Barry Manilow
's second seasonal collection, following 1990's
Because It's Christmas
, was released on
Columbia Records
, but that label berth appears to be a one-off for the singer, who followed his long tenure at
Arista
by signing to the
jazz
independent
Concord
for his last album, 2001's
Here at the Mayflower
. Maybe
Columbia
offered a bigger budget, since
Manilow
is awash in strings on a set of
holiday
standards
. Those strings are arranged festively, and
is in an appropriately festive mood, really throwing himself into the proceedings; it's his enthusiasm that makes this
Christmas
album a winner. There are songs actually written as Christmas
carols
, such as
"Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,"
but
also expands the usual repertoire to take in a number of tunes that have become associated with the holiday season over the years, even if they were not intended to be originally, notably
Rodgers & Hammerstein
's
"My Favorite Things"
from
The Sound of Music
and
Joni Mitchell
's melancholy
"River"
from her
Blue
album, which is certainly set at Christmas time even if it doesn't share the usual holiday sentiments. Inevitably,
ends with his own new Christmas original,
"A Gift of Love,"
which is a good song even if it isn't likely to join the ranks of the perennial copyrights. This is an enjoyable
album in a
traditional pop
style likely to please both
fans and others. ~ William Ruhlmann