Neil Diamond

A Cherry Cherry Christmas

Columbia

Rating: 2/5

Mostly produced by Peter Asher, these tracks feature a range of ill-fitting stylistic strategies, from a ghastly barbershop quartet medley of 'Deck the Halls' to the heavy-handed choral treatment meted out to 'Joy to the World'. The best by far is a 'Winter Wonderland' done as a swingy rockin' blues groove, complete with honking baritone sax, which at least sounds like fun. A version of Adam Sandler's 'The Chanukah Song' celebrates the Jewish provenance of famous celebs, from David Lee Roth to Captain Kirk: "Paul Newman's half-Jewish, Goldie Hawn is too – put them both together, what a fine-looking Jew!"

Download: 'Winter Wonderland', 'The Chanukah Song'