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Offline The Letter M

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4025 on: February 09, 2021, 09:14:33 PM »
Speaking of cheap packaging, I just cracked the plastic tray getting out the second disc from Forevermore for the first time. Inside Out label, not Radiant.

That sucks. I've noticed that there are two production runs of the albums. The set of CDs I ordered from Laser CD just have Inside Out and Century Media listed in the fine print on the bottom back side of both cases (digipak for Forevermore, jewel case for The Breath Of Life). On someone else's digipak for The Breath Of Life, I noticed that Sony Music Entertainment is shown as having been the distributor for that version, so it seems that there was one production run (presumably North American-based) that gave us TBOL in a jewel case, and another with the album in a digipak (presumably European based). I haven't double-checked discogs yet to see if its been updated with all the variations, but this is what I've come to find.

If you're hoping for a digipak version of TBOL and you live in the US and ordered from the US, you may or may not get the jewel case version, depending on where the seller got their stock from. In the case of at least Laser CD and Radiant Records, they received the jewel case version of TBOL.

On a whim, I decided to see what I would get by ordered it from Amazon (for less than $12), since a couple of folks in the TA Facebook group said they got a digipak from ordering on Amazon, so we will see! Either way, I only paid $25 for both TBOL and Forevermore by ordering from Laser CD, so I can't be too mad. Ten bucks for TBOL is a steal, regardless of what the package is made of.

I re-watched the Making Of Documentary again a bit earlier (after my first viewing late last night), and it's interesting to see how all of their ideas came together. It still astounds me that Roine brought over 90 minutes of music to the sessions, but looking at the white board, they used less than half of his ideas, but practically all of Pete's (which explains why he's everywhere on the album). Even only using maybe about 40-50 minutes of Roine's music,  you can really feel his influences in places across the album, and I love it. "Lonesome Rebel" really brings me back to the Stardust We Are days of TFK, as does parts of "The World We Used To Know". I had wondered if writing the album in Europe would have given them a bit more of a European-members-heavy album, and in the case of Forevermore, I can really feel Pete's and Roine's touch across the whole thing, and I love it.

I haven't given many more spins to TBOL over the last few days as I've just been trying to digest Forevermore, and I'm on my second viewing of the Ultimate Mix visualizer (which is fantastic), but if I had to pick between the two (main) versions, I might give the edge to Forevermore, but I will still say that, lyrically speaking, TBOL has a tighter theme and concept with its "updated" lyrics that Neal wrote last summer. I do wonder if I would still like "Reaching For The Sky" over "Heart Like A Whirlwind" if I hadn't heard the former first (when the video single came out). The "newer" melodies for the verse are far more dynamic, melodically speaking, than the ones used in HLAW, but I like I said up thread, the vocal lines in the verses of HLAW mirror the ones used in "The Sun Comes Up Today", which creates a nice effect.

That said, I'm starting to warm up to the Ultimate Mix more than Forevermore, since it includes some of my favorite parts about TBOL mixed into Forevermore, and given that it's an official mix and release, I don't feel the need to try and Frankenstein a compilation myself, especially since, for the most part, the Ultimate Mix is an improvement over both versions (aside from maybe 1 or 2 odd-sounding edits, like where the Overture was expanded by a minute or so).

-Marc.
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Offline faizoff

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4026 on: February 10, 2021, 05:33:30 AM »
I just don't know why but 'Love Made A Way' just isn't doing it for me. The track IMO feels extremely anti-climactic to the album. Disc 2 has some excellent tracks but the ending just sorta fizzles out.

The Blu-ray from Radiant is out for delivery today, will have to listen to the whole thing while watching the visualizer.
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Offline kirksnosehair

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4027 on: February 10, 2021, 08:04:55 AM »
The 4-minute long ending where they do absolutely nothing doesn't really help either.  I really hate these kinds of endings, like some kind of forced attempt at making something sound far more epic than it really is.  Just end the damned song, why ring the chord for an extra 3 minutes after you've already hammered it pretty hard for a full minute which felt long already?   


That's probably my biggest beef with "Forevermore" - having the space to fill doesn't always mean you should fill it.  That was a bad choice, because the song itself is pretty good aside from that ridiculously long ending. 


