However, this CD was a surprise... The songs are fun and different, but they all have a pleasant aspect to them so as not to make Grandma spit up her egg nog on Christmas Eve. The little kids will have a good time too, since there isn't anything along the lines of "F*@k Christmas" by Fear (imagine playing that one at the family reunion).

This disc will definitely be sitting toward the top of our holiday music pile when we dig out our Christmas CDs each year after Thanksgiving.


Rockin' easy around the Xmas tree   November 18, 2002
 11 out of 11 found this review helpful

Christmas music can service a variety of moods including reverence and nostalgia, but Maybe This Christmas is pure entertainment. I haven't had this much fun listening to a Christmas CD in several years! Being on a Canadian label (Nettwerk), several of the artists are from Canada. It's OK, though, as these are my favorite Canadians! Ron Sexsmith's title cut is especially charming, and I don't ever remember hearing a more swingin' take on "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" than the Barenaked Ladies version with Sarah McLachlan.

The Americans offer some pretty nifty Christmas gifts too. I've been enjoying the "Ben Folds Live" CD very much in recent days, and here he is with an amusing track called "Bizarre Christmas Incident." I expected an up-tempo "Winter Wonderland" from Phantom Planet, but instead they deliver a real cute little dance version. Jimmy Eat World gets more mellow than their usual frenetic pace on "12/23/95." The tracks from Vanessa Carlton, Neil Finn, and Loreena McKennitt are all excellent. This is one Christmas collection I'll be listening to for several holiday seasons to come.


An Unusual Christmas Compilation.   December 14, 2003
 8 out of 8 found this review helpful

MAYBE THIS CHRISTMAS is a collection of Christmas songs performed by a variety of alternative artists. About half of the songs on the album are traditional Christmas songs while the other half are new Christmas songs. My favorite songs on the album are:

"Winter Wonderland" Phantom Planet

"Maybe This Christmas" Ron Sexsmith

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" Coldplay

"Happy Christmas (War Is Over)" Sense Field

"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" Barenaked Ladies w. Sarah McLachlan

I bought this album solely because of the Barenaked Ladies with Sarah McLachlan version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen". I wanted to play that song on my internet radio show and this is the only album I can find that has the song on it. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed most of the other songs as well. Most of the songs are performed nicely and are written in the Christmas spirit. However, beware of "Bizarre Christmas Incident" by Ben Folds. The song tries to appeal to country humor, but is neither funny nor respectful of country people--the song isn't really even a song and contains the only foul language of any of the tunes on the album. Overall, this is a nice album to play during Christmas time, but skip over "Bizarre Christmas Incident".


It's rare that Christmas music doesn't suck   December 2, 2002
 7 out of 8 found this review helpful

But that's just what this cd doesn't do, and about the only thing it doesn't do, ... It has a lot of variation going from the Beatlesesque Neil Finn song, to the acoustic Ron Sexsmith song to the vintage tone of the croonerish Coldplay rendition of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." While my tendencies definitely lean the way of the Jimmy Eat World, Sense Field and Phantom Planet songs there's definitely something for everyone here.


scariest christmas album ever   November 24, 2002
 3 out of 4 found this review helpful

...at least thats how Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes describes their compolation album in the December issue of alt press. And I dont doubt it's that and a great album to boot w/ contributers such as Jimmy Eat World and Sense Field. Definately a great album for anyone who's sick of that dull original Jingle Bells or yet another batman/santa parody. It'll appeal to the Scrooge in all of us.