Country Christmas
Through good times and bad, Johnny Cash has remained true to his roots--roots that have never sounded better-tended than on this pure country collection of holiday standards (and a few surprises). Split evenly between solo material and songs recorded with wife June Carter and the Carter family,Country Christmasruns the gamut from reverent ("What Child Is This?") to downright knee-slappin' (the grin inducing "Piggy Puddin'"). About the only thing the 15-song set doesn't have is a veneer of slickness to rope in the stuffed shirts. And who needs them at a Christmas party, anyway?--David Sprague