Christmas music

Rock Critic Ken Tucker will review "A Very Special Christmas," the new charity record that features The Pretenders, U2, Bruce Springsteen and John Cougar Mellencamp.

Rock historian Ed Ward will discuss the making of Phil Spector's Christmas Album, one of the most successful records of its kind.

Rock Critic Ken Tucker continues his review of new recordings with a Christmas theme. His survey begins with the punk band The Ramones and ends with Prince.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new compilation of jazzed-up versions of Christmas classics.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new album of Christmas music by Mel Torme. Torme wrote the classic, The Christmas Song, and he tries to repeat his success with this album.

With 13 days still to go, some listeners might be crying "Enough!" (already) when the carols play. For them, Fresh Air's resident rock critic offers up two Christmas albums that might help make the holiday chestnuts seem fresh again: It's Christmas, Of Course, from Darlene Love, and Raul Malo's Marshmallow World and Other Holiday Favorites.

The news that Bob Dylan was making a Christmas album came as a surprise. Now that Christmas In The Heart has been released, with the announcement that all profits will go to charity, it's caused even more consternation, with commentators divided as to whether it's an earnest effort or one big put-down. Rock critic Ken Tucker offers his opinion.

Two kinds of people consume Christmas music: those who actually like the stuff, and folks who need something listenable on hand in case seasonal visitors insist on some ornamental mood music. For both groups, two new jazz brass albums should do the trick. Critic Kevin Whitehead reviews.

Every holiday season brings a new batch of seasonal pop music, some of it from unlikely or obscure sources. Rock critic Ken Tucker has listened to most of the new holiday collections released this year, and has chosen three albums that ought to make your season a bit more festive.

Thorn has recorded a holiday album, Tinsel and Lights, that critic Ken Tucker says might just work for warmer weather, as well. Tucker praises Thorn's voice as "bolstered by a firm intelligence," and says she avoids the fatty treacle that often weighs down Christmas albums.