Christina Aguilera - My Kind of Christmas

The second punch in a double whammy of stopgap releases in the fourth quarter of 2000, My Kind of Christmas appeared on the shelves two months after Mi Reflejo, Christina's Latin reworking of her debut album. My Kind of Christmas actually has more new material than Mi Reflejo, and Aguilera responds in kind, turning in passionate performances throughout the 11-song album. She can teeter on the edge of being too passionate, belting out when she should lay back, but the power of her voice, no matter how diva-esque she may be, remains remarkable; she needs to learn restraint, but she's clearly a better singer than her peers. Of course, My Kind of Christmas remains a holiday album, filled with covers of standards (from "Oh Holy Night" to "The Christmas Song" to "Merry Christmas, Baby") and a handful of obligatory new songs. None of the new songs are knockouts, but "Christmas Time" and "This Year" are pretty solid pieces of dance-pop, even if the marvelously titled "Xtina's Xmas" (easily the best name of any new holiday song of 2000) is a 90-second collage trifle that doesn't live up to its promise. But, hey -- filler is part of a holiday record, and there's actually not too much of it here. Instead, it's pretty tight, entertaining seasonal dance-pop. It may not add too much to Christina's catalog, but it does suggest that she may not be a mere one-album wonder. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Name Credits Agnes Gottschewski Violin Alan Mautner Violin Alex Alessandroni Keyboards Andy Martin Trombone Anne Karam Cello Armen Garabedian Violin Ashley Ingram Guitar Assa Drori Concert Master, Violin BabyBoy Keyboards, Drum Programming Barbara Porter Violin Billy Preston Piano, Organ Bob Sanov Violin Bobby Butler Assistant Brad Haehnel Engineer Bradley Yost Assistant Brett Kilroe Art Direction Brian Dixon Assistant Brian O'Connor French Horn Carole Mukogawa Viola Cecilia Tsan Cello Celebrity Voices Choir ? Chad Brown Assistant ChakDaddy Programming, Vocal Arrangement Charles Paakkari Assistant Chris Shepherd Assistant Chris Wonzer Assistant Engineer Christina Aguilera Vocals, Vocals (Background) Chuck Berghofer Bass Dan Higgins Woodwind, Saxophone Dave Pensado Mixing David Guerrero Assistant Don Sebesky Arranger, Conductor, Orchestration Don Shelton Woodwind Dr. John Piano Earl Madison Cello Ed Krautner Assistant Eddy Schreyer Mastering Endre Granat Violin Eric Dawkins Vocals (Background), Director, Vocal Arrangement, Keyboards, Vocals Frances Moore Violin Galina Golovin Violin Gary Foster Woodwind Gary Kuo Violin Gene Cipriano Saxophone, Woodwind Greg Cham Session Coordinator Howard Karp Assistant Engineer Howard Risson Assistant Jack Nimitz Woodwind Jason Stasium Assistant Jerry Folsom French Horn Jerry Hey Horn Arrangements Joe Ketendjian Violin Joe Meyer French Horn Joel Derouin Violin Johana Krejci Violin John Goux Guitar Jorge Moraga Viola Judy Johnson Cello Kathleen Lenski Violin Katia Popov Violin Kim Johnson Director, Vocals (Background) Kirstin Fife Violin LA Mass Choir ? Larry Bunker Percussion Lily Ho-Chen Violin Mario Diaz de Leon Violin Marni Johnson French Horn Matt Funes Viola Miari Vocals (Background) Michael C. Ross Engineer, Vocal Recording, Mixing Michael Huff Assistant Mike Watts Celeste Mimi Granat Viola Myron McKinley Organ Natalie Leggett Violin Norman Jean Roy Photography Norman Ludwin Contrabass Oscar Hidalgo Contrabass Paul Forgues Assistant Pete Christlieb Saxophone Peter Erskine Drums Peter Mokran Mixing Phil Teele Trombone Ray Kelley Cello Raymond Tischer Viola Renita Koven Viola Robin Ross Viola Roland Kato Viola Ron Fair Strings, Conductor, Vocal Arrangement, Executive Producer, Arranger, String Arrangements, Producer Sal Lozano Saxophone Sammy Nestico Horn Arrangements, Horn Conductor Scott Haupert Viola Sheridon Stokes Woodwind Sol Survivor Engineer, Programming, Drum Programming Stephen Erdody Cello Steve Forman Percussion Susan Ranney Contrabass Tal Herzberg Digital Editing The Matrix Engineer, Bass, Programming, Keyboards, Producer, Arranger Tiffany Ju Violin Timothy Landauer Cello Tom Ranier Piano Tony Flores Assistant Vinnie Colaiuta Drums Vivian Ng Design Warren Luening Trumpet Wayne Bergeron Trumpet