| Release: 2003 | BMG 82876 52393 2 | Australia | 12 € | |
| Release: 2003 | BMG 82876 52393 2 | Canada | 12 € | |
| Release: 2003 | BMG BG2 52393 | Columbia House Club | Canada | 22 € |
| Release: 2003 | BMG 82876 57111 2 | EU | 12 € | |
| Release: 2003 | BMG 82876 57489 2 | 1 disc version | EU | 10 € |
| Release: 2003 | BMG BVCM-37441~2 | Japan | 32 € | |
| Release: 2003 | BMGRD 1587 | Korea | 20 € | |
| Release: 2003 | BMG 82876 52393 2 | Taiwan | 15 € | |
| Release: 2003 | BMG 82876 52393 2 | Thailand | 18 € | |
| Release: 2003 | BMG 82876 52393 2 | USA | 12 € | |
| Release: 2003 | BMG BG2 52393 | Columbia House Club | USA | 20 € |
| Release: 2004 | BMG 82876 66542 2 | Digipak version | EU | 15 € |
| Release: 2004 | BMG 82876523932 / D251582 | BMG Direct | USA | 15 € |
| Release: 2005 | Sony/BMG 82876 57489 2 | 1 disc version | India | 22 € |
| Release: 2006 | Sony/BMG 82876 67086 2 | 1 disc version | Russia | 19 € |
| Release: 2007 | Sony/BMG 82876 57489 2 | 1 disc version / DBS | Canada | 12 € |
| Release: 2007 | Sony/BMG 82876 57489 2 | 1 disc version / DBS | EU | 9 € |
| Release: 2007 | Sony/BMG 82876 57489 2 | 1 disc version | EU | 9 € |
| Release: 2003 | BMG 82876 57111 2 | EU | 12 € | |
| Release: 2008 | Sony/BMG 88697 33656 2 | Tin Box | EU | 16 € |
| Release: 2008 | Sony/BMG 82876 57489 2 | DeAgostini Calendar | UK | |
| Release: 2008 | Sony 82876 574892 | 1 disc version | EU | 9 € |
| Release: 2009 | Sony 82876 57489 2 | 1 disc version | India | 18 € |
| Release: 2010 | Sony 82876 52393 2 | USA | 12 € | |
| Release: 2011 | Sony 82876 52393 2 | Canada | 14 € |
You have to hand it to the folks at BMG -- more than 25 years after
the passing of Elvis Presley, they've yet to run out of ways to
recycle his back catalog, and just in time for the 2003 holiday
season, along comes Christmas Peace, still another repackaging of
Presley's seasonable material. Disc one of this two-CD set collects
the same 20 Yuletide selections that appeared on the seemingly
definitive If Every Day Was Like Christmas collection in 1994, minus
the alternate takes that appeared as bonus cuts. This represents
nearly the entire Presley Christmas canon, this time in
chronological order, with the 1957 Christmas sessions for the most
part outshining the slicker but less sincere 1971 cuts, though the
loose and surprisingly gritty take on Charles Brown's "Merry
Christmas Baby" certainly kicks up the cool factor a few notches.
Disc two presents 20 tunes from Elvis' gospel and inspirational
sessions, and while most rock fans tend to shy away from this
material, the truth is this ranks with Presley's most impassioned
and committed material. No matter how far Elvis may have strayed
from the Baptist faith of his childhood in his lifestyle, when
listening to these recordings it's obvious that this music still
spoke to his heart and soul throughout his life, and while this
material sure doesn't rock, anyone who loves Elvis as an emotive
artist can't help but be moved by his power and sincerity on "Peace
in the Valley" or "Mansion Over the Hilltop," and this is a fine
introduction to his gospel sessions. If you're an avid Presley
collector, you doubtless have everything in this set, which boasts
no unreleased (or especially hard to find) material, but the
packaging is fine and the remastering clean and pleasing to the ear,
making it a better than average starting place for someone wanting
to study Elvis' enthusiastic relationship with both Santa Claus and
his Savior. (AllMusic Review by Mark Deming
) |