NeophobiA

G'day Mate and welcome... There's no such thing as a stupid question...

G'day Mate and welcome from the DownUnder Side...

G'day Mate and welcome... Smokem' if ya gottem' (__(_______#~~~~

G'day Mate and welcome...

G'day Mate and welcome back, there's plenty of oldies around......

G'day Mate and welcome...want some cold KFC.?. I got plenty to go around and it will just get chucked out in the morning...

G'day Mate and welcome...

G'day Mate and welcome... Lemme tell you it's hot, it's so hot the road kill is charred...

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Greg Lake - I Believe In Father Christmas What else? We might have shied away from some of the expected offerings, but Greg Lake's timeless dig at the commercialisation of Christmas time, with lyrics again from Pete Sinfield (and a dash of Prokofiev), just had to be here. A number two hit for the late Lake in 1975, and kept from the top spot by Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. "I got beaten by one of the greatest records ever made. I would’ve been pissed off if I’d been beaten by Cliff Richard," Lake once quipped.

Savatage - Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 Normally the Trans-Siberian Orchestra version of the instrumental medley of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and Shchedryk that appears in these playlists. Instead we've gone for the 1995 original from Savatge, who included this on their Dead Winter Dead album and found themsleves with an unlikely hit on their hands. It was inspired by the story of local msuicans in Boznia & Herzogovina playing Giazatto's Adagio In G minor in the bombed ruins each day to honour those killed during the bombing.

Les Penning & Robert Reed - In Dulce Jubilo True, we'd normally opt for Mike Oldfield's 1974 original, but this version, from Oldfield's old musical collaborator Les Penning and Magenta mainman and Oldfield acolyte Robert Reed, released in 2018, gets the nod this year. With it's delightful video, described as "heartwarming and utterly enthralling" by Oldfield producer Tom Newman, it raised money for the homeless charity Crisis too.

Geoff Downes - Linus and Lucy (Charlie Brown Christmas Theme) An interesting one from the Yes and Asia keyboard player. This recently surfaced on the A Prog Rock Christmas Album which was released last month. Although it had originally been recorded for A Kid's Retro Christmas Soundtrack album that saw the light of day several years earlier. Anyway, what's Christmas without a bit of Charlie Brown?

Jethro Tull - Jack Frost & The Hooded Crow Dip in anywhere in the Jethro Tull catalogue and you're likely to find fine seasonal fare, such is the band's kinship with the Winter season. Instead of one of the usual offerings, we've opted for this - originally written for Dave Pegg's 1983 solo album The Cocktail Cowboy Goes It Alone. Tull recorded it during the Broadsword And The Beast sessions. It ended up appearing on the b-side to Tull's one-off 1986 single Coronach, a song written for the Channel 4 TV series The Blood Of The British, itself a great song.

Chris Squire & Alan White - Run With The Fox Arguably one of the very best proggy Xmas offerings. Recorded by the Yes rhythm section and with lyrics from former King Crimson man Pete Sinfield, after a proposed new band XYZ with Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page fell through. Following Run With The Fox, Squire and White formed Cinema with Trevor Rabin and Tony Kaye. And we all know what happened next!

Gandalf's Fist - Winter Mourning A song, according to the mighty Fist, that "was penned in the style of a Victorian poem, reflecting of the dark and spectral side of the festive season, and recalls the days when rock giants such as Greg Lake or Jethro Tull would break from tradition to provide something to cater for a different musical pallet during the festive season."

Rick Wakeman - In The Bleak Midwinter To be honest, we were hoping to feature the new version by Rick's son Oliver and Rodney Matthews, but it's not on YouTube!! So here's Rick Wakeman and a new rendition of the beautifully mournful seasonal favourite, from his recent Christmas Portraits album. Lovely stuff...

Kaprekar's Constant - All You Wish Yourself One of this year;'s entries into the Prog Christmas collection is this beautiful song from Kaprekar's Constant. "Hopefully the song’s uplifting message will be welcomed by the many election and Brexit-weary," says bassist and co-writer Nick Jefferson. With the addition of former Van der Graaf Generator sax player David Jackson, what's not to like?

Marillion - The Carol of The Bells Released in 2013 when the band put out their A Collection Of Recycled Gifts Christmas album, this is a proggy take on the old Ukrainian folk chant of Shchedryk. It also rapidly became one of our fave prog Xmas tunes ever! Love Steve Rothery's referencing guitar solo and the band prancing around inn a field in fancy dress too!

Big Big Train - Merry Christmas Released in 2017, and featuring prog fan [AND Prog mag reader] and actor Mark Benton in the heartwarming video, this is current prog faves Big Big Train's entry into the Christmas canon. Replete with brass band, children's choir and the band singing inside a snow globe, what's not to like?

Being the time of year that it is I thought I'd share some seasonal music you are less likely to find on repeat in the shopping centres, etc... Posting below....

https://i.imgur.com/Rpl5qI3.mp4

https://i.imgur.com/8jfT484.mp4