A few of my facebook friends have been complaining that "Love Made a Way" is a religious song, I haven't really concentrated so much on the lyrics but from what I have paid attention to I didn't think they sounded all that religious, which I like.  I mean, I prefer it when Neal is more subtle like he seems to be with most of the TA material if you don't count the final track on The Whirlwind which to me comes across as almost a musical version of a Sunday School class. 

Offline Peter Mc

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4028 on: February 10, 2021, 08:36:41 AM »
I have to admit TA are not a band that I come to for the lyrics.  I literally couldn’t tell you what 90% of their songs are about, the lyrics just don’t interest me apart from just knowing them enough to sing along or whatever.

Offline Elite

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4029 on: February 10, 2021, 09:09:43 AM »
WHo's going to list all the parallels to The Whirlwind?

I'll start with a few;

- Evermore on TW -> Forevermore
- Heart Like a Whirlwind -> uhh, okay
- the last line of lyric from TW: "From the whirlwind comes the breath of life'
Hey dude slow the fuck down so we can finish together at the same time.  :biggrin:
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Offline Fritzinger

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4030 on: February 10, 2021, 09:18:02 AM »
I'm starting to think I would have liked Forevermore or The Breath Of Life as the name for the whole album better than The Absolute Universe. The Absolute Universe is just so ... epic for the sake of it  :lol
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Offline gzarruk

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4031 on: February 10, 2021, 09:23:54 AM »
I'm starting to think I would have liked Forevermore or The Breath Of Life as the name for the whole album better than The Absolute Universe. The Absolute Universe is just so ... epic for the sake of it  :lol

Remember this comes from one of the guys who released a track called "Opus Maximus" :rollin
It sounds like, "ruk, ruk, ruk, ruk, ruk." Instead of the more pleasing kick drum sound of, "gzarruk, gzarruk, gzarruk, gzarruk."

Offline Zydar

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4032 on: February 10, 2021, 09:28:39 AM »
WHo's going to list all the parallels to The Whirlwind?

I'll start with a few;

- Evermore on TW -> Forevermore
- Heart Like a Whirlwind -> uhh, okay
- the last line of lyric from TW: "From the whirlwind comes the breath of life'

"Locked inside a whirlwind I cried out in hope" from Swing High, Swing Low.
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Online HOF

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4033 on: February 10, 2021, 09:31:28 AM »
I'm starting to think I would have liked Forevermore or The Breath Of Life as the name for the whole album better than The Absolute Universe. The Absolute Universe is just so ... epic for the sake of it  :lol

Yeah, something I’ve been thinking is what does The Absolute Universe have to do with anything on the album (though I haven’t listened to all of Forevermore yet)? Breath of Life is obviously a play on COVID (and probably a reference to the Holy Spirit). Not sure what Forevermore means.

Offline kirksnosehair

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4034 on: February 10, 2021, 09:48:15 AM »
I think 7 listens is enough for me to move on so I moved on to the "Breath of Life" version and whoa, there are substantial differences like almost immediately  :eek

Online ProfessorPeart

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4035 on: February 10, 2021, 09:59:29 AM »
Got my Blu from Radiant today. Pro-tip, remove the cover insert and flip it around. The default side has got these gaudy logos all over the place. The reverse is nice and clean.

Credit to Discogs for pointing out the reversible insert.
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Offline ThatOneGuy2112

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4036 on: February 10, 2021, 10:45:27 AM »
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« Last Edit: February 27, 2023, 01:48:28 PM by ThatOneGuy2112 »

Offline 425

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4037 on: February 10, 2021, 10:54:34 AM »
Interesting take, 425.  Neal slips in a few religious things, but I figured it was more pro-belong (belong!) rather than being anti-independent per se.

I'd say the main tracks I take issue with lyrically are Higher Than the Morning and Looking for the Light. Both of them seem to be mocking the idea of the independent individual, especially taken together. The message I take from those songs is basically that anyone who thinks of themselves as an independent creator-type ("Then you convince yourself you're one of them / The true creators; to opinions they have died") is necessarily deluded ("But you're confused / You're not so great / As you once thought you were") and will inevitably become a hypocrite who "rips off even songs that [they] despise."

