Ultimate Christmas 2

(BMG)

The Soulful Sounds of Christmas

(Rhino)

In the world of holiday sequels, Ultimate Christmas 2 ranks down there with muck like Home Alone 2. Holiday tunes such as Dido’s “Christmas Day” are the only things saving this from black coal. Meanwhile, there are more soulful sounds on The Soulful Sounds of Christmas, which ignores soul Christmas classics from the likes of Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding, offering instead En Vogue (“Snowy Nights”) and TLC (“Sleigh Ride”). Not only are the tracks old, some of them are in the stable of tired hits such as Run-DMC’s “Christmas in Hollis.” In other words, not all holiday soul will fill you with the holiday spirit.

(Ultimate)*

(Soulful) **

This article appears in December 24 • 2004.

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