Favorite Christmas Albums

I'm not much of a Christmas music fan. For that measure, I'm not much of a "Christian music" fan, (which I think is largely a ghetto for untalented musicians to take their cruddy mushy songs about their girlfriends and sing them about Jesus). But anyway, there are notable exceptions to both. As Christmas nears, I start dumping these albums into my playlist.

Sufjan Stevens - Songs for Christmas

A set of Christmas songs and just great hymns. The selections range from silly to nostalgic to moving. This album is simply beautiful. A work of art.



Andrew Peterson - Behold the Lamb of God

Two years ago, we caught the live performance of "Behold the Lamb of God" in Dallas. Peterson tells the Christmas story in a fresh way: as part of the story of redemption, from Moses to the cross. The must is great, especially "Gather Round" and "It Came to Pass." I appreciate "Labor of Love" that doesn't idealize the birth of Christ as a "silent night" but as bloody and hard as any pregnancy...why do we rob Mary of her honor by thinking it was an easy happy affair?

Vince Guaraldi - A Charlie Brown Christmas

Who doesn't love this album?