Christmas With the Beach Boys
The never-out-of-style Beach Boys do a great job convincing the world that a SoCal Christmas is as snowy and cold as the rest of the world's winter wonderland. Featuring the classic "Little St. Nick,"Christmas with the Beach Boysalso offers the immense pleasure of the group's inimitable harmonies, arranged by one whose ear is that of an angelic choir director--resident L.A. geniusBrian Wilson. Included are a couple of outtakes, a promotional tape for a local toy drive, and a brief interview with Brian about the record. But the real joys are the rearrangements of staples like "Blue Christmas," "We Three Kings of Orient Are," and "Auld Lang Syne," all featuring that unmistakable Beach Boys sound. Even the originals, including "The Man with All the Toys," "Child of Winter," and the intriguing "Winter Symphony," blend the magic of the season with the wonders of the boys from the beach.--Martin Keller