Love's Holiday: A Gospel Christmas (CD - 2007)

This best-selling Time-Life compilation brings together stirring contemporary gospel versions of holiday classics, as well as lovely originals, by the biggest pop and gospel stars on the scene. The highlights are plenty: Bryan Wilson's rousing "The Savior Has Come" is a slice of shuffling '60s soul; Christina Aguilera pulls out all the stops on her R&B-inflected "Angels We Have Heard on High"; Alicia Keys's emotional spoken-word section of "Little Drummer Boy" will moisten lots of eyes. And the late Luther Vandross's "O Come All Ye Faithful" is a powerful testament of faith. Whitney Houston closes the album with a terrific, old-time-gospel rendition of "Joy to the World" that brings down the house. minimize