Welcome to The Night Owl's 10th annual Christmas CD buyer's guide! The last few issues have been less of a buyer's guide, and more of an excuse to put together a new edition of Night Owl Radio. This time, I'm happy to report that this has been one of the best years for holiday tunes in quite a while. Plus, we have a new edition of Night Owl Radio for you to check out!

In recent years, with a few exceptions, record companies seem to just be content to repackage and reissue the same old titles, expecting consumers to buy them again and again. Thankfully, you have The Night Owl to guide you in the right direction when it comes to the myriad of holiday titles out there. We have a wide variety of holiday releases to tell you about, in just about any genre you can think of. We'll start with the new titles, cover some of the reissues, and then go back & tell you about some of the more, shall we say, eclectic titles out this year.

With a mix of the traditional and the contemporary, the soundtrack to The Polar Express is sure to be a hit during this holiday season. The disc contains classics from the likes of Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, and The Andrews Sisters, along with new tracks from Steven Tyler, TV heartthrob Josh Groban, Tom Hanks, and Alan Silvestri (who did the movie score). Unfortunately, most of the new material is pretty forgettable -- especially for those who haven't seen the movie.

OK, so you wasted your money at the box office to see the Christmas With The Kranks. Don't let that stop you from checking out the soundtrack CD. This one's loaded with holiday coolness. Check out the tunes from The Charms, Davie Allen & The Arrows, and Tina Sugandh. Her tabla-tinged version of "White Christmas" is one of the best versions I've heard in a long time. Plus there are classics from Elvis Presley & Brenda Lee, and the Brian Setzer Orchestra takes on Tchaikovsky with jazzy excerpts from "The Nutcracker Suite."

Every year, there are new Christmas CDs out there that make you think, what on earth was the producers thinking when they released this? Jessica Simpson's Re-Joyce is one of those CDs. Sure -- she has the TV thing going for her. Yes, she's 'easy on the eyes.' That doesn't mean she should release a Christmas CD. Simpson's nasally vocals make this one just about unbearable. Her duet with husband Nick Lachey on "Baby, It's Cold Outside" is particularly bad. Her (now infamous) lip-synching sister makes an appearance on "Little Drummer Boy." Need I say more?

Ready to get things jumping this holiday season? Well, break out a batch of cosmopolitans, and check out the new one from the kings of retro swing, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Everything You Want for Christmas is sure to please the fans, plus prove to both the elders and the youngsters that the big band sound is far from gone. Even though lead vocalist Scotty Morris gets a bit too laid back at times, the Daddies serve up an enjoyable round of the season's coolest tunes. The Morris originals -- "Rockabilly Christmas" and the holiday barn-burner, "Last Night (I Went Out with Santa Claus)" -- are the real standouts here.

Chris Isaak's vocal style has long been a cross between Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison, which (of course) isn't necessarily a bad thing. Unfortunately, by time you get halfway thru Chris Isaak Christmas, you're wanting to hear something else. Still, the first half of the album is quite good -- particularly Isaak's versions of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" (with Stevie Nicks helping out on vocals) and "Blue Christmas." The latter actually gives 'The King' a run for his money. Cool cover art too.

Maybe This Christmas Tree is the third in the series of indie-alterna-folk rock Christmas albums from the folks at Nettwerk. The Polyphonic Spree kick things off with their spirited rendition of "Happy Xmas," and you also get cool new versions of holiday classics by Death Cab for Cutie, Lisa Loeb, and Royal Crown Revue (with their bluesy take on "Baby It's Cold Outside"). This CD combines some of the label's most eclectic holiday fare for you to enjoy and provides a welcome reprieve from the standards. Also of note is Christmas Songs, which gathers the best of the three Maybe This Christmas CDs, and adds on a few exclusive songs for good measure.

