Search - Neal Morse :: ?

Could Possibly Be Neal's Best Work, Period!

Doc Sarvis | 11/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a longtime Spock's Beard and Transatlantic fan (not to mention Neal's solo work), I know what angst the title of this review might cause in some fans. I have followed Neal since "The Light" burst Spock's Beard on the scene, and helped to usher in a new, "third wave" of prog rock that is still going strong. Like many other fans, I too was upset when Neal left SB (and TA) at the height of their popularity because of his newfound embrace of evangelical Christianity. In hindsight it seems a really brave thing to do for the sake of one's faith (to make a clean break with the past). and thus I have come to respect his solo work on its own terms, since Neal is still such a great prog-rock talent. Since leaving SB, he's replaced the rest of the band with first-rate musicians such as Mike Portnoy (!) and Randy George, and has more or less replaced the lyrics of SB tunes with Christian-themed verses. This has been tough for some of the old SB crowd to swallow, but the fact remains that Neal is still putting out some great music (something that even his least religious fans will grudgingly admit).



Now, with Neal's new album, "?", many of Neal's fanbase will need to reinterpret their position on his entire body of work. I believe this to be perhaps the best thing he has done in his entire career. Here's why:



1. This album comes extremely close to capturing the old Transatlantic vibe (not too surprising since three of the four TA members play here), and even takes it a step further by adding some hard-edged Dream Theater-esque riffs, likely arising from the guest presence of DT and Liquid Tension Experiment member Jordan Rudess.



2. It also goes a long way to recapturing the Spock's Beard magic. This is of course largely due to the presence of SB alumnus and brother Alan Morse, whose signature sound is unmistakably present.



3. Lyrically this could be the best thing Neal has ever done. Yes, the verses are religious-themed, but in a much less in-your-face manner than his first two post-SB prog albums, "Testimony" and "One". Where "Testimony" was a conversion story, and "One" talked about man's relationship to God through Christ's atonement, "?" is much more complex theologically. I'll leave it to the listener to make their own interpretation, but suffice it to say that this time the lyrics deal with the ancient Jewish practice of Temple worship, and how the concept was replaced, in evangelical Christian thought at least, by the coming of Jesus. Pretty heady stuff actually, and while it may not be everyone's cup of spiritual tea, even the most heathenistic among Neal's fans will be forced to admit that these lyrics are a quantum leap ahead of any that Neal wrote for SB, in terms of sophistication if nothing else.



This is simply a great third-wave prog album. Steve Hackett from Genesis even makes a brief showing, providing a geneological link to the classic prog efforts of the 70s. Don't let anxieties about the lyrics deter you - they are just obtuse enough to have no effect if you're not interested, and if the subject does interest you they will be surprisingly poignant.



Enjoy! To Neal et. al., thanks for a great recording."

The question has been answered

Murat Batmaz | Istanbul, Turkey | 11/01/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Neal Morse's new solo album ? embarks on excellent songwriting as always. It is rich in progressive rock elements reminiscent of his former bands Spock's Beard and Transatlantic; as well as his previous solo works, in that it is a continuation of his spiritual and musical journey. ? is a single long-form composition divided into twelve tracks. Other than that, the flow from one piece to another is so seamless and natural that some parts of the melodies actually bleed into the following track without the listener noticing it. Furthermore, there are certain themes, melodies or subtle lyrical references used in more than one song to tie each piece together and suggest a sense of wholeness.



Arguably Morse's most progressive solo work, this album features an incredibly impressive list of guests, added to his long-time rhythm section consisting of Randy George on bass and Mike Portnoy on drums. Alan Morse, Neal's brother from Spock's Beard, returns to the fold to offer his guitar talents along with Roine Stolt from The Flower Kings (Morse also appears on Stolt's upcoming solo album by the way). However, the biggest surprise for me was the addition of Genesis mastermind Steve Hackett, whose unique and easily identifiable phrasing and tone set him apart from pretty much everyone else out there. Last but not the least, Dream Theater's keyboard wizard Jordan Rudess also graces ? with timeless synth solos that duel with both Alan Morse and Roine Stolt's lead guitars. As usual, there are a good dose of cellos, violins, horn sections, bag pipes, and Mark Leniger's trademark saxophone sounds to enrich the compositional qualities of the songs, interwoven into the mix thanks to Neal Morse's amazing skill for song arrangement and production.