I've only listened to The Breath of Life so far, so I can't say if there are others on Forevermore that add further context.
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Offline bluefox4000

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4038 on: February 10, 2021, 10:55:54 AM »
Neal has never been a particularly great lyricist for me, and the new album is no exception to that. I just feel that a majority of his lyrics are far too rife with the same old neo-spiritual vagueries he's been singing about for the last several decades, and he often has little to say despite how wordy he can be.

When they unveiled the album name and art, I was expecting some kind of light sci-fi concept at the very least, but obviously I just don't know Neal enough. :lol  If you were to ask me to pick apart some of these lyrics from past TA albums, I might not get high marks.

to be honest i tuned out his lyrics years ago.  as a atheist they bounce off me. if people find meaning in them wonderful but means fuck all to me, it's like......yea fine Neal, lol

Big fan musically though.  i do wish he knew how to write about more though.  that really can't be all he thinks about.


Offline kirksnosehair

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4039 on: February 10, 2021, 11:36:01 AM »
Neal has never been a particularly great lyricist for me, and the new album is no exception to that. I just feel that a majority of his lyrics are far too rife with the same old neo-spiritual vagueries he's been singing about for the last several decades, and he often has little to say despite how wordy he can be.

When they unveiled the album name and art, I was expecting some kind of light sci-fi concept at the very least, but obviously I just don't know Neal enough. :lol  If you were to ask me to pick apart some of these lyrics from past TA albums, I might not get high marks.

to be honest i tuned out his lyrics years ago.  as a atheist they bounce off me. if people find meaning in them wonderful but means fuck all to me, it's like......yea fine Neal, lol

Big fan musically though.  i do wish he knew how to write about more though.  that really can't be all he thinks about.


I've been thinking the same thing since he went solo.  I assumed he'd eventually burn out on the religion topic but everything he does pretty much drips with it, even if the lyrics aren't always heavy-handed in terms of religion.  I think it's because he's made it central to his entire existence. I mean listen to the lyrics of his first solo album and he tells you that before he found God he had what he considers a "wasted life."  And that theme appears everywhere in his catalog of writing credits.  He a religious man, he's got the religion gene, something I absolutely do not have.  Still, I kind of admire the guy for his commitment, even if I don't believe any of it.   

Offline bluefox4000

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4040 on: February 10, 2021, 11:49:05 AM »
Neal has never been a particularly great lyricist for me, and the new album is no exception to that. I just feel that a majority of his lyrics are far too rife with the same old neo-spiritual vagueries he's been singing about for the last several decades, and he often has little to say despite how wordy he can be.

When they unveiled the album name and art, I was expecting some kind of light sci-fi concept at the very least, but obviously I just don't know Neal enough. :lol  If you were to ask me to pick apart some of these lyrics from past TA albums, I might not get high marks.

And he's kinda implying whether he means to or not that i'm wasting my life, lol

But it's fine.  nothing gets to me i just find that funny.

but i'll still listen to whatever he's involved in.



to be honest i tuned out his lyrics years ago.  as a atheist they bounce off me. if people find meaning in them wonderful but means fuck all to me, it's like......yea fine Neal, lol

Big fan musically though.  i do wish he knew how to write about more though.  that really can't be all he thinks about.


I've been thinking the same thing since he went solo.  I assumed he'd eventually burn out on the religion topic but everything he does pretty much drips with it, even if the lyrics aren't always heavy-handed in terms of religion.  I think it's because he's made it central to his entire existence. I mean listen to the lyrics of his first solo album and he tells you that before he found God he had what he considers a "wasted life."  And that theme appears everywhere in his catalog of writing credits.  He a religious man, he's got the religion gene, something I absolutely do not have.  Still, I kind of admire the guy for his commitment, even if I don't believe any of it.   

Offline The Letter M

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4041 on: February 10, 2021, 12:09:46 PM »
Neal has never been a particularly great lyricist for me, and the new album is no exception to that. I just feel that a majority of his lyrics are far too rife with the same old neo-spiritual vagueries he's been singing about for the last several decades, and he often has little to say despite how wordy he can be.

