CHRISTMAS ISN'T COMPLETE WITHOUT THIS ONE!

To say that this album/cassette/c.d. provided a musical soundtrack for all my Christmases from the moment it came out through the present is absolutely truthful! Undoubtedly my fave Christmas album of all time, the Carpenters Christmas Portrait is amazing in every way. Many fans don't know that Richard Carpenter conceptualized this album from one of -his- favorite childhood Christmas albums by Spike Jones (the genius bandleader known for his wacky, comedic arrangements). In fact, if you purchase the Spike Jones Christmas c.d. (still available), you'll be surprised to hear a couple of the exquisite medleys from the Carpenters "soundtrack for the season" in their entirety! But when you add Karen's voice, you've most definitely surpassed the originals!

Listening to "Christmas Portrait" on the cassette player in my car....used to be my reward for making it thru college final exam week in December! I'd actually wait until my drive home after the last exam before I'd let myself FINALLY put the cassette in...ha. So this music is laced with so much nostalgia that my love for the Carpenters Christmas music is truly beyond words.

Some have mentioned that this "Christmas Portrait- Special Edition" c.d. is NOT the same as the original Christmas Portrait, but an expanded version of the original. To explain...after Karen's death, Richard released the leftover tracks from their "Christmas Portrait" recording sessions on an album entitled "An Old-Fashioned Christmas". Since there weren't enough vocal tracks to constitute an entire album, he filled in the blanks with orchestral/choral arrangements. When compact discs started to become generally available (not very long after the release of this album)....Richard decided to have their "Christmas Portrait" album introduced on c.d. for the very first time in an expanded "Special Edition"....including the majority of the music from both albums. As a die-hard fan of the Carpenters, I, for one, NEVER had a problem with this. In fact...as beloved as my memories of the original Christmas Portrait album are....when I listen now to the original album vs. the extended c.d....I find myself thinking that the original sounds incomplete. I truly believe Richard improved on the original by coming up with a masterful combination of the best of both albums (you may have gathered from other reviews by now that you can buy a double c.d. set that has only recently come available of both albums as they were originally presented). Another reviewer mentioned that waiting so long to hear Karen sing after the instrumental overture was annoying but...and repeat after me....-an overture is a nice and classy thing for a pop album-...lol....this is like delayed gratification to most fans! When you finally hear her sing...."Frosted windowpanes"....you almost want to cheer!

Anyway, I'm about to conclude this review without mentioning the music...ha. "Merry Christmas Darling" will never fail to melt me into a puddle. "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" is, to my thoughts, the definitive recording of this song. There's not a bad thing about Karen's interpretations of these classics (even though I'm not quite as gung-ho about her reading of "Ave Maria" as some, but can still say I'm proud of her for doing a more-than-respectable job). I still can't for the life of me understand why "Little Altar Boy" never made it onto the original album since it's one of the most spine-tingling things ever recorded by that amazing voice! I also was puzzled as to why the incredibly sexy jazz-tinged "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" wasn't included on the Special Edition c.d. when it came out. It's the most glaring exclusion. Maybe Richard could've left off a tune or two in one of the instrumental medley's? hmmm

If you haven't purchased this, I'd still buy the Special Edition c.d. over the new double-c.d. set. Richard (with the above exception of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town") truly did pick the best of both albums and arranged them in EXACTLY the same seamlessly-flowing fashion as the original Christmas Portrait album. The original sounds far too short after you come to love the expanded c.d.

Well enough musings about this c.d. To say that it has touched my heart in inumerable ways is a vast, vast understatement!

GREAT-BUT BUY THEIR "CHRISTMAS COLLECTION" TO GET IT ALL

This is definitely a WONDERFUL album -- one of the all time Christmas classics. However, for just about $5 more you can purchase the double CD "Carpenters Christmas Collection" which contains everything on this disc plus the rest of the Christmas songs recorded by Karen and Richard Carpenter that were originally featured on two separate record albums -- "Christmas Portrait" and "An Old Fashioned Christmas." The disc here, "Christmas Portrait - Special Edition" offers all the songs from the original "Christmas Portrait" album but only a few from the later album "An Old Fashioned Christmas." You'll be missing out on the great "Do You Hear What I Hear?" among others. Karen's warm voice was made for Christmas music.

Not quite the same

Let me first say, I'm a huge Carpenters fan and have been since they first burst on the scene in the late 60's, early 70's. Having said that and knowing there may be other older fans of theirs out their seeking to get their beloved Carpenters Christmas Portrait on CD in order to replace their album or tape, this is not the same album you bought all those years ago. This is the combination of The Christmas Portait album and the Old Fashioned Christmas with a few songs missing. I have the same problem with this New Version of a Christmas Portrait that I did when I first purchased Old Fashioned Christmas and that is, I do not simply want to wait eight minutes to hear Karen start singing. This version comes across as being a bit over-produced because of this. It was obvious after my first listen of Old Fashioned Christmas that it was "left overs" from the Christmas Portrait album. I realize Richard was trying to get the best of both worlds when he combined the two but I'm uncertain why he chose to leave out the jazz version of Santa Clause is coming to town, particularly since it is their second best known Christmas song. Having said all that, this is not a bad purchase but I prefer the original Christmas Portrait and my album is far superior in the sense of the original order and context of the songs. For those who agree, it would be best to buy the more expensive Christmas Collection to get the albums combined in one purchase but not mixed together instead of this version with the sum of both parts combined as one.