Author Topic: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread  (Read 539689 times)

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Offline Mindflux

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2275 on: March 20, 2017, 01:15:44 PM »
Those looking at Morsefest 2015:

Amazon has the 2 DVD, 4 CD pack for 29.99 now (previous best was Best Buy at 32.99).
Blu Ray edition is also 17.05 right now.


Offline hefdaddy42

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2276 on: March 20, 2017, 01:17:16 PM »
I preordered the Blu-ray from Amazon.  I forgot the price (it was with a larger order), but it had to be around $17.00 or so.
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Offline Nihil-Morari

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2277 on: March 20, 2017, 03:46:26 PM »
Wow. So that's 47 dollars in total for you guys. It's over 80 dollars at my local store.
I'll buy it at the show btw. Could be just as expensive, but it's nice to know the money gets where it belongs.
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Offline hefdaddy42

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2278 on: March 22, 2017, 10:22:34 AM »
The move to Raleigh has me way behind in some areas, so I rectified that with an Amazon order.

The Neal Morse Band - Similitudes of a Dream

Blu-rays:

The Neal Morse Band - Alive Again
Neal Morse -  Morsefest 2014
Neal Morse - Morsefest 2015 (preorder - should have it this week sometime)

So far I have watched Alive Again and it was fantastic.
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Offline KevShmev

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2279 on: March 22, 2017, 05:32:46 PM »
That's an excellent haul. :tup :tup

I haven't listened to Neal lately, so I had forgotten that the Morsefest Blu-Ray was coming out so soon until I get an email from amazon the DVD about it delivering this week. Woohoo.

Offline The Letter M

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2280 on: March 22, 2017, 08:11:09 PM »
Yeah, I too have taken a break from Morse music lately (because Genesis has been dominating my listening everywhere I go - at home, in the car, at work), but getting the Morsefest 2015 DVDs this weekend will be a good treat, especially since I'll have off on Saturday and Sunday! I cannot wait to watch them! :metal

BTW - I read the IC Newsletter the other day and Neal had said he's been writing new stuff on his break between legs of the Road Called Home tour, some of which was proggy, and others in the singer-songwriter style, but he doesn't know where this material will go. I *really* hope the proggy stuff eventually finds a home in Transatlantic's fifth album. I kind of hope that maybe, JUST MAYBE, Morsefest 2017 will feature a TA reunion on one of the nights, which could lead into a writing session with Pete and Roine because I think Mike is off to do more Shattered Fortress shows not long after Morsefest. I'd love to see TA reconvene after Morsefest just to get  Neal in that super-proggy mood, and have him up to full performance standards of playing, which could positively affect his writing. Ah well... I can dream...

-Marc.
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Offline Fritzinger

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2281 on: March 23, 2017, 01:35:10 AM »
I don't think they'll start a writing session in TA without MP, honestly. After all *HE* started the band, it's *HIS* band and none of the things *YOU* said are *CONFIRMED* (sorry, couldn't resist)
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Offline hefdaddy42

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2282 on: March 24, 2017, 04:30:42 PM »
I came home from work to find Morsefest 2015 waiting for me.
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Offline KevShmev

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2283 on: March 24, 2017, 06:07:45 PM »
I came home from work to find Morsefest 2015 waiting for me.



 :tup :tup

Offline Nihil-Morari

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2284 on: March 24, 2017, 07:48:55 PM »
I actually held it, today, at my local record store. I promised myself to wait two weeks to get it at the show though. Difficult decision for someone who's bought most of NM's latest stuff on release day. Can't wait to see it!
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Offline hefdaddy42

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2285 on: March 24, 2017, 08:18:42 PM »
I am still working my way through the bluray of Morsefest 2014, which I just got as well.
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Offline Nihil-Morari

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2286 on: March 25, 2017, 03:36:21 AM »
That's a lot of Morse goodness  :lol
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Offline MinistroRaven

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2287 on: March 25, 2017, 08:04:31 AM »
Those who have received and watched their MF15 copies (DVD and or BR) what do you think about the graphics (visual effects) added to Sola Scriptura. They are very well done, thumps up to Christian Rios. I just think that they add nothing to the visual experience of the DVD/BR watcher, and I found them distracting. I am sure it was a totally different experience to those who watched them at the show live. What are your thoughts?

