Before I begin, let me say that I am one of those people who could sit and listen to Nat King Cole’s voice for hours on end. He has one of those voices that makes you relax no matter what kind of mood you happen to be in at the moment.

That said, I’ve listened to a lot of songs by Mr. Cole, and I don’t believe he is in finer voice on any other album he ever did than on “The Christmas Song.” Most people have heard Nat’s rendition of the title cut (“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…”), but there are a lot of other superb tracks on this CD as well. My favorite is his stirring rendition of “Adeste Fidelis” (for those who don’t know, that’s “Oh Come, All Ye Faithful” in the original Latin). Nat sings the entire song in the original language, and it gives me chills every time I hear it.

Another song Nat tackles in its original language is “O Tannenbaum” (“O Christmas Tree” in the orginal German for you non-linguists out there). Along with Christmas classics such as, “Deck the Halls,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” “O Holy Night,” “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing,” “Away in a Manger,” “Joy to the World,” “The First Noel,” and “Silent Night,” there are several selections which are hard to find on other CDs. Among these are the cheerful “Caroling, Caroling” and Nat’s jaunty rendering of “I Saw Three Ships.” Finally, the soothing and thoughtful “A Cradle in Bethlehem” is a perfect lullaby for getting your keyed-up little ones to sleep on Christmas Eve. Though not the final song on the disk, it would have made a perfect conclusion, IMHO.

This is a masterwork, plain and simple, and a must-have for your Christmas collection. Buy it. Trust me. You won’t be disappointed.