Once Upon a Christmas
Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, two of country's most loved (or least liked, depending on how you look at them) stars join forces for a Christmas album that is surprisingly fluff free. There are the usual suspects here--a cozy "Winter Wonderland," a somber "Silent Night"--plus some touching curiosities, like "The Greatest Gift of All" and the title track. Of course there are the required romantic numbers since this is a duet album, but they're not as gratuitous as one might fear. Dolly does a fine job of keeping the yee-haw factor to a minimum, and Kenny doesn't try to compete with her on the singer-as-storyteller front. All in all their voices complement each other quite well, and the arrangements are first rate. Here's one holiday collection that might win a few converts.--Steve Gdula