CDs for your last-minute gift list

What’s great about celebrating Christmas celebration in the Philippines is that it lasts longer than anywhere else. This means that instead of now boxing the ornaments and putting our lives back to normal, we stay in a holiday mood and continue the gift-giving and if you have been good this year, also the receiving.

I hope that those of you out there who want to continue being generous will make music your gift choice. 2010 was one of the worst years ever for the music business. The labels can use some help. Besides CDs are gifts that never stop giving. Owners play their favorites again and again and share the joy or the fun with their friends. Not to forget, CDs are very easy to wrap.

Here are some albums I heartily recommend for your shopping list. Released only this month, these feature big stars and lots of hit songs. I am sure a lot of people would love to get them as I am sure you will too should somebody decides to gift you with one or two.

Barbra Streisand: The Ultimate Collection. This is not the ultimate Streisand collection. You will need several CDs for that. But it is a good one. It comes packaged in a handsome box with five gorgeous black and white photos of Barbra representing each decade of her illustrious career. That is how long she has been in the record business and in this album are highlights of the past fifty years.

These range from People of her Broadway show Funny Girl in 1964 to In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning from her latest No. 1, last year’s Love Is The Answer. Also included are: Woman In Love, Evergreen, The Way We Were, You Don’t Bring Me Flowers with Neil Diamond, Guilty with Barry Gibb, No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) with Donna Summer, Memory, Papa Can You Hear Me, Tell Him with Celine Dion, Send In The Clowns, Smile and Somewhere.

Dreams by Neil Diamond. This is for somebody who likes power rockers in your list. Diamond goes solo here and for the first time sings covers of some of the biggest rock hits of all time. That is why the album is titled Dreams. These are songs he had long wanted to record. I cannot help but think that he should have also included a song by Roy Orbison. Maybe in the next one. But for the most part, his choices are on target and the results are beautiful.

Ain’t No Sunshine by Bill Withers; Blackbird and Yesterday by Lennon and McCartney; Alone Again (Naturally) by Gilbert O’Sullivan; Feels Like Home and Losing You by Randy Newman; Midnight Train To Georgia by Jim Weatherly; Love Song by Leslie Duncan; Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen; A Song For You by Leon Russell; Let It Be Me by the Everly Brothers; Desperado by the Eagles; Don’t Forget Me by Nilsson; and Diamond’s own which was a big hit for the Monkees, I’m A Believer.

Music Video Collection by Sarah Geronimo. Now I say that this is the ultimate gift for the Sarah fan in your list. This compilation of her music videos is not only a hit collection. It is also a sort of biography that traces her career from the time she won the Star For A Night singing contest with Celine Dion’s To Love You More, to her first solo hit, Forever’s Not Enough to the box-office hit Very Special Love.

Also among the 23 cuts that make up the DVD release are How Could You Say You Love Me, I Still Believe In Loving You, Ikaw, Dahil Minahal Mo Ako, You Changed My Life In A Moment, Your Christmas Girl, Something New In My Life, Right Here Waiting, Love Will Keep Us Together and others.

Timeless, The Golden Memories by Various Artists. This one is for the Baby Boomer, as in Mom, Dad, Grannies, etc., all those who grew up in the `60s. Think also of the music collectors because this compilation is all about hit singles and there are a number here never been re-issued on CDs. Remember, it was only a singles market back then. Think 45RPMs and only those who got at least three or four consecutive hits were given the chance to record LPs.

Among the 30 cuts in the album are I Only Live To Love You by Cliff Richard; Moon River by Danny Williams; You’ll Never Walk Alone by Gerry and the Pacemakers; You’re My World by Cillia Black; Tears On My Pillow by Little Anthony and the Imperials; Do Wah Diddy by Manfred Mann; Mony Mony by Tommy James & the Shondells; Why Do Fools Fall In Love by Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers; and Dreamin’ by Johnny Burnette.