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Yes! It’s that time of the year. Dust off your favourite Xmas tracks. Take the Chrimbo albums out of those mothballs and whack up the volume.

Over the years we’ve listened to so many tracks together at Xmas, I’ve lost count. However, I’ve put a little Xmas ‘Wish List’ together for us to have a gander at, using, with your permission, the songs and albums I know you love by sheer weight of requests and comment. So…here we go!

I’ve included brief review of the albums here and, as a special treat, I’ve also included links to Amazon if you want to buy the album for yourself or someone special (please note - we’re getting close to Christmas now and Amazon may not be able to deliver in time).

[UPDATE - I've written longer reviews for some of these albums, and put the links below]

Chris Botti – December

With his interpretation of ‘Silent Night’ a perennial favourite with the folks, not to mention the classic renditions of many of the standards from the festive season, this is a must for any lover of cool yule music. The Blue Nile-esque ‘I’ll be home for Christmas’, for example. Great stuff.

» Read the full review of Chris Botti’s December «

Sarah McLachlan – Wintersong

Mere words are not enough to describe the beauty of this lady’s voice. Worth the price of a download or the album simply to hear her sing ‘The First Noel/ Mary Mary’. A sweeping piece, moving from basic voice to an Arabic style montage of rhythm and sonic passion.

» Read the full review of Sarah McLachlan’s Wintersong «

Josh Groban – Noel

My favourite American Male Vocalist in progress! Always has been, ever since I first played him all those years ago. When it was released last October, I chastised the record label for being too early for a holiday album. It went on to be one of, if not the biggest selling albums of 2007!

» Read the full review of Josh Groban’s Noel «

Frank Sinatra – The Christmas Album

This does exactly what it says on the tin. Frank at his coolest. Track 6 is one of your faves, judging by the amount of requests for his rendition of ‘Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas’ I receive every year. Just one of those albums you play when good friends are over for a glass of mulled wine.

James Taylor – James Taylor At Christmas

James’ distinctive voice adorns this selection of winter tracks like a warm familiar blanket on a cold and wintry evening. His take on ‘In The Bleak Midwinter’ is an essential to anyone’s yuletide listening. It’s not just the voice, it’s the overall atmosphere of this album which makes it one of my ‘specials’.

I Love Xmas – Various
With the squillions of compilation albums out there, you can easily be confused, spoilt for choice, bamboozled… and ultimately disappointed. Do not fear! This is a Christmas cracker of an album. One of those CDs that you whack on when friends arrive for Christmas dinner. You just set & forget.

» Read the full review of I Love Christmas «

(NOTE: This one has been discontinued on Amazon, so I guess you’ll just have to listen to the Christmas shows to hear some of these great tracks).

Enjoy, and Merry Christmas!

Robbie x

Unlike the other Christmas albums I’ve reviewed this year, I Love Christmas is a compilation by the obligatory Various Artists.

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I went on air just before the release of Josh Groban’s Noel and berated the label for releasing it too early. Dope! You’ve never let me forget that. ‘Noel’ went on to be the best selling album of 2007 in the USA. Not surprising, really. All the faves are there, plus the classic David Foster production and that extraordinary voice.

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I often say ‘If you’re gonna do a cover version of something, stamp your authority and style on the darned thing, or it may be consigned to the musak shelf in the album collection.’ You never have that fear with Sarah!

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Chris Botti’s December is one of the albums of the festive season for us all. A simple treasure of a collection of the irresistable holiday classics. The delight I get in Chris’s playing is not just his beautiful tone, but he knows when to play that trill or that run and most of all… that note.

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