Believe it or not, there's still a constituency out there for 70s style progressive rock, and this 2001 semi-supersession of folks from that era is the proof. It's organized by Robert Berry, who has had a solo career in this kind of music for years and is best known for his stint as front man for the Keith Emerson-Carl Palmer project called simply 3. He apparently did a lot of this album himself with Pro Tools, but the album also includes an original tune by Kansas (yes, that Kansas) called "The Light," which is typical of the genre but not particularly memorable. Other guests include Trent Gardner of the bands Magellan and Explorer's Club, John Wetton of Asia and Roxy Music fame, Jake Livgren, nephew of Kansas' Kerry Livgren, and Steve Walsh, who has had a solo progressive rock career for years but was also a member of Kansas. If you're a progressive rock fan, you know what to do. For the rest, this veers toward Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Mannheim Steamroller territory, not nearly as corny but with a lot of the same melodic and instrumental approaches. You'll hear particular guitar and keyboard licks that will remind you of folks like Kansas, for example. On the other hand, the mostly traditional carols are good grist for the progressive approach, as that music is often built around subject matter from the epic storytelling tradition. Aside from "The Light," the only non-traditional Christmas song is a full-cast recording of John and Yoko's "Happy Xmas," recast with lots and lots of orchestral Beatles touches, mainly from "I Am the Walrus," and is kind of cute in a "look what we did" way, but the ripped-off "Abbey Road" conclusion gilds the lily a bit to my way of thinking. The December People issued a second holiday disc in 2010 with a more pop-rock approach.
Sounds Like Christmas, The December People (Magna Carta)
Believe it or not, there's still a constituency out there for 70s style progressive rock, and this 2001 semi-supersession of folks from that era is the proof. It's organized by Robert Berry, who has had a solo career in this kind of music for years and is best known for his stint as front man for the Keith Emerson-Carl Palmer project called simply 3. He apparently did a lot of this album himself with Pro Tools, but the album also includes an original tune by Kansas (yes, that Kansas) called "The Light," which is typical of the genre but not particularly memorable. Other guests include Trent Gardner of the bands Magellan and Explorer's Club, John Wetton of Asia and Roxy Music fame, Jake Livgren, nephew of Kansas' Kerry Livgren, and Steve Walsh, who has had a solo progressive rock career for years but was also a member of Kansas. If you're a progressive rock fan, you know what to do. For the rest, this veers toward Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Mannheim Steamroller territory, not nearly as corny but with a lot of the same melodic and instrumental approaches. You'll hear particular guitar and keyboard licks that will remind you of folks like Kansas, for example. On the other hand, the mostly traditional carols are good grist for the progressive approach, as that music is often built around subject matter from the epic storytelling tradition. Aside from "The Light," the only non-traditional Christmas song is a full-cast recording of John and Yoko's "Happy Xmas," recast with lots and lots of orchestral Beatles touches, mainly from "I Am the Walrus," and is kind of cute in a "look what we did" way, but the ripped-off "Abbey Road" conclusion gilds the lily a bit to my way of thinking. The December People issued a second holiday disc in 2010 with a more pop-rock approach.
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