Offline The Letter M

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2288 on: March 25, 2017, 11:36:03 PM »
So I've spent the better part of my night watching Neal Morse - Morsefest 2015 (both DVDs) and currently watching the new Inner Circle DVD, Commentary On A Dream Part 2.

Morsefest 2015 - WOW, another stellar production, it'd be hard to pick which set was more impressive - ? or SS - but overall, I think this whole set is just as good as Morsefest 2014 was.

One question tho - the packaging says the Behind The Scenes should be on DVD 1 and the "Prog Jeopardy" on DVD 2, but my discs have the BTS documentary on DVD 2, and no "Prog Jeopardy". Is this a production flaw, or am I missing something?

As for the Commentary On A Dream Part 2 - it's great to hear the second half of Neal's thoughts on the album, his feelings about his "battle" with Mike, 11th-Hour changes to the album just as Rich was finishing the mix, and other random tidbits that really reveal a lot about the album!

Back to Morsefest - I really hope that Morsefest 2016 comes out before the end of the year as I have been craving to see the Snow performance (though the European performance of it on YouTube, in its entirety, is pretty spectacular).

-Marc.
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Offline kaos2900

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2289 on: March 27, 2017, 07:27:17 AM »
The move to Raleigh has me way behind in some areas, so I rectified that with an Amazon order.

The Neal Morse Band - Similitudes of a Dream

Blu-rays:

The Neal Morse Band - Alive Again
Neal Morse -  Morsefest 2014
Neal Morse - Morsefest 2015 (preorder - should have it this week sometime)

So far I have watched Alive Again and it was fantastic.

How was Alive Again? Morsefest 2014 was amazing and I haven't had a chance to watch 15 yet. Looks like most of the songs from the Grand Experiment are on MF 2015 except Alive Again.

Offline The Letter M

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2290 on: March 27, 2017, 03:47:02 PM »
The move to Raleigh has me way behind in some areas, so I rectified that with an Amazon order.

The Neal Morse Band - Similitudes of a Dream

Blu-rays:

The Neal Morse Band - Alive Again
Neal Morse -  Morsefest 2014
Neal Morse - Morsefest 2015 (preorder - should have it this week sometime)

So far I have watched Alive Again and it was fantastic.

How was Alive Again? Morsefest 2014 was amazing and I haven't had a chance to watch 15 yet. Looks like most of the songs from the Grand Experiment are on MF 2015 except Alive Again.

Well on Morsefest 2015, they played 2 B-sides ("MacArthur Park" and "New Jerusalem"), as well as three of the four album tracks, so there's a good amount of music from TGE to hear! If you really want to hear just "Alive Again", maybe you can buy just an mp3 of it from Alive Again? Or just cave and buy both sets - I believe Alive Again doesn't go for much since it's just a 2CD/1DVD set anyway.

-Marc.
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Offline KevShmev

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2291 on: March 27, 2017, 09:04:11 PM »
Those who have received and watched their MF15 copies (DVD and or BR) what do you think about the graphics (visual effects) added to Sola Scriptura. They are very well done, thumps up to Christian Rios. I just think that they add nothing to the visual experience of the DVD/BR watcher, and I found them distracting. I am sure it was a totally different experience to those who watched them at the show live. What are your thoughts?

I only watched a little of The Conflict thus far (I hope to give the full Blu-rays a watch in the next week or so), but I thought those effects were...odd.  I don't need all of the lyrics on the screen like that.

Offline The Letter M

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2292 on: March 28, 2017, 01:27:57 AM »
Those who have received and watched their MF15 copies (DVD and or BR) what do you think about the graphics (visual effects) added to Sola Scriptura. They are very well done, thumps up to Christian Rios. I just think that they add nothing to the visual experience of the DVD/BR watcher, and I found them distracting. I am sure it was a totally different experience to those who watched them at the show live. What are your thoughts?

I only watched a little of The Conflict thus far (I hope to give the full Blu-rays a watch in the next week or so), but I thought those effects were...odd.  I don't need all of the lyrics on the screen like that.

I'm a little indifferent to them. It's a bit cheesy, if you ask me, but it looked like Neal had the lyrics up on the screen behind Mike for most of the songs on both nights, I guess so those in attendance could sing along? *shrug*

As for putting them on screen for the home video release, it's a bit of an odd decision, but I can understand why they'd include that from a certain artistic point of view. The album, both musically and even lyrically, are very in-your-face and very bold, heavy, and hard, so having the words right up front could be seen as powerful and demanding of attention, which seems to fit the album of Sola Scriptura pretty well.

