Another musical note
I really shouldn’t have, but I bought and downloaded a new album from iTunes the other day. I have bills to catch up on, and all kinds of stuff like that, but it’s been over two years since I’ve bought anything fun for myself, and besides, it’s the newest release from Trans-Siberian Orchestra in about 5 years or so.
Night Castle
As I said, I downloaded the album, so I can only guess, but I’d think that coming in at 26 tracks, it would have to be a double CD in the stores. This is their fifth album, and their second album that is not a Christmas story.
I’ve only managed to listen to it twice so far, but I like what I’ve heard. As usual, the entire album is one long story told in rock opera form. I haven’t spent enough time reading the digital booklet so I really have no idea what the story itself is about, but the music is all good stuff.
There are a few cover songs on this release, one of which is Nut Rocker, originally done in the 1960s by B. Bumble and the Stingers. It’s a rock & roll version of Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite.” TSO takes it to all new levels; it’s almost a metal version here. Looking back to the first time I saw TSO in concert back in 2003, I remember them playing this song that night. At the time, they alluded that it was part of their upcoming but not yet released third Christmas album, The Lost Christmas Eve. I bought this album on its day of release in 2004 and was surprised that Nut Rocker wasn’t on it.
What I like about the rest of the cover songs on Night Castle is that they are covers of songs originally done by a metal band called Savatage. What’s unique about this is that the core members of TSO used to be Savatage, so they are actually covering themselves. “Mozart and Memories” is an instrumental lifted from Savatage’s “Dead Winter Dead” album, where it was titled “Mozart and Madness.” For those of you familiar with TSO’s Christmas works, the song “Christmas Eve Sarajevo 12/24” from the “Christmas Eve and Other Stories” album is also a direct lift from “Dead Winter Dead,” so this move is not unprecedented. “Believe” from “Night Castle” is taken and redone from the Savatage album “Streets: A Rock Opera.”
“The Mountain” is a rock/metal re-do of the classic piece “Hall of the Mountain King” and will be recognizable musically if not in title.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra spent several years working on this album, and it shows in the results. Awesomely mastered recordings of great music. They take classical pieces, write in their own stuff, and mix it all into a story. Classical music played with rock instruments; it just doesn’t get any better.
To sum up, if you’re a fan of TSO, go ahead and get the new album. You won’t be disappointed. If you’re not a fan of TSO, go buy ALL their albums and become a fan.
Night Castle
As I said, I downloaded the album, so I can only guess, but I’d think that coming in at 26 tracks, it would have to be a double CD in the stores. This is their fifth album, and their second album that is not a Christmas story.
I’ve only managed to listen to it twice so far, but I like what I’ve heard. As usual, the entire album is one long story told in rock opera form. I haven’t spent enough time reading the digital booklet so I really have no idea what the story itself is about, but the music is all good stuff.
There are a few cover songs on this release, one of which is Nut Rocker, originally done in the 1960s by B. Bumble and the Stingers. It’s a rock & roll version of Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite.” TSO takes it to all new levels; it’s almost a metal version here. Looking back to the first time I saw TSO in concert back in 2003, I remember them playing this song that night. At the time, they alluded that it was part of their upcoming but not yet released third Christmas album, The Lost Christmas Eve. I bought this album on its day of release in 2004 and was surprised that Nut Rocker wasn’t on it.
What I like about the rest of the cover songs on Night Castle is that they are covers of songs originally done by a metal band called Savatage. What’s unique about this is that the core members of TSO used to be Savatage, so they are actually covering themselves. “Mozart and Memories” is an instrumental lifted from Savatage’s “Dead Winter Dead” album, where it was titled “Mozart and Madness.” For those of you familiar with TSO’s Christmas works, the song “Christmas Eve Sarajevo 12/24” from the “Christmas Eve and Other Stories” album is also a direct lift from “Dead Winter Dead,” so this move is not unprecedented. “Believe” from “Night Castle” is taken and redone from the Savatage album “Streets: A Rock Opera.”
“The Mountain” is a rock/metal re-do of the classic piece “Hall of the Mountain King” and will be recognizable musically if not in title.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra spent several years working on this album, and it shows in the results. Awesomely mastered recordings of great music. They take classical pieces, write in their own stuff, and mix it all into a story. Classical music played with rock instruments; it just doesn’t get any better.
To sum up, if you’re a fan of TSO, go ahead and get the new album. You won’t be disappointed. If you’re not a fan of TSO, go buy ALL their albums and become a fan.
posted by Bill | 07:02
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home