Old Time Christmas
Randy Travis's throaty baritone glows like the embers of a Yule log all year long, so this selection of old and new Christmas favorites is every bit as cozy as a rug and a hot toddy by the fire. The Nashville all-stars backing him on this 1989 release make the classics (including Willie Nelson's oft-covered "Pretty Paper") sound sweet, but the real treats here are Travis's own "How Do I Wrap My Heart for Christmas" (co-written with hitmaker Paul Overstreet) and a pair of tunes that put an ironic twist on familiar titles, "Oh, What a Silent Night" and the wonderful "White Christmas Makes Me Blue."--Michael Ruby