Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Old City Bar

“Old City Bar” is one of the few original songs by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, who are primarily known for their Christmas themed rock operas, they also have a bulk of songs that are rock and roll adaptations of classical music. Since most Christmas songs are in fact modifications of old folk songs and classical music, I believe it is fair to say that the vast majority of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s music is rock opera versions of classical music. While “Old City Bar” is undeniably Christmas themed it is one of the few completely original tracks by the group.

I was curious just how few Trans-Siberian Orchestra songs were original after writing the above paragraph and I was surprised to find just how many songs were attributed to O’Neill, Oliva and Kinkel, but they take credit for songs like “Mephistopheles' Return” and "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24” which I know for a fact are collections of various classical pieces glued together. While going through each song and figuring out the percentage of Trans-Siberian Orchestra songs that are one hundred percent original is the sort of thing I am want to do, I will decline doing so at this time, I am not made of free time. Sorry Internet, I failed you. The point remains however, I am very confident that “Old City Bar” is one of the very few completely original songs created by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

I mean no real criticism when I point out that the vast majority of Trans-Siberian’s songs are quasi covers, after all just about the only thing I like about the holiday season is the music of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I would not be caught dead listening to Christmas music until “Christmas Eve and Other Stories” came out in 1996. This tiny bit of information however does help support what makes a song like “Old City Bar” special however.

The guitar is the instrument that speaks to my soul, and there is little I love more than a nice guitar melody, acoustic or electric. Like any simple charming acoustic song I always get it in my head that I can learn to play it myself, and “Old City Bar” is such a nice song it would be advantageous to know how to play it, but being layman I struggled terribly. This is not too surprising really, many of the acoustic songs I have sat down to learn have turned out to be much more intricate and complicated then they sound; which should really give us all a greater appreciation for the sheer talent of the professional guitar players out there who make it look so easy. If you really want to learn how to play “Old City” bar, this girl explains it pretty well I think: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEwaX71VjM4

The real charm of “Old City Bar” is the quaint nature of the story and the uplifting message there within. A quick synopsis of the story is a women is stranded in the cold streets on Christmas Eve and a child recruits the help of a bar keep to help her get home safe and sound. The child suddenly vanishes after the good deed is done and the rumor emerges that the child was an angel. In a turn of great generosity the bar keep lets everyone drink for free, and the bar is like home to those to dwell inside. These two verses perfectly capture the spirit of the song;

“If you want to arrange it,
This world you can change it,
If we could somehow make this,
Christmas thing last.

By helping a neighbor,
Or even a stranger,
And to know who needs help,
You need only just ask.”

I think we have all heard a variety of explanations as to what constitutes the true meaning of Christmas. We technically have two primary cultural influences that dictate two completely different messages. The various Pagans of Europe would celebrate their Winter Solstices as the rebirth of the sun and the coming of new life as the deepest days of winter were passing. The Christians, who effectively stole the holiday from the Pagans, celebrate the rebirth of their savior Jesus Christ. The commonality is the theme of rebirth, that is not a coincidence and also not important to a discussion about “Old City Bar.” A lot of people have come to terms to with the idea that the Holiday season is about “peace on earth,” which is a nice try, but more pragmatic people are forced to recognize the truth that the holiday season has become more to do with commercialism than anything else, but perhaps the healthiest message we should believe in is the one O’Neill and company are encouraging for us to share, and that is charity and kindness.

I would be lying if I pretend to care about the “reason for the season” I do not even like Christmas, I’d rather be working. Can you imagine how much work I could get done around the office if no one else was there to sideline me with unpredictable problems? It would be so nice. However as much of a scrooge you may qualify me as, I really like “Old City Bar” and I really like the message it invokes. If you want to make a better future, go make it; be the difference you want to see in the world; help a stranger; pay it forward; and other clichés. Every day is the future. We are the future, all of us.

Until next year, keep on rocking in the free world.

- King of Braves

Trans Siberian Orchestra - Mephistopheles Returns

The Trans Siberian Orchestra is best known for their rock and roll Christmas albums, but the truth of the matter is that The Trans Siberian Orchestra is primarily about the fusion of rock and roll and classical music.

Many of the best Christmas songs are deliberate reconstructions of, or heavily inspired by, classic symphonies. Obvious examples include “Christmas Canon Rock” or Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker,” less obvious examples include “What Child Is This?” which is basically a reconstruction of old “Greensleeves,” all of which are performed by The Trans Siberian Orchestra on their Christmas albums. No effort is made to hide their infinity for Mozart or Orf as their version of the “Mirage of Figaro” and “O Fortuna” are both present on “Night Castle,” also the works of Bach and others are present throughout. Combine this with the eccentric nature Savatage and Jon Oliva, the rock and roll stars who made rock and roll Christmas a real thing, and the overarching theme of rock and roll meets classical music becomes rather obvious. It should not surprise you to learn The Trans Siberian Orchestra’s third album was a concept album about Beethoven’s theoretical tenth symphony, what should surprise you is that you never heard of it until now; of if you have; good work.

