The Music of Christmas - Day 4
December 4th, 2006 by Phil
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
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I remember being instantly mesmerized by this song the first time I heard it in 1995. Back then, it was attributed to the rock group Savatage, from their rock opera album “Dead Winter Dead”. After looking at that album in Best Buy, I thought to myself, “I really don’t want to buy this album. But man, that song is so good….”
Well, it wasn’t but a year later that the song was credited to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and it appeared on their debut album “Christmas Eve and Other Stories”. As part of an entire album telling one story, this one song stands out as being almost too energetic. It melds two familiar Christmas songs — “Carol of the Bells” and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” — by combining orchestral instruments with synthesizers, guitars, and drums fitting a rock band. The result is rather violent Christmas Eve in the war-torn city of Sarajevo.
I love this piece because it’s so loud and in-your-face with the synthesizers and keyboards. I grew up listening to heavy-synth music, so this just falls right into my particular musical sensibilities. But there’s also a bit of jealousy with this song. You see, for some time prior to this, I had wanted to do a Christmas medley. Two of the songs I had chosen were, you guessed it, “Carol of the Bells” and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.”
Great minds think alike, but TSO wins, not because they actually produced the song, but the fact that they did it so well. I’m a big fan of their debut Christmas album, but not as much as their followup. Still, for progressive rock-style operas, you can’t go wrong.
Tomorrow - We head to Miami.
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