CMT Blog: Christmas

Now, I'll be the first to tell you that my dream Christmas holiday would be spent on a tropical island with twinkling lights hanging in palm trees. On this blistery, cold day in Nashville, I find myself transporting my mind and soul south of the border with the help of Kenny Chesney's All I Want for Christmas Is a Real Good Tan. Filled with classic favorites like "Silent Night" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas," his 2003 album also has duets from Randy Owen and Willie Nelson, along with an island-themed "Jingle Bells." If you're feeling the winter blues like me, try the new DVD version, All I Want for Christmas Is a Real Good Tan (Christmas Classics -- the Yule Edition). It plays the full album with holiday-themed backgrounds so I can curl up on the couch and let my mind drift to an island getaway.

One of the most expressive vocalists in Nashville, John Cowan is ringing in the holiday season with a new album, Comfort and Joy. If you're throwing a Christmas dinner party, you should consider getting this album to set a stylish mood because this elegant collection of Christmas favorites is just restrained enough to blend into the background. However, if your guests catch Cowan's commanding rendition of "O Holy Night," you'll certainly hear them ask, "Who the heck is that singer?" In that case, you can inform them that Cowan used to sing in New Grass Revival and that he remains a popular draws at festivals like Telluride and MerleFest. Cowan dedicates the album to his late father and that tenderness is evident in renditions of "Silent Night" and "The Christmas Song." If you like a little bit of mandolin and fiddle with your R&B (and I don't mean ribbons and bows), may this album bring you comfort and joy.

It was Oprah Winfrey's first-ever holiday duet extravaganza today (Nov. 30). And I don't know that I'd go so far as to call it an "extravaganza," but I will say seeing Tim McGraw and Sugarland in their holiday finest and on a winter wonderland of a stage did make me feel all Christmas-y inside. McGraw sang "Happy Christmas" with Alicia Keys, complete with croons and growls in all the right places. And Sugarland did a quiet, acoustic "Silent Night" with Jennifer Hudson, giving it a twangy soulful sound. Even better, the stars sat around with Winfrey after their performances and talked about holiday traditions. McGraw makes pasta on Christmas Eve and gives money so he doesn't have to shop. Jennifer Nettles likes to throw soup parties with her pals, and Kristian Bush records Christmas songs for his mom. Not only did the show give you some beautiful Christmas music to get you in the mood, it gives you a glimpse into how the other half lives come the holiday season.

Joey & Rory always seem so willing to let fans into their home life. You get to know the couple better when they show off their farm in Overstock.com commercials or talk about Joey's other job baking at Marcy Jo's Meal House. Their video for "It's Christmas Time" sees them letting us in even further. They take a moment to do what many will do this holiday season -- look back through a Christmas photo album. And we get to take a look, too.

The true meaning of Christmas can't really be found at Wal-Mart, but at least some meaningful music can be found there, thanks to Jo Dee Messina and her new deal with Hallmark. Wal-Mart stores now have a whole bunch of Hallmark Cards With Sound made just for Christmas, with Messina's takes on classic holiday tunes like "Silent Night," "O Holy Night," "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." What I have always loved about these cards is their subtle, see-how-awesome-country-is message that is right there under the actual printed message. It gives you a way to turn people on to this music without being too pushy. And this time of year is perfect for spreading that country love. In the meantime, Messina might be making a Christmas wish that her completed album, Unmistakeable, will get released in 2009.

Taylor Swift has already sold 800,000 copies of her new CD. And I think they all came from the Wal-Mart by my house.

I was one of those insane shoppers who woke up last Friday (Nov. 28) thinking it might be fun to get some shopping done. Not real shopping. Just see-what's-out-there shopping. Like window shopping, if Wal-Mart had windows. I knew what Wall Street was predicting: retailers would lose money all winter long. I did see an overall sense of desperation coming from the greeters and their circulars (XBOX 360 for $199! iPod Touch for $227! Sunbeam Mixmaster for $88! Hungry Hungry Hippos for $5!), but I was mostly interested in how the economy was going to affect music sales this season. And what I determined is, it's not going to affect them much at all.

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Stork. Phelps. Romo. So many men have been linked to Carrie Underwood, but this time, she's really found her soulmate. Elvis Presley. Granted, he's not living in the here and now. But they are so good together on his Elvis Presley's Christmas Duets CD. The two sing "I'll Be Home for Christmas" together. Underwood said singing "with" Presley was very surreal, but that it felt like a good thing to do. "When Priscilla asks you to sing with Elvis, you do it," she told Entertainment Tonight. She added that she loves traditional Christmas songs like this one because of their ability to stand the test of time. I have to agree although she'd probably sound just as good dueting on more modern country Christmas tunes like Kenny Chesney's "All I Want for Christmas Is a Real Good Tan" or Garth Brooks' "Baby Jesus Is Born."

Martina McBride will make an electrifying appearance Friday night (Nov. 21) in Memphis when she flips the switch during the annual holiday lighting ceremony at Graceland. Elvis won't be there, although modern technology has allowed McBride to sing a duet with him on "Blue Christmas," the opening track of his new Christmas Duets album. Fans around the world will be watching the lighting ceremony on Elvis.com via video streaming on a special LiveCam. This year's ceremony will also feature actress Marlo Thomas, who will launch the fifth annual St. Jude's Thanks and Giving campaign for the holiday season. And artist Thomas Kinkade will unveil his latest masterpiece, "Graceland Christmas." The ceremony begins at approximately 6 p.m. CT, although most of the people actually gathering at Graceland will be living the moment in Elvis Time.

If you were not one of the lucky 3,000 or so people that experienced Faith Hill's exclusive performance of her Joy to the World Christmas album, not to worry. Come Thanksgiving week and throughout December, PBS will be showing her full concert with behind-the-scenes video and intimate interviews. With a stunningly decorated stage, a 31-person orchestra and a breathtakingly beautiful Faith dressed in a gold satin gown, it's a show not to be missed.

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I know it's only Nov. 20, and Thanksgiving hasn't even come and gone, but I have just the thing to put you in the holiday mood. Well, I don't. But Carrie Underwood does. The five extra Christmas tracks on her Carnival Ride CD are flat-out gorgeous. It's a Wal-Mart exclusive, so if you're an iTunes person, you may have to break out of your usual downloading routines. But these songs are worth the extra effort. Even the 30-second audio samples will have you pining for Christmas cookies and cozy snowman sweaters. To hear her power pipes on classics like "The First Noel," "Do You Hear What I Hear," "What Child Is This" and more makes me want to go caroling right this minute.