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Let me go on record and state this: Ann-Margret is the ONLY woman on the planet that I would leave my wife and kids for. She has more sex appeal in one eyelash than any of the current sex symbols in Hollywood, yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

In January 2005, I discovered she released a Christmas album for the 2004 season that I completely missed. Upon learning this, I immediately went into a coma that lasted several weeks.

FINALLY - to spend Christmas with Ann-Margret!

It took a long time to gather my strength back after the initial shock. Actually order the CD was a bit of an ordeal. I would visit Amazon.com and start placing the order until I caught site of the cover you see above. The room would always get blurry, I would sink to my knees like a sugar diabetic that desperately needs a chocolate bar, and eventually pass out.

This went on for several months. I tried to gather my strength; I watched "Viva Las Vegas" and "Kitten With A Whip" almost daily - listened to my copy of "Let Me Entertain You" and the Japanese import copy of the "Tommy" film soundtrack that I've owned since the early 1990s. It took me almost a year after this album was released but I finally was ready.

This album arrived early this week... and I almost spontaeously combusted. I thought the front cover was delicious - the back cover was orgasmic! Three vintage Christmas pictures of Ann! What greets you when you open the CD booklet? FIVE more vintage pictures! I was going to post scans of these pix... however if you want to see them, do yourself a favor and purchase this album yourself.

As for the music... the voice is still fresh, breathy (be still my heart), and delicious as ever. Her arrangements can be a little hokey but Ann rises above it all and delivers. On several tracks, she hooks up with the Jordannaires - the same Jordannaires who backed up a pre-Army Elvis! Their presence is an extra blast of air on an album that is already bursting at the seams.

How good is this album? This good:

Shortly after our wedding in 1997, my wife and I were expecting our first child. We were excited heading into the holidays that year until a fateful night in December. We rushed to the hospital where we lost our first child. That year, I dedicated Martin Denny's version of "What Child Is This?" on my Christmas tape to our child. Since then, I haven't been able to listen to that song without thinking about that horrible experience in my life.

By the time I reached "What Child Is This?" on this album, I didn't mind at all. For the first time in nearly a decade, I listened to that song and smiled. For that and the rest of your album, thank you Ann-Margret.

On to the next new Christmas CD in my collection...


Capt