Transatlantic Official Thread

[HOF]

Every album's lyrics are a snapshot in time.

I get that, and I don’t necessarily think Neal does a bad job writing about it. It’s more if I have a choice between listening to the Forevermore version of the song that is about something else, I’d rather hear that than hear someone sing about COVID lockdown. Maybe in a few years I’ll feel differently but while we’re still in it it just kind of feels a little weird. I also think the “moistened heat could not subside our fears” is a little bit awkward, but I suppose it’s up there I guess with classic Neal lines like “bathe in the smell of the buzz’s perfume” and “I ate mustard today.” :-)

[Stadler]

I hadn't listened to Take Now My Soul since I first got the album (since my ultimate edition I made has Swing High, Swing Low), so I gave it a fresh whirl and was shocked at how awkward it sounded.  Neal's verse (the first one) sounds clunky and odd, and Portnoy's isn't much better; the lyrics just don't flow well melodically.  Crazy how Neal made Heart Like a Whirlwind significantly better with Reaching for the Sky, and then did the exact opposite for that one.

Yeah, I find the COVID-centered lyrics a bit too on the nose. I’m a little worried we’re going to be inundated with these sorts of references in new music for the next year or so. I do think “Take now my soul” is a little bit better line than “swing high, swing low” though. Not sure what is swinging high or low (the reference seems to be to “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” I guess).

I'm sure it's got a lot to do with my general life point of view, and the fact that I'm more likely than many others' here to politically disagree with the artists I like, but if that's an "on the nose" reference to "COVID", then I don't know what to tell you.  I only got one line that really triggered "COVID" ("Now here we are in isolated dissonance...") and that's only after reading what you wrote and going back to the lyrics.

[HOF]

I hadn't listened to Take Now My Soul since I first got the album (since my ultimate edition I made has Swing High, Swing Low), so I gave it a fresh whirl and was shocked at how awkward it sounded.  Neal's verse (the first one) sounds clunky and odd, and Portnoy's isn't much better; the lyrics just don't flow well melodically.  Crazy how Neal made Heart Like a Whirlwind significantly better with Reaching for the Sky, and then did the exact opposite for that one.

Yeah, I find the COVID-centered lyrics a bit too on the nose. I’m a little worried we’re going to be inundated with these sorts of references in new music for the next year or so. I do think “Take now my soul” is a little bit better line than “swing high, swing low” though. Not sure what is swinging high or low (the reference seems to be to “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” I guess).

I'm sure it's got a lot to do with my general life point of view, and the fact that I'm more likely than many others' here to politically disagree with the artists I like, but if that's an "on the nose" reference to "COVID", then I don't know what to tell you.  I only got one line that really triggered "COVID" ("Now here we are in isolated dissonance...") and that's only after reading what you wrote and going back to the lyrics.

I think Neal even said this, but I interpreted TBOL to be explicitly about COVID and the shutdown situation (breath of life, get it?). It’s most obvious probably on the first verse of Take Now My Soul:

I watched as the lights went down on Main Street (businesses shutting down)
And all the bootstrap people fled in tears
When summer comes we'll dance again, oh yes we will (people thought summer would slow the virus)
But the moistened heat could not subside our fears (didn’t happen!)

[The Letter M]

Every album's lyrics are a snapshot in time.

I get that, and I don’t necessarily think Neal does a bad job writing about it. It’s more if I have a choice between listening to the Forevermore version of the song that is about something else, I’d rather hear that than hear someone sing about COVID lockdown. Maybe in a few years I’ll feel differently but while we’re still in it it just kind of feels a little weird. I also think the “moistened heat could not subside our fears” is a little bit awkward, but I suppose it’s up there I guess with classic Neal lines like “bathe in the smell of the buzz’s perfume” and “I ate mustard today.” :-)

  There are some unusual Neal lyrics on this album. I'm still trying to figure out what "turnkey farmers" are in "Can You Feel It"...and just where are they running?

But yeah, I agree with HOF here, Neal's TBOL lyrics are very COVID-y, and you can tell from his interviews about it that he used real life experiences for his lyrics, like the first couple of lines in "Take Now My Soul" were inspired by events that happened in Nashville, I believe.

Here are a few other key lyrics and phrases that are very COVID-y that I've noticed are:
"Another mask, a day, a night" (RFTS)
"Now we're all locked away inside" (RFTS)
"Now here we are in isolated dissonance, with some among us longing for the end" (TNMS)

While I do appreciate a slightly more cohesive lyrical content on TBOL, I miss the diversity of lyrics presented in the songs that were cut from the album to shorten it.

I hadn't listened to Take Now My Soul since I first got the album (since my ultimate edition I made has Swing High, Swing Low), so I gave it a fresh whirl and was shocked at how awkward it sounded.  Neal's verse (the first one) sounds clunky and odd, and Portnoy's isn't much better; the lyrics just don't flow well melodically.  Crazy how Neal made Heart Like a Whirlwind significantly better with Reaching for the Sky, and then did the exact opposite for that one.

Yeah, I find the COVID-centered lyrics a bit too on the nose. I’m a little worried we’re going to be inundated with these sorts of references in new music for the next year or so. I do think “Take now my soul” is a little bit better line than “swing high, swing low” though. Not sure what is swinging high or low (the reference seems to be to “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” I guess).

I don't mean the lyrics themselves are not good (not sure, haven't paid enough attention to them), I just mean, the wording of them do not seem to flow well in Take Now My Soul. Same deal with the verses in Heart Like a Whirlwind. The lyrics in the verses of Reaching for the Sky simply flow a lot better melodically, IMO.

I think hearing the RFTS single first before the album came out kind of left an impression on me, and so when I first heard HLAW, the vocal melody in the verses felt extremely flat by comparison. But I like that the vocal lines in HLAW are similar to those of Pete's in TSCUT, which created a sort of parallel between the first vocals of each half of the album. I'm not sure if this was on purpose or by coincidence, but it creates a nice mirroring effect at the beginning of each CD.

-Marc.

[Peter Mc]

I’m pretty sure they did say that Forevermore was about our current times in general and TBOL was more specifically covid related.  I’ve never paid too much attention to the lyrics on either version though.

[ytserush]

Now that we've had these albums a couple weeks, I'm curious as to the overall concept of multiple versions. I find myself falling into a groove of one or the other but when I switch, it's really throwing me off. I can't imagine having multiple versions of any of my favorite albums. Not that more isn't better or worse, just that the concept of multiple sort of changes how I digest and memorize. Overall I'm finding it weird.

Only have listened to Forevermore about 20 times or so and I like it a lot.  I think I'd ready to listen to The Breath Of Life version this week and see what happens.

[ytserush]

I am still utterly baffled by that decision.  Portnoy doing the odd song here and there I can take, but they need to leave Pete on backing vocals only, in my opinion. 

Fair enough.  I'm still baffled that this opinion exists.  So I guess we're equally baffled. 

I get people not liking Pete's voice. But I think once it's clear that there are people who do (bosk evidently does, and I do, too), then I think you have to stop being baffled by the decision to use him. There's an obvious explanation for that decision: They like his voice.

Also, it’s his voice. There’s something about an artist just being who he is, and if he wants to sing with the sound of his own voice, more power to him. He’s limited as a singer, but what he sings he doesn’t sing badly so much as he just sounds funny (he sounds funny when he talks too). I’m generally ok with singers who aren’t really technically proficient, especially in prog. It adds a human element that this type of music kind of needs.

It they are passionate and committed to the task at hand I don't usually see it as a problem either.

[Stadler]

For the record, I'm not suggesting it's NOT about COVID, I'm just saying that the "directness" is subjective. Compared to some of Pearl Jam's songs, or Neil Young's songs, these might as well be in code.   

[kirksnosehair]

I don't know, I think it's great that there's current, topical content in the lyrics.  As I said earlier in the thread every album is a snapshot in time.   5 years from now when I listen to these albums it will take me back to this time and what things were like and I'm OK with that.  In fact, I kind of like it. 

[KevShmev]

A longtime friend, who has been a fan of Neal and Roine and TA for about as long as I have, finally got around to listening to the new album last night.  He gave The Breath of Life a whirl first and his first text to me about it was, "Sounds like a Neal Morse solo album."

Suffice it to say, I have strongly advised him to move on right away to Forevermore. 

[Kram]

Still have not heard TBOL - but Forevermore is awesome!

[The Letter M]

A longtime friend, who has been a fan of Neal and Roine and TA for about as long as I have, finally got around to listening to the new album last night.  He gave The Breath of Life a whirl first and his first text to me about it was, "Sounds like a Neal Morse solo album."

Suffice it to say, I have strongly advised him to move on right away to Forevermore. 

 

This seems to be the consensus in most forums and reviews, and it makes sense given that Neal was the one at the helm of TBOL. With less Roine, and more Neal, the balance of TA's sound was going to go favor Neal on TBOL no matter what, even if he did cut out "Bully" and "Rainbow Sky" (only 5:30 of the whole album), he still cut out eleven minutes of Roine's music in TWWUTK and LR, five minutes of Pete's music  in TSCUT, and got rid of Roine's vocals in HTTM. Granted, he did give Pete and Mike more vocal spots in TBOL in the songs he did change, but the album as a whole favors Neal over-all.

I think it's great if you like Neal's work a lot, and don't mind his sound dominating Transatlantic, but for me, the band has always been about finding a balance between their influences, inspirations, and ideas, which is why I don't rank SMPT:e very highly since the album is heavily Neal/Spock's-sounding. I think The Whirlwind hit a fairly good balance overall, with a bit more Roine and Pete than their first two albums, but I feel like Forevermore is right up there with The Whirlwind in terms of giving each of the four members a chance to shine without taking more spotlight than anyone else.

And since I'm thinking about it, here are my album rankings, in relative order:

The Whirlwind / Bridge Across Forever
The Absolute Universe - The Ultimate Mix
The Absolute Universe - Forevermore
Kaleidoscope / SMPT:e
The Absolute Universe - The Breath Of Life

For the better part of the 00's, Bridge was one of my favorite albums of all time, but then The Whirlwind came out and almost dethroned it as my favorite TA album, but even nearly 12 years later, I still find myself struggling to pick between the two as the top spot. And putting TBOL last, I really don't think I'll listen to it very often since the other two versions are just much better IMO, and if I want a shorter TA experience, I'd rather listen to the debut or Kaleidoscope.

-Marc.

[darkshade]

I'm pretty much the same with The Breath of Life at this point. I gave it a listen the other day, because I only had about an hour to listen to some music and I wanted to listen to the new TA album, so it's good for that reason, I suppose. However, when listening, I can't help but feel like it's the inferior product when compared to Forevermore. That may be the last time I listen to it for a while, and with only one song unique to it, "Can You Feel It" I feel like I'll get even more enjoyment out of the Ultimate version whenever it arrives, as that one song is nothing special IMO. Forevermore is tied at #2 with BAF for me, but TBOL is down at the bottom, below Kaleidoscope.

[ariich]

Sounds like I'm an outlier but I just find Forevermore too bloated. TBOL is an easy preference for me (and it's not like I'm a huge Neal fan or anything), but also it was very easy to supplement it with the better of the "missing" songs from Forevermore into my own preferred arrangement.

[darkshade]

Sounds like I'm an outlier but I just find Forevermore too bloated. TBOL is an easy preference for me (