What I Really Want for Christmas  (Audio CD) 
by Brian Wilson

A new Brian Wilson record is always cause for celebration, even if it turns out to be an album of Christmas music, his third such venture in 40 years. What I Really Want for Christmas features Wilson and the crack band he employed on Smile putting their spin on 10 traditional favorites, plus new versions of the Beach Boys' "Little Saint Nick" and "The Man With All the Toys" and two originals cowritten with Bernie Taupin and Jimmy Webb. Though they don't rise to the level of his best work (admittedly the tallest of orders), the title track and "Christmasey" prove Wilson can still turn out a catchy melody when he wants to, and the disc as a whole shows his arranging chops are as strong as ever, if no longer as innovative. Like Smile, What I Really Want for Christmas sometimes suffers in comparison to the Beach Boys--Wilson dedicates it to his "beloved brothers Carl and Dennis who I miss singing carols with" (as do we)--but occasionally, as on "O Holy Night," one feels the old soul and spirit shining through. Though it may not merit a spot next to The Beach Boys' Christmas Album and A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector as a classic of the genre, it's still a joy to hear Wilson singing the songs he's loved since childhood. If this is your kind of music, this is your kind of album. --Benjamin Lukoff