When they unveiled the album name and art, I was expecting some kind of light sci-fi concept at the very least, but obviously I just don't know Neal enough. :lol  If you were to ask me to pick apart some of these lyrics from past TA albums, I might not get high marks.

And he's kinda implying whether he means to or not that i'm wasting my life, lol

But it's fine.  nothing gets to me i just find that funny.

but i'll still listen to whatever he's involved in.



to be honest i tuned out his lyrics years ago.  as a atheist they bounce off me. if people find meaning in them wonderful but means fuck all to me, it's like......yea fine Neal, lol

Big fan musically though.  i do wish he knew how to write about more though.  that really can't be all he thinks about.


I've been thinking the same thing since he went solo.  I assumed he'd eventually burn out on the religion topic but everything he does pretty much drips with it, even if the lyrics aren't always heavy-handed in terms of religion.  I think it's because he's made it central to his entire existence. I mean listen to the lyrics of his first solo album and he tells you that before he found God he had what he considers a "wasted life."  And that theme appears everywhere in his catalog of writing credits.  He a religious man, he's got the religion gene, something I absolutely do not have.  Still, I kind of admire the guy for his commitment, even if I don't believe any of it.   

When you reply to quoted text, please be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom. It can be difficult to find the "new" text (i.e. your reply) when it's buried in the quote pyramid.

Regarding Neal's lyrics, they've never bothered me much, even as an Atheist. Obviously, I like them a bit more secular, but he sings with such passion that it's hard not to feel uplifted by his music.

With TAU, I haven't been particularly bothered by anything sung on the album. I'm not at all knowledgeable on The Fountainhead, so I don't get all the allusions to Howard Roark, but the other lyrics across the album tend to be a bit simpler in terms of their meaning and metaphors. Even after all the spins I've given it, most of the words still haven't sunk in yet. I may have to sit and listen with the lyric booklet in hand and follow along to try and get some better understanding of the lyrics, especially where they were changed in TBOL.

-Marc.
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Offline 425

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4042 on: February 10, 2021, 12:42:15 PM »
I'll admit that part of what irks me here is that The Fountainhead is one of my favorite books.

The defining feature of Howard Roark is that he follows his own creative vision instead of caving to the opinions of others. He is an architect who uncompromisingly designs buildings according to his own judgment of what makes a great building, even though this often excludes him from high-paying jobs where the client wants a building designed in the popular style. He's depicted in contrast to Peter Keating, an architect who quickly climbs the ranks of the profession by following the popular taste and spending much of his time schmoozing high-society people.

When I hear this album disparage people who admire Howard Roark and insist that we should try to "belong," I think of Peter Keating, who does in fact "belong"—by telling people what they want to hear and showing them what they want to see regardless of whether he actually believes in it.

Besides it being completely antithetical to my own worldview, this strikes me as an odd perspective to take for musicians playing in a genre that is sharply at odds with popular taste. The musician version of Howard Roark would write the music he thinks is good, regardless of what the masses what to hear. He might write prog rock (or jazz, or orchestral music, etc.). The musician who thinks Howard Roark is a fool and that we should try to belong... to me, that sounds like an argument to write pop music tailored precisely to the popular taste.
And if spirit's a sign,
Then it's only a matter of time

Offline ThatOneGuy2112

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4043 on: February 10, 2021, 12:44:20 PM »
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« Last Edit: February 27, 2023, 01:47:54 PM by ThatOneGuy2112 »

Offline Stadler

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4044 on: February 10, 2021, 01:20:17 PM »
I'm not trying to argue, just provide an alternate viewpoint, but... the vague-er Neal is, the more I like him (with one exception: Alive Again).   I don't follow the religion side (though I do follow the spiritual side; you can believe in God/a god without signing up to the religion aspect) but I love the positivity of his work.  His music makes me happy, and sometimes, inspiration.   Doesn't mean I'm taking from it exactly what he's laying down.

Offline Skeever

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4045 on: February 10, 2021, 01:43:42 PM »
Finally got around to Forevermore and thought it was much worse than The Breath of Life, but maybe that's because I'm used to hearing it the one way now.

