AMG Review of Very Special Christmas, Vol. 2

Dennis MacDonald
All Music Guide

This CD was recorded for a worthwhile cause (Special Olympics) and contains some great songs, most notably Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers' "Christmas All Over Again" -- this is jingle-jangle pop at its best. Boyz II Men wrap their a cappella voices around "The Birth of Christ," and the two Wall of Sound standouts, Darlene Love and Ronnie Spector, bring their powerful voices together for the first time on "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree." Bonnie Raitt duets with Charles Brown on his sexy "Merry Christmas, Baby," while Aretha Franklin shows why she's called the Queen of Soul on "O Christmas Tree."