Whether you're a country fan or just someone who enjoys hearing all the different interpretations of the classic holiday tunes, Shimmy Down the Chimney has something for everyone. The 18 tracks on this set come from the country superstars you would expect, plus a handful of the recent country/pop crossovers. Standout tracks include She Daisy's new take on "Deck the Halls" and Deana Carter's excellent version of "Carol of the Bells" -- one of the best you'll find anywhere. Fans of any of the artists on the CD will love this one.

Paul O'Neill and his Trans-Siberian Orchestra are back with the third and final volume of their Christmas trilogy, The Lost Christmas Eve. The first two parts were wildly successful as holiday releases go (especially the first one) and went on to become modern-day Christmas classics. Unfortunately, the new album is simply more of the same -- nothing new. The highlights on the albums have always been the instrumentals and the same holds true here. For those who don't have any of the TSO discs, all three CDs are available with a DVD in a special box set. If you don't have either of the first two discs, you may want to consider picking up Christmas Trilogy (the DVD is a nice addition), otherwise stick with the first two discs.

It's not often that an 'ultimate' collection actually lives up to its name, but this one does. Ultimate Soul Christmas features crooning from Luther Vandross and Alexander O'Neal. Classics from Otis Redding, Nat King Cole, and Lou Rawls. Candi Staton's "Christmas in My Heart," and Gladys Knight & The Pips' "Do You Hear What I Hear" are two more of the highlights, plus you get Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas" and The Temptations' timeless version of "Silent Night." What more could you ask for? Something from Lena, Ella or Smokey, maybe? Yep, they're all here too. Highly recommended.

Here's another case of an 'ultimate' collection that lives up to its name. As anyone who has heard the first two volumes of Christmas Cocktails will tell you -- those are two of the best holiday discs out there. There's a new volume available? Great! You can only buy it as part of this box set? Not great. What about the music? How's the music?? Great. Volume Three may not have as many songs, or cool unlisted bonus tracks, or the great liner notes & recipes like the other two do. But with nary a bad track to be found among the 15 here, it's still a great addition to your collection -- even if you have the first two discs. If you don't already have the first two CDs, Ultimate Christmas Cocktails is essential.

Originally released in 1998, A Lovemongers' Christmas has been reissued several times with various titles and artwork. This time, it gets new artwork (again) and two new songs -- "Mary" and "Let's Stay In." However, the real highlights throughout the CD are Ann and Nancy Wilson's beautiful vocals. "Ave Maria" and the acapella "Oh Holy Night" are simply stunning. "Here is Christmas" is a great way to start the CD (not to mention this year's Night Owl Radio) and Nancy's instrumental version of "Bring a Torch" is nicely done too.

Musically, Christmas with The Rat Pack, is exactly the same as the one released just two years ago. The only thing different about this one is the artwork (and personally, I like the new artwork better). This CD is actually a compilation of solo recordings by Frank, Dean & Sammy (for those who might think that they're performing together). There are two tracks where Frank & Dean perform together, but that's the extent of it. This is the perfect holiday release for anyone who doesn't already have it, or the trio's individual albums (the music is top-notch, of course).

Speaking of The Rat Pack, Christmas with Dino is an updated version of of Dean's 1998 album, Making Spirits Bright. It includes all but one song from 1966's Dean Martin Christmas Album, the holiday cuts from his 1959 album, A Winter Romance, and the 1953 single, "The Christmas Blues" added on for good measure. Basically, all your favorites are here, making this one of the most consistent and enjoyable Christmas records around. Purists will scoff at the lack of liner notes, but the sound quality is top-notch.

Jazz Christmas CDs seem to be notoriously hit or miss. Vince Guaraldi set the standard back in the 60's with the classic, A Charlie Brown Christmas. The first half of Ramsey Lewis' Sound of Christmas is great, with "Winter Wonderland," Here Comes Santa Claus" and Lewis' own "Christmas Blues" being the highlights. Then there's the second half with the 10-piece string section. Back in the early 60's, jazz artists felt the urge to add strings to popularize the music. Listening to it now, you have to wonder what they were thinking. The first half of the CD is outstanding, skip the rest.

