Robert Way - New England Sleigh Ride: Music For The Christmas Season

Here it is... the FINAL album review from ALL the albums that I downloaded last year from Ernie (not Bert)'s blog!

This one comes to us from the good folks at your local Mobil gas station. It's hard to believe now but there was a time when gas station attendants is crisp clean uniforms would pump your gas, clean your windshields, and check your oil and fluids under the hood.

Then came the premiums. You could have gotten S&H green stamps, free road maps, cute plush mascot toys for the kiddies (the Exxon tiger was a fave), even cutlery and glassware as a premium when you filled up your tank (for around $10) back in the late 1960s or 1970s.

For those of you ages 20 or under, hard to believe, eh?

Again I googled Robert Way and the title of this album and got Ernie's blog and little else. So once again, I've posted the back cover so you can read for yourself about who Robert Way is:


It only looks deadly dull but this album is a breath of fresh air! Way is a one man band: he arranged and conducted both the orchestra and chorus in addition to composing six original Christmas songs on this album!

From beginning to end, this album has everything working in harmony - from old favorites like "We Three Kings" to new songs like "Everything Says Christmas Is Here"! It's not just great Christmas music, it's great music, period.

I have searched Google for "Robert Way", "New England Sleigh Ride", "Fleetwood Recording", even the cover artist Janet Tyrell... beyond the posts to Ernie's blog, there is no record of this record anywhere. I might just dash off an e-mail to the Mobil Oil Company to see if they can shed some light on this (not holding my breath).

If anyone has any information on Mr. Way or when this album was released or if there were additional albums released by Mobil, please let us know.

Wow...

I'm looking next to my computer monitor where the stack of Ernie's CDs once stood. It's been quite a summer reviewing them all. However there is ONE more album from Ernie's blog that I will review tomorrow...

On to the next new Christmas CD in my collection...


Capt

Comments

Brad said…
This is probably my favorite of all Ernie's downloads from last year. I played this one constantly. Just great stuff!
8/24/2006 06:03:00 PM
Ernie said…
You missed at least one...
8/24/2006 08:00:00 PM
CaptainOT said…
King - I haven't stopped listening to it since this morning when I sat down to review the album! A masterpiece that came out of nowhere!

Ernie - I've probably passed on several, to tell the truth. Thanks to my set schedule (you'll understand in a week or so), I've been pressing for the last week to get most of them in.

ANYONE - If there is an album you would like to see reviewed from Ernie's blog that I didn't, please drop a comment or e-mail and let me know.


Capt
8/24/2006 11:42:00 PM
Andre said…
This brings back the memories! My parents had this record and it was played every Christmas season. I haven't heard this in over 20 years! Thanks for posting.
12/08/2006 08:19:00 PM
CaptainOT said…
Andre - I don't really deserve any of the credit for this one. Click over to Ernie's blog and thank him - his Christmas offerings are the best anywhere on the Internet.


Capt
12/09/2006 08:46:00 AM
Anonymous said…
Hi Captain! I love your comments about my old LP "New England Sleigh Ride." Recorded in 1967 in Munich, Germany. I'm now back in the music saddle after retiring as a clinical psychologist. Visit my web site: themusicway.com. I have two new Christmas CDs and a third in production. Let me hear from you.
Robert@themusicway.com
7/12/2007 02:26:00 PM
CaptainOT said…
Mr. Way - I was very surprised to hear from you! Your album is much loved among the online Christmas circles!

I want to thank you for sending me your new Christmas CD - a review is forthcoming!


Capt
11/25/2007 11:30:00 PM
AdamH said…
Holy cats! I'm listening to my own transcription of this album now and just for grins and giggles decided to Google it...again.

This album was THE stalwart companion of my family's Christmas celebration. It just wasn't Christmas unless my sisters and I were singing the "jingle jingle"s in *perfect* time while decorating the tree.

I'm going to have to check out Mr. Way's new albums!
12/12/2008 01:29:00 PM
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