Christmas Steps (song)
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It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Xmas Steps. (Discuss) |
| “Christmas Steps” | ||
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| Song by Mogwai | ||
| Album | Come on Die Young | |
| Released | March 29, 1999 | |
| Recorded | Tarbox Road Studios Cassadaga, New York, USA CaVa Studios Glasgow, Scotland |
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| Genre | Post-rock, instrumental rock | |
| Length | 10:36 | |
| Label | Chemikal Underground, Matador | |
| Producer | Dave Fridmann | |
| Come on Die Young track listing | ||
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"Christmas Steps" is a song by Scottish post-rock group Mogwai, from the 1999 album, Come On Die Young. The original version of the song, entitled "Xmas Steps", appears on the 1998 EP, No Education = No Future (Fuck the Curfew).
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[edit] Overview
"Christmas Steps" is a ten minute long instrumental, in the key of C♯ minor. It is a rerecorded version of "Xmas Steps", which is similar as it retains its basic structure and composition, but differs as it is shorter in length, performed significantly slower and features clearer dynamic contrast. The song is named after Christmas Steps, a road in Bristol, South West England.[1] The song was featured on the 1999 compilation album, Everything Is Nice: The Matador Records 10th Anniversary Anthology, incorrectly labelled as "Xmas Steps".
[edit] Musical composition
"Christmas Steps" begins with a guitar melody based around the chords of C♯ minor and A major:
This is repeated until (0:36) when a second guitar begins to double the melody, with slight variations. At (1:12), one of the guitars begins to play a counter-melody, and at (1:28), the bass guitar also begins a counter-melody. At (1:47), both guitars begin playing the first counter-melody. At (2:04), one of the guitars begins playing another counter-melody, until (2:57), when the guitars begin doubling themselves again. At (3:14), the bass guitar ceases playing and the guitar strumming becomes more predominant, until (3:47), when the bass guitar suddenly begins playing a loud, slightly distorted counter-melody. The instruments build up in a gradual crescendo, increasing in volume and tempo, until (4:39), when the drums enter and the guitars strum a chord structure based around the chords of C♯ minor, C♯ suspended 2nd, and A major. At (5:14), the guitars suddenly turn distorted, repeating the chord structure until (5:43), where one of the guitars plays a solo. At (6:10), the guitars strum a C♯ minor chord until (6:18), where the guitars turn clean and the chord structure is reintroduced. At (6:29), a violin solo begins playing quietly in the background; the reason for the quietness being the song using the same solo as recorded by Luke Sutherland for "Xmas Steps", which was played significantly faster.[1] At (6:34), the guitars begin the last counter-melody of the song, doubling each other with noticeable variations. The drums cease playing at (7:10), leaving the guitars playing their melodies, and gradually slowing down in a diminuendo with the violin solo playing faintly in the background, until (10:28), when the guitars cease playing, ending on a C♯, which fades out.
[edit] Media usage
- In 2007, "Christmas Steps" was featured in the documentary film, White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
[edit] Personnel
- Stuart Braithwaite – guitar
- Dominic Aitchison – bass guitar
- John Cummings – guitar
- Martin Bulloch – drums
- Luke Sutherland – violin
- Dave Fridmann – producer, mixer, engineer
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
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