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Reading the liner notes and the publicity material accompanying the December People's Sounds Like Christmas, I am having difficulty separating fact from fantasy. But that's the Christmas season as it has always been and as it should be. Just as Santa looked a lot like Daddy and three wise kings found the King of Kings asleep in a lowly manger, Christmastime is not always what it seems.

Perhaps if I were a little more of a '70s rock maven, I might be better positioned to sort out all the legends appearing or seeming to appear on Sounds Like, but this music would still rock. In point of fact, there several authentic rockers and no weak tracks in this mock Christmas pie. From the opening impression of Yes playing Carol of the Bells through the Beatlesque Happy Christmas/War is Over, the December People know how to hit the right licks and to get just the right sounds from their amps. But featured artist Robert Berry has worked with and fronted for some of the greats, including Sammy Hagar, Keith Emerson, and Carl Palmer, so this shouldn't be too surprising.

For the record, I thought Silent Night (as if performed by Pink Floyd) was the best impersonation and one of the better songs, as well. Lisa Bouchelle's vocals on Happy Christmas brought a welcome female voice to this mostly male effort. And the (actual) performance by Kansas on Steve Walsh's The Light was a highlight.

Christmas is fraught with nostalgia, and with nostalgia for seventies rock and roll never in short supply, the December People's Sounds like Christmas is a natural.

--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 2001)

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December People

Sounds like Christmas

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