THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS
"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" [155k MPEG-3] or [215k WAV] "Let It Snow" [215k MPEG-3] or [300k WAV] "Baby Jesus Is Born" [190k MPEG-3] or [260k WAV] (Courtesy Capitol Records)

December 7, 1999
Web posted at: 12:55 p.m. EST (1755 GMT)

By Mary Jo DiLonardo
Special to CNN Interactive

"Garth Brooks & the magic of Christmas"
Capitol Records

(CNN) -- Forget Chris Gaines. When Garth Brooks recorded this Christmas album he channeled Tony Bennett instead of his grungy rock 'n' roll alter ego.

Brooks' second Christmas record, "Garth Brooks & the magic of Christmas," is a slick collection of holiday standards perfect for background music even at the toniest of cocktail parties. Unlike his first holiday outing, this Christmas compilation has been de-twanged and de-fiddled with all signs of hokiness obliterated.

Brimming with traditional religious holiday fare ("Silent Night," "What Child Is This"), Brooks' 1992's "Beyond the Season" also included the requisite "White Christmas" and a couple of novelty tunes like "Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy."

This second holiday record instead offers mostly traditional selections -- "The Christmas Song," "Silver Bells," "Winter Wonderland" -- with not even a dusting of Yuletide schmaltz. It's filled with lavish orchestration and big band influences. Brooks sounds like he's forsaken his Wranglers for an Armani tux.

The disc's only unfamiliar tune, "Baby Jesus Is Born," is by far the record's highlight. It's a knee-slapping, Alleluia!-inspiring number featuring a spirited church choir and a joyous anthem to the real reason behind the season.

From the opening lilt of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," the rest of the release is smooth and fault-free, but in a very vanilla kind of way. With the Great Garth, expectations are usually more along the lines of rocky road.

One surprise is that Brooks includes three of the same songs on both of his Christmas records. Having sold just shy of 100 million albums in his 10-year career, the megastar can't be blamed for running a little low on material. But c'mon, it's Christmas! It sure seems like there are plenty of carols out there from which to choose. (When's the last time someone remade "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer," anyway?)

Brooks did a holiday special earlier this month live from New York's famous Rainbow Room. He featured the songs on this record, but with special duet appearances by Bennett and Natalie Cole. Although he wore his Stetson, Brooks did without fiddle for the entire show -- which seems to be his new thing.

Brooks made music waves in late September by releasing a pop record as the fabricated rocker Gaines. He donned a goatee, scowl and falsetto, to very mixed reviews. The album, however, has hardly had the resounding success of every one of Brooks' other records. Selling well over a half million copies, which would be respectable for nearly any other artist, the disc is hardly up to Brooks' usual high sales standards.

Christmas discs are likewise not monster sellers for most artists. This one is a pleasant enough creation that deserved a little more spice in the eggnog.