In the wake of her
Titanic success,
Celine Dion produced two new albums for the holiday season of 1998. One was a new French album, and the other was
These Are Special Times, her first
Christmas album.
These Are Special Times is an especially successful
holiday album since
Dion wisely balances popular
carols (
"The Christmas Song," "Blue Christmas," "Feliz Navidad") with new songs (
"Don't Save It All for Christmas," the
R. Kelly duet
"I'm Your Angel"),
hymns (
"Ave Maria," "Adeste Fidelis"), and
Christmas songs with a distinct religious theme (
"O Holy Night," the
Andrea Bocelli duet
"The Prayer"). At times, the production is too slick, at other times
Dion's vocals are a little mannered, but overall,
These Are Special Times is very effective, because the songs are good and she's committed to the material. Any fan of
Dion, or of '90s
adult contemporary pop in general, should find this very enjoyable. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine