BITTERSWEET, Ky. — In October 1968, I was eight years old and at the height of my excitement-years when it came to the Christmas season. It was during this time in my life I began to pay attention to holiday music, mostly because of my father’s love of Christmas tunes.

He had quite the collection of albums, many of which I have written about. These old tunes come back year after year, and bring back many memories for me and many others.

One such album belongs to one of my favorite performers and one we lost this year, Glen Campbell. This Capitol Records release That Christmas Feeling was Campbell’s first holiday collection, but he was already a veteran of the recording world by that time and hotter than a $2 pistol when it came to top country music performers.

At this point in time, Campbell had 10 previous albums to his credit and was about to explode onto the television and movie scene. The photo that graces the cover shows a young and happy-looking singer and performer. For some reason, that is what I remember about this release.

But make no mistake, the contents of this collection really showcased Campbell and included many classics such as "The Christmas Song," otherwise known as “chestnuts roasting on an open fire.” This is one of my all-time favorite holiday songs and Campbell does it justice. And for someone who loves the Nat King Cole version, that’s saying a lot.

Another favorite of mine included on this album is “Old Toy Train,” originally recorded by Roger Miller and recorded many times over the years by an assortment of artists. Again, Campbell did a great job on a song that Miller made famous.

Other great songs on this album include “Blue Christmas,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “I’ll be Home for Christmas” and “Christmas is for Children,” to name a few. There are 11 songs altogether on this classic.

I can still see it in the stereo cabinet – and, thanks to the electronic age of music, you can also hear these songs online and purchase a digital version, keeping this collection around for generations to come.

Bluegrass Johnson comes from a long line of country music performers and enjoys a passion for the rhythm and melody. From the hills of Kentucky, he will offer his opinions on a variety of new country music each week. Readers with questions or comments may write to Johnson in care of this publication.