Big department stores... greeting card stores... these you see the Christmas music tie-in, with all the extra seasonal business they do... but a hardware store ? True Value has, for longer than about anyone, worked with the record companies to produce an interesting collection each year.

Volume 34 is the 1999 offering, which consists mostly of orchestral renditions of familiar songs of the season, The handful of vocals are by names unknown to most of generation X and below *L*
These are NOT generic versions by some studio group - but rather definitive versions by the best orchestras of the last few decades. Like, who? you ask... Morton Gould and the RCA Symphony... the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra... the Philadelphia Orchestra.... Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops... the London Symphony Orchestra... the New Symphony Orchestra of London... the Canadian Brass... James Galway... Perry Como with the Ray Charles Singers... Andre Previn with Orchestra & Harpsichord... the Robert Shaw Chorale... Mario Lanza... and more... there are twenty selections here, you know all of them... so what are you waiting for ??

Volume 33 was the 1998 offering, which included a little folk, a little soul, some rock and some country, and a new-ager to close things: Jim Brickman's "Joy To The World" is the closer and Judy Collins is the opener with "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas." In between, Alabama does "Christmas Is Love"; Sawyer Brown does "Angels We Have Heard On High"; Dolly Parton's "Hard Candy Christmas" is included, and Lorrie Morgan's "Up On Santa Claus Mountain." Willie Nelson does "Away in a Manger" and John Denver does "Jingle Bells." The Temptations do "The Little Drummer Boy," Freddie Jackson's "This Christmas" is here. Elvis - yes, Elvis too - "I'l be home for Christmas." The Boston Pops round things out with "Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers."

A little country, a little old pop music, a hint of jazz... in Volume 32. First, a couple of my favorite voices - Collin Raye does "Winter Wonderland," Alabama sings "Christmas In Your Arms"... Clint Black offers "Christmas For Every Boy and Girl"... Floyd Cramer does "Greensleves / What Child Is This," and John Denver sings "O Holy Night." Elvis' "Santa Bring My Baby Back To Me" rounds out what most would consider country (this last is more formula Elvis than it is Christmas)... One has to say that each of these "country" tunes is quite different from the next... though even The King fell into formula, I think thouse who think country follows formula need to listen to more of it... Liz Story plays a gorgeous piano version of "Here We Come, A Wassailing," Nancy Wilson sings "The Christmas Waltz." Lou Rawls does "Christmas Is The Time"... whether Lou's song sounds Christmas-y or not hardly matters - Lou Rawls' is another voice who could literally sing "la-la-la-la" and it would be a pleasure. And Perry Como with "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" - his is a voice that brings me way back... a good feeling.... Hentry Mancini with "The Little Drummer Boy" and the Roaches with an unexpected treat, "Christmas Passing Through". A pair of soundtrack tunes complete this one.

In Volume 31, there is again music from several genres... Vince Gill, "Do You Hear What I Hear," Kenny Rogers doing "Carol Of The Bells," John Berry with "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and Amy Grant with "Santa's Reindeer Ride." Andy Williams with "Most Wonderful Time Of The Year," Frank Sinatra's "I'll Be Home For Christmas," Eartha Kitt's "Santa Baby" and Dean Martin with "Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer." For good measure and variety, there's Donna Summer with "White Christmas," my favorite, Dion, with "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," Royal Guardsmen doing "Snoopy's Christmas" and the Beach Boys with "Little Saint Nick"

Remember, the stores' exclusive collections from prior years are ocassionally available in some stores - or through classified ads, garage sales or used CD stores.