What's New In 2006?
the best and brightest new Christmas releases
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Hip Picks for 2006
- Bootsy Collins, Christmas Is 4 Ever
- The dB's, Christmas Time Again
- Jigsaw Seen, What About Christmas
- Peggy Lee, Christmas With Peggy Lee
- Aimee Mann, One More Drifter In The Snow
- Sarah McLachlan, Wintersong
- Lou Rawls, Merry Christmas, Baby
- James Taylor, James Taylor At Christmas
- Kelly Willis & Bruce Robison, Happy Holidays
- various artists, Rhythm and Blues Christmas
I'll be honest: I've
bitten off more than I can chew. In the last couple of years, I've reorganized my entire Christmas section,
built a huge Artists & Albums index,
expanded my Songs & Singles index, written
a heap o' reviews, and redesigned the entire website at least twice. But, like the
layers of an onion, I keep uncovering new, wacky yuletide treasures - records,
CD's, whatever - I can't resist.
So, I have hundreds Christmas CD's cluttering up my office - far more, certainly, than the 200 or so already reviewed herein. They gather dust, waiting to be catalogued and reviewed in my usual obsessive-compulsive manner. Rather than throw this year's crop of holiday goodies atop that languishing pile, I'm giving you, faithful reader, a list the best and brightest rockin' Christmas CD's for 2006.
As usual, it's a mixed bag, led by original albums by Bootsy Collins and Aimee Mann, a new volume of A Santa Cause, plus welcome reissues from Peggy Lee and the dB's. Needless to say, I found plenty to get excited about... So, what have I missed? Drop me a line...
Randy Anthony
| Artist | Title | Date | Image | Buy | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afroman | A Colt .45 Christmas - reissue of 2004 CD Jobe Bells |
2006 | image | buy | |
| Ames Brothers | There'll Always Be a Christmas - Taragon CD reissue of RCA LP |
1957 | image | buy | |
| Autry, Gene | Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer - Harmony LP compiling vintage Columbia recordings |
1964 | image | buy | review |
| Autry, Gene | Year-Round Cowboy: Songs For The Whole Year - companion to Complete Columbia Christmas Recordings |
2006 | image | buy | review |
| Cash, Johnny | Country Christmas - reissue with new cover, restored track listing |
1991 | image | buy | review |
| Charles, Ray | Ray Charles with the Voices Jubilation Choir - his last performance and recording |
2006 | image | buy | review |
| Chipmunks | Christmas With the Chipmunks - 24 tracks from two original Liberty albums |
2006 | image | buy | |
| Collins, Bootsy | Christmas Is 4 Ever | 2006 | image | buy | |
| Crosby, Bing | Bing Crosby's Christmas Classics - reissue of 1977 Capitol album with restored artwork and added tracks |
2006 | image | buy | review |
| The dB's | Christmas Time Again - reissue of 1993 Chris Stamey CD plus new recordings |
2006 | image | buy | review |
| Denver, John | A Christmas Together - with the Muppets; 2006 reissue with full track listing |
1979 | image | buy | review |
| Denver, John | Christmas Like A Lullaby - 2006 reissue with full track listing |
1990 | image | buy | review |
| Fitzgerald, Ella | Ella Fitzgerald's Christmas - greatly expanded 2006 CD reissue |
1967 | image | buy | |
| Gayle, Crystal | Crystal Christmas - CD reissue, new cover |
1987 | image | buy | |
| Gibb, Robin | My Favorite Carols | 2006 | image | buy | |
| Guaraldi, Vince | A Charlie Brown Christmas - remastered with bonus tracks and redesigned cover |
2006 | image | buy | review |
| Hall & Oates | Home For Christmas - initially sold exclusively through Trans World stores |
2006 | image | buy | |
| Idol, Billy | Happy Holidays | 2006 | image | buy | |
| Jigsaw Seen | What About Christmas (EP) | 2006 | image | buy | |
| Jon B. | Holiday Wishes From Me To You | 2006 | image | buy | |
| Judd, Wynonna | A Classic Christmas | 2006 | image | buy | |
