Ultimate Christmas Album, Volume 2

by Various Artists

Performers include: Jackson Five, Johnny Mathis, The Beach Boys, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Dean Martin, Burl Ives, The Salsoul Orchestra, Elmo & Patsy, Roy Orbison.

Includes liner notes by Mark Marymont.

Includes 25 songs.

Volume two of Collectables' Ultimate Christmas Album gathers more classic pop and rock holiday tunes, including the Beach Boys' "Little Saint Nick," Gene Autry's "Here Comes Santa Claus," and Diana Ross & the Supremes' "White Christmas." Most of this volume's best-known tracks are by traditional pop crooners, such as Dean Martin's "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!," Bing Crosby's "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas," and Burl Ives' "Holly Jolly Christmas." However, less-familiar tracks like the Echelons' "A Christmas Long Ago (Jingle Jingle)," Augie Rios' "Donde Esta Santa Claus," and Barry Gordon's "Nuttin' for Christmas" prevent the collection from being too predictable. It's not exactly a straightforward holiday-hits compilation, but The Ultimate Christmas Album, Vol. 2: balances enough standards and obscure tunes to make it a unique collection.
~ Heather Phares

Ultimate Christmas Album, Vol. 2: collects 25 influential songs of the season recorded in the '50s, '60s and '70s featuring Johnny Mathis, Burl Ives, Beach Boys, Jackson Five, Gene Autry and Bing Crosby. Please note that this edition includes the exact same track listing and cover art as the 1995 Collectables release The Ultimate Christmas Album, Vol. 2.
~ Al Campbell

Collectables' boldly titled Ultimate Christmas Album makes good on its promise of songs, but the artists performing them are pretty spotty. Holiday staples like Burl Ives' "Holly Jolly Christmas," Dean Martin's "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" and the Beach Boys' "Little Saint Nick" are indeed classics of the genre, but there are far too many misfires to call this compilation "ultimate."
~ James Christopher Monger