Have you ever listened to the music of Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO)? For anyone scratching their head right now, TSO is an American rock band primarily known for their Christmas songs that combine elements of classical and rock music. As strange as it may seem, the end result is a fantastic mix of genres unlike any other. The band is actively performing to this day, and the impact of their albums should not go unrecognized during the upcoming holidays. Here is the history and significance of TSO.
TSO was formed in 1996 by Paul O’Neill. O’Neill grew up “with a wide-ranging world of (rock) musical influences” while also learning from the works of Broadway musicals and artists such as Oscar Wilde and Jim Croce. After working for numerous production and management companies, he built a vision: a rock opera band that plays Christmas music. According to O’Neill, “I wanted to take the very best of all the forms of music I grew up on and merge them into a new style. Basically, I was building on the work of everybody I worshipped.”
O’Neill approached his longtime friends from the band, Savatage, with his ambitious goal to create a rock band. As he stated, “[t]he whole idea was to create a progressive rock band that would push the boundaries (of the genre) further than any group before … Way, way further.” He was later approached by Atlantic Records to form a band, but his request to include “24 singers” and “4 keyboard players” in the group confused the record label. To his surprise, Atlantic Records signed on, and TSO was born.
The first installment of “The Christmas Trilogy” is “Christmas Eve and Other Stories,” released in 1996. The album incorporates a story about an angel sent down to earth to find the one thing that best represents Christmas. O’Neill unsurprisingly helped produce the album and wrote most of its tracks.
The iconic illustrations featured on the cover of this album and every other TSO album were drawn by Edgar Jerins, who gained inspiration for this first cover from a friend’s young son. “Christmas Eve and Other Stories” eventually became one of the best-selling Christmas albums of all time. It has successfully gone 3x platinum, selling over 3 million units since its release.
The song “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24” was re-released for this album, and it’s undoubtably one of the greatest Christmas singles of all time. The symphonic metal instrumental track that combines “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” with “Carol of the Bells” should spark interest immediately. There are only a few Christmas songs that have gained higher commercial success, yet this single remains the most captivating.
Adding more beauty to the instrumental track is the story behind the music. In an interview with Christianity Today, O’Neill described how the composition was inspired by the story of a cello player born in Sarajevo who returned many years later to find the city “in complete ruins” after the Bosnian War. “The song basically wrapped itself around him,” O’Neill said, “We used some of the oldest Christmas melodies we could find, like ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’ and ‘Carol of the Bells’ (which is from the Ukraine, near that region). The orchestra represents one side, the rock band the other, and the single cello represents that single individual, that spark of hope.”
The next installment of “The Christmas Trilogy” was “Christmas Attic,” released in 1998. Jerins explained the reasoning behind the notable album cover, stating “[f]or the Christmas Attic I used the young girl from the Sarajevo video…” While the previous album focused on covering traditional Christmas music, “The Christmas Attic” had some tracks modified, such as the song “Boughs of Holly” being reworked from “Deck the Halls.”
While not as profitable compared to the first album, “The Christmas Attic” still achieved commercial success, as it was certified 2x platinum in 2019. According to Steven Thomas Erlewine, “[TSO’s] second album, Christmas Attic, may not be as focused or serious as Christmas Eve, but it is just as enjoyable and maybe even more consistent, thanks to Paul O’Neill’s increasingly impressive compositions and an improved musicality.”
The third and final part of “The Christmas Trilogy” is “The Lost Christmas Eve,” released in 2004. Similar to the second album, this release referenced and reworked other forms of music. However, unlike the prior album covers, Jerins did not have a preliminary vision for this album. He later gave insight on O’Neill’s work process: “Paul is such a perfectionist,” Jerins said, “[H]e is going to get what he needs. He needed me for a while; he got me.”
“The Lost Christmas Eve” became a large success for TSO, achieving 2x platinum status and selling over 2 million units. Reviewer Michael Popke wrote about the album, “Despite the presence of several traditional Christmas carols, TSO’s nontraditional delivery makes ‘The Lost Christmas Eve,’ perhaps more so than either of its previous holiday records, a pleasurable listening experience any time of the year.”
Sadly, O’Neill passed away in 2017 due to complications of a chronic illness. It’s incredible that his band evolved into its current form as a musical powerhouse, given that, “[w]e were the first band with over 80 members. The first to split into two regional touring bands. The first band to never play clubs. We have never had to have, or be, an opening act.”
To this day, TSO is known for their gigantic charity contributions and their extravagant performances containing string sections, lasers and effects synchronized to their live music. TSO’s impact on Christmas and rock music continues to be admired by fans of all genres, and their mix of two distinct genres has created endless amounts of holiday cheer. If you ever have the opportunity, go to one of their concerts. If not, take the time to listen to their music and appreciate how TSO has brightened people’s spirits for decades.
