20th Century Masters: The Christmas Collection

Performer: 98°
Engineer: Alar Suurna; Arnthor Birgisson; Fredrik Andersson
Producer: Arnthor Birgisson
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: 98 Degrees: Nick Lachey, Drew Lachey, Justin Jeffre, Jeff Timmons (vocals). Additional personnel: Mats Bentoft (guitar); Stockholm Session Strings. Recorded at Murlyn Studios, Stockholm, Sweden and Larrabee Sound Studios, Los Angeles, California. Personnel: Henrik Janson (guitar, acoustic guitar); Mats Berntoft (guitar); Mats �berg (harmonica); Esbj�rn Svensson (grand piano, celesta, electric piano, Fender Rhodes piano, Wurlitzer organ, synthesizer); Magnus �str�m (glockenspiel, drums, snare drum, percussion); Daniel Berglund (double bass). Audio Mixers: Alar Suurna; Mick Guzauski. Recording information: EMI Studios, Stockholm, Sweden; Larrabee Sound Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Murlyn Studios, Stockholm, Sweden; Polar Studios, Stockholm, Sweden; Sony Studios, New York, NY; Westlake. Arrangers: Esbj�rn Svensson; Devon Biere; Anders "Bag" Bagge; Arnthor Birgisson. Those in search of ironic, postmodern, hipster-style Christmas music should search elsewhere for their yuletide kicks, but lovers of earnest, heartfelt Christmas songs will find solace in THIS CHRISTMAS. It also won't hurt if you've got a preference for the "boy bands" that make teenage girls swoon. Instead of applying slick, danceable, pop/R&B production values to well-known holiday tunes, this vocal quartet takes a more reverent approach. There are few dance beats here, but plenty of elegant, gentle arrangements and soft, soulful vocal performances. Besides delivering quietly soulful versions of favorites like "The Christmas Song" and "Little Drummer Boy," the boys even tackle an a cappella four-part harmony "Ave Maria" that leaves little doubt as to their vocal prowess. Fans who want the grand-scale pop sound with Christmas lyrics grafted on will be surprised by the traditional approach of THIS CHRISTMAS, but it's doubtful that they'll be disappointed.

In the late 1990s, the upper reaches of the pop charts were inhabited by a plethora of teen bands, among them the talented R&B group 98 Degrees. Although many considered them just an extension of such established male teen outfits as the Backstreet Boys and N Sync, 98 Degrees had more in common with such early-'90s male vocal bands as Boyz II Men.

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