This Christmas cd is a bit of a patchwork, which Olivia owns up to in the liner notes. But mixing material from a Hallmark Christmas cd she did last year, along with tracks from Kenny Loggins "December" TV special, does not lessen the effect of the presentation.
Olivia has put together a satisfying collection of holiday standards. Despite being dismissed at times as a 70's pop star, Olivia's voice has grown in strength and assurance with age, as evidenced on her beautiful version of "Ave Maria." Her tracks with the London Symphony Orchestra are rich, and her more country flavored holiday tracks give the cd a nice variety. The only mis-step is "Let it Snow!" with Kenny Loggins and Clint Black, which worked better on TV when you could see the 3 singers goofing around a bit.
Christmas Collection is targeted at Olivia's mainstay fans, who will delight in its offering. If you're looking for something special to slip into your cd player this season, you'd do well to make it Olivia's Christmas Collection, which you just might find yourself continuing to play once Christmas has come and gone
