The Ghosts of Christmas Eve

Though it’s become popular for new artists to record old Christmas standards, reinterpreting the classics is nothing new. There’s the melancholy crooner renditions from the likes of Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra, the soulful, doo-wop swing of The Drifters on “White Christmas,” and then there’s the unmistakable grandiose rock approach taken by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. It takes about a millisecond to recognize the prog-rockers’ songs during the holidays, sonically sprinting through the Christmas classics with unabashed speed and aggression. TSO has taken all of its holiday hits and roped them into one remastered powerhouse audio version of its 2001 DVD, The Ghosts of Christmas Eve. There’s the power-rock ballad with a musical theater air, “Christmas Dreams,” the band’s well-known, driving hit “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo,” and the choral extravaganza of “Promises to Keep.” Here’s the thing about TSO: Whether the music is truly to your taste or not, its operatic mashup of familiar songs with 1980s prog energy can’t help but make you smile. It’s called Christmas cheer. Enjoy it.