Yes, this is the same album that's been reissued before (this time, however, it's missing "Christmas Time is Here Again"). The band's Ultimate Christmas is still the best of all of the various reissues, but this one will do just fine if you can't find a copy. Like Ultimate Christmas, Christmas with The Beach Boys consists of the group's classic 1964 Capitol Christmas album, plus a load of bonus tracks and extensive liner notes.

Christmas with You is a reissue of Black's 1995 "Looking for Christmas" CD with 2 additional new songs. Black has long been a believer in the stiff sounding 'I'm going to try to sing without opening my mouth' style of vocalizing, and apparently he didn't feel that there was any reason to do things differently on the new tracks. Still, there are a couple tunes that aren't too bad: "Christmas for Every Boy & Girl" and the festive "Til Santa Comes (Milk & Cookies)." Other than that, unless you're a diehard Clint Black fan, skip this one.

Chillout/electronica fans had to know this was coming... The Florida-based label, Kriztal scores big with two volumes of The Reindeer Room -- two separate collections of classic and original holiday tunes recorded by some of the brightest artists on the scene. Highlights on the first volume include "Jingle Bells" by Sub Santa, and "A Child Is Born" from Jon Kennedy. The second volume is the really cool one though. LED vs. Panophonic's cool rendition of "My Favorite Things" is worth the price of the disc by itself. But wait... Not only does Volume Two come with a DVD featuring a 5.1 surround mix of all the songs on the CD, you also get a yule log video to watch at the same time.

Punk rock and holidays tunes generally don't mix very well, but Immortal's A Santa Cause, does its best to cater to the punk crowds. As you'd probably expect, this combination of originals and more 'traditional' tracks is less than spectacular. However, there are number of tracks that are well worth a listen. Far and Deftones vocalist Chino Moreno collaborate on a rocking, yet heartfelt version of "Feed the World." The tracks by Acceptance, Standstill (maybe not 'politically correct' during the holidays, but funny nonetheless) and the hidden bonus track by Nerf Herder are highlights as well. Proceeds from A Santa Cause are being donated to the Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

Speaking of 'politically incorrect,' here's an eclectic collection for your stocking -- guaranteed to stir up some conversations during the Christmas season! The songs on A John Waters Christmas are mostly obscure Christmas classics, hand picked by Waters himself. Tiny Tim's "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Sleigh Ride" by Alvin and The Chipmunks, and my personal favorite on the disc, "Santa Claus is a Black Man" by AKIM & The Teddy Vann Production Company are just a few of the tunes you'll find on this CD of holiday quirkiness.

Now let's get to this year's Christmas edition of Night Owl Radio! Like always, we have a wide variety of tunes lined up for you this year. From Afroman to Ferrante & Teicher, Bing Crosby to Emerson Lake & Palmer, and Chris Isaak to The Polyphonic Spree, we've covered just about all the bases once again this year. To see the complete track listing and to listen to this year's show, just click on the image below...

From all of us here at The Night Owl, we'd like to wish you and yours a Happy Holiday and best wishes for a safe and Happy New Year!

Other recommended holiday titles from The Night Owl:

