One Wish - The Holiday Album
Whitney Houston. Arista. 11 tracks.

Grade: B-

Whitney Houston's new Christmas record saves the best for last, concluding with a gigantic rendition of "Joy to the World" featuring the mighty Georgia Mass Choir. Beyond that, it's uneven. Her oddly arranged "Deck the Halls/Silent Night" sounds cheaply made --- not an effect Houston is known for --- but the record gets some mileage from "Little Drummer Boy," on which Houston and daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown pa-rum-pa-pum-pum over a skittering programmed beat. Though many of the tunes are familiar, credit Houston for this: She went beyond the obvious standards and chose at least two songs ("One Wish" and "Who Would Imagine a King") that most listeners probably don't already know by heart. That's refreshing.

--- Nick Marino