This CD is a reissue of Amy Grant's classic 1992 second Christmas CD, "Home for Christmas." While I completely enjoy Amy Grant's other Christmas albums, this is the best of her career. Everything from the song selection to vocals and background music comes together for a Christmas treat.

The album mixes traditional, lesser known, and original songs, and strikes the right balance of new and traditional to make it seem like Christmas but not like all the others you already have. Part of this is in the arrangements, which are pure magic.

"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" and "The Night before Christmas" are songs that aren't recorded too often, but I love their joy of the season.

Original song "Breath of Heaven" still amazes me with its look into the conflicting feelings Mary must have been dealing with as she awaited Jesus' birth. It's such a beautiful prayer.

"Emmanuel, God with Us" ties the birth of Christ to our modern celebration in a humbling way. I fell in love with this song the first time I heard the bridge. Frankly, I can use a reminder about Emmanuel every day of the year.

I now have several different version of "Grown-up Christmas List," including one that tries to Christianize it. But this version, the first I ever heard, is my favorite.

"Rockin' around the Christmas Tree" and "Winter Wonderland" are fun arrangements of Christmas classics. "Have a Merry Little Christmas" is fast becoming a Christmas favorite, helped tremendously by Amy's version here.

I have been known to enjoy this album all year long. It deserves to be included in the 20th Century Masters Collection and in any Christmas music fan's library. If you've missed this holiday gem, pick it up today.

Amy Grant's first Christmas album was released in 1983, when she was one of the top Christian gospel singers in the country, contained four original songs on which she was one of the writers and a mixture of contemporary Christmas songs and religious hymns. For her second album in 1992, a year after she had three singles on the pop charts ("Baby Baby," "Every Heartbeat," and "That's What Love Is For"), Grant only had a hand in writing two songs for the collection, which clearly emphasized popular Christmas songs over the religious hymns. After all, why argue with success. "A Christmas Album" has been a perennial seller for twenty years and "Home for Christmas," which is re-released here as part of the 20th Century Masters Christmas Collection, is just a step below (the formula was more impressive the first time around and the choices were a more eclectic and more interesting).

I usually think that Amy Grant is almost the ideal singer of Christmas songs, because she has a nice enough voice, but it is also a natural voice, and you can sing along without feeling like she is blowing you away. She sings slow songs like "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas" as well as the fast paced holiday rocker "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree." I really like the medley of "Joy to the World/For Unto Us a Child Is Born," and the beautiful "Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song)," one of the two songs co-written by Grant. Once again, Grant ends her album with a really old-fashioned hymn, this time Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," as a final reminder of the true meaning of Christmas. Once again, Amy Grant supplies a solid mix of Christmas songs for our holiday listening enjoyment. "Home for Christmas" made it to #2 on the Billboard album chart in 1992 (and #1 on the Top Contemporary Christian chart, of course).

"The message of Christmas is timeless ... a message of hope to a world in need of peace ... sung through the ages from countless hearts ... young and old ... in songs remembered and songs forgotten." ~ Amy Grant ~

Amy Grant has been in my list of favorite singers of all-time since the early '90s when one of my best friends, who is a singer, introduced her inspirational music to me.

This Christmas CD, "The Best of Amy Grant: The Christmas Collection" is one that I love to listen to for Christmas holidays this year. I've been listening to it for a week now and been enjoying every minute of it. It's always nice to listen to a beautiful voice with the backing of an orchestra and a chorus. This collection is a mix of traditional and contemporary Christmas songs that will surely add a sentimental feeling to your Christmas spirit.

With the support of the London Studio Orchestra under the sublime orchestration of Ron Huff, Amy Grant, with her great vocal artistry and heartfelt renditions, gives her very best to offer the listeners a remarkable listening experience this special time of the year starting off with a favorite of mine, "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" down to the beautiful finale, the only non-vocal track with a derivative melody by Carl Marsh, "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," my all-time classical favorite composed by Johann Sebastian Bach from Baroque Era. It features Tom Hemby with his exceptional guitar playing, Mark O'Connor with his mastery in violin, and the tasteful keyboard playing of Carl Marsh who also orchestrated the London Studio Orchestra. Ms. Grant has this to say about this masterpiece and I quote:

"The voice of the soul can never be fully captured in words. Thank you Tom, Mark and Carl for playing the yearnings of my heart."

Special mention to me is another favorite song that brings tears to my sentimental eyes particularly the chorus, "My Grown-Up Christmas List," a meaningful song with exquisite music composed by David Foster and intelligent lyric penned by Linda Thompson Jenner. Listen closely to its wonderful arrangement and orchestration by Allan Moore and the heartfelt delivery of Amy Grant with Robbie Buchanan on keyboards and Tom Hemby on guitar.

Do you remember me?

I sat upon your knee

I wrote to you with childhood fantasies

Well, I'm all grown-up now

And still need help somehow

I'm not a child but my heart still can dream

So here's my lifelong wish

My grown-up Christmas list

Not for myself, but for a world in need

Chorus:

No more lives torn apart

And wars would never start

And time would heal all hearts

And everyone would have a friend

And right would always win

And love would never end

This is my grown-up Christmas list

As children we believed the grandest sight to see

Was something lovely wrapped beneath our tree

Well, heaven surely knows that packages and bows

Can never heal a hurting human soul

Bridge:

What is this illusion called the innocence of youth?

Maybe only in our blind belief can we ever find the truth.

This is one of the best Christmas CDs ever produced and a welcome addition to your Christmas collection. I merrily recommend it.

May the true spirit of Christmas dwell in your hearts not only this Yuletide Season, but also all year long, year after year, forever and a day.

Her song Breath of Heaven is absolutely one of the most thought provoking holiday songs I have heard. I have heard Christmas List form others and her beutiful, full meloduous voice just makes it 100 times better.

One of the best Christmas albums. A classic. Good showcase for Amy Grant's pleasant voice.