I have a big stack of Christmas CDs and this is one of my favorites, keeping in mind that what I like in a Christmas album is rock versions of traditional favorites. That's mostly what you'll find here. All the traditional carols are very solid on this disc, and very upbeat.

As is usually my opinion, the original songs are the weaker ones on the album. Christmas Like a Child is completely forgettable, but not to the point that you want to skip it and Merry Christmas goes for the sappiness jugular. It will likely either bring tears to your eyes or cause them to roll so far back in your head it hurts.

The old favorites more than make up for the new tracks and I will be listening to this one all season, and for many more to come. Overall, a great CD.

Amanda Hamm, author of Dear Jane Letters