Tinsel Tunes

NEW RELEASES DELIVER SEASONAL SOUNDS FROM BOOGIE TO BLUEGRASS.

Holiday music is the soundtrack for seasonal memories.

Everyone has favorites that bring comfort and joy. But each year a new batch of holiday music arrives as artists bid for a classic and record companies feed off consumers' appetites. Buyer beware: Most of this year's holiday goodies will be consigned to bargain bins for eternity.

So you don't have to listen to bad holiday music, we put together a panel of Santa's helpers who weeded through dozens of new releases and then rated 14 of the best.

No album pleased every judge, and the ratings varied wildly on some. The one thing that came through: Holiday music is a matter of taste.

• "ChristmAcoustic II," Scott Whitney (Whitney Communications)

Style: solo acoustic guitar. Comments: "A great gift if you want to give a present from California." Highlight: bossa-nova-informed versions of "The Christmas Song" and "Angels We Have Heard on High." Humbug: With a solo guitar CD this good, why didn't Scott Whitney put his name on the cover?

• ``Boogie Woogie Christmas,'' the Brian Setzer Orchestra (Surfdog)

Style: Retro rock, swing. Comments: ``Get some champagne, grab your partner and swing!'' ``This is the party record of the year -- you'll want to turn it up and dance!'' Highlight: Setzer teams with Ann-Margret on ``Baby, It's Cold Outside.'' Humbug: Did we need a swing version of ``The Nutcracker Suite?'' Bonus: Setzer brings his holiday show to the Flint Center in Cupertino on Dec. 20.

• ``A Windham Hill Christmas,'' various artists (BMG)

Style: ``new age.'' Comments: ``Touches the heart and makes you glow with good cheer.'' Highlight: Alex de Grassi's ``Christ the Apple Tree/Once in Royal David's City.'' Humbug: For this kind of music, it's hard to beat George Winston's ``Winter.''

• ``The Ultimate Classical Christmas Album of All Time,'' various artists (Sony)

Style: classical and traditional. Comments: ``A classical Christmas sampler certain to please almost every family member.'' ``These are wonderful performances of holiday music in the classical and religious style.'' Highlight: Frederica von Stade singing ``Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming.'' Humbug: ``Something my church choir director would make us play.'' Also, poor recording quality and bad cover art.

• ``Time-Life Treasury of Christmas Music,'' various artists (Time-Life Music)

Style: traditional. Comments: ``Classic performances of the classic hits.'' Highlight: traditional classics from Bing Crosby, Perry Como, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, et al., plus the Chipmunks, Charles Brown, Eartha Kitt and Eva Cassidy. Humbug: Corny cover art. Some low-quality recordings. ``The key is: How much of this do you already have?''

• ``Bluegrass and White Snow: A Mountain Christmas,'' Patty Loveless (Sony)

Style: country. Comments: ``A good country Christmas CD.'' ``If you are going to sing traditional songs, you'd better have a good voice. And this woman can really sing.'' Highlight: ``Silver Bells.'' Best production of any of the recordings. Humbug: ``Feel an urge to start line dancing.''