The concept behind “Beethoven’s Last Night” is this; while composing his tenth symphony Ludwig Von Beethoven is visited by Mephistopheles and is tempted by him to sell his soul so that he may finish his final masterpiece. Basically “Beethoven’s Last Night” is “The Devil Came Down to Georgia” only set in Beethoven’s house. When I think about it “The Devil Came Down To Beethoven’s House” might also have worked as a title for this album, very descriptive anyway.

Beethoven creating his tenth symphony under great duress

“Beethoven’s Last Night” is in many ways an excuse for the Trans Siberian Orchestra to play rock opera versions of Beethoven’s classic symphonies, as if one needed an excuse. They use the “Moonlight Sonata” as the construction of two songs on the album, “Mephistopheles” and “What Is Eternal.” “Fur Elise” is used to construct “The Dark” and, well “Fur Elise.” Beethoven’s Ninth is of course present, especially the fan fare of the “Ode To Joy.” They even managed to slip in Mozart’s “Requiem,” “Marriage of Figaro” and “Sonata Facile” in there. Also Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumblebees” is present. In the live performance/story line the justification for having Mozat’s music present is that Ludwig and Wolfgang were friends in Vienna, and just as Ludwig is about to consider Mephistopheles’ offer the ghost of Wolfgang shows up to warn him of the obvious evils of the demon. In reality there is no hard evidence that Beethoven ever even met his elder Mozart, but it is entirely possible that Beethoven may have studied under Mozart for a short time during his time in Vienna, though to anyone with an ear for classical music it is pretty obvious Beethoven’s music is more inspired by Franz Joseph Haydn than anyone else. Then again any excuse to make a rock opera version of Mozart’s music is a good excuse.

All things considered my favorite song on the album is “Mephistopheles Returns” a song inspired by and structured around Beethoven’s eighth piano concerto, also known as “Sonata Pathetique.” “Mephistopheles Returns” is a bad ass song rock song/classical composition about the horror of seeing the demon once more after Ludwig has had time to contemplate his offer.

Beethoven getting right in the face of Mephistopheles

Speaking of the live performance of “Beethoven’s Last Night” the Trans Siberian Orchestra went on tour in 2012 performing the set from the album, twelve years after the albums initial release. I presume the Trans Siberian Orchestra wanted a break from playing their Christmas set and decided to dust off the old Beethoven routine, and I actually have some confidence in this explanation. In 2009 Trans Siberian Orchestra’s fifth studio album “Night Castle” was released and it was equal parts Christmas themed and classical compositions and Savatage rock and roll. I saw the Trans Siberian Orchestra on their Night Castle tour in my hometown of Calgary in November of the same year, the first half of the concert was the Christmas narrative and the second half was a rock opera of classical music and Savatage related rock and roll. So the theory that a few years later the Trans Siberian Orchestra wanted to focus on their non-Christmas music is a theory that fits the situation. I was very happy with this development at the time because I loved the Trans Siberian Orchestra version of Savatage’s “Believe,” as noted here in my December 2009 Music In Review:

http://colinkellymusicinreview.blogspot.ca/2011/03/december-2009-savatage-trans-siberian.html

For the longest time I was convinced I was the only person in Calgary who owned a copy of “Beethoven’s Last Night” and also quite possibly the only person who knew it existed, so in 2012 when the Trans Siberian Orchestra returned to Calgary to perform the Beethoven set I was pretty excited. I bought tickets I went to the show with a friend, they performed the set brilliantly, the narrator was very charismatic, everything was perfect, but I was disappointed... they didn’t play “Mephistopheles Returns.” That’s my only complaint. To me “Mephistopheles Returns” is the climax of the entire set and it was a foolish thing not to include it.

So the only question remains, what is cooler than “The Devil Came Down to Georgia” re-imagined as “The Devil Came Down To Beethoven’s House?” If anyone can think of anything I would like to know.

Until later this month keep on rocking in the free world.

- The King of Braves

There was really good artwork made for this album.

Savatage & The Trans Siberian Orchestra - Believe

Savatage:

The Trans Siberian Orchestra:

I normally try to wait until January when I review the entire year by picking out what I thought to be the very best album of the year, but I don’t need to wait, I already know the best album of 2009 is “Night Castle,” by The Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I don’t believe 2009 was a great year for music, especially when compared to last year. 2008 had Avantasia’s rock opera extravaganza “The Scarecrow,” Kings of Leon had their biggest commercial success album which was very good, Frightened Rabbit broke onto the scene with one of the cleverest smart ass songs I’ve heard in years, MGMT come out of nowhere and made pop music enjoyable again, bloody hell even Pink had a good song in 2008, and I never thought I would be saying that.

But 2009... a little lacklustre. There is probably a lot of good music that came out, but it was too cult, too foreign, or I just missed it, but when I look over 2009 all I can think of is those gods among men The Trans-Siberian Orchestra came out with their best album to date.

Seems like every December I end up talking about the same group; the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Sure the holiday season contributes to me thinking a lot about the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, what with their whole rock and roll Christmas theme, but for me personally, the reasons run much deeper than that.

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra really speaks to me because it is a combination of the two genres of music I most revere, Rock and Roll and Classical. The new album “Night Castle,” is a brilliant showing of both genres meeting in harmony and creating something truly awe inspiring. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra tackles famous composers’ work such as Mozart, Bach, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, and my personal favourite Orff, but at the same time O’Neil and Oliva of The Trans-Siberian Orchestra have not forgotten their rock and roll heritage, and classic Savatage tunes come out in full force on this album, now dramatically done with an entire army of musicians. I couldn’t be happier about it.

It’s hard, very hard to pick out which song I should tell you about, I mean you really should hear the version of “Carmina Burana,” they have done, or what they have done with “The Hall of The Mountain King,” and of course there is their symphony based around the “Moonlight Sonata,” the whole album is bliss. But in the end, I believe I will do two version of the same song, so make sure you download both.

One of my favourite Savatage songs is redone on “Night Castle,” the song “Believe.” I think this is as good as a time as any to try to turn people onto both the awesomeness that is The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and the rock band behind it all, Savatage. So I give you both, Savatage’s classic hit “Believe,” and the modern retaking of the same song done by The Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Both versions are great, it’s a beautiful song, and I am certain you will agree.

Until next year, keep on rocking in the free world.

- Colin Kelly

Carl Orf - Carmina Burana O Fortuna

The only things I have ever cheated on is death.

I’ll be twenty-five years of age tomorrow, so take that world, better luck next time.

It’s funny some of things you don’t think about when they are not important to you.

One thing I am lucky to have is a quite a collection of good friends. My oldest friend Craig Kemery, whom I have now known for eighteen years now, most of my life even, did me the gracious favor of taking me to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra on the fifth. It occurs to me this is the first actual birthday gift I have received probably since high school or earlier, but like I said its funny the things you don’t think about when they aren’t important to you, and I don’t see the big deal about birthdays. The Trans Siberian Orchestra lived up to all my expectation and was an amazing show, so thank you Craig, thank you very much for that.

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra as you may remember back in December 2007 music in review are awesome, almost unbelievably so. The general gist of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra was that Savatage lead man, Jon Oliva was struggling with the loss of his younger brother and Savatage band mate Criss’s death, wanted to find a way to embellish himself with work that was truly uplifting. Which is a far better solution to one’s problems then dwelling in misery. If you want to focus on something happy, what’s happier then rock and roll Christmas? So Jon teamed up with long time friends Paul O’Neill and Robert Kinkel and proceeded to rock the house.

To say the show was awesome would be a gross understatement, I’ve seen many musicians, bands, and groups, and I can honestly say if this was not the very best live performance I’ve ever seen then it was at least the most professional and worth while. Most groups will perform for maybe two hours, and you’re lucky to get two hours. Most groups make you sit through at least one opening group, which is almost never any, good. Most groups do very little other then simply play their songs and get out of there. Well the Trans-Siberian Orchestra didn’t do anything like that, they rocked out for nearly three hours, no breaks, no opening act, and a light show so brilliant the stage crew deserved an award.

The first act, a running story about Christmas, specifically, “An Angel Came Down,” which naturally was the opening song. Some gentlemen with a cool deep voice would narrate between songs giving us some explanation how this angel, watching mankind on Christmas Eve, was related to the various awesome Christmas rock songs we were privileged to hear. It was completely awesome, and I might dare say perfect.

Then act two decided to kick ass!

Not completely revolving around a Christmas theme anymore we are treated to dueling guitars which play Rush and Zeppelin! Dueling pianos which includes Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata.” At one point one of the four female vocalist just appears no more then ten feet behind Craig and me singing in naria. And one of the guitars and the spunky female violin player are running through the crowd giving people high fives. They played also Beethoven’s fifth and ninth, Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, and also Savatage classic “Hall of the Mountain King,” as an opening into what is best described as “Satanic Jingle Bells,” then back to “Hall of the Mountain King.” Just when I thought it was safe to stop being in awe, they did it, they played “O Fortuna.”

For those of you don’t know “O Fortuna” proceeded to stab yourself in the face with a pencil.

