Top 5 Christmas Carol CDs: An Eclectic Christmas Collection

The Christmas season is indeed inviting for more reasons than candy canes, fat men in red suits, and Charlie Brown. Christmas is a time for all people to join together to raise their voices in song. Unfortunately, the combination of voices is usually ear-shattering as the multiple off-key notes meld into one shrieking sound. However, the enthusiasm and good will generated by the "singing" of Christmas carols make up for the audible abuse. Below are my top five Christmas Carol CDs. I ranked them according to how many spins they get during the season. I also included two bonus tracks to light up your holiday.

Marshmallow World & Other Holiday Favorites (2007) by Raul Malo. If you haven't heard Malo's solo work or delighted in his work as frontman for the Mavericks, you have led an unfulfilled life. Malo's voice is as smooth as any vocalist in the business. Order this gem at Amazon for $9.97. You get to hear many classics such as Silent Night but also a few originals. His rendition of Blue Christmas is second only to Elvis.

One Christmas Eve (1994) by Wayne Watson. This is quite possibly my favorite Christmas CD. Watson may not have the strongest voice, but he has assembled a great mix of songs. He begins the CD with Angel Medley, composed of Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Angels We Have Heard on High, and Angels From the Realms of Glory. The Angel Medley is well arranged and each arrangement in the album is catchy. Pay special attention to Child of Bethlehem. There is something about this song that will stay with you. The album can be yours new or used from Amazon for $1 on up.

25 Christmas Songs You Love to Sing (1996) by various artists. You won't find any well-known artists here, but the album was well done. You can here a few songs that are of lesser popularity such as Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella and I Saw Three Ships as well as favorites O Holy Night and Silent Night. The real gem of this one is Joseph's Song. It is not exceptionally popular either, but the vocal work is expressive and works well with a song that is not the easiest to interpret vocally. Snag this one at Amazon used for $1.00 and up. Please notice I am really helping your budget with these recommendations.

Noel (2007) by Josh Groban. So sue me, but I like at least one really popular CD. Groban's voice is fantastic and you will like everything here. As you may have noticed, my picks of CDs don't include a lot of "Santa-Centric" songs. That is another reason I enjoy Groban's album. While it does include Petit Papa Noel, it doesn't dwell on the many tired songs that have infected the season. Sure, Malo's album has some of the holiday fluff, but he's Raul Malo, so his coolness counters the drivel. Click on Amazon to pick up Noel for a cool $9.99.

The Animal's Christmas (2000) by Jimmy Webb with vocals by Art Garfunkel. You simply won't find another original album like this. The CD concept is the Christmas Story told from the perspective of the animals that were there. It quite simply needs to be heard to understand the simple beauty of the album. Unfortunately, this is another out of print album. You can find it on EBay or Amazon either new or used. The prices will vary.

I am out of album recommendations, but I did promise additional tracks. If you ever find yourself celebrating Christmas after nuclear fallout and are looking for the perfect tune, pop the track Christmas at Ground Zero into your CD player and have a grand celebration. Weird Al Yankovic provides a heartwarming song for those who need comfort during such a trying time. In addition, check out The Night Santa Went Crazy also by Weird Al Yankovic. It took Weird Al to create a truly great song about Santa.

That is all for this year's Top Five. Go forth and sing loudly and off-key. Don't worry, with everyone else singing, someone else is bound to sound worse than you.