Christmas Songs [Nettwerk]

1	God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen / Sarah McLachlan Live 3:30
2	Winter Wonderland / Tara MacLean 2:20
3	Christmas Day / Dido 4:03
4	Terra Firma / Aude 5:01
5	Gaudete / Mediæval Bæbes 2:17
6	Song For A Winter's Night / Sarah McLachlan 3:47
7	The Cat Carol / Meryn Cadell 4:27
8	It's In Everyone / Dayna Manning 5:04
9	The Little Drummer Boy / Matthew Ryan 4:38
10	O Come, O Come, Emmanuel / Kendall Payne 3:38
11	Ave Maria / Jennifer McLaren 2:35
12	Skating On The River / Lily Frost 23:03
13	The Christmas Song / Maren Ord 2:34
14	Polly Anderson's Christmas Party / Stuart McLean 3:26

Barnes & Noble

Their proximity to the North Pole would lead us to believe that a Christmas album is in good hands with Canadians. It also doesn't hurt if you are Nettwerk Productions and count Sarah McLachlan, Barenaked Ladies, and Dido -- who is becoming a household name on U.S. soil because of Eminem sampling her in his song "Stan" -- among your employees. Christmas Songs, the straight-to-the-point holiday sampler from the Canadian indie label, gets down to business right away by pairing the biggest stars (BNL and McLachlan) for "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen." Although, compared to other December ditties, there's nothing particularly merry or gentle about this tune, the Ladies turn it into a charming skiffle number and McLachlan's breathy pipes give it that special twinkle. Dido's brand-new "Christmas Day," an uplifting folk/trip-hop hybrid, proves she is indeed worth all the attention. A cappella divas the Mediæval Bæbes (or the Lilith Fair's version of the Gregorian monks) demonstrate what caroling must have sounded like a thousand years ago with "Gaudette," and Pennsylvania-born, Celtic-sounding singer-songwriter Matthew Ryan offers the achiest, spookiest "Little Drummer Boy" this side of Winnipeg. For those who make it through all the tinselly tunes, there's a special gift: Stewart McLean's "Polly Anderson's Christmas Party." One in a series of spoken word pieces called "The Vinyl Cafe" currently sweeping the Great White North, this hilarious yarn involves the adults' and kids' eggnogs getting switched and proceeds through dozens of mispronunciations of "out" and "about." Let it snow! Bill Crandall

All Music Guide

Nettwerk's personal assortment of holiday songs proves to be as exciting as when the first volume of A Very Special Christmas was released in 1989. Christmas Songs features an all-star cast of '90s modern rockers and new millennium forerunners. The compilation showcases some of Nettwerk's most prominent artists such as Sarah McLachlan, Delerium, Tara MacLean, and the Mediæval Bæbes. Christmas favorites such as "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" sung by Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLachlan, "Christmas Day" sung by Dido, and "Little Drummer Boy" sung by Matthew Ryan are album highlights making this comprehensive Yuletide collection a solid one. MacKenzie Wilson