Henry Zhu takes a look at some unique and classic holiday CDs

Pop

Mariah Carey’s ‘Merry Christmas’

Perhaps the one modern holiday album that can be considered a classic is Mariah Carey’s “Merry Christmas,”  which combines pop music with Christmas time classics. The popularity of “All I Want for Christmas is You” during the winter months is a testament to the diva’s knack for a catchy hook, but the other songs on the album aren’t too shabby. In the end, it is Mariah’s five-octave voice that breathes a bit of life to overdone classics. Anybody who looks back to the times when pop singers could actually sing without using
auto-tune will appreciate “Merry Christmas.”

New Age

Enya’s ‘And Winter Came…’

The content of most holiday CDs may not be the artist’s own compositions, but listeners expect a level of consistency between an artist’s regular and holiday albums. In this aspect, Enya’s “And Winter Came…” fits the bill perfectly—there is little else than the lyrics that are different from Enya’s previous albums. The Irish singer brings the same sense of otherworldliness to this CD as she does to her others. Those who are bored with the commercialized versions of Christmas carols that are everywhere these days will breathe a sigh of relief once they hear “And Winter Came…”

Folk

Beth Nielsen Chapman’s ‘Prism: The Human Family Songbook’Beth Nielsen

Chapman’s “Prism,” while not exactly a holiday album, is an intimate collection of songs from religious traditions all over the world. The album includes Chapman’s versions of everything from Tibetan chants to Puritan devotionals alongside some of her original compositions. Chapman’s artistic ambitions and the CD’s remarkable diversity ultimately far outweigh its weaker spots—after all, how many artists have ever covered a Hebrew hymn and an African-American spiritual in the same album?

Rock

Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s ‘The Christmas Attic’

With holiday CDs often considered a crass commercial move by much of the music world, few genuine rock artists even consider releasing such albums. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, in contrast, has recorded three best-selling Christmas discs. The secret to the band’s success lies in its reinterpretations of familiar old tunes and invention of new ones. All in all, one listen to “The Christmas Attic” and it may be hard ever adjusting back to the traditional carols.

Classic

Vince Guarauldi’s ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’

No holiday is complete without a little nostalgia, and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is bound to remind any listener of his childhood memories. Vince Guaraldi does a stunning job incorporating snippets of the iconic Peanuts’ melodies into classic Christmas hymns. Even those who know nothing of Charlie Brown will be pleasantly surprised by the smooth yet jazzy feel to the instrumental pieces. The songs like “Linus and Lucy” and “Greensleeves” remind listeners why this album is cherished even 45 years after its release.

Jazz

Kenny G’s ‘Wishes: A Holiday Album’

While the typical Christmas album involves the singer performing vocal gymnastics to wring every last ounce of emotion out of an overdone song, Kenny G’s ‘Wishes’ manages to convey the Christmas spirit without a single word. The man expresses more emotion in one note of his alto sax than many singers do in their entire careers, and one listen to “O Come All Ye Faithful” will explain how. Some things are better expressed without words, and “Wishes” is a perfect case in point.