Editor Reviews:

Amazon.com:
Every year since 1987, there's been A Very Special Christmas record of one sort or another, the proceeds of which go to the Special Olympics. This year's A Very Special Acoustic Christmas is as great as any previous year's efforts, even though it's deliciously unplugged. Country music superstars like Reba McEntire, Alan Jackson, and Wynonna are balanced by such legendary country and bluegrass figures as Earl Scruggs, Ralph Stanley, Ricky Skaggs, and Willie Nelson (doing a version of Charles Brown's "Please Come Home for Christmas" that's almost as haunting as Brown's). Throw in the father of newgrass Sam Bush's sparkling "Let it Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!," Tift Merritt's sensual "I'll Be Home for Christmas," and a handful of other luminaries and you get a 16-tune acoustic set long on value that ends with multi-Grammy-winner Norah Jones singing "Peace." --Martin Keller

Rating : - A Very Special Acoustic Christmas... indeed!
Must admit that I normally don't buy many country music albums. Out of hundreds of music CDs, I could count the total of this genre on two hands, and my bluegrass and folk collection is fairly thin. But for some reason, the artists on A Very Special Acoustic Christmas seem to express the music of the season in a truly wonderful way. Maybe it's just the season, but I don't think so, as this is truly a superb album.

This album is the sixth in the Very Special Christmas Series, which was produced on behalf of Special Olympics, and since the first "A Very Special Christmas" album was released in 1987, this amazingly successful series has raised more than $100 million for Special Olympics, making it the most ever raised by a benefit series. And every CD purchased still helps this worthy cause - look them up sometime.

This album was released on the the Grammy-award winning Lost Highway Records label, and the sixteen tracks and performers are:

1. Silent Night, by Reba McEntire
2. Frosty the Snowman, by Dan Tyminski
3. Please Come Home for Christmas, by Willie Nelson
4. Just Put a Ribbon in Your Hair, by Alan Jackson
5. Only You Can Bring Me Cheer, by Alison Krauss
6. Even Santa Claus Gets the Blues, by Marty Stuart
7. Jingle Bells, by Earl Scruggs
8. Christmas is Near, by Ralph Stanley
9. O Come All Ye Faithful, by Patti Loveless
10. O Holy Night, by Wynonna
11. Winter Wonderland, by Pat Green
12. Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!, by Sam Bush
13. Away in a Manger, by Ricky Skaggs
14. Christmas Time at Home, by Rhonda Vincent
15. I'll be Home for Christmas, by Tift Merritt
16. Peace, by Norah Jones

Some of these songs will be familiar, and some are new versions produced for this album for its release in 2003. Will just comment on a few of the tracks, and must say that opening with Reba McEntire's beautiful version of "Silent Night" and closing with Norah Jones singing and playing piano in her rendition of "Peace" made this album special. Liked Dan Tyminski's version of "Frosty the Snowman," but Willie Nelson's rendition of "Please Come Home for Christmas" is a special track worth repeating. Alison Kraus' romantic offering was very special surprise (to me), and "O Holy Night," by Wynonna became another favorite. Could go on about each track, as there are no 'dogs' here at all.

There are a number of excellent offerings in this Very Special Christmas Series that are worth mentioning, as they cover a wide range of musical tasted. Have listed them in order here, along with the years their original release:

#1. A Very Special Christmas - 1987
#2. A Very Special Christmas, Vol. 2 - 1992
#3. A Very Special Christmas, Vol. 3 - 1997
#4. A Very Special Christmas Live! - 1999
#5. A Very Special Christmas, Vol. 5 - 2001
#6. A Very Special Acoustic Christmas - 2003

These are all good CDs, easily 4-stars or better, and each is still being sold in support of Special Olympics. However, you may wish to pass on the following sets for the reasons noted:

Playlist Plus: A Very Special Christmas. This is actually a compilation set of previously released CDs: A Very Special Christmas 2, A Very Special Christmas 3 and A Very Special Acoustic Christmas. There is nothing on the packaging to indicate this, nor on the product description, and check the price on this set accordingly.

A Very Special Christmas Collection. This is a set which is made up of the first five discs in a so-called box set, but the details on the product description are very sketchy. See for yourself, and again, check the price on this set on a comparative basis.

In summary, A Very Special Acoustic Christmas has been out for several Christmas seasons now, but it's a good holiday album with some new songs and a few traditional favorites, not to mention that it benefits a very worthy charity. It's a fine collection of seasonal songs that will give fans of country and acoustic music a lot of pleasure, and could be a fine gift as well. It's a 5-star treat.

Happy Holidays!