It has been 25 years since Grandma first got run over by a reindeer, and Dr. Elmo is celebrating that with a special 25th Anniversary Live Version on this CD. There's also a sequel: It seems that "Grandma's Spending Christmas with the Superstars," hanging out with the likes of Elvis and Marilyn Monroe. That brand of offbeat humor carries through to the rest of the CD, which features folksy (albeit sometimes risqu�) humor involving everything from dating Santa Claus to greedy kids and Santa's need to diet. The banjo-instrumental of "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" is lively, but seems an odd inclusion, given the tenor of the rest of the album. But odd is what Dr. Elmo's always been about. — C.W.

ENOCH TRAIN and THE INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S CHOIR; "O Come Little Children" (Joyspring Records)

Folk ensemble Enoch Train, with its multitude of instruments and styles that cross all borders, teams up with the International Children's Choir, with its pure and sweet voices and equally multi-cultural outlook, for a fresh and inviting tour of the world. Things start with an "unapologetic sing-along" of traditional favorites such as "O Come All Ye Faithful" and "Far Far Away on Judea's Plains," then travels to the mid-East ("O Come, O Come Emmanuel"), Spain ("Campana Sobre Campana"), Africa ("Betelehemu"), Russia ("Trepak") and more. The rich textures and wealth of spirit invite repeated listening. — C.W.

MICHAEL FRANKS; "Watching the Snow" (Rhino)

Mellow, laid-back, bluesy. Whatever you want to call the mood Michael Franks creates, he does it well, evoking lazy winter days in front of a fireplace, maybe in the mountains, or maybe in Kyoto. There's a bit of edginess to songs such as "I Bought You a Plastic Star (for Your Aluminum Tree)"; but an unalloyed appreciation for snow in the title cut "When the Snowman Sings." Guest artist Veronica Nunn joins Franks on a slightly warmer-flavored "Island Christmas," which is tempered by the Currier-and-Ives-ish "Said The Snowflake." And a lot of lovin' in songs such as "The Kiss" and "My Present." — C.W.

EMMYLOU HARRIS; "Light of the Stable" (Warner Bros./Rhino)

This album is another collection of older, previously recorded songs, with a few new ones added, most with superstar back-up — from Willie Nelson and Ricky Skaggs to Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton and Neil Young. The title track is one of the loveliest, but many others are also fun, from the traditional to the unfamiliar. A nice "alternative" holiday album. — Chris Hicks

LARRY THE CABLE GUY; "A Very Larry Christmas" (Warner Bros.)