it ain't Christmas Music for me without Elvis around. He is vastly Underrated on so many levels.He was the truth&He could do so many styles of Music¬ miss a beat.This Compilation fully captures His Greatness at Christmas time.I can listen to this Album year round.Props&RIP To Elvis.

Elvis recorded and released 20 Christmas songs during his career. All 20 songs are available on this CD in addition to 4 alternate takes, making this the most comprehensive Elvis Christmas collection available. The best of the alternate versions is "I'll Be Home On Christmas Day", which I like better than the original release (it has a more of an R&B feel to it).

The highlights of this collection are the first 8 songs along with the previously mentioned alternate take and the final selection, "Silent Night." Most of those songs were recorded for the original Elvis Christmas album released in 1957, with the title track being recorded and released as a single in 1966. Elvis is in top form for these songs and several of them have become Christmas classics still receiving radio play nearly 50 years after they were recorded!

The rest of the songs were recorded for his 1971 "The Wonderful World of Christmas" album and are not in the same class as the earlier recordings. Elvis' voice seems strained on some of the songs and in general his performances are just not has strong as his ealier recordings. But still this collection is a must for Elvis and Christmas music fans!

I can guarantee that had he lived, the great Buddy Holly would not have become such a schlockmeister as this. I'm pretty sure that Gene Vincent would not have gone this route either.

(While this is speculation on my part, I say this with confidence in Holly's musical genius, a genius when it came to recording and composing, resulting in music that basically surpasses Elvis's. I also say this with a belief that Gene Vincent was more of a cool rockabilly cat than was Elvis, who quickly left his rocker roots behind to become a lounge singer and B movie star. Elvis got the acclaim, but other 50s rockers were better.)

In fact, in spite of being labeled "the King" of rock and roll, poor Elvis Presley was truly and ultimately a square, as hard as it is for his fans to admit it. This, his contribution to one of pop music's more irritating genres - i.e., Christmas albums - is proof. That's all I need to say about this.