**** Ultimate Christmas : Dave Koz
Generous compilation of Koz's popular smooth holiday sound. Two new tracks give obsessive compulsive fans an excuse for adding Ultimate to thier collection.
Recommended
***
*** A Little River Band Christmas
Possibly expanded re-issue of LRB's "We Call It Christmas" of a few years back. The original CD, as per Amazon, featured 11 tracks, this digital version found on Spotify and MOG adds two more.
While none of the songs reaches the hieghts of LRB in thier prime, this collection still delivers a solid MOR rock holiday experience.
Recommended
***
** Oh Holy Night : Ronny Matthes
Pleasant enough when in sparsely accompanied piano mode but dodgier when attempting the full Mannheim Steamroller.
***
** Quiet Time - Peace on Earth : Eric Nordhoff
Innocuous, low key piano arrangements with minimal, reletivly tasteful accompaniment.
***
** Christmas with Amber Red Guitar : Martin Nockalls & Steve Merrett
Another harmless but entirely superfluous guitar centered instrumental collection.
***
*1/2 Christmas in Scotland
Unispired collection of generic renditions of traditional Christmas and Scots-related tunes in a variety of styles. While not every track here is a clunker the poor decent to dross ratio makes Christmas in Scotland impossible to listen to without frequent visits to the FFW button.
Not recommended
***
* The Great Wee Christmas Album
From the same people wwo foisted Christmas in Scotland on an unsuspecting public, is another collection of generic meh, this time abusing favorite holiday hits and carols.
Not recommended
***
*1/5 A Moose in a Maple Tree (Single)
Bob and Doug McKenzie this ain't. Lame Canadian-centric cod ska version of 12 Days of Christmas. Why?
Not recommended
