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RCA has repackaged and reshuffled Elvis Presley's Christmas canon yet again, coming up with the 25-track, chronologically sequenced collection pulled from 1957's stunning
Elvis' Christmas Album and 1971's lesser
Elvis Sings the Wonderful World of Christmas. Just like the U.S. postage stamps chronicling the svelte and the bloated Elvis, this set segments the singer's career into two parts. As a result, it has something for everyone, except perhaps
Irving Berlin, who attempted to get Elvis's '57 recording of "White Christmas" banned from radio play, deeming it "vulgar and disrespectful." It was, which is part of why the drastically rearranged tune is so memorable, as the then-young singer masticated the contemporary classic, adding his idiosyncratic dynamics and vocal trills; he turned a white Christmas into white trash with splendid results. Equally irreverent and just as riveting is the King's gritty take on
Leiber and Stoller's "Santa Claus Is Back in Town." Also tucked under the tree is his rollicking "Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)" with the
Jordanaires, and the wistful "I'll Be Home for Christmas," which cemented his reputation as pop's top dreamboat. And who can forget the song that changed the hue of Yuletide, "Blue Christmas"?
--Jaan Uhelszki