In Brief

Christmas being the one time of the rock ‘n’ roll year when it’s cool to check the cynicism at the door, the third holiday compilation in 10 years benefiting Special Olympics finds the participants respecting the spirit of the season, and their cause. The high point is Patti Smith’s concluding “We Three Kings,” which she turns into a characteristically harrowing spiritual quest. It’s nice to hear the Smashing Pumpkins get downright tender in “Christmastime,” one of six original tunes here that complement the 10 Yuletide classics by these joy-filled rockers, rappers and balladeers.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to four stars (excellent).

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Hear the Music

* Excerpts from these albums and other recent releases are available on The Times’ World Wide Web site. Point your browser to: https://www.latimes.com/soundclips