Number 1's: Christmas

iTunes Review

Hip-O Records’ outstanding Christmas compilation offers up a diverse collage of Christmas carols spanning genres. Sir Elton John sprinkles a little glitter on the glammy opener “Step Into Christmas” before Dolly Parton’s endearingly squeaky medley of “Winter Wonderland/Sleigh Ride” plays with an inadvertently kitschy electric piano, making her sound like one half of a lounge duo. Like Dolly, Vince Gill’s take on the traditional “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is devoid of any of the country music instrumentation that made him a success, but Brenda Lee’s hillbilly Holiday classic “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” more than makes up for it, as does Bobby Helms’ rockabilly (by way of countrypolitan) version of “Jingle Bell Rock.” Similarly, Jimmy Wood’s “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” sounds like a weird cartoon playing through an old wooden radio. Easily the most swingin’ carol here belongs to the gravely voiced Louis Armstrong whose “Cool Yule” boasts some stellar horn playing. Burl Ives’ “Holly Jolly Christmas” will fly you back to the Island of Misfit Toys from the 1964 stop-motion special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.