Christmas isn't anywhere near our minds at Second Disc HQ, but a band typically associated with the season has a reissue coming out next week.
The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, the successful symphonic rock band whose guitar-heavy versions of traditional carols are radio staples at Christmas, have released two non-holiday albums in their almost 20-year history: 2000's Beethoven's Last Night and 2009's Night Castle. Now, with the group playing Beethoven's Last Night in its entirety on a tour that continues through May 13, they are issuing an expanded edition of Beethoven's Last Night which includes the between-song narrations as heard in live performances.
Beethoven's Last Night is the fantastical tale of the influential German composer who, on the night of his death, challenges Mephistopheles for control of his soul. Predictably, the program features rock arrangements of both Beethoven's classic pieces (including Für Elise, the Moonlight and Pathetique sonatas and the immortal Symphony No. 9) as well as treatments of works by Mozart and Chopin.
The double-disc set, which features new artwork, is sold at TSO shows but will be available exclusively at Wal-Mart stores in America on Tuesday, March 13. A digital edition will be available April 17.
Hit the jump to check out the track breakdown.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Beethoven's Last Night: The Complete Narrated Version (originally released as Lava/Atlantic 83319-2, 2000 - reissued Rhino, 2012)
Disc 1
- Overture
- Midnight (Narration) *
- Midnight
- Fate
- What Good This Deafness (Narration) *
- What Good This Deafness
- Mephistopheles (Narration) *
- Mephistopheles
- What is Eternal (Narration) *
- What is Eternal
- The Moment (Narration) *
- The Moment
- Vienna (Narration) *
- Vienna
- Mozart (Narration) *
- Mozart
- The Dreams of Candlelight (Narration) *
- The Dreams of Candlelight
- Requiem (The Fifth) (Narration) *
- Requiem (The Fifth)
- I’ll Keep Your Secrets (Narration) *
- I’ll Keep Your Secrets
- The Dark (Narration) *
- The Dark
- Fur Elise (Narration) *
- Fur Elise
- After the Fall (Narration) *
- After the Fall
Disc 2
- A Last Illusion (Narration) *
- A Last Illusion
- This is Who You Are (Narration) *
- This is Who You Are
- Beethoven
- Mephistopheles’ Return (Narration) *
- Mephistopheles’ Return
- Misery (Narration) *
- Misery
- Who is This Child (Narration) *
- Who is This Child
- A Final Dream (Narration) *
- A Final Dream
- Ending Narration *
* denotes previously unreleased track
Don says
Wow, that cover art is horrendous. It makes the previous cover art look almost classy by comparison. Almost.
Galley says
I'd be interested, but I don't shop at Wal-Mart.