There is more to this cd than just great music. There is a Christmas tale which weaves the songs together into one work. The section of this story that always gets to me is from 'The Ornament' to 'This Christmas Day'.

Finally, what brings it all together is the choice of vocalists throughout the story - all fantastic. The emotion that is heard in these songs relating to the part of the story they are telling is as if they are living the story and we are observing it. Just listen to the vocalist of 'This Christmas Day' and I believe you will understand. I literally get chills at the end of this song.

All in all, this will be a favorite for years to come. Enjoy!


A Christmas album with year-round appeal   August 6, 2000
Matt from www.prog.web.com
73 out of 77 found this review helpful

Well, usually around December sometime this album and its worthy successor become my two favorites to listen to - not to say you won't find me listening to it throughout the rest of the year, either. The album's 17 tracks, every single one of them excellent, are divided nearly equally between instrumental and non-instrumental tracks. The songs tell the story of an angel's quest and a runaway returned home for the holidays in an implied rock opera style. In doing so, Paul O'Neill and company are able to somehow capture the magic and spirit of the season with incredible accuracy. The style of the music varies greatly, from light to heavy and everything in between. Here you'll find piano / vocal driven Broadway moments, string filled symphonic moments, solo-guitar laden heavy metal moments, not to mention the tasteful inclusion of a children's choir and a song each to touch on folk and blues. Many of the album's melodies are borrowed from Christmas favorites, meaning plenty of the tunes will be very familiar to even the first time listener, and the original material on the album is just as spectacular as the reworkings of the classics. With at least six different lead singers, the album is both a musical and vocal treat. A definite essential.


Best of their Christmas Albums!   March 13, 2002
Mel (Chicago)
40 out of 42 found this review helpful

I originally bought this just for the Christmas Eve/Sarajevo piece, but I fell in love with the rest of it as well. The music varies from quiet guitar pieces to stuff that would belong in the wildest rock concert. This is no ordinary Christmas CD, that's for sure!

One of the neatest things about it is that the music tells the story of an angel sent on a mission, looking for something that best represents all the good people do one another for Christmas. The listener travels with the angel and listens in as he does on the lives of various characters until at last he comes across a father's prayer for a daughter that had run away from home. He follows the prayer to where the daughter is, and in helping her return home, finds what he is looking for and returns to heaven.

I have also listened to "The Christmas Attic", and that album is also nice, but the music just isn't as catchy as "Christmas Eve and Other Stories".


Ultimately the best Christmas group ever   November 24, 2001
Josh Armitage (Kansas City, MO USA)
17 out of 21 found this review helpful

I first heard Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 on a local radio station, and when I heard it, I went home and scrounged the Internet to find out which group performed it. I finally found out about TSO, and went out to buy this CD. I just came home from getting Christmas Attic, and all of the combined 33 tracks are perfect. The songs telling the story of the CD can't be topped anywhere. Old City Bar and An Angel Returned are my top favorites. If you want to hear powerful and harmonic Christmas music, get both this album and Christmas Attic. I haven't heard Beethoven's Last Night yet, though I plan to buy it once I can find it.


Get this CD!   December 2, 1999
Darrell (Dallas)
13 out of 13 found this review helpful

This is an amazing CD. The songs range from beautiful (Promises To Keep, Prince of Peace) to thoughtful (Old City Bar, Ornament) to outright rockin' (Christmas Eve Sarajevo, Mad Russian Christmas). I've had it for two years and it's been my favorite Christmas record. No matter what kind of music you like, you'll like this!