The album starts and ends with a piece titled "The Temple of the God", giving a good explanation of the concept underlying it, and both pieces share some common lyrics and musical ideas. For instance, while the opener begins with soft wind effects and indiscernible whispers; the last track ends exactly in the same way. However, the body of the songs are filled with hugely varying elements. A distant blues guitar harmony starts the album off, followed by Neal's unique vocals where he sings over a lengthy piano melody. His voice is full, strong and incredibly expressive. There is just something in his timbre that makes up for any technical inefficiency he may possess. All of a sudden, the piece breaks into a full-blown prog rock piece as keys and swirls of jazz motifs are introduced to define the song, while a classic Spock's Beard type of guitar theme produces immortal melodies that go on and on until they segue into the following track "Another World", only to develop a stronger character and become more intense. Neal effectively delivers a repeated chorus in a capella style, while in the closing track things are executed completely differently. The same chorus doesn't kick in until the last two minutes because of a huge wall of sound created by a hybrid of symphonic rock, multi-track guitars (two of them harmonise with each other, while the third one returns to play the same theme heard on the first two pieces) and massive vocal harmonies delivering the same chorus. It is beautiful.



Every track has its own trait. From the strummed acoustic chords and Mellotron sounds on "Another World" to the flutes and bells on "The Outsider" (given the percussion work here it is easy to tell Portnoy had a finger in co-writing this one) to the amazing solo trade between Alan Morse and Jordan Rudess on "Sweet Elation", the whole album is also laced with dramatic passages of piano, saxophone, and lush string work. Moreover, fans of Transatlantic will rejoice when they hear the Zappa-like "In the Fire", featuring a mix of everything that ranges from both a bass and drum solo, harmony vocals, a fantastic lead guitar solo what seems to be Roine Stolt, blues rock meets 70's Hammond sounds, another crazy synth lead by Rudess, and finally a funky bass figure to wrap things up. Strings and a big orchestral arrangement form the brief piece "The Glory of the Lord", while on the acoustic guitar and piano-driven ballad "Outside Looking In", we have an ethereal Steve Hackett solo that is simply out of this world. "12" is another ballad displaying Morse's vocals at their most fragile yet also emotive state together with jazz piano, counterpoint vocals and glistening cymbals from Mike Portnoy. The piece ends with a cutting instrumental break where I believe Alan Morse and Roine Stolt first solo individually and then meet Rudess' keys as he enters the scene. The multi-guitar leads are also amazing on "Inside His Presence" where Neal Morse lets out a fantastic scream towards the end.



? is another addition to Morse's ever-growing back catalog. While he still continues his quest to find God, he also proceeds to write amazing music with moving melodies and numerous dynamics. I personally believe bashing the guy for the religious imagery he uses in his songs has been done to death. No one is forcing you to analayze his lyrics. I'm not even Christian and his lyrics don't bother me at all. His music is simply too strong and clever to distract from the listening experience."

? > Testimony >>> One

Bret Hern | Houston, TX United States | 11/04/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Neal Morse is fast becoming the Stephen King of Christian progressive rock (in output if not, regrettably, in sales). On the heels of the highly personal "Testimony" and the more sweeping "One," (and the earlier concept album "Snow" while still with Spock's Beard) Neal has produced yet another rock opera/concept album, this one about the Old Testament tabernacle, bringing him to somewhere around 6 hours of epic prog music released in the last 3 years, to say nothing of his many side projects and endeavors.



Fortunately, the well doesn't seem to be running dry at all on this effort. Where "One" was uneven and in some places unchallenging, "?" grabs hold of the listener from the opening track and doesn't let go until the closing whispers an hour later. The musical themes are catchy and memorable, and the performances are jaw-droppingly good. Besides his favorite rhythm section/support team of Mike Portnoy (drums) and Randy George (bass), both of whom turn in fine performances, especially George, who gets to show off on a particularly tasty bass lead midway through, Neal has yielded the stage to guitar luminaries Roine Stolt, Steve Hackett, and his brother Alan, and keyboardist Jordan Rudess, all of whom make amazing contributions. Stolt's handiwork is literally all over the album, from bluesy fills to pleasant backing vox, Steve Hackett adds a soaring guitar solo to "12" that will make the uninitiated order everything in his back catalog, and Alan produced an absolutely mind-blowing sequence in "Into the Fire," trading leads with Rudess on the keyboards that quite literally had me mopping my brow as I listened.



The pace is relentless, but there seem to be just the right twists and turns of intensity and mood. Most concept albums wind up with a dead spot or two that just don't quite fit or work, but "?" never stumbles, never fails.



Like "Testimony" and "One," "?" comes unabashedly from a Christian perspective; the lyrical content is very biblical, since that is the primary source for the tale. But whether it's the nature of the tale, or the degree to which the music overwhelms -- I personally think it's more the latter -- the general reaction has been that the message is more digestible to those who don't share Neal's convictions this time around. (Grace and irony abounds...)



"?" is an amazing album, and I cannot recommend it more highly.



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