Mindi Abair - I Can't Wait for Christmas (iTunes / Verve)
Afroman - Jobe Bells (Hungry Hustler)
Louis Armstrong - 20th Century Masters (Hip-O)
Barenaked Ladies - Barenaked for the Holidays (Desperation / Warner Bros.)
David Benoit - Remembering Christmas (GRP)
Big Rhythm - A Swingin' Christmas (Warner Brothers)
Charles Brown - Cool Christmas Blues (Bullseye Blues)
Ray Charles - The Spirit of Christmas (Atlantic/Rhino)
Bing Crosby - The Voice of Christmas (MCA/Decca)
Will Downing - Christmas, Love and You (GRP)
Eagles - Please Come Home For Christmas (Elektra)
Esquivel - Merry Xmas From the Space-Age Bachelor Pad (Bar None)
Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas (Universal)
Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas (Fantasy)
Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas (Fantasy SACD)
Gary Hoey - Ho! Ho! Hoey (Surf Dog)
Gary Hoey - Ho! Ho! Hoey II (Surf Dog)
Gary Hoey - Ho! Ho! Hoey III (Surf Dog)
Gary Hoey - The Best of Ho! Ho! Hoey (Surf Dog)
Spike Jones - Let's Sing a Song of Christmas (Verve)
The Lonely Hearts Band - Classic Christmas Songs with a Dash of Pepper (Not Lame)
Arthur Lyman - With a Christmas Vibe (Rykodisc)
Mannheim Steamroller - Christmas (American Gramaphone)
Mediaeval Baebes - Mistletoe & Wine (Nettwerk)
Joe Nichols - A Traditional Christmas (Universal South)
Elvis Presley - Elvis' Christmas Album (RCA)
Dianne Reeves - Christmas Time is Here (Blue Note)
Bob Rivers - Chipmunks Roasting on an Open Fire (Atlantic)
Bob Rivers - I am Santa Claus (Atlantic)
Bob Rivers - More Twisted Christmas (Atlantic)
Bob Rivers - Twisted Christmas (Atlantic)
Jimmy Smith - Cookin' Christmas (Verve)
Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve And Other Stories (Atlantic/Lava)
Trans-Siberian Orchestra - The Christmas Attic (Atlantic/Lava)
Vince Vance & The Valiants - All I Want For Christmas is You (Waldoxy)
Various Artists - A Country Superstar Christmas (Hip-O)
Various Artists - A Very Special Christmas (A&M)
Various Artists - A Very Special Christmas 2 (A&M)
Various Artists - A Winter's Night - The Best of Nettwerk Christmas (Nettwerk)
Various Artists - Billboard Greatest Christmas Hits 1935-1954 (Rhino)
Various Artists - Billboard Greatest Christmas Hits 1955-Present (Rhino)
Various Artists - Billboard Presents: Family Christmas Classics (Rhino)
Various Artists - Blue Yule (Rhino)
Various Artists - Bullseye Blues Christmas (Bullseye Blues)
Various Artists - Christmas Gumbo (Flambeau)
Various Artists - Christmas Remixed (Six Degrees)
Various Artists - Christmas Songs (Milestone)
Various Artists - Dr. Demento's Holidays in Dementia (Rhino)
Various Artists - Hipster's Holiday (Rhino)
Various Artists - hOMe for the Holidays (O.M.)
Various Artists - How the Grinch Stole Christmas (soundtrack) (Interscope)
Various Artists - Jazz for Joy (Verve)
Various Artists - Jazz to the World (Blue Note)
Various Artists - Maybe This Christmas (Nettwerk)
Various Artists - Maybe This Christmas Too (Nettwerk)
Various Artists - Merry Axemas: A Guitar Christmas (Epic)
Various Artists - Merry Axemas 2: More Guitars For Christmas (Epic)
Various Artists - MTV's TRL Christmas (Atlantic/Lava)
Various Artists - Natty & Nice: A Reggae Christmas (Rhino)
Various Artists - Punk Rock Xmas (Rhino)
Various Artists - Superstar Christmas (Epic)
Various Artists - The Best Christmas Ever (Virgin)
Various Artists - Ultra Lounge: Christmas Cocktails (Capitol)
Various Artists - Ultra Lounge: Christmas Cocktails 2 (Capitol)
Various Artists - Walt Baby Love: Christmas Tracks (The Right Stuff)
Various Artists - Yule B' Swingin' (Hip-O)
Various Artists - Yule Be Boppin' (Blue Note)
Dwight Yoakum - Come on Christmas (Reprise)