also, I positively love [B]Traditions Of Christmas[/B] even though it's a music box and only half a minute long. Over all, I'm satisfied but I wish that like their first album with the Christmas sweet section, that more of their later albums had those songs done completely in the older format.

If we're going to get into favorites... their first album is still my favorite out of all of them. But then over half of the album is the style I like the best. XP[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Rachmaninoff]

[quote name='SunfallE'][COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"]If we're going to get into favorites... their first album is still my favorite out of all of them. But then over half of the album is the style I like the best. XP[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]Same here, the rest of their albums could do with more of what they did in the first one, even though I do like a lot of the other songs. But there is no denying that I like what they did with the first album the best. In my opinion, they've strayed from that format quite a bit with each album and I especially dislike the ones with more modern singers like Johnny Mathis and Olivia Newton-John in their newest album.

That sort of thing is why I like their music since I've no interest in some popular singer doing Christmas songs. So for them to add that to their newest album was to be frank, a disappointment. I wasn't thrilled with it in the Extraordinaire album so I dislike that they did it again. Each song with them in it got listened to once and I won't be listening to them again.

Anyway, the Christmas album really does have some of the best in my opinion:

[B]We Three Kings of Orient Are: [/B]The American carol written John Hopkins Jr. in 1857, retelling the legend as it's known.

[B]Bring a Tourch, Jeannette, Isabella:[/B] A beautiful old 17th century French carol.

[B]The Coventry Carol:[/B] Originally from the mid 1400's but I understand that they did later version of it from 1591.

[B]Wassail:[/B] An ancient English carol done in the renaissance style.

[B]Carol of the Birds:[/B] I believe this one is an ancient old French melody about a flock of birds that flew to the manger to bring gifts, again done in the renaissance style.

[B]I saw Three Ships:[/B] An English carol of 15th century origin I believe and also done in the renaissance style.

[B]God Rest You, Merry Gentlemen:[/B] I believe this one dates to the 15th century and the different wording is because the Old English word for "merry" did not mean gay and lively, but rather merely pleasant or agreeable.

Anyway not that I don't like the other albums, but there is no denying that some of my favorites out of everything they have done is in the first one.

[Aaryanna_Mom]

[quote name='Rachmaninoff']Anyway, the Christmas album really does have some of the best in my opinion:

[B]We Three Kings of Orient Are: [/B]The American carol written John Hopkins Jr. in 1857, retelling the legend as it's known.

[B]Bring a Tourch, Jeannette, Isabella:[/B] A beautiful old 17th century French carol.

[B]The Coventry Carol:[/B] Originally from the mid 1400's but I understand that they did later version of it from 1591.

[B]Wassail:[/B] An ancient English carol done in the renaissance style.

[B]Carol of the Birds:[/B] I believe this one is an ancient old French melody about a flock of birds that flew to the manger to bring gifts, again done in the renaissance style.

[B]I saw Three Ships:[/B] An English carol of 15th century origin I believe and also done in the renaissance style.

[B]God Rest You, Merry Gentlemen:[/B] I believe this one dates to the 15th century and the different wording is because the Old English word for "merry" did not mean gay and lively, but rather merely pleasant or agreeable. [/QUOTE]You'll get no argument from me over this list, the songs done in a more renaissance style are simply beautiful and I never get tired of listening to them. They make a nice addition to my collection of Christmas music that I listen to. Plus I think it's fantastic how they went to the effort to use a real Harpsichord, Clavichord and Toy Piano instead of relying on modern technology to recreate it. There's just no getting around how wonderful a real Harpsichord sounds when you play it. I speak from experience on that of course. ;)

[SunfallE]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][quote name='Aaryanna_Mom'] Plus I think it's fantastic how they went to the effort to use a real Harpsichord, Clavichord and Toy Piano instead of relying on modern technology to recreate it. There's just no getting around how wonderful a real Harpsichord sounds when you play it. I speak from experience on that of course. ;)[/QUOTE]I agree, especially since they had them there for the concert last night and hearing it live was just fantastic. :catgirl: They played six of the songs done in the renaissance style and I loved every minute of it. As well as loving every minute of the rest of the concert. I've been wanting to hear them perform live for quite some time so I was glad to finally get the chance to do so. And it was especially fun to hear seven of the new songs on their latest album as well. Nothing like getting a new CD and then getting to hear most of it performed live shortly after you get it. [/FONT][/COLOR]

[Rachmaninoff]

[quote name='Aaryanna_Mom']There's just no getting around how wonderful a real Harpsichord sounds when you play it. I speak from experience on that of course. ;)[/QUOTE]You'll definitely get no argument from me either and as Beth said it was fantastic to hear at the concert. What I loved best was all the extra little snippets they wove into some of the songs just for the performance. It's a shame that their next performance is too far away, I'd love to hear them perform live again. :catgirl: