John Lennon - Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (tribute)

This song is a forever classic. It doesn't require much description. Everyone has heard the original, if not else, then in some of the shops or malls during the end-of-the-year holiday season. The message of the song is clear-cut as well, it was originally written as a protest against the Vietnam War in 1971.

Our wonderful Colombian rockers along with their Mexican brothers released this tribute back on 24th December, 2021. I have fond memories about the release, because on one hand in the country where I live in 24th December is de facto the most important day of the Christmas holidays, much more important than 25th and 26th, on the other I could have the opportunity to spend it (virtually) with my favorite band, both during the hilarious live session before the release of this cover and listening to it.

Let me quickly note that I despise the entire Christmas holiday season for all the possible reasons. It says nothing to me spiritually, while the massive capitalist consummation during these days plain simply makes me puke. Still I can't escape from it, since it's in the air weeks before the actual holidays and even though I walk around in those days like an alien, I still feel the enormous pressure of it. And it's unpleasant, to say the least. For this reason, and not just for this only Cygnus Rock Band's cover released right on the 24th was like a remedy for me.

This cover is special not just because it's a holiday release, but also because the guitarist Blu takes part in the vocals. He has a surprisingly pleasant, deep baritone voice singing the first verse of the song. He is followed by Deneb and his powerful, emotional vocals

(here I need to admit, I LOVE the Santa caps him and Ruxx are wearing!)

getting support by Reny's soft keyboard harmonies. Finally Ruxx joins them with his sharp, distinctive tenor singing the first chorus. The entire cover takes a surprisingly rock-ish turn with Blu's guitar and Deneb's strong bass lines and you'll see that they really suit the song giving an appropriate background to Ruxx's voice.

The second chorus brings the next surprise. It's sung by Deneb and Ruxx together and they are joined by the lovely string quartet that appears in many more of their songs and covers. Here the cover gets very special, deep and rich - but it's still not everything.

(one more side note: I'm not sure if there was an analyzing of the recording from track to track during the live session at the release - if I'm not wrong, these huge, epic events came a bit later - but I would still love to learn how the backing vocals were recorded from the 3rd verse on)

The real surprise comes at the 3rd chorus. I remember it swept me off my feet back then and it still brings tears to my eyes.

It's the tubular bells.

It was a wonderful idea to add the tubular bells to the last chorus. It doesn't just have an uplifting holiday effect on the song, it doesn't just make the entire chorus amazingly rich with Deneb's and Ruxx's voice, the keyboard harmonies, the raw guitars and the string instruments but - for me - it gives a kind of cathartic element to it all. If you take a good look at this cover, you will see how subtly but surely it builds itself up. It has a soft, acoustic start, just like the original song. Then one after the other appear the other elements - some of them are in the original song as well, others are added by our favorite Colombians -; first the keyboards, then the distorted guitar, then the string quartet, then the chorus, finally the tubular bells and they finally have a sweeping, heart-shaking ending playing altogether while Ruxx and Deneb are singing "war is over".