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Release Date: 10/07/2008
For his third holiday album -- he releases one every decade, more or less like clockwork --
George Strait concentrates on the basics, something that's evident from the very title of
Classic Christmas. There's not a new tune or obscurity among the album's ten songs, as
Strait relies heavily on carols like
"Silent Night," "Joy to the World," and
"O Come, All Ye Faithful," adding a couple relatively newer standards like
"Jingle Bells" and
"Up on the Housetop" for balance. This makes
Classic Christmas quite a bit different from 1999's
Merry Christmas Wherever You Are, which concentrated on brand-new tunes and secular favorites like
"Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!," "The Christmas Song," and
"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" -- songs that he pulled off nicely, but the simplicity of these standards is well suited for
Strait's warm, easygoing touch. Indeed,
Classic Christmas is quite warm and easygoing, a relaxed collection of gentle acoustic numbers and subdued Western swing (
"Jingle Bells" and
"Upon on the Housetop" benefit quite a bit from the latter) that feels as true to
Strait's sound as it does to the spirit of the season.
~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
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