Peter Cetera

Chicago's early-'80s return from the scrapheap did more than bring the group its biggest chart successes: it finally shattered the carefully maintained "faceless" image that had prevented any member from becoming an individual star. In the dawning age of video, the band needed a focal point, and bassist Peter Cetera – already the voice behind Chicago's soft rock smashes like "If You Leave Me Now," which had made significant inroads with the MOR audience – was the logical choice. So it wasn't a huge surprise that, following Chicago XVII, Cetera decided to use his new celebrity to strike out on his own.

For most artists recording a Christmas record is a convenient stop-gap in between releasing new material. In Peter Cetera's case this doesn't ring true as it has been a while since we last heard from one of soft rock's most distinctive crooners. You Just Gotta Love Christmas brings to the table everything you'd expect from a Peter Cetera record: lush, pleasant arrangements with crisp, warm, polished production and able musicanship from a crew of veteran session players. It's a mix of holiday favorites mixed in with a few originals and some guest appearances from Alison Krauss and Peter's daughter Claire; who is more than up to the task of singing with her father on two of the album's 12 tracks. Cetera and Chicago fans will no doubt enjoy having this on in the background during the holidays.