Upon The Winter Solstice is a compilation album that was released exclusively at Kohl’s Department Stores during the 2013 holiday season. 100% of the proceeds go to the Kohl’s Cares charity to support kids’ health and education. This is not to be confused with the recently released Tales of Winter: Selections from the TSO Rock Operas compilation which covers all five TSO albums and one EP. So far, that’s an album that’s only been released in Europe anyway. Upon The Winter Solstice focuses solely on the group’s first three Christmas releases (known as the Christmas Trilogy): Christmas Eve and Other Stories, The Christmas Attic and The Lost Christmas.
The Christmas Attic is the second album by the American rock band Trans-Siberian Orchestra, released in 1998. The cover art is by Edgar Jerins. On November 18, 2004, The Christmas Attic was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Trans-Siberian Orchestra'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.
In 2004, Trans-Siberian Orchestra finished their "Christmas trilogy" with the massive – some would say ponderous – The Lost Christmas Eve. Wasting none of the holiday season's precious shopping time, the Christmas Trilogy box set landed two weeks after that album, giving the band's loyal fan base a set to give – some would say inflict – to their friends. Then again, maybe they'll just want to hold on to the set since there's a DVD with appearances by Jewel and Michael Crawford and the lavishly illustrated booklet includes all the lyrics and background stories…
For more than 20 years, progressive metal group Trans-Siberian Orchestra has cornered the market on holiday concept albums. The second installment in a trilogy, THE CHRISTMAS ATTIC tells the story of a little girl who spends nights in an attic filled with Yuletide reveries, a concept that TSO's sweeping soundscapes play to the hilt. Solo and choral vocals soar over the septet's rock orchestral backing across 16 tracks interweaving traditional and classical material with compositions by bandleader Paul O'Neill and cohorts. “Christmas Canon” would become a signature song for TSO, and this 1998 album and subsequent tour helped turn the group into a commercial juggernaut. The new 20th Anniversary Edition of THE CHRISTMAS ATTIC includes a previously unreleased on CD and vinyl version of “Christmas Jam (Live).” Merry Christmas from Rhino and Trans-Siberian Orchestra!
The Ghosts of Christmas Eve was a live show conceived for television by Trans-Siberian Orchestra, separate from their Christmas Trilogy of recordings, which they were two-thirds of the way through at the time. It aired in on the short-lived Fox Family network in 1999 with a cast that included Ossie Davis, Michael Crawford, and Jewel…