Christmas

Personnel: Edwin Hawkins (vocals, keyboards).
BMG Special Products' Christmas is a reissue of an album the Edwin Hawkins Singers cut in 1972, when they were at the peak of their career. It's a first-rate holiday album, filled with terrific performances, passion and that elusive quality rare among mainstream Christmas records -- spirituality. There's also an element of early-'70s Jesus-rock and social consciousness to the record (they cover "Blowin' in the Wind," which has nothing to do with Christmas, but loosely ties into the spirituality), which dates it slightly, but the quality of the music is so strong, it is forgiven. Christmas is a fine record by Hawkins standards and is one of the best soul-gospel Christmas records of its time. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine