But, my judgment of A Very Special Christmas is undoubtedly colored further by the fact that what was once a mere Christmas album has become a veritable franchise, with the returns diminishing considerably with each installment. A Very Special Christmas 2 arrived five years later bearing one bona fide classic (Tom Petty's "Christmas All Over Again"), a fun follow-up from Run-D.M.C. ("Christmas Is"), and a host of respectable cuts from big-name stars - including Sinead O'Connor's iridescent cover of Bob Dylan's "I Believe In You." But, we're also subjected to several genuine stinkers. Michael Bolton? Debbie Gibson? More Bon Jovi? Please, Jimmy, make it stop!

Sadly, the Very Special Christmas series dragged on and on, each volume struggling to differentiate itself by applying a new color scheme to Keith Haring's iconic, graffitti-inspired original artwork. (Haring died in 1990, so he wasn't, um, available to create new covers.) A Very Special Christmas 3 (1997) was even spottier than the sophomore release, with Sheryl Crow's sultry "Blue Christmas" and No Doubt's slamming "Oi To The World" standing out amidst the dross. A Very Special Christmas 4 (1999) - and much of the subsequent volume - consisted of unremarkable live performances from concerts at the White House, though A Very Special Christmas 5 (2001) was redeemed slightly by some bracing alternative rock from SR-71, Powder, and Eve 6. The entertainment industry seems to believe that more of a good thing is always better; like most endless series of sequels, though, A Very Special Christmas just got less special each time out of the box.

Speaking of boxes, the first five volumes of the series were packaged together in 2003 as A Very Special Christmas Collection (now deleted and very scarce), appearing to signal that Very Special Christmas was winding down (such was not the case). And, it's worth noting that at least two other discs were compiled as adjuncts to this rock-oriented series - Jazz To The World (1995) and World Christmas (1996). Finally, let's not forgot that all these discs serve a good cause - despite my reservations I purchased them all, and I encourage you to do the same.

The latest installment of the Very Special Christmas series, however, breathed a bit of life into the wheezing construct. Comprised entirely of folk, bluegrass, and country music (genres ignored in previous volumes), A Very Special Acoustic Christmas (2003) even featured new artwork - surely a sign that a new leaf was being overturned! Personally, I take little comfort from this new direction, being no fan of modern acoustic music. I find it, more often than not, to be polite, respectful, or introspective where it should be hungry, passionate, and rowdy. A Very Special Acoustic Christmas suffers from these maladies, though it compiles a pleasant hour of pickin' despite itself. What this new volume says about the future of the Very Special Christmas series is debatable, but sometimes a change is as good as a rest....

Throughout A Very Special Acoustic Christmas, young bucks (Pat Green) and contemporary heavyweights (Wynonna Judd) coexist peacefully with old-timers like Earl Scruggs and Ralph Stanley. Alison Krauss gets point for trying something different (a soulful original song, "Only You Can Bring Me Cheer"), but she sounds uncomfortable outside her usual down-home setting. Norah Jones (who seems out of place, regardless), contributes a fine reading of Horace Silver's "Peace," a Christmas song that never names the holiday. And, Alan Jackson - never a favorite of mine - delivers an affecting rendition of "Just Put A Ribbon In Your Hair" (first recorded by Doug Stone in 1992).

The problem is, very few of the other performances are truly memorable. Reba McEntire, for instance, turns in a perfectly lovely - but boring - reading of "Silent Night," and the same can be said for tracks by Ricky Skaggs and Patty Loveless. Others, such as Rhonda Vincent's "Christmas Time At Home," fall victim to the theory that dressing clichés in acoustic instrumentation and Appalachian harmonies somehow makes them meaningful.

In the end, I appreciate most the songs that stay truest to their country roots - that is, tracks that work up a healthy head of steam while holding fast to tradition. In this light, cuts like Marty Stuart's simmering original "Even Santa Claus Gets The Blues" shine brightest. But, A Very Special Acoustic Christmas will be enjoyed best by either fans of contemporary country or folks who listen to the nebulous "adult alternative" genre - and I am neither. [top of page]