It's not surprising that Kirk Franklin's second album, Christmas, sold over 500,000 copies in the first 14 weeks after it was released. This album is filled with 11 Christmas songs presented in true Franklin fashion. The album begins with calypso-like music and a sincere Christmas greeting from Franklin. Then the man and his 17 backup singers (the Family) begin singing an abbreviated version of "Silent Night" before proceeding to sing about God's amazing love in "Now Behold the Lamb." Both these songs are presented in a mellow, traditional gospel style, allowing the listener to relax. Just as the listener is lulled into a sense of tranquility, the album goes into an upbeat, contemporary hip-hop song, "Jesus Is the Reason for the Season." It's a slight jolt to the system because it's unexpected, but the song is worth the little shock. Although the lyrics aren't profound, the song is entertaining and will leave the listener wanting to get up, dance, and proclaim, "Jesus IS the reason!" "Jesus Is the Reason for the Season" and "Now Behold a Lamb" are the songs that make this album. Both were hits on CCM radio, and the album is worth getting for these songs alone. Unfortunately, the album's impact decreases after the third track. The only other noteworthy song is "They Need to Know." The remaining seven songs are good, but lack the edge that drew the listener to the album in the first place. ~ Diana Moes VandeHoef

Rovi