Vince Guaraldi - A Charlie Brown Christmas: You cannot fuck with this album.

i duno man that intro is haunting and the singy part reminds me of the cartoon

What mood does it kill, exactly?

The light jazzy mellow mood. I like the intro a lot, but when they start belting it out... sometimes I skip.

chaki you are so right, it's impossible to have this album on and be sad.

only thing it's missing is that awesome little "snoopy" theme that plays when he's decorating the doghouse.

... sometimes I skip.
http://www.animateit.net/data/thumbnails/105/6fc43d4c.gif

I love this album.

Yeah, I think i'm gonna bring it to the office tomorrow.

'christmas time is here' is the saddest song ever, how can you put it on and NOT be sad?

The funny thing is of course how the lyrics are anything but that -- it's a gentle celebration when read, and even sung. I wouldn't call it flat out sad as a result, but it's certainly wistful, and in a 1966 context almost seems like it was meant to function in the same nostalgic headspace as "I'll Be Home For Christmas" did a generation earlier. Now that it's become part of all our collective memories, the function has transformed away from being part of a welcoming thought of 'what Christmas is like' -- it, along with the ice-skating part, was the first thing that anyone saw/heard of the special upon first broadcast -- to something else entirely.

Yep, unfuckwithable. And who could forget this:

http://the-op.com/images/episode/204/gm-snoopy_sm.jpg

This is in my top 10 ever, so I'm not hating. But, has anyone else felt jarred by the Hark the Herald Angels number? I feel like it's at a different volume than the rest of the record.

LP on sale for $7!
http://www.turntablelab.com/vinyl/147/434/2635.html

It truly is one of the very few albums I can listen to in seemingly endless rotations (so long as it's December, that is).

"Hark the Herald Angels Sing". It's cute, but can also be a mood killer.

It's grown on me, but it's taken a long while. I agree, though -- it does act as a mood killer. If not killer, then certainly a mood maimer.

Guaraldi hits a few clinkers during his Charlie Parkerish take on "O Tannenbaum," but I could care less. The epitome of a cool yule.
I had the earlier version of the album and the sound quality of the reissue is dramatically improved.

So unfuckwithable. This shit just rules.

Most of the Peanuts TV specials did get screened in Britain but I don't recall ever seeing the Christmas one.

Nonetheless I did go out and buy this album last weekend on the basis of the above recommendations and it is indeed a lovely and wistful thing, sort of a missing link between Bill Evans' Conversations With Myself and Low's Christmas. The vocal version of "Christmas Time Is Here" would have caused a sensation if Brian Wilson had come up with it, except that the absence of harmonies - the kids all sing the topline of the melody - makes it even more poignant. Not sure that "Hark The Herald Angels" acappella quite works in this context, though.

Also, "Skating" has one of the loveliest chord sequences ever. It's a real tragedy that Guaraldi died so young.

I'm a year late but it's that gruesome time again.This reminds me of proper Xmas. Those that don't happen anymore. Cry.
Got this at the weekend and came on here just knowing there would be a thread.

You're all so otfm.
'Skating' is indeed beautiful, 'Linus and Lucy' is as great as ever but 'Christmas Is Coming' is also so good, eventhough the jazz breakdown pushes it slightly too much for these ears.

So where do I turn next Guaraldi wise? Or anybody in a similar vein

Appreciated

Oh and Merry Fucking Christmas

Aw Fk _I missed 'Christmas Time is Here'...

Oh and Merry Fucking Christmas
― Fer Ark (13 minutes ago)

Aw Fk _I missed 'Christmas Time is Here'...
― Fer Ark (1 minute ago)

Yer one contradictory dude! :)

O and Merry Fookin Xmas to ya too, then!

Sorry, I was wrapping presents and lost the end of the sellotape - lost my temper too ;-)

A remarkably early wrapper, you.

I wish I could talk more 'bout Vince Guaraldi but, eh, I've only heard a couple of tunes by him.

Hah - I played this last friday night to some random drunken chixorz

so, uh, BEST ALBUM EVER!

So true, on my pod all year round...

Last night I saw my son dancing to this album and oh, it was total happiness...

:-D And how is that good little dude?

very well indeed! - but the news is that he will be joined by 2 (TWO!) little brothers next March...next Christmas will be busy around here.

! (Did I mention I was planning on swinging by your neck of the woods again in June...)

This just means we will place you in the twins' room - and good luck! : )

Hahah.

So did Vince ever sing any numbers other than "Joe Cool" and "Little Birdie"? He should have!

Seriously, Ned, just let me know when. Mi casa su casa!

Will do!

everyone start listening to this album again, at the request of chaki

Always do, always will, as evinced upthread, there's just some shit you can't mess with.

it is way too early to revive xmas album threads but y this is fucking xcllnt

not yet, but soon. this album still has such an aura and power and is tied to so many memories that i really try not to play it outside of december, out of fear that it will lose its punch. but i would second black orpheus as a capable placeholder in the meantime.

Too early to play it just yet, but just an hour ago I was thinking about giving this as my Secret Santa present to a workmate.

I'm not ashamed to admit I listened to some Xmas tunes last night and enjoyed it.

Classic, times infinity. One of the few Christmas records that I can still enjoy front-to-back.

Always a tiny thrill when "Skating" or "Christmas is Coming" kicks in during shuffle play

I usually cant stand Christmas music, but this record is fantastic. The only other Guaraldi I know is James Gang's version of "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" which, if I remember right, is part the Bomber.

love this stuff, also recommend the modern jazz quartet album "on tour" which hits a similar vibe as this

i was about to post to the "hate everybody and everything" thread
and then i put this on. now is nice.
and dude died too early at 47.

ok but now is not too early 2 put this on!

no i know, just sayin

the correct response is to do this dance

https://media.tenor.com/QQPHo0TcWmcAAAAC/charlie-brown-christmas-dance.gif

for real tho

except for “Linus and Lucy” which is crap.

Sorry but no. Iconic for a reason!

That is just silly. If there's a jarring moment, it's the bad kid singing on Hark the Herald Angels Sing, but that has its charms.
'Skating' is the best cut

"Linus and Lucy" haters are defective.

Why yes I got that complete sessions box set I linked above. I regret absolutely nothing.

"Linus and Lucy" makes as much sense on a Xmas playlist as Thurl Ravenscroft reading an unpopular recluse to filth for 5 solid minutes

🤨

Why you're a mean one, Mr. H.

(To be clear, I think “Linus and Lucy” does belong on Xmas playlists)

so you're saying that Mr. Snrub's soul is an appalling dump heap

“Linus and Lucy”is Christmas in my house.

A Charlie Brown Christmasis perhaps not as iconic in the UK compared to the US but it truly is this planet's best Christmas music.

"christmas is coming" goes so hard

it’s a perfect record. I finally bought a shitty overpriced green vinyl reissue because I felt I had to own it, I play it every couple of days every december. the movie is perfect too

Great new piece from Nate Chinen on another Guaraldi landmark, his Charlie Brown Thanksgiving songs, now available properly standalone for the first time:

https://www.wrti.org/arts-desk/2023-11-20/after-50-years-the-hip-soundtrack-for-a-charlie-brown-thanksgiving-is-available-as-a-full-musical-feast