I think TBOL just has stronger themes and lyrics. There is so music that I wish made its way to TBOL too, but ultimately, I see the benefits of how Neal was able to hone and focus his ideas and better pronounce his themes in a more consistent, shorter work. There's a really prevalent melancholy that pervades through the work, which makes the few moments of hope and uplifting-ness a lot more powerful for me.

Offline 425

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4046 on: February 10, 2021, 01:47:04 PM »
I generally agree with that, Stadler. I would say that another dimension for me, related to another part of your post, is the more he focuses on the positive, the more I like him. In other words, I prefer him singing about how his religion has improved his life to him talking about the pitfalls of not being Christian. The Ways of a Fool, for example, is a song I'm not a fan of lyrically.
And if spirit's a sign,
Then it's only a matter of time

Offline KevShmev

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4047 on: February 10, 2021, 01:52:26 PM »
425, I get where you are coming from, but, by and large, I do not give much attention or thought to Neal's lyrics. I will latch on to lines or passages that sound really nice, and I do think he is a good writer most of the time (in his wording, regardless of content), but they are not make or break for me.  There are times where I wish he wouldn't lay the spiritual stuff on so thick, but I can usually get past it.

And 99.999% of the time, I don't care if a lyric is one I do not agree with, so long as it is well-written.  World Leader Pretend has become one of my favorite R.E.M. songs, and it doesn't bother me in the least that it is a scathing depiction of Ronald Reagan (who I was a fan of).  Heck, one day a while back on the way to work, I listened to a Neal song (Hail Jesus!) and then a Ghost song (Hail Satan!), and enjoyed the heck out of both.  :metal

Offline Stadler

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4048 on: February 10, 2021, 02:04:24 PM »
425, I get where you are coming from, but, by and large, I do not give much attention or thought to Neal's lyrics. I will latch on to lines or passages that sound really nice, and I do think he is a good writer most of the time (in his wording, regardless of content), but they are not make or break for me.  There are times where I wish he wouldn't lay the spiritual stuff on so thick, but I can usually get past it.

And 99.999% of the time, I don't care if a lyric is one I do not agree with, so long as it is well-written.  World Leader Pretend has become one of my favorite R.E.M. songs, and it doesn't bother me in the least that it is a scathing depiction of Ronald Reagan (who I was a fan of).  Heck, one day a while back on the way to work, I listened to a Neal song (Hail Jesus!) and then a Ghost song (Hail Satan!), and enjoyed the heck out of both.  :metal

I don't know why that made me laugh out loud.  :)

Offline 425

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4049 on: February 10, 2021, 02:17:40 PM »
425, I get where you are coming from, but, by and large, I do not give much attention or thought to Neal's lyrics. I will latch on to lines or passages that sound really nice, and I do think he is a good writer most of the time (in his wording, regardless of content), but they are not make or break for me.  There are times where I wish he wouldn't lay the spiritual stuff on so thick, but I can usually get past it.

I totally understand this, because this is where I am most of the time with Neal. It's really just that this particular one is pushing on something that's a core issue for me.
And if spirit's a sign,
Then it's only a matter of time

Offline bosk1

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4050 on: February 10, 2021, 02:22:19 PM »
Interesting take, 425.  Neal slips in a few religious things, but I figured it was more pro-belong (belong!) rather than being anti-independent per se.

I'd say the main tracks I take issue with lyrically are Higher Than the Morning and Looking for the Light. Both of them seem to be mocking the idea of the independent individual, especially taken together. The message I take from those songs is basically that anyone who thinks of themselves as an independent creator-type ("Then you convince yourself you're one of them / The true creators; to opinions they have died") is necessarily deluded ("But you're confused / You're not so great / As you once thought you were") and will inevitably become a hypocrite who "rips off even songs that [they] despise."

I could be mistaken, but I think you are misinterpreting the lyrics.  I don't think that that is what they are saying.  And I don't mean to imply that you "just don't get it."  I just respectfully think that you are taking something different from them than what they are actually saying.

...that really can't be all he thinks about.

I suspect that is mostly what he thinks about, and that it pervades his whole life.  It is certainly what is most important to him.  Interesting that you feel that way though.  And I say that genuinely.  As a Christian myself, I completely identify with Neal writing almost exclusively about his religion.  If I were a professional musician, I'm not sure it would occur to me to write about anything else very often, so your post kind of took me by surprise.  But it's cool that you made me think about that because, like I said, it wouldn't have otherwise occurred to me that anyone would think that way.