| Knight, Gladys | A Christmas Celebration - with the Saints Unified Voices |
2006 | image | buy | review |
| Lee, Peggy | Christmas With Peggy Lee - 16 songs from variety of sources 1949-1965 |
2006 | image | buy | |
| Love Tractor | Before & After Christmas | 2006 | image | buy | |
| Lyman, Arthur | Mele Kalikimaka | 1963 | image | buy | review |
| Manhattan Transfer | An Acapella Christmas - first issued in Japan (2004) |
2006 | image | buy | |
| Mann, Aimee | One More Drifter In The Snow | 2006 | image | buy | |
| Martin, Dean | Christmas With Dino - same title as 2004 release, with new cover and similar track listing |
2006 | image | buy | review |
| Johnny Mathis | 50th Anniversary Christmas Celebration - companion to 50th Anniversary Celebration |
2006 | image | buy | review |
| McLachlan, Sarah | Wintersong | 2006 | image | buy | |
| Midler, Better | Cool Yule | 2006 | image | buy | |
| Mighty Echoes | Doo Wop Around The Christmas Tree | 2006 | image | buy | |
| Nelson, Willie | 20th Century Masters - reissue of Hill Country Christmas |
2006 | image | buy | review |
| Over The Rhine | Snow Angels - originally sold through the band's website |
2006 | image | buy | |
| Paisley, Brad | Christmas | 2006 | image | buy | |
| Presley, Elvis | Elvis Christmas - 23 song compilation |
2006 | image | buy | review |
| Rawls, Lou | Merry Christmas, Baby - 20 tracks taken from Capitol and Blue Note sessions |
2006 | image | buy | review |
| Rawls, Lou | Christmas (Time-Life) - 14 tracks taken from his last sessions |
2006 | image | buy | review |
| Stevens, Sufjan | Songs For Christmas - recorded 2001-2005 |
2006 | image | buy | |
| Taylor, James | James Taylor At Christmas - Sony reissue of 2005 Hallmark album with new cover and bonus tracks |
2006 | image | buy | |
| Third Day | Christmas Offerings | 2006 | image | buy | |
| Twisted Sister | Twisted Christmas | 2006 | image | buy | |
| Vincent, Rhonda | Beautiful Star: The Christmas Collection | 2006 | image | buy | |
| Williams, Vanessa | 20th Century Masters: Christmas Collection Vol. 2 - reissue of Silver And Gold |
2006 | image | buy | |
| Willis, Kelly & Robison, Bruce | Happy Holidays - 2006 Rykodisc reissue |
2003 | image | buy | |
| soundtrack | Stingiest Man in Town - TV adaptation of Dicken's 'Christmas Carol' with Vic Damone, Johnny Desmond, the Four Lads, and Basil Rathbone |
1956 | image | buy | |
| soundtrack | Nightmare Before Christmas - special edition with bonus disc |
2006 | image | buy | |
| various artists | Best of Ultimate Soul Christmas - highlights from 2-CD set |
2006 | image | buy | |
| various artists | Canadian Christmas 3 | 2006 | image | buy | |
| various artists | Christmas With The Rat Pack - new cover on 2002 Sinatra, Martin & Davis compilation |
2006 | image | buy | |
| various artists | Classic Soul Ballads: Christmas - adjunct to Time-Life series |
2006 | image | buy | |
| various artists | Elton John's Christmas Party - Hip-O 15-track reissue of 21-track album sold exclusively at Starbucks during 2005 |
2006 | image | buy | |
| various artists | How Cool Is That Christmas - TV personality Rachel Ray compiles decent CD |
2006 | image | buy | |
| various artists | Now That's What I Call Christmas 3 | 2006 | image | buy | |
| various artists | Redneck Christmas - country and southern rock from Time-Life |
2006 | image | buy | |
| various artists | Rhythm and Blues Christmas - vintage tracks from UK Ace label |
2006 | image | buy | |
| various artists | A Santa Cause Vol. 2 - second shot of punk & alternative rock; sold only as download |
2006 | image | buy | |
| various artists | 20th Century Masters: Smooth and Soulful - part of Universal's extensive reissue series |
2006 | image | buy | |
| various artists | Ultimate Jazz Christmas - 13 tracks new and old from Blue Note catalog |
2006 | image | buy |