Now that the holiday season is in upon us, it's time to dust off those Country Christmas albums, or buy some new ones, so you can enjoy some great music as you wrap all those gifts. These are a few of my favorites. Some are brand spankin' new, and others have been out for years, but I never fail to pull them out every year to add to the holiday cheer.
This CD has become not only my favorite Country Christmas album of 2006, but my favorite of any year. Brad mixes just the right amount of solomn moments like on
"Away in a Manger," to touching songs, like his own composition, written at age 12,
"Born on Christmas Day" where we hear Brad singing today, and hear a recording of him singing it when he was a young boy. And, you couldn't have a Brad Paisley album without humor, and the Kung Pao Buckaroos provide that in spades with
"Kung Pao Buckaroo Holiday." This is a Christmas CD that can be enjoyed by fans young and old.
Martina's Christmas CD has been my Number One Holiday CD for several years, until I bought Brad's CD.
"O Holy Night" is one of the most difficult songs to sing, but Martina sings it like it's second nature. All the tunes on this album are done in a traditional way, so anyone would enjoy listening to this.
This one is getting a little harder to find, but well worth it, if you haven't got a copy of your own yet. He does sassy, with
"The Old Man's Back in Town," to reflective, thinking of Christmases past in
"Silent Night," to fun, with
"Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy." A wonderful collection of songs, by one of Country's most popular artists.
If you're looking for something with a bluegrass feel to it, this CD is made to order. Patty Loveless puts her Kentucky twang into these beautiful traditional Christmas songs. Patty enlists a few friends to help her out on the album. You can hear Emmylou Harris singing harmony on
"Joy to the World," Jon Randall backing her up on
"Silent Night," Rebecca Lynn Howard duets with her on
"The Little Drummer Boy," and Vince Gill and Amy Grant help out on
"O Little Town of Bethlehem."
A voice like Trisha's sounds good singing anything. Add to it the wonderful song choices here and you have a sure fire winner. I especially like Trisha's duet with her sister Beth, on the title track.
Add a little honky tonk to your Christmas with Brooks & Dunn. A mix of original selections and old standards will really get you in the spirit. Before you know it, you'll be done wrapping, but reading to hit repeat and listen to this one all over again.
Just in case you still want some more honky tonk to your Christmas, Alan Jackson's
Honky Tonk Christmas steps up to fill the bill. My very favorite track has to be his duet with Alison Krauss,
"The Angels Cried." Incredible! Alan also has a track with the Chipmunks to add a little fun to the album, with
"Santa's Gonna Come in a Pickup Truck." Of Alan's two Christmas albums, this is my favorite.
Want something just a little different? Kenny Chesney's island-inspired album will have you yearning for a ticket to the Islands. He also duets with Willie Nelson on
"Pretty Paper," Randy Owen of Alabama, on
"Christmas in Dixie," and the Grisby Twins (otherwise known as his mom and aunt) on
"Silent Night."
Vince Gill is someone I could listen to every day and not get sick of his singing. His smooth, clean tenor wraps itself around any tune and makes it something special. This collection of songs include lush orchestration. Add to that Vince's incredible vocal talent, and this makes for one special Christmas CD.
It's not Christmas without a little country humor, and Cledus T. Judd is one of the best, with his wacky Country Christmas album,
Cledus Navidad. The ten tracks include a few "originals" a couple parodies and even adventurous remakes.