-Marc.
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Offline MinistroRaven

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2293 on: March 28, 2017, 05:12:45 AM »
Those who have received and watched their MF15 copies (DVD and or BR) what do you think about the graphics (visual effects) added to Sola Scriptura. They are very well done, thumps up to Christian Rios. I just think that they add nothing to the visual experience of the DVD/BR watcher, and I found them distracting. I am sure it was a totally different experience to those who watched them at the show live. What are your thoughts?

I only watched a little of The Conflict thus far (I hope to give the full Blu-rays a watch in the next week or so), but I thought those effects were...odd.  I don't need all of the lyrics on the screen like that.

I'm a little indifferent to them. It's a bit cheesy, if you ask me, but it looked like Neal had the lyrics up on the screen behind Mike for most of the songs on both nights, I guess so those in attendance could sing along? *shrug*

As for putting them on screen for the home video release, it's a bit of an odd decision, but I can understand why they'd include that from a certain artistic point of view. The album, both musically and even lyrically, are very in-your-face and very bold, heavy, and hard, so having the words right up front could be seen as powerful and demanding of attention, which seems to fit the album of Sola Scriptura pretty well.

-Marc.

I think it was a good idea to have the lyrics and the animations LIVE during the concert at the time it was filmed. But they choose to include them at the beginning of the concert and then some bolt and lightnings coming from their chest that was totally unnecessary IMO

Offline hefdaddy42

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2294 on: March 28, 2017, 08:39:06 AM »
The move to Raleigh has me way behind in some areas, so I rectified that with an Amazon order.

The Neal Morse Band - Similitudes of a Dream

Blu-rays:

The Neal Morse Band - Alive Again
Neal Morse -  Morsefest 2014
Neal Morse - Morsefest 2015 (preorder - should have it this week sometime)

So far I have watched Alive Again and it was fantastic.

How was Alive Again? Morsefest 2014 was amazing and I haven't had a chance to watch 15 yet. Looks like most of the songs from the Grand Experiment are on MF 2015 except Alive Again.
Alive Again was a really great watch.  Fantastic.

In the middle of the title track, the band does a Nightmare Cinema-type switching of instruments.  Those are some outstanding musicians, they can all play anything (except Portnoy, who stuck to drums & bass).
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Offline axeman90210

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2295 on: March 28, 2017, 09:36:40 AM »
Grabbed Morsefest 2015 on iTunes, enjoying it so far :tup. Interesting to hear some of the other NMB guys contribute vocals in the Whirlwind medley.
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Offline SwedishGoose

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2296 on: April 02, 2017, 02:20:16 AM »

Saw the show in Malmö yesterday and KB was packed. Great response from the audience.
The band was on fire....
It was soo great! The album is good but seeing it live takes it to another level.
Was about 6 meters back from the stage but got good views of all members of the band and really rocked out.
Had a great moment in I'm running when for quite a while Neal and I jumped like maniacs locking eyes and smiling at each other. Good times...
Seemed like the band really enjoyed the show and the audience too... everyone I talked to afterwards was really exited.
Would see the show again if I could...

One of the best shows I have seen.... do not miss this if you have a chance to see it!

Offline Nihil-Morari

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2297 on: April 02, 2017, 02:47:55 AM »
Seeing them tonight!
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Offline SwedishGoose

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2298 on: April 02, 2017, 06:09:32 AM »
Seeing them tonight!

Have a great time tonight!

Offline the keyboard wizard

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2299 on: April 02, 2017, 03:42:48 PM »
For those living near Luxemburg (French, Luxemburgers, Germans, Belgians or Dutch), the French and the Benelux chapters of Dream Theater official fan club are doing a contest to win two tickets for the Neal Morse Band concert at the Rockhal (Esch sur Alzette, Luxemburg) on April the 4th:
https://www.facebook.com/DreamTheaterBenelux/posts/912934152142372
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Offline Nihil-Morari

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2300 on: April 02, 2017, 04:53:21 PM »
That was awesome! Go check this show out cause it's the best Neal Morse show I've been to. The album shines live, the stage looks cool (the lighting guy did a great job!), and the encores work well. Tilburg was amazing. A lot of cameras surrounding the stage too btw. Could be a future Inner Circle release. Looking forward to that, the band outdid themselves.
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Offline hefdaddy42

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2301 on: April 03, 2017, 09:08:52 AM »
Just finished the Morsefest 2014 Bluray over the weekend.  Just tremendous.  Now on to the 2015 edition.

