Christmas Steps (song)
| "Xmas Steps" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Mogwai | |
| from the album No Education = No Future (Fuck the Curfew) | |
| Released | June 29, 1998 |
| Recorded |
CaVa Studios Glasgow, Scotland |
| Length | 11:10 |
| Label | Chemikal Underground, Jetset |
| Songwriter(s) | Stuart Braithwaite, Dominic Aitchison |
| Producer(s) | Geoff Allan |
| "Christmas Steps" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Mogwai | |
| from the album Come on Die Young | |
| Released | March 29, 1999 |
| Recorded |
Tarbox Road Studios Cassadaga, New York, United States CaVa Studios Glasgow, Scotland |
| Genre | Post-rock, instrumental rock |
| Length | 10:36 |
| Label | Chemikal Underground, Matador |
| Songwriter(s) | Stuart Braithwaite, Dominic Aitchison |
| Producer(s) | Dave Fridmann |
"Xmas Steps" or "Christmas Steps" is a song by Scottish post-rock group Mogwai. The original version of the song ("Xmas Steps") is the lead track from the 1998 EP, No Education = No Future (Fuck the Curfew), and a slightly different version ("Christmas Steps") appears on the 1999 album, Come On Die Young.
"Xmas Steps" is an eleven-minute-long instrumental, in the key of C♯ minor. "Christmas Steps" is a rerecorded version which retains the basic structure and composition, but is shorter in length, performed significantly slower and features clearer dynamic contrast and better production value. The song is named after Christmas Steps, a road in Bristol, South West England. The song was featured on the 1999 compilation album, Everything Is Nice: The Matador Records 10th Anniversary Anthology, incorrectly labelled as "Xmas Steps".
"Xmas Steps" begins with the same guitar melody as "Christmas Steps". This is repeated until (0:30), when a second guitar begins doubling the melody, with slight variations. At (0:45), the Hi-hat begins quietly keeping time, and the melody is repeated until (1:31), where it is joined quietly by a bass guitar, playing a counter-melody. At (1:46), both the guitars begin playing a counter-melody, until (2:01), where one guitar plays an independent counter-melody, which is repeated until (2:44), where both guitars begin to steadily strum chords. At (3:20), the Hi-hat stops keeping time, leading the guitars into a gradual crescendo, joined at (3:27) by the bass, which plays the same chords as the guitars, with a different rhythm. The guitars increase steadily in volume and tempo, until (4:20), where the drums enter and the guitars begin playing a chord structure based around the chords of C♯ minor, C♯ suspended 2nd, and A major. At (4:52), the guitars suddenly turn distorted, repeating the chord structure, until (5:21), when a distorted guitar solo is played. At (5:46), the guitars repeat a C♯ minor chord, until (5:55), when the guitars turn clean and begin repeating the chord structure. At (6:11), a violin solo begins to play and the guitars begin playing a counter-melody. This is repeated until (7:54), when the drums cease playing, the guitars repeat the counter-melody and the violin solo continues improvising. At (10:06), the sound of the tape being wound back by hand is heard. The violin ceases playing at (10:42), followed soon by the guitars, which end on a C♯, which fades out.
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