Maybe This Christmas Too? is a sequel to the 2002 compilation album Maybe This Christmas, which reached a peak position of number thirty-eight on Billboard's Top Holiday Albums chart.[3]Maybe This Christmas Tree, released in 2004, was the third installment of the series.[4] A portion of the proceeds from the sales of the three albums went to Toys for Tots, a charity supported by the United States Marine Corps.[1][3]Maybe This Christmas Too? features fourteen tracks recorded by various artists, most of whom were associated with the Nettwerk record label during its release.[2] Ten of the tracks were recorded specifically for this compilation album.[5] Darin Harmon served as the album's executive producer and Ianthe Zevos served as the project manager. Mastering of the compilation was donated by Louie Teran.[6] In August 2003, MTV reported on the possible inclusions of the Used's "Alone This Holiday", the Flaming Lips' "Winter Wonderland" and the Polyphonic Spree's "Winter Wonderslumber", none of which ended up on the final release.[7]
The album opens with Rufus Wainwright's "Spotlight on Christmas", an acoustic-based, original track recorded exclusively for this set.[1][2] "Spotlight on Christmas" was written and produced by Wainwright; among other guests, the song features Teddy Thompson and Martha Wainwright on backing vocals and bells as well as Thompson on electric guitar.[6] "The Winter Song" was written, arranged, and produced by members of Eisley. "O Holy Night", based on a poem by Placide Cappeau, was composed by Adolphe Adam and translated by John Sullivan Dwight. The song is performed by Avril Lavigne and Chantal Kreviazuk. Kreviazuk also produced the track.[6] "Silent Night", performed by Lisa Hannigan, was originally recorded by Damien Rice for his 2002 studio album O.[2][6] The song is less than two minutes in length and features original lyrics.[2]
The band Rilo Kiley contributed "Xmas Cake", a song originally written by group members Jenny Lewis and Blake Sennett. The track was produced and mixed by Mike Mogis and features "jazzy guitar chords and a piano-led wintery feel" to address poverty and conflict.[2][6] "¿Dónde Está Santa Claus?" (Spanish for "Where Is Santa Claus?") is performed by the band Guster and was produced, recorded, and mixed by Peter Katis. The track contains castanets, "bouncing" rhythm, and "silky" backing vocals.[2] "Rudy", a song about "Rudolf the red-nosed wino", was originally written by Danny Dolinger;[2] the version appearing on the compilation album was arranged and performed by The Be Good Tanyas. Instrumentation included: guitar, mandolin, organ, piano, percussion, and twelve-string guitar.[6] "Christmas Song" was written by Dave Matthews and performed by the Dave Matthews Band. The "organ-tinged, gospel rendition" of "Go Tell It on the Mountain", originally written by John Wesley Work Jr. with traditional music, was arranged and given additional lyrics by Suzie Ungerleider (also known as Oh Susanna).[2][6]
Allmusic's MacKenzie Wilson wrote that Maybe This Christmas Too? would appeal to "both casual and die-hard music fans of all ages". Wilson called Wainwright's performance "classic chamber pop with a warm spirit" and also noted the "fetching" graphic design work for the album's cover art by Brian "Goatpillow" Brooks of Cosmic Debris.[1] Andrew Gilstrap's review for PopMatters also complimented "Spotlight on Christmas", calling the song a "clever piece of class-conscious commentary" that provides a "perfect example of [Wainwright's] meticulous toyshop brand of pop."[2] Simmy Richman of The Independent considered the Flaming Lips' rendition of "White Christmas" to be the "strangest" he had ever heard.[10] Gilstrap used the same adjective ("strange") to describe "O Holy Night", and thought "Silent Night" was "incredibly potent" despite its short length.[2]The New York Times'Kelefa Sanneh called "White Christmas" "spooky" and wrote that the album "brings to the world something more ambivalent than joy".[11] Gilbert concluded that Maybe This Christmas Too? "feels just about right" and "does a fine job of representing the less than stellar aspects of a wintry, commercialized holiday like Christmas."[2] In 2008 The A.V. Club included "Spotlight on Christmas" as number thirty-nine on its list of "42 holiday entertainments that don't make us want to claw our eyes out with rage".[12]
Track listing
"Spotlight on Christmas" (Rufus Wainwright), performed by Rufus Wainwright – 3:22
"The Winter Song" (Eisley), performed by Eisley – 4:34
^Wilson, MacKenzie. "Maybe This Christmas Tree". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on October 12, 2011. Retrieved September 5, 2011.