I prefer him singing about how his religion has improved his life to him talking about the pitfalls of not being Christian. The Ways of a Fool, for example, is a song I'm not a fan of lyrically.

To defend that song's lyrics specifically:  That is a primary theme of Christianity, and the lyric, "all the ways of a fool, they are right in his own eyes" is quoted directly from the book of Proverbs.  And in context of the album, that them is also present in Pilgrim's Progress, so it makes sense to include it on the album. 
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Offline Mladen

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4051 on: February 10, 2021, 02:33:50 PM »
Regarding Neal's lyrics, they've never bothered me much, even as an Atheist. Obviously, I like them a bit more secular, but he sings with such passion that it's hard not to feel uplifted by his music.
Same here.

For those that think Neal's only been writing spiritual and religious lyrics over the last 20 years, do yourself a favor and listen to Life and times from 2018.  ;)
« Last Edit: February 10, 2021, 02:39:29 PM by Mladen »

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4052 on: February 10, 2021, 02:53:16 PM »
Regarding Neal's lyrics, they've never bothered me much, even as an Atheist. Obviously, I like them a bit more secular, but he sings with such passion that it's hard not to feel uplifted by his music.
Same here.

For those that think Neal's only been writing spiritual and religious lyrics over the last 20 years, do yourself a favor and listen to Life and times from 2018.  ;)

Songs from November also.

Offline KevShmev

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4053 on: February 10, 2021, 05:59:31 PM »
425, I get where you are coming from, but, by and large, I do not give much attention or thought to Neal's lyrics. I will latch on to lines or passages that sound really nice, and I do think he is a good writer most of the time (in his wording, regardless of content), but they are not make or break for me.  There are times where I wish he wouldn't lay the spiritual stuff on so thick, but I can usually get past it.

And 99.999% of the time, I don't care if a lyric is one I do not agree with, so long as it is well-written.  World Leader Pretend has become one of my favorite R.E.M. songs, and it doesn't bother me in the least that it is a scathing depiction of Ronald Reagan (who I was a fan of).  Heck, one day a while back on the way to work, I listened to a Neal song (Hail Jesus!) and then a Ghost song (Hail Satan!), and enjoyed the heck out of both.  :metal

I don't know why that made me laugh out loud.  :)

 :coolio :coolio :tup :tup

For those that think Neal's only been writing spiritual and religious lyrics over the last 20 years, do yourself a favor and listen to Life and times from 2018.  ;)

Songs from November also.

I like both Life & Times and Songs from November, but I rarely revisit them anymore.  When I am in the mood for simpler, more laid back Neal material, I still go for his first solo album (the self-titled one) first.   Or I turn on The Wind + the Rain, which is hands down one of his best "short" songs ever.

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4054 on: February 10, 2021, 07:46:21 PM »
Just finished my first full listen of the first disc of Forevermore. I think that right there is the strongest thing they’ve done since Bridge Across Forever. Love the expanded/fully developed nature of the tracks from Breath of Life, but the three tracks that weren’t on Breath of Life are all great. There’s that quirky, Beatles-ish/Spock’s Beard-ish Neal Morse I’ve been missing (they might be Roine pieces but it doesn’t matter if they are)! Definitely enjoying there being more Roine on this one (both guitar wise and song idea wise). I think that in particular is what seems to harken back to the first two TA albums whereas Breath of Life seemed to recall The Whirlwind a bit. On to disc 2 though...

Offline KevShmev

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4055 on: February 10, 2021, 08:43:29 PM »
Just finished my first full listen of the first disc of Forevermore. I think that right there is the strongest thing they’ve done since Bridge Across Forever. Love the expanded/fully developed nature of the tracks from Breath of Life, but the three tracks that weren’t on Breath of Life are all great. There’s that quirky, Beatles-ish/Spock’s Beard-ish Neal Morse I’ve been missing (they might be Roine pieces but it doesn’t matter if they are)! Definitely enjoying there being more Roine on this one (both guitar wise and song idea wise). I think that in particular is what seems to harken back to the first two TA albums whereas Breath of Life seemed to recall The Whirlwind a bit. On to disc 2 though...

