Cover art from an earlier edition
Charlie Brown's Christmas, and the soundtrack album thereto, are as essential to the holiday season as Bing Crosby's "White Christmas". That's a standalone statement. Irrefutable.
Since "A Charlie Brown Christmas" first graced American television screens in 1965, the accompanying music of Vince Guaraldi has been issued and reissued so many times in so many configurations, mastered remastered and reremastered, I've actually stopped paying attention when I see "A Charlie Brown Christmas" on the seasonal release schedule. It's stock, at this point, and I expect it will never be out of print. I've owned the vinyl album forever (it seems) and it was literally the very first CD I ever bought (in 1986), and I've really seen no reason to upgrade any further.
But there are a couple of reasons the 2012 edition of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is worthy of special notice. And it's not that the album's been remastered (again)--with modern 24-bit technology applied to the original analog stereo master tapes. And it's not that the 2012 edition has been expanded (again) with three tracks not on the original album. (Frankly, I wish they'd leave the original track list alone; it was perfect as it was.)
The 2012 reissue is special because this is the first Christmas and the first reissue since Vince Guaraldi's brilliant soundtrack was officially inducted into the Library of Congress, taking its place alongside the greatest and most significant works in our nation's history. As the Library noted at the time, "A Charlie Brown Christmas introduced jazz to millions of listeners." Can I get an amen?
The 2012 edition of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" will be released October 9. It will feature three tracks not on the original--"Greensleeves", "Thanksgiving Theme", and "The Great Pumpkin Waltz". And there will also be a 20 page booklet with images from the television show and new liner notes from Peanuts and Vince Guaraldi historian Derrick Bang (I wish someone had told me in college you could be such a thing and make a living). And, where my little ears perked up, there will also be a collector's pressing on green vinyl. I'm going to hope and assume that'll be on 120-160g vinyl. Anything less would be an insult.
Since "A Charlie Brown Christmas" first graced American television screens in 1965, the accompanying music of Vince Guaraldi has been issued and reissued so many times in so many configurations, mastered remastered and reremastered, I've actually stopped paying attention when I see "A Charlie Brown Christmas" on the seasonal release schedule. It's stock, at this point, and I expect it will never be out of print. I've owned the vinyl album forever (it seems) and it was literally the very first CD I ever bought (in 1986), and I've really seen no reason to upgrade any further.
But there are a couple of reasons the 2012 edition of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is worthy of special notice. And it's not that the album's been remastered (again)--with modern 24-bit technology applied to the original analog stereo master tapes. And it's not that the 2012 edition has been expanded (again) with three tracks not on the original album. (Frankly, I wish they'd leave the original track list alone; it was perfect as it was.)
The 2012 reissue is special because this is the first Christmas and the first reissue since Vince Guaraldi's brilliant soundtrack was officially inducted into the Library of Congress, taking its place alongside the greatest and most significant works in our nation's history. As the Library noted at the time, "A Charlie Brown Christmas introduced jazz to millions of listeners." Can I get an amen?
The 2012 edition of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" will be released October 9. It will feature three tracks not on the original--"Greensleeves", "Thanksgiving Theme", and "The Great Pumpkin Waltz". And there will also be a 20 page booklet with images from the television show and new liner notes from Peanuts and Vince Guaraldi historian Derrick Bang (I wish someone had told me in college you could be such a thing and make a living). And, where my little ears perked up, there will also be a collector's pressing on green vinyl. I'm going to hope and assume that'll be on 120-160g vinyl. Anything less would be an insult.
RSS Feed
