Judy Collins
Christmas at the Biltmore Estate (Elektra) (star) (star)
RuPaul
Ho Ho Ho (Rhino) (star) (star) 1/2
Choose your diva: the ’60s folk-pop songbird, or the ’90s African-American drag queen. Collins’ golden soprano remains stunning in its clarity and purity as she addresses many of the season’s most familiar songs on this concert recording. Unfortunately, the horribly overblown arrangements, which marry new age preciousness, baroque pomp and a chirpy children’s choir, overwhelm the singer and the songs. Ms. Paul, meanwhile, sets a medley of devotional hymns to a disco beat, delivers gender-bending renditions of familiar novelty songs (hence, “RuPaul the Red Nose Drag Queen”), and generally camps it up, aided by lots of electronic dance music. As a singer, Ru is, well, a drag queen but gets along on the strength of some hilarious asides.