More Christmas musical treats

It is now only 31 days to Christmas Day and the star-powered album releases are practically pouring down in torrents of sound. And the great thing about this spate of albums is that most of them are really great to listen to. These are not necessarily landmark productions. They usually save those for late summer. But you can bet that what we are now getting are enjoyable to listen to.

So spend that extra money on the ones you like for yourself or buy them as gifts for the people you love. Or better yet, get somebody to make you a present of the CD’s you are dying to have. Here then are some titles you might want to consider.

• Diva 2 Diva by Kuh Ledesma and Zsa Zsa Padilla. Thoroughly enjoyable is how I will rate this album and I can honestly say that it truly lives up to its title. The whole package is made up of duets galore from two of the most popular and the most enduring female singers we have. From the opening bars of Only Hope down to the solemn The Prayer, which closes the show, the album is a virtual feast of some of the most beautiful songs ever written. And Kuh and Zsa Zsa have never sounded better!

The Michel Legrand Medley, with Windmills of Your Mind, The Summer Knows and A Piece of Sky is a showstopper and the new versions of their hits Paano Kita Mapasasalamatan and Dito Ba? by Kuh and Ikaw Lamang and Kahit Na from Zsa Zsa are reminders of why these have remained on top all these time. Too bad, the album has no video because the pictures on the sleeve show how good they also look.

Diva 2 Diva was recorded live during the concert held at the Plenary Hall of the PICC a year ago. Other cuts are One Less Bell, A House is Not a Home, I Know Him So Well, Tell Him, and the Broadway Medley of Somewhere, Don’t Cry for Me Argentina and As if We Never Said Goodbye.

•The Greatest Song Book by Babyface: This is a collection of some of the best known works by one of the best and certainly one of the most influential singers, songwriters and producers of the past two decades, Babyface. It is also very romantic. The great Laface with his charming falsetto has that kind of effect on the listener. In music industry slang, this is what they refer to as a "make-out music." So this is the present to get if you have romance on your mind.

Take note too that these make-out tunes are also hits. In fact, some of these songs helped propel a lot of artists to stardom. Included are I’ll Make Love to You and The Color of Love by Boyz II Men; Everytime I Close My Eyes by Kenny G with Babyface; Breathe Again by Toni Braxton; True Colors by Phil Collins; I’m Your Baby Tonight by Whitney Houston; Dear Lie by TLC; How Could an Angel Break My Heart by Kenny G with Braxton; How Can I Not Love You by Joy Enriquez; How Come, How Long, Babyface with Stevie Wonder; The Best of Love by Michael Bolton; Most Girls by Pink; Betcha Never by Vanessa Williams; Can We Talk by Tevin Campbell; and Someone to Love by Jon B featuring the one and only Babyface.

•Kylie, Greatest Hits, 87-97.

The red-blooded males on your list and maybe some females who admire her will be happy to receive a copy of this album.

Now I know that if it is going to be something by Kylie, then a video would be better. The Australian songbird is a looker whose face and figure can put other pop divas to shame and she puts on the most spectacular shows. But, what this collection lacks in visuals is more than made up for with the selections. This double-CD release presents 10 years of Kylie Minogue and has a whopping 34 cuts.

It is a real bargain. The hits are all here: Confide in Me, Breathe, Made in Heaven, Celebration, including some early ones like Especially for You, her duet with then pop idol Jason Donovan, I Should be so Lucky, and her revival of The Loco-Motion plus previously unreleased materials and rarities.