Nice!  I am loving Rainbow Sky more and more every day. Very Beatles-esque for sure.

It feels like this will end up being a record (when thinking of the two as one) where all of the songs I love are spread out all over the place, and in some cases, only on one of the discs.  The Darkness in the Light and The World We Used to Know are, IMO, the two best songs by a pretty good margin so far, and I am really loving Can You Feel It, Rainbow Sky and Swing High Swing Low a lot as well.  Owl Howl is getting better, and I could see that being one that all of a sudden becomes a favorite. 

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4056 on: February 10, 2021, 10:31:08 PM »
Just finished my first full listen of the first disc of Forevermore. I think that right there is the strongest thing they’ve done since Bridge Across Forever. Love the expanded/fully developed nature of the tracks from Breath of Life, but the three tracks that weren’t on Breath of Life are all great. There’s that quirky, Beatles-ish/Spock’s Beard-ish Neal Morse I’ve been missing (they might be Roine pieces but it doesn’t matter if they are)! Definitely enjoying there being more Roine on this one (both guitar wise and song idea wise). I think that in particular is what seems to harken back to the first two TA albums whereas Breath of Life seemed to recall The Whirlwind a bit. On to disc 2 though...

Just finished disc 2, and I really enjoyed it. I will say somehow the transitions from Lonesome Rebel into Looking for the Light (Reprise) and then into The Greatest Story Never Ends are somehow really badly done. Maybe it’s just a delay on my computer (I’m listening to files ripped from my CDs), but it’s hard to imagine why they didn’t clean those up. I’m also not sure about the Gentle Giant section in The Greatest Story Never Ends. I might prefer the Breath of Life version of that one.

But whether it’s nostalgia or what, I am really thoroughly enjoying both versions of TAU and am really happy to see these guys pull this whole thing off. Too soon to say which I prefer but I don’t think it matters. Both are good and it’s cool to have the option of both of them.

Offline kirksnosehair

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4057 on: February 11, 2021, 07:52:25 AM »
Well, this is actually turning out a lot cooler than I first thought it would.  I have listened to "Forevermore" 7 times front to back and I definitely dig it.   Not entirely sure how to rate it  in relation to the other albums but I can say with certainty that I like it better than Kaleidoscope and it's coming close to pulling even with The Whirlwind.


And yesterday I started listening to "The Breath of Life" version assuming I'd be listening to a condensed version of "Forevermore" but it's actually quite a bit different and even has a decent amount of different music.  I'm not sure how I feel about the alternate version of "Swing High, Swing Low" which was one of my favorites from Forevermore.  It's kind of weird to hear the exact same melodies with different lyrics, but it's cool.  I have listened to TBOL twice now and I think I now understand why Neal decided to do it this way. 


And I think I agree with him.  The shorter version of this is definitely a better album overall.  I wouldn't call anything on any of these discs "filler" but Forevermore gets a tiny bit long in the tooth near the end and by the time that llllloooooooonnnnnnnngggggggg dragged out ending comes along I turn it off with 4 minutes left because the last 4 minutes don't really do anything or go anywhere.  This is my biggest and possibly my only complaint (other than Pete's lead vocals which I think are a mistake). 


Overall, though, I'm pretty happy with this album.  It's a worthy addition to the band's body of work.  And while I was annoyed at first with the multiple editions, after hearing how it was done, I'm 100% OK with it. 

Offline goo-goo

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4058 on: February 11, 2021, 09:15:21 AM »
LaserCD just received more stock of both CD versions.

https://www.lasercd.com/search_results?f[0]=cp_artist1:266

Offline The Letter M

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Re: Transatlantic: The Absolute Universe pre-orders
« Reply #4059 on: February 11, 2021, 09:30:03 AM »
LaserCD just received more stock of both CD versions.

https://www.lasercd.com/search_results?f[0]=cp_artist1:266

Nice! That's where I ordered my CD sets. Just so everyone is aware, their stock has the jewel case version of TBOL, not the digipak from the European/Sony Music production.

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