A Few Stocking-Stuffer Surprises

Not every gift possibility is found on the Top 40. Here , in alphabetical order , are some recommendations by Calendar pop music staff of offbeat albums and special collections that may just fit that eclectic taste on your list. CHUCK BERRY, “Chuck Berry: The Chess Box” (Chess/MCA)--At last, a thoughtful tribute to the first great songwriter-performer in rock. The box (six albums or three cassettes/compact discs) contains 71 songs (from all the hits to six numbers that have never before been released in this country), plus a handsomely illustrated 36-page booklet. Essential.

JAMES BROWN, “Santa’s Got a Brand New Bag” (Rhino)--The Godfather of Soul combines social comment (“Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto”), despair, funk and traditional Christmas spirit (Mel Torme’s “The Christmas Song”) in this remarkable package of personalized Christmas tunes collected from album tracks and singles, chiefly from the mid and late 1960s. The CD contains four bonus songs.

THE BULGARIAN FEMALE STATE RADIO AND TELEVISION CHOIR, “Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares, Vol. Two” (Elektra/Nonesuch)--This isn’t as easy for most Western pop fans to relate to as the South African sounds popularized by “Graceland,” but the choir sings with such captivating purity and strength that the album serves as yet another liberating guidepost for those eager to stretch their musical boundaries.

KASSAV’, “Vini Pou” (Columbia)--Closer to the infectious, spirit-lifting music of “Graceland,” this group of Caribbean musicians, now based in Paris, specializes in zouk , a spicy blend of West Indian dance music and high-tech studio techniques. It’s sung in Creole, but there’s no mistaking the message.

LOS LOBOS, “La Pistola y El Corazon” (Slash)--You don’t have to understand a word of Spanish or know anything about the history of Norteno or sones to be enthralled by Los Lobos’ Spanish-language salute to various Mexican folk styles. The album is short (around 30 minutes), but it demonstrates the solid musical foundation the East L.A. group had before venturing into rock.

BUCK OWENS, “Buck Owens & the Buckaroos: Live at Carnegie Hall” (Country Music Foundation Records)--This remixed and expanded reissue of 1966’s “Carnegie Hall Concert”--full of hot licks and down-home corny patter--makes a fine companion to Buck’s new Capitol LP “Hot Dog!” Highlight: a wild version of “Twist and Shout” done a la the Beatles as a pay back for the Fab Four having recorded Buck’s hit “Act Naturally.”

ELVIS PRESLEY, “Elvis in Nashville” (RCA)--Though Memphis and Hollywood were also key recording locale for Presley, rock’s greatest star recorded more than 250 songs in the capital of country music. Rather than serve as another greatest hits collection, this album--produced by the Country Music Foundation--showcases Presley’s versatility. It moves from the gritty, rockabilly rendition of Ray Charles’ “I Got a Woman” to the pure country of “Just Call Me Lonesome.”

SANTANA, “Viva Santana” (Columbia)--This three-record set covers the entire two-decade spectrum of Carlos Santana’s vibrant hybrids of rock, jazz, salsa and (in the early days) psychedelia. The package, which includes many unreleased performances, does justice to Santana’s role as a pop/jazz pioneer.

VARIOUS ARTISTS, “Folkways: A Vision Shared” (Columbia)--The legacies of American folk music giants Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly are honored in affectionate and often rousing versions of some of their best-known songs by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and U2.

VARIOUS ARTISTS, “The Best of New Orleans Rhythm & Blues,” volumes one and two (Rhino)--The winning characteristic shared by the 36 selections on these two CDs (28 on LPs or cassettes) is the forceful personalities of the artists. Whether the song is an expression of celebration (Shirley & Lee’s “Feel So Fine”) or anguish (Irma Thomas’ “Time Is on My Side,” which was later done by the Rolling Stones), there is a sense of energy and desire.

VARIOUS ARTISTS, “Stay Awake” (A&M;)--Disney film music as you’ve never heard it before. Tom Waits, Los Lobos, Suzanne Vega and other notables from the pop and jazz worlds offer surprising, wide-screen interpretations of old favorites and overlooked charmers in the latest theme project from adventurous producer Hal Willner.