Track Listing

1. Curtain Rises (Intro)
2. Christmas Time Is Here - Christmas Jug Band, Marah
3. New York Is a Christmas Kind of Town
4. Baby It's Cold Outside - Marah,
5. Boozing It Up with Friends (Skit)
6. Holly Jolly Christmas
7. Here We Come a Wassailing (#1)
8. Christmas Time's a Comin'
9. Let It Snow - Marah,
10. Quithmith Pudding (Skit)
11. Counting the Days ('Til Christmas)
12. Here We Come a Wassailing (#2)
13. Silver Bells
14. Christmas with the Snow
15. Have Yourself a Merry Little Xmas
16. Handsome Santa - Marah,
17. Auld Lang Syne
18. Here We Come a Wassailing (#3)
19. Curtain Call (Outro)
20. Counting the Days, A Christmas Polka

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #124804 in Music
• Released on: 2005-10-18
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

Amazon.com
Hark! The Philly Brothers Sing! Introducing a 20-song holiday feast that, while it's as out of right field as Mannheim Steamroller remaking White Light/White Heat, is the perfunctory accompaniment to your Bing Crosby and Johnny Mathis wintertime mash. Prolifically concurring with its fifth record If You Didn't Laugh You'd Cry, Marah integrates E Street soul and 6 Train rock-and-roll into a stew of old-time favorites and newly composed originals, toasting the celebration with friends and family in a loose-knit routine of music and parodies. Centered on their adopted hometown of New York, the Bielanko brothers liken the Big Apple to a "yuletide merry-go-round" in "New York is a Christmas Kind of Town" and offer up "a glass of cheer" in "Holly Jolly Christmas," a chug-a-long number that practically begs for the Pogues to cover. "Baby It's Cold Outside" is a seductive back-and-forth duet (with guest Christine Smith) and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Xmas" turns into a Peanuts-like sing-a-long, and by New Year's, when your "Auld Lang Syne" is an instrumental Dublin pub romp, you'll thank Marah for making this the most wonderful time of the year. --Scott Holter

Customer Reviews

WPIX Yule Log Rules!
Some of this happy album sounds recorded live, but I would have loved to have seen Marah actually doing it up, maybe in a beery little dive bar, because it's got a great concept and good, cheery Christmasy stuff. But, I'm afraid, something, as so often happens, gets a little lost in the studio. It's a little dry, a little forced, plenty of good will, but could have used just a wee bit more. I like Marah, and I'm digging this as I clean off a table I haven't cleaned off in years so I can put down some food for my girlfriend, who wouldn't know my house straightened up if it dropped on her head. Marah is carrying me along here and I'm getting into the feel a little bit more for the holiday. I got some good booze and some cheese and salami and some more booze and some sweet treats and we should have a pretty good time. Merry Christmas to these guys and thanks for the fun album. Just wish you had recorded it live at Lauterbachs, an old Brooklyn hole back in the 80s that is the true ghost of rock n' roll christmas' past.

Cup full of Marah Christmas cheer
Great album. Shows amazing range for the Bielankos and friends. Particularly amazing is Christine Smith on "Baby, It's Cold Outside." Wow. And, they wrote two bonafide original, great Christmas songs "Christmas Kind of Town" (New Yorkers all about you) and "Christmas with the Snow."

Yes, Serge sounds a little cheesy as announcer but it is fun cheesy. The guy is nuts for Christmas. And, getting to listen to Dave sing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Xmas" and "Holly Jolly Christmas" is a real Christmas treat.

Well recorded but cheesy at times.
I love Marah, so when I heard a Christmas album was coming out I was stoked. To begin, there are a lot of great songs on this album. "Baby Its Cold Outside" is always a great song. "Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is produced well. However, I wish Marah had just made an album without attempting to put all the extra dialogue and cheesy additions into the album. Some of the talking sections seem very forced almost as if the people involved weren't even really talking to each other when they recorded it. The strange voices on some of the songs can be annoying. Overall, its still a must have Christmas album, but if there is a next time, just record some songs and leave voice acting alone.