Top 5 Christmas Carol CDs to Put You in the Holiday Mood

Ok so Christmas is just around the corner and you need something to set the mood. But if you turn on the radio you'll end up listening to endless DJ prattle followed by a weather report (cold), then maybe some "White Christmas" before we listen to an important word from our sponsor extolling the virtue of "No money down on all furniture until 2012!!!!!. Well no longer. What follows are some of my favorite Christmas Carol CD's and links to Amazon so you can pick them up.

1. Now That's What I Call Christmas!

Now that's what I call a one stop CD for all the Christmas favorites. No need to buy a separate CD when you only want the best of Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole all the way up to Boyz II Men and Harry Connick Jr. Rest assured all the favorites are here so when Aunt Ethel wants to hear Tony Bennett and you want to hear Bruce Springsteen, you're still covered.

2. A Charlie Brown Christmas

The classic. Why is it that back in the day kids got to listen to the cool jazz styling of Vince Guaraldi and nowadays we have to endure Clay Aiken. If you're unfamiliar with this movie I don't think that I can help you. I don't know if anyone can actually. For those of you in the know, there's nothing to get that warm Christmassy feeling going better than the Peanuts gang.

3. Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Little known fact about the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, they have a secret underground lair underneath Salt Lake City with their own special security forces, and access passes that prevent us "normies" from getting in. True story. Luckily they use this lair not for evil, but for perfecting the art of singing Christmas Carols. This is the fruit of their labors.

4.How The Grinch Stole Christmas

The less said about Jim Carrey's turn in the live action debacle the better. This CD is from the original film that gave Boris Karloff a Grammy in the "Best Spoken Word" category. Get this CD and find out why. Fun Fact: "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" wasn't sung by ol' Boris, but in fact by American voice actor Thurl Ravenscroft. Yeah apparently you were allowed to call your kid "Thurl" back then. Kinda puts "Bronx Mowgli" in perspective doesn't it?

5.White Christmas by Al Green

Rounding out the list is some classic soul from the Reverend Al Green. Unlike some uninspired Motown Christmas albums, Al lays it down just right, like only he can. If the malls played this maybe we wouldn't trample people on the aptly name Black Friday.