Christmas Is 4 Ever
Be honest: how much fun do youreallyexpect to wring out of the holidays this year? With endless presents to buy and decorations to put up, there can be precious little time to get down. That's whereChristmas Is 4 Evercomes in handy. If you can find room in your busy schedule to gather a few close friends for mingling and merrymaking, this disc is probably the most cost-effective alternative to a DJ around. Nearly everyone who's anyone has covered a Christmas song or two in their career, but Bootsy Collins is one of the few to truly make the arrangements his own (even going so far as to rename holiday standards in a funky style). Here, he combines his outrageous style with a touch of hip-hop, plenty of shout-outs, and well-wishing phone messages featuring friends from Buckethead to (the late) Roger Troutman (of Zapp fame) to George Clinton himself. In fact, Collins, who may best be known to some for his work with Clinton and James Brown, isn't shy about inviting friends to the party, including Snoop Dogg on "Happy Holidaze," Charlie Daniels on "Sleigh Ride," and Candis Cheatham turning in lead vocals on "Santa's Coming" (a.k.a. "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"), the track that arguably does the best job intertwining danceability--and a little humor--with traditional Christmas cheer. Longtime fans will be pleased by contributions from Funkadelic alums, including Blackbyrd McKnight, Bernie Worrell, and Bootsy's brother, Catfish. Novices, meanwhile, may find this album a gateway to non-seasonal '70s classics. If you're looking to eradicate all things overly ponderous from the holidays, Bootsy is the cure; after all, you can't spell "funky" without "fun."--Leah Weathersby