C – Christmas Portrait

Amazon.com

Hipper now than they ever were of their day, Karen and Richard Carpenter achieved a rare feat: They saw one in all their songs change into a holiday classic. “Merry Christmas, Darling” sold like mad Within the late 1970s and cemented the identity of the song with the band. Within the wake of Karen’s death, the lyrics became much more poignant, but is not a good tug at the heartstrings what numerous holiday songs are all about? The Carpenters’ tender cover of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is equally touching, their lush vocals layered like warm blankets on a cold December night. Even though Christmas Portrait is harshly abbreviated, this version–the Special Edition–features almost 40 songs, including goose-bump giving versions of “Ave Maria” and “O Holy Night” and is surely the better disc of the two. –Steve Gdula