Artists almost always release
Christmas
albums when they have a comfortable level of sales, and when
Willie Nelson
was at a popular peak during the late '70s, he chose to exploit his popularity by releasing
Pretty Paper
. Fortunately, the album was hardly a toss-off -- it was one of the finest
country
holiday
records ever released. It's not just because the title track became a classic, or that his choice of material is terrific (all familiar tunes, but all great) -- it's because
Nelson
is a great interpreter, capable of making
standards
like
"White Christmas"
and
"Silent Night"
fresh and unpredictable. Few other artists are willing to put their personal stamp on these
, and that alone is enough to make
a
record to cherish. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine