Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread

[Metro]

I just read that major news are going to be dropped Sept. 7th.
What could it be?

The major news is...the news has been delayed   

UPDATE RE: THE ANNOUNCEMENT
Hi, Inner Circle!

In my recent newsletter, I mentioned that something exciting would be announced on September 7th… well… the best laid plans…

The dates have changed a bit but the news will break next week! I’m looking forward to you hearing about what’s coming!

Blessings,

Neal

[ytserush]

The only thing I can say about vocals in the two bands is that I think that Pete and Mike should stick to background vocals.  I don't think the timbre of either of their voices are ideal for singing lead.

I'll disagree.  Their lead vocals are often album highlights for me.  But I will again note that they are used sparingly, and I might not feel that way if they had more leads than they do.

I don't mind Mike's lead vocals on a song or two but Pete's voice in not lead singer quality.

Probably wouldn't want to hear Pete on an entire album but I don't have a problem with two or three songs. He's no Steve Howe!

[ytserush]

I really like it when MP does leads, at least on the songs I’ve heard. Fool in My Heart and Looking for the Light show how far he’s come as a singer. As long as his voice suits the particular song it’s fine. I do think on TAU he sounds better than Roine, which isn’t a knock on Roine so much as praise for Mike. Roine is just several years past his prime vocally at this point.

Mike's definitely gotten better over the years. I like Roine too (I do have handful of Flower Kings albums, but I'm not huge fan.)

[Stadler]

The only thing I can say about vocals in the two bands is that I think that Pete and Mike should stick to background vocals.  I don't think the timbre of either of their voices are ideal for singing lead.

I'll disagree.  Their lead vocals are often album highlights for me.  But I will again note that they are used sparingly, and I might not feel that way if they had more leads than they do.

I don't mind Mike's lead vocals on a song or two but Pete's voice in not lead singer quality.

Probably wouldn't want to hear Pete on an entire album but I don't have a problem with two or three songs. He's no Steve Howe!

"In her white lace..." 

HAHA, good call.

[Architeuthis]

I've been following TNMB for almost four years, and I did not know there was a live concert release called Alive Again. I watched some of it on YouTube a little while ago and the performance looks and sounds amazing!  Looks like a must buy for the collection.  How in the world did I miss this???   

[The Letter M]

I've been following TNMB for almost four years, and I did not know there was a live concert release called Alive Again. I watched some of it on YouTube a little while ago and the performance looks and sounds amazing!  Looks like a must buy for the collection.  How in the world did I miss this???   

I think Alive Again came out in 2016, so if you've been following them for four years, you probably just missed out on its release. 

If you can get it, definitely go for it. It's got a great setlist too!

-Marc.

[ErHaO]

I've been following TNMB for almost four years, and I did not know there was a live concert release called Alive Again. I watched some of it on YouTube a little while ago and the performance looks and sounds amazing!  Looks like a must buy for the collection.  How in the world did I miss this???   

This is indeed a fantastic release.

[Kram]

OK, I'll try this, but as someone else mentioned above, this could easily be an ever-changing list.

Solo / NMB
1. ?
2. Sola Scriptura
3. One
4. Testimony 2
5. The Similitude of a Dream
6. Innocence and Danger
7. The Great Adventure
8. The Grand Experiment
9. Testimony 1
10. Sola Gratia
11. Momentum
13. Lifeline


Transatlantic
1. BAF
2. The Whirlwind
3. TAU
4. SMPTE
5. Kaleidoscope

Flying Colors
1. Third Degree
2. Flying Colors
3. Second Narure

[ErHaO]

I honestly don't know how to make a complete list. I think my top 4 is as follows and the positions are interchangeable:

-Similtude of a Dream
-The Great Adventure
-Bridge Across Forever
-Sola Scriptura

[ariich]

So I've not posted in this thread for ages, partly because the last couple of NMB albums didn't quite do it for me (I thought they were good, but not great), but I have to say that Innocence & Danger has been a rather nice surprise. Might even like it more than Grand Experiment (though not as much as One, which was quite a special album). There are a lot of really strong and memorable hooks, I'm enjoying how each song has a pretty strong identity, and in general I'm finding the songwriting good. Beyond the Years does drag a bit, but everything in it is really nice so I'm not going to complain.

The only thing I really don't get is Emergence. Just... what is the point. It sounds like an outtake of random noodling, and it makes me unreasonably and disproportionately annoyed.

[hefdaddy42]

Oh hey, I finally got my delivery email from Radiant.

I should have my stuff by Wednesday. 

[KevShmev]

So I've not posted in this thread for ages, partly because the last couple of NMB albums didn't quite do it for me (I thought they were good, but not great), but I have to say that Innocence & Danger has been a rather nice surprise. Might even like it more than Grand Experiment (though not as much as One, which was quite a special album). There are a lot of really strong and memorable hooks, I'm enjoying how each song has a pretty strong identity, and in general I'm finding the songwriting good. Beyond the Years does drag a bit, but everything in it is really nice so I'm not going to complain.

The only thing I really don't get is Emergence. Just... what is the point. It sounds like an outtake of random noodling, and it makes me unreasonably and disproportionately annoyed.

I agree. Neal usually crushes it on the acoustic, but that one does just sound like random noodling more than anything else.  I don't mind it as a lead-in to Not Afraid Part 1, but I doubt I'd listen to it on its own.

[Metro]

I don't mind Emergence. But it, along with the cover song, clearly only exist to pad out the album length.

[Zydar]

I pretty much always skip Emergence now. I don't know if the intention was to have an acoustic lead-in to the next track (like Horizons into Supper's Ready) or not.

[ariich]

It's just not needed as a lead-in though, Not Afraid pt 1 has its own nice acoustic intro.

I've gone ahead and deleted Emergence entirely from my digital copy, and honestly the transition from The Way It Had To Be to Not Afraid works fine and therefore much better.

I don't mind Emergence. But it, along with the cover song, clearly only exist to pad out the album length.

I sort of felt that way about the cover when I first listened, just because it's such an iconic song. But actually after a number of listens I'm rather enjoying it and think it sits quite nicely on the album.

[Mladen]

It turns out my least favorite moments on the album are the songs that were added in order to pad it out. That's too bad. It could have been a really good single disc release.

[Metro]

Agreed. Don’t get me wrong, I love it the way it is.
But if you cut out Emergence, the cover, BTY, and expand Not Afraid Pt.2, I think it would have made a much stronger album.

[Stadler]

I say this respectfully, but - and it's a similar criticism that comes up about the Iron Maiden album - I don't follow the "cutting".  One can, of course, make a playlist, and there are albums I do that for, certainly, but for me, both of these releases are, because of their scope, more than just a "collection of songs", and so for me, they are what they are.   I think "Emergence" is critical in terms of pacing, and while I can (and do!) sometimes skip to songs (I just need to hear "Bird On A Wire"!) if I'm listening to the album, it's a sequence.

I like how both albums start with shorter, punchier songs, set the tone then progressively (ha!) move to more complicated, more involved pieces.  They work in that context.  I can't imagine just a NMB album with, say, CD1, or just an album with Not Afraid Part 2 and Beyond The Years.   The album is balanced out by the songs on both CDs.   Likewise, it's not the same album if the new Maiden record is just "Darkest Hour", "Death Of The Celts", "The Parchment" and "Hell On Earth". 

By the way, I don't suppose the connection is purposeful, but I love the overlap between Maiden and the Neal Morse universe with the "You sowed the wind, and now you reaped the whirlwind!" reference in "Darkest Hour".   

[ErHaO]

The cover feels like a bonus track to me and I treat it as such. Unfortunately on vinyl it comes before Not Afraid Part 2.

[Stadler]

Not me; there's a real Genesis feel to this record, and the intro to the cover is vintage, "Trick Of The Tail" era Genesis for me.

[Metro]

I do like the cover a lot. But, like their cover of MacArthur Park, I think it makes more sense as a bonus track.

Might be showing my age here, but the cover was actually my first time ever hearing the song 

[Max Kuehnau]

Not me; there's a real Genesis feel to this record, and the intro to the cover is vintage, "Trick Of The Tail" era Genesis for me.

definitely inspired by Dance On A Volcano IMHO yes

[425]

I say this respectfully, but - and it's a similar criticism that comes up about the Iron Maiden album - I don't follow the "cutting".  One can, of course, make a playlist, and there are albums I do that for, certainly, but for me, both of these releases are, because of their scope, more than just a "collection of songs", and so for me, they are what they are.   I think "Emergence" is critical in terms of pacing, and while I can (and do!) sometimes skip to songs (I just need to hear "Bird On A Wire"!) if I'm listening to the album, it's a sequence.

