A Skaggs Family Christmas

1	Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! 2:37
2	Little Drummer Boy 5:43
3	What Child Is This? 3:10
4	Love Come Gently 3:18
5	Mary, Did You Know? 3:28
6	Hangin' Round the Mistletoe 2:33
7	Christmas Time Is Here 3:20
8	Deck the Halls Instrumental 2:19
9	The Christmas Guest 5:22
10	Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas 3:28
11	White Christmas 4:31
12	Go Thee Down 3:11
13	Do You Hear What I Hear? 3:19

Barnes & Noble

This engaging holiday album brings together the Ricky Skaggs and Buck White families (related by marriage) with Ricky's estimable band for a stirring and joyous Yuletide celebration that flaunts everyone's talents, from children to Granddad. Skaggs could easily have stolen the show, but the same grace he exhibits onstage applies to the studio as well, so after kicking off the festivities with a sprightly, mandolin-laced rendering of "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow," he sticks to instrumental work until the penultimate cut, a contemporary pop–styled carol titled "Go Thee Down," on which he takes a soothing, crooning lead vocal. Ricky's daughter Molly offers a plaintive vocal and tasty dulcimer solo on "Little Drummer Boy," which is further enlivened by the rich twang of Luke Skaggs' guitar solo. The venerable Buck White (Ricky's father-in-law) has a folksy lead vocal turn on the genial holiday love song "Hangin' Round the Mistletoe," which is rendered as a loping western swing shuffle. In an inspired moment, Molly returns with a plaintive lead vocal on the Charlie Brown Christmas classic "Christmas Time Is Here," which captures the innocence and charm of the original and boasts a lush string arrangement. With Buck supplying a trilling mandolin part, Sharon White delivers a sweet, swaying, pop-country rendition of "White Christmas," complete with a dreamy string interlude from the Nashville String Machine. Homespun, warm, and sincere, A Skaggs Family Christmas figures to become a seasonal mainstay. David McGee

All Music Guide

If one expects to find solid acoustic picking, striking vocals, and a number of religious carols on A Skaggs Family Christmas, they would be exactly right. If one also expects the album to be something of a family affair, they would be right again. Ricky Skaggs states that the project started in the family living room and, from there, grew to include a number of holiday concerts and finally a recording. Skaggs is joined by Sharon White, Molly Skaggs, Luke Skaggs, Buck White, and the members of his band, Kentucky Thunder. The set list hits all the important seasonal high, from carefree fun ("Let It Snow") to traditional ("Little Drummer Boy") to contemporary sentiment ("Christmas Time Is Here"). There's nifty instrumental work on "Deck the Halls" and outstanding harmony on "Hangin' Round the Mistletoe" and even recitations on "The Christmas Guest." With a long list of lead vocalists from Ricky Skaggs to Sharon White to Buck White to Molly Skaggs, this is something of an all-star group. The collection, however, has none of the overtones of an all-star collection, trafficking instead in old-fashioned family values anchored by religion. For those looking for tuneful sincerity, A Skaggs Family Christmas has it by the stocking full. Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.