Trans-Siberian Orchestra - The Christmas Attic

Fans of Andrew Lloyd Webber will discover he has a soul mate in one Paul O'Neill, the "conductor" of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. A dyed-in-the-wool sentimentalist, O'Neill presents this pop-rock tale from 1998 with all the glitz and glory of a Lloyd Webber Broadway show. Playing to the common themes of the season through a tale about a little angel sent to Earth to leave behind a gift, O'Neill creates a big-sounding production heavy on lead guitars and orchestral filigree. There are pieces of familiar Christmas carols and hymns and a handful of unembellished acoustic numbers to offset the brighter parts of the musical melodrama. While his singers and players are all professional sounding, O'Neill often mistakes sentiment as a grand gesture when it needs to be something less ambitious or noticeable. Nonetheless, there's a TV special or Broadway show wrapped up in this attic and it won't go away until it gets done. --Martin Keller Amazon.com

A little Pachelbel, a little Bach, and some music box blues

THE CHRISTMAS ATTIC marked the second CD release by the Christmas rock-opera sensation, Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Most of the good stuff from the first album, CHRISTMAS EVE AND OTHER STORIES, but it seems to lack in substance. Very little of the music herein echoes the astounding quality of CHRISTMAS EVE AND OTHER STORIES. Certainly the exceptions would the very beautiful "Christmas Canon" (a children's chorus singing to the tune of Pachelbel's "Canon in D") and "Joy / Angels We Have Heard on High" (consisting in addition to the latter title, also an electric guitar solo of Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring").

Likewise, "Midnight Christmas Eve" and "Appalachian Snowfall" are enjoyable light rock instrumentals, but they have nothing to remind the listeners of Christmas. "The Music Box" is a gentle lullaby as is "Dream Child (A Christmas Dream)".

Nearly all of the songs on this CD are filled with sweetness and sentiment. But what the majority of them are sorely lacking (and what is absolutely essential in a Christmas album) is the familiar. The first album had a fairly healthy mixture of familiar Christmas classics and TSO's own songs to help tell their story. (Perhaps they could have used a few more of those familiar classics, but it was still a great album.) THE CHRISTMAS ATTIC is unfortunately largely void of the familiar carols. And that's what people look for in a Christmas album. August 20, 2008

Incredible

TSO is simply the most powerful modern orchestra of our time. If you've never heard them, you must do so. You will be truly moved by the experience. March 21, 2008

When you had enough Christmas music

It is so irritating to me when Christmas music starts to make its way to the airwaves by October that by the time December hits this songs have lost most of their luster. If you feel the same way, give this a try, it is a great rearranging of some Christmas classics with a great overtone of Rock and Roll.
T.S.O. has managed to remake the sounds of Christmas without loosing the Christmas spirit.If you decided to stop buying Christmas music, buy this, or any of the other three recordings.
January 18, 2008

Secrets in the Attic

The Christmas Attic

I first listened to this CD at work when a coworker brought his in. After hearing the first three songs I knew I had to get it.
Even though this is a "Christmas" CD, it's music you can listen to through out the year. January 15, 2008

Magic

There is nothing better than seeing TSO put to video. Their Rock Operas are amazing and filled with beauty. Wonderful wonderful DVD! January 3, 2008

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