I like how both albums start with shorter, punchier songs, set the tone then progressively (ha!) move to more complicated, more involved pieces.  They work in that context.  I can't imagine just a NMB album with, say, CD1, or just an album with Not Afraid Part 2 and Beyond The Years.   The album is balanced out by the songs on both CDs.   Likewise, it's not the same album if the new Maiden record is just "Darkest Hour", "Death Of The Celts", "The Parchment" and "Hell On Earth". 

By the way, I don't suppose the connection is purposeful, but I love the overlap between Maiden and the Neal Morse universe with the "You sowed the wind, and now you reaped the whirlwind!" reference in "Darkest Hour".   

I fully agree with this, respecting both releases.

[Stadler]

I do like the cover a lot. But, like their cover of MacArthur Park, I think it makes more sense as a bonus track.

Might be showing my age here, but the cover was actually my first time ever hearing the song 

I only offer this as a matter of perspective, but I'm a pretty big S&G fan, but - oddly - I MUCH prefer Simon (but only in S&G; I don't care for Simon's solo stuff).  So yes, I want Simon, only doing S&G songs and can do without Garfunkel or Simon's solo stuff.  Even I think this is weird.  Anyway, the point of that is, BOTW is one of the few songs that is almost solely Garfunkel singing, so I've heard - and didn't care for - this song hundreds of times and was eager to hear what this would sound like.  To me, it's in the vein of "America" which on any given day is a top 10 or 15 Yes song.

[hefdaddy42]

Well, I finally got my package.

The sizing on that Morsefest package is ridiculous.

[HOF]

I do like the cover a lot. But, like their cover of MacArthur Park, I think it makes more sense as a bonus track.

Might be showing my age here, but the cover was actually my first time ever hearing the song 

I only offer this as a matter of perspective, but I'm a pretty big S&G fan, but - oddly - I MUCH prefer Simon (but only in S&G; I don't care for Simon's solo stuff).  So yes, I want Simon, only doing S&G songs and can do without Garfunkel or Simon's solo stuff.  Even I think this is weird.  Anyway, the point of that is, BOTW is one of the few songs that is almost solely Garfunkel singing, so I've heard - and didn't care for - this song hundreds of times and was eager to hear what this would sound like.  To me, it's in the vein of "America" which on any given day is a top 10 or 15 Yes song.

That’s an interesting take about Garfunkel on BOTW. Always thought that was an amazing vocal performance. I know Simon always harbored some resentment that Garfunkel sort of stole the spotlight on his song, but it’s kind of hard to picture Simon singing it.

[hefdaddy42]

I only offer this as a matter of perspective, but I'm a pretty big S&G fan, but - oddly - I MUCH prefer Simon (but only in S&G; I don't care for Simon's solo stuff).  So yes, I want Simon, only doing S&G songs and can do without Garfunkel or Simon's solo stuff.  Even I think this is weird.

I've got nothin'.

[gmillerdrake]

Might be showing my age here, but the cover was actually my first time ever hearing the song 

Same here and I think that's why I really don't care for it. I just personally don't think it's a very good song. I've not heard the original and this cover does nothing to make me even want to hear it. Take this song off the album and this release for me is near perfect.

I had it playing in the background last Saturday night as a group of neighbors were over on our patio for a fire. Had multiple comments asking 'who' this was and that they were digging it.

[Stadler]

For those that HAVEN'T heard the original, it's probably not the worst four minutes and 55 seconds you'll ever spend.  I think you might be surprised, too, based on how NMB interpreted it.

[hefdaddy42]

For those that HAVEN'T heard the original, it's probably not the worst four minutes and 55 seconds you'll ever spend.  I think you might be surprised, too, based on how NMB interpreted it.

His version is certainly different.

[Trav86]

I guess I’m the only one who likes their take on Bridge Over Troubled Water. 

[HOF]

Listening to the NMB version now. I don’t hate it, though I think the ending is a little overworked.

[Trav86]

Listening to the NMB version now. I don’t hate it, though I think the ending is a little overworked.

Yeah, but that’s kind of the Neal Morse style.

[HOF]

Listening to the NMB version now. I don’t hate it, though I think the ending is a little overworked.

Yeah, but that’s kind of the Neal Morse style.

For sure, wouldn’t expect anything less from Neal at this point TBH.

[KevShmev]

The original Bridge over Troubled Water is an astonishingly great song, folks.

Also, I cannot get on board with any single disc edit of the new album that doesn't include Beyond the Years.  Maybe redo that one instrumental section (please!! ), but it's otherwise a fantastic tune.