Looks like curating Christmas collections agrees with Ken Kessler, longtime friend of this site. His first collection, Volume 1, appeared on this site last year, and for 2010 he's back again with Volume 2. This year's collection is intended to benefit Sweet Relief, the charity that helps working musicians cover their medical bills (I should add American musicians, owing to this country's history of offering only the shabbiest of safety nets to its citizens, particularly the ones who don't work for Fortune 500 companies or in government). Like Volume 1, the collection casts a wide net for listeners, with lots of ballads in the early going, but this year's collection has more rock 'n roll moments. Many of these songs have been out before, but only in limited editions or for fans. Vertical Horizon's version of "I Believe in Father Christmas" makes a fresh appearance here, Belinda Carlisle contributes her 80s version of "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen," Deep Blue Something contribute an unreleased version of "Little Drummer Boy," and the modern-day version of 60s party band the Swingin' Medallions does a Christmas update on the old Bruce Channel song with "Hey, Hey Santa." Ken also snagged cuts released only last year by Bootlegger ("Coming Home For Christmas") and Sleeping At Last ("Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"), along with what is likely to be a cut from Dave Stewart's long-promised Christmas album ("White Christmas") and the North Pole All-Stars, made up of regulars from Little Feat, with their "Santa Gotta Get Some," a song that was recorded to help pay down the medical debt following the death of band member Richie Hayward last year. Kathy Sledge, who with her sisters did "We Are Family," pops up here with her version of "The Christmas Waltz," and Chase Stevens contributes an original, "First Christmas Apart." There's more, which Ken helpfully lays out for you at his MySpace page. All told, a good album for a good cause, with plenty of possible mix disc choices.
Leave a comment