Now That's What I Call Christmas!

Various Artists

UMG Recordings, 2001

REVIEW BY: Michael R. Smith

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 12/24/2007

Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby forever rule
Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra epitomize cool
Velvet voices of Tony Bennett and Ella Fitzgerald are in tact
Then you get Martin, Como and Mathis all back to back
After memories of Rankin-Bass by Ives and Autry
Grandma gets run over by country duo Elmo & Patsy
Brenda Lee and Bobby Helms forever joined at the hipmy_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250
While the Beach Boys harmonize over “Little Saint Nick”
Following Karen Carpenter isn’t an easy thing to do
But Kathy Mattea is the one attempting to fill her shoes
Bing returns with David Bowie, an odd combination
But their memorable duet gripped the entire nation

Disc Two brings us glad tidings from John & Yoko
And the Boss cracking up by someone’s “Ho, Ho, Ho”
Band Aid’s instant classic for African famine relief
McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” came before all the grief
Michael Bolton like you’ve never heard him before
Harry Connick Jr. and Diana Krall are jazzy to the core
Mannheim Steamrolling the likes of poor Ottmar Liebert
Gloria Estefan and Celine Dion, the divas show they care
Want some sludgy, non-melodic R&B?
There’s some guy named Joe and the Brothers Isley
Yet nothing’s as bad as the Big Yard Family
(It’s some new outfit featuring the likes of Shaggy)
Britney and N’Sync do their thing, for what it’s worth
And Luther Vandross and Boys II Men sing about His birth

NOW That’s What I Call Christmas is a harmless affair
The older songs prove that they’re not worse for wear
The younger whippersnappers all step up to the plate
Because in the game of Christmas, it’s never too late
You know you’ve made it when you record a holiday tune
Something else for you to download on your iPod or Zune

Rating: A-

User Rating: Not Yet Rated


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© 2007 Michael R. Smith and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of UMG Recordings, and is used for informational purposes only.