Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Yes, we know it’s really too late to be reviewing Christmas albums but there were a couple of 2003 Yuletide releases we couldn’t let go without comment. The first is this gem from everybody’s favourite gospel wrinklies. Material-wise, what you get is the usual Christmas suspects: “Little Drummer Boy”, “In The Bleak Midwinter”, The Christmas Song”, “Away In A Manger”. What make these over-recorded items work are arrangements which give full emphasis to the Boys’ gritty way with gravely shouting and bluesy asides and guests that range from the sublime (Aaron Neville, Mavis Staples, Solomon Burke) to the odd (Chrissie Hynde with Richard Thompson) to the indescribable (George Clinton with Robert Randolph). Expect to be hearing tracks from this on the radio for numerous Christmases still to come.

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