Let It Be Christmas

Up until now, there have been only two perfect Christmas albums: Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song," and Johnny Mathis' "Merry Christmas." By perfect, I mean you can't find a song on those albums that is less than first rate.

Country music has never produced a Christmas album that could stand alongside those two classics. Collin Raye, John Berry, Vince Gill, Ricky Van Shelton, and Patty Loveless have come close. But Alan Jackson, with his "Let It Be Christmas," has turned the trick. This album is every bit as good as those all-time pop albums by Cole and Mathis.

Unlike his first Christmas album, which is very good in its own right, Jackson has put it all together here. The song selections (all classics -- except for the one penned by Jackson), the arrangements, and the production are flawless.

You won't find a single song that will disappoint you ... in fact, there is not a single selection that is less than outstanding...Read more

After his rowdy 1994 Christmas effort Honky Tonk Christmas, Alan Jackson takes a more subdued approach on Let It Be Christmas, with plenty of mellow modern chestnuts ("Christmas Song," "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas") and hymns ("O Come All Ye Faithful," "Away In A Manger"). Even buoyant favorites like "Winter Wonderland" and "Jingle Bells" go down easy with uncluttered arrangements. Throughout, Jackson has never sounded better, particularly on the hymns. The title track - a new Jackson composition - neatly sums up the album. It's a simple message of hope that is gloriously delivered.

First off, I'm not a big fan of country music. I happened to be on the treadmill, flipping channels, on a cold November day, and I noticed the Alan Jackson Christmas special (which I think aired originally in 2002) on CMT. I was going to continue flipping, but I love the Christmas season, so I figured I'd watch. Turns out that I really enjoyed the special. It was very traditional and family oriented, and the songs were also traditional Christmas favorites. After a couple of days, I just couldn't get the excellently arranged songs out of my head, so I went out and bought the cd. I've listened to it dozens of times over the last month, and its the best musical purchase I've made in a long while. I know this cd will now be among my few continuously played Christmas favorites, every holiday season, no question about it. The cd features a great mixture of slow and fast Christmas classics, along with one original song - the cd's title track, "Let It Be Christmas." I'm generally...Read more