Carl Orf is my favorite composer, I really enjoy Mozart, and all the other classic geniuses, but I really like Orf, and primarily because of “O Fortuna.” As near as I know Orf only composed one solid piece of work the “Carmina Burana.” Carmina Burana is a collection of old Germanic, gothic, and other old folk music from Germany and surrounding area, and most of this music would probably have been lost to the ages if not for Carl Orf.

Carl Orf not unlike German philosopher and writer Neitzschen, in it that long after they were dead the Nazi’s used their work to show off how awesome Germans are. Using those works, there is a solid argument for the German ego, unfortunately that is a far away tangent as to why everyone else deserves to be conquered and/or slaughtered.

Anyway enough round about stories about how awesome my week has been, this month Carl Orf – “O Fortuna.” One of the greatest pieces of classical music every, and arguably these greatest.

I can assure you the Trans-Siberian Orchestra did Mr. Orf justice in their performance, in fact here are two videos I found on youtube of performance four days and three days prior to Craig and me seeing them.

The first one has better video of the group, and the second is a better quality recording of the sound, so do yourself a favor and watch both.

Until next month, keep on rocking in the free world.

- Colin Kelly

The Trans Siberian Orchestra - Wizards in Winter

December… Well Christmas must be the first thing most people think of when December rolls around, so I might as well embellish this common thought pattern.

Now as a cynical, miserable person it would be unnatural of me to say anything positive about a commercialized, Christianized, pagan holiday originally celebrating the coming of winter as you may have noticed December 25 is awfully close to the winter solstice which occurs every 21st or 22nd of December. I’ll spare you my negativity on this matter since this has nothing to do with music.

I suspect I am not wholly alone in my general dislike of Christmas carols and Christmas music in general. For the most part most songs written for Christmas are obvious attempts at cashing in on the finical feeling of season, which is consumerism. Furthermore any song written that can be credit as ‘good’ on its own merits usually suffers from being produced for the wrong reasons, naturally, once again commercialism. Overall I have grown extremely weary of any music in association with Christmas.

You can probably guess where this is going.

In 1979 a virtually unknown progressive rock group known as Savatage began their career. They would found no success until their 1987 album “Hall of the Mountain King,” which I have never heard, and never heard of until I looked it up. Supposedly they have experienced a relatively successful career since then but I could not possibly tell you any of their songs, they are a complete mystery to me. Founded by the Oliva brothers Criss and Jon, Jon would feel the need to change his career and life altogether after the death of his brother Criss in 1993. So that’s where we get Jon.

Paul O’Neill was originally a guitarist, whom toured with such musical as “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Hair,” you just might have heard of those. He went on to be a legendary manager in the music industry producing such groups as Aerosmith, AC/DC, Def Leppard, Ted Nugent, The New York Dolls, and the Scorpions. An impressive list to say the least. In 1991 he would team up the Oliva brothers to create the rock opera “Streets” which I have never seen or heard of before today. Anyway that is where we get Paul.

Robert Kinkel is a keyboardist who played with Savatage after Criss’s unfortunate death. That’s all. Robert is apparently the easy one to explain.

These three men, working in, and living in New York decided to combine their glorious efforts to create something very different; The Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

The concept for The Trans-Siberian Orchestra was Christmas songs done in a rock opera style. I think its safe to say nothing like this has been done before.

The name of the group comes from the Trans-Siberian Railway in Russia, which Kinkel says connects many cultures otherwise isolated, much like music. With such a name like “The Trans-Siberian Orchestra” you would think they are Russian, I know I did, but apparently not. Near as I can tell they are all American. Although with a name like Kinkel, we can assume some Russian heritage from Robert.

Studios, not surprisingly did not care much for the idea of Christmas rock operas, and I can’t say I blame them. However after the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s first release “Christmas Eve and Other Stories” in 1996 they became an immediate success, subsequently proving there is indeed a market for holiday music that rocks.

Recently the Trans-Siberian Orchestra has obtained some internet fame through Christmas lights maniacs setting their very elaborate and very, very, impressive Christmas lights to the song “Wizards in Winter.”

Have you seen it? I know this is old news to most people, but wow! If you haven’t make sure that you do:

Can you imagine living next to that? I really like how he has different sets of lights dedicated to different instruments.

EDIT:

It has been six years since I wrote this review, and since that time there have been many other efforts by enthusiastic Christmas lovers to set their lights to "Wizards in Winter"

2010

2010

2011

2012

Who knows what is going to happen in the future.

You got to admit it is a pretty sweet song, but what do you expect from a sixty-piece rock orchestra?

So this month “Wizards in Winter” is my song of choice. You can download the attached file and rock out this Christmas or you can do what I did last year and watch that video over and over again. I recommend both.

Until next year, keep on rocking in the free world.

- Colin