Really looking forward to seeing them at ROSFest in May.  I assume they will be doing Similitude of a Dream in its entirety?
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Offline kaos2900

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2302 on: April 03, 2017, 11:04:54 AM »
Finished disk 1 of Morsefest 2015. While it was good it was easily my least favorite of the Morsefest releases. 2014 was just so powerful. Will try to get to disk 2 of 2015 over the next couple of weeks.

Offline The Letter M

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2303 on: April 03, 2017, 07:05:52 PM »
That was awesome! Go check this show out cause it's the best Neal Morse show I've been to. The album shines live, the stage looks cool (the lighting guy did a great job!), and the encores work well. Tilburg was amazing. A lot of cameras surrounding the stage too btw. Could be a future Inner Circle release. Looking forward to that, the band outdid themselves.

Oooh, I'd love to get that Tilburg show on DVD through the Inner Circle! Looking at the setlist on setlist.fm, it looks like you guys got the extra-special LONG encore, with all 4 songs that have been rotated throughout this tour. Mike and Neal certainly know how to treat the Tilburg crowd! A lot of shows have only been getting 2 of the encore songs, 3 if they're lucky, but you got all four, so consider yourself super special! That alone would make a pending IC release even better!

-Marc.
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Offline KevShmev

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2304 on: April 03, 2017, 07:08:49 PM »
Yeah, give all of the encores to the town that gets to see them all the time, while those who rarely or never do get a shorter one.  That makes sense.

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2305 on: April 03, 2017, 09:45:03 PM »
Yeah, give all of the encores to the town that gets to see them all the time, while those who rarely or never do get a shorter one.  That makes sense.

To be fair. The show we saw in StL had what....300 people there? Yeah the venue was sold out essentially but it was a small venue. Just saw pics of the Tilburg crowd and I'd say there was easily 2500 people there. I'd say that's a (4) encore worthy crowd cuz I'm sure if that many folks are showing up they are making some noise.
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Offline Nihil-Morari

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2306 on: April 04, 2017, 12:55:16 AM »
Yeah, the venue seats 3100, the balcony was closed, but apart from that there wasn't a lot of room left, so 2500 would be a safe estimate. Giving such a crowd the 4 songs that have been rotating anyway doesn't seem like a lot of effort. The crowd loved it too.

I was standing right next to Rich btw, great stuff to see that man work.
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Offline Nachtmerrie

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2307 on: April 04, 2017, 12:00:58 PM »
Fantastic evening in Tilburg.

Best concert I've ever seen. I absolutely love the album from day 1 but the live show (with light and visuals) took it to the next level.
I'm deeply impressed by the intensity of their performance both the music and the vocals.


Offline KevShmev

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2308 on: April 04, 2017, 05:50:09 PM »
Yeah, give all of the encores to the town that gets to see them all the time, while those who rarely or never do get a shorter one.  That makes sense.

To be fair. The show we saw in StL had what....300 people there? Yeah the venue was sold out essentially but it was a small venue. Just saw pics of the Tilburg crowd and I'd say there was easily 2500 people there. I'd say that's a (4) encore worthy crowd cuz I'm sure if that many folks are showing up they are making some noise.

To be fair, the show we saw was magnificent and I couldn't have been any happier. 

I just hate this idea that certain cities almost always get the extra stuff.  Not that I think our crappy little town in the Midwest deserves more :lol, but why not do a little extra for the cities you are visiting for the first time ever or in a while, rather than giving more to a city that sees you every tour.

Offline faizoff

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Re: Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread
« Reply #2309 on: April 05, 2017, 12:49:28 AM »
Been digging into a lot of live Neal Morse stuff lately, the Morsefest 2015 bluray so far has been excellent and still have a long way to go to finish it. Already placed my order for Morsefest 2014 and hope to catch up with 2015 before that arrives. I'm seriously thinking of making the trip to Morsefest 2017 this year in Sept, fingers crossed I'm able to make it.
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