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Linda Ronstadt
A Merry Little Christmas
Elektra
She has been hailed as one of the greatest female popular singers ever, so that's reason enough to check out Linda Ronstadt's holiday album. Though A Merry Little Christmas begins in a relatively uninspired manner, a duet with Rosemary Clooney gives some unexpected spice to "White Christmas." The next surprise is a cover of Joni Mitchell's "River," which Ronstadt handles with ease. It would be impossible to turn "River" into an unaffecting song, but her version lacks Mitchell's girlish tone and the personal sorrow behind it - though it is nice to hear the song in any form (did you catch Robert Downey singing it on Ally McBeal?!). After this point Ronstadt tackles everything from vocal chorales ("O Come, O Come Emmanuel," "O Magnum Mysterium") to old English and Welsh Christmas songs ("Away in a Manger," "Lo, How a Rose E're Blooming"). Her voice still has amazing range and depth, and the version of "Silent Night," recorded with the Choir from Tucson in a recital hall, is imbued with all the reverence of a midnight mass.
Steffie Nelson
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