Christmas Time Again, Lynyrd Skynyrd (CMC International)

Album rock radio of the 1970s conspired to make me dislike this band a lot, since "Free Bird" is the second most overplayed classic rock track in history after "Stairway to Heaven." The current band, despite being short several original members thanks to a 1977 plane crash, continues on through this day, and here's their 2000 ode to Christmas, serious blues-rock crunch leavened with a bit of country swing. They lose their way with new-agey instrumentals of "Greensleeves" and "Classical Christmas," and the album closer, "Skynyrd Family," is just filler. But there are good versions of "Santa's Messin' With the Kid," "Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin" and "Run Run Rudolph." They also do the other Rudolph song in an arrangement similar to the Smithereens', Charlie Daniels comes aboard for "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," and 38 Special brings along their own "Hallelujah, It's Christmas."