The Christmas Trilogy [CD & DVD]

Disc 1
1	An Angel Came Down 3:51
2	O' Come All Ye Faithful/O' Holy Night Instrumental 4:19
3	A Star to Follow 3:49
4	First Snow Instrumental 3:52
5	The Silent Nutcracker Instrumental 2:22
6	A Mad Russian's Christmas Instrumental 4:42
7	The Prince of Peace 3:32
8	Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 Instrumental 3:25
9	Good King Joy 6:35
10	Ornament 3:37
11	The First Noel Instrumental 0:54
12	Old City Bar 6:17
13	Promises to Keep 2:41
14	This Christmas Day 4:20
15	An Angel Returned 3:52
16	O' Holy Night 2:39
17	God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen 1:16
Disc 2
1	The Ghosts of Christmas Eve 2:15
2	Boughs of Holly Instrumental 4:24
3	The World That She Sees 3:00
4	The World That He Sees 4:45
5	Midnight Christmas Eve Instrumental 4:21
6	The March of the Kings/Hark the Herald Angel Instrumental 3:52
7	The Three Kings and I (What Really Happened) 6:29
8	Christmas Canon 4:19
9	Joy/Angels We Have Heard on High 3:55
10	Find Our Way Home 3:45
11	Appalachian Snowfall Instrumental 4:12
12	The Music Box 3:01
13	The Snow Came Down 5:43
14	Christmas in the Air 4:12
15	Dream Child (A Christmas Dream) 7:04
16	An Angel's Share 3:05
17	Music Box Blues 4:57
Disc 3
1	Faith Noel 4:32
2	The Lost Christmas Eve 5:33
3	Christmas Dreams 3:54
4	Wizards in Winter 3:05
5	Remember 3:25
6	Anno Domine 2:13
7	Christmas Concerto 0:42
8	Queen of the Winter Night 3:11
9	Christmas Nights in Blue 4:18
10	Christmas Jazz 2:16
11	Christmas Jam 3:47
12	Siberian Sleigh Ride 3:08
13	What Is Christmas? 2:51
14	For the Sake of Our Brother 3:09
15	The Wisdom of Snow 2:01
16	Wish Liszt 3:42
17	Back to a Reason, Pt. 2 4:52
18	Christmas Bells, Carousels & Time 1:04
19	What Child Is This? 5:57
20	O' Come Alll Ye Faithful 1:26
21	Christmas Canon Rock 5:02
22	Different Wings 2:44
23	Midnight Clear 1:38
Disc 4
1	O' Come All Ye Faithful/O' Holy Night Bonus Track
2	Good King Joy Bonus Track
3	Hark! The Herald Angels Sing Bonus Track
4	Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24) Bonus Track
5	Christmas Canon Bonus Track
6	O' Holy Night Bonus Track
7	Music Box Blues Bonus Track
8	Promises to Keep Bonus Track
9	This Christmas Day Bonus Track
10	First Snow Bonus Track

Barnes & Noble

For the hordes of Trans-Siberian Orchestra fans out there, this box set is the ultimate gift from TSO founder Paul O'Neill and his chief collaborator, Jon Oliva. Handsomely packaged, The Christmas Trilogy houses all three of the TSO's hard rock-meets-symphony epics -- their 1996 debut, Christmas Eve and Other Stories; 1998's The Christmas Attic; and the final installment, 2004's The Lost Christmas Eve -- plus a DVD of a gloriously staged production of 2001's The Ghosts of Christmas Eve, featuring Ossie Davis in the role of the Caretaker and vocals by Jewel and Michael Crawford (Broadway's original Phantom of the Opera). Additionally, the glossy CD booklet includes each album's story in straight narrative form -- broadly, they're about searching for the true meaning of Christmas -- along with complete lyrics, session credits, and illustrations that evoke the mood and atmosphere of each tale. There's little in the way of subtlety here: TSO are about screaming guitars, thundering drums, and wailing vocals, all supported by a full orchestra with the brass, reeds, and tympani at full Wagnerian throttle. Occasionally, the tumult is quelled by the soothing, angelic voices of a children's choir, and that fleeting bit of tenderness adds a bracing introspection to the presentation. O'Neill and Oliva believe devoutly in what they're doing, and their passion and grand vision drive this work. It's a distinctive sound, and in the rock world the grandeur of TSO's approach, sweep, and execution is singular and compelling. These musicians' hearts are always in the right place, and it's palpable at every turn. David McGee

All Music Guide

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. You really should dabble in Trans-Siberian's dramatic, huge world of Christmas music through the eyes of classic rock before laying down the money for the set. If you just need a bit of this 60-piece, the first album is the most inspired, but it's not enough for most who get hooked. Although the next two albums gave diminishing returns, Trans-Siberian producer/mastermind Paul O'Neill kept pouring his heart into the music and always offered some genuine thrills. Great presentation and a packed DVD make up for a lot of note-spinning on the third disc, and what was a wintry night made for besides curling up with a precious, hope-filled story, no matter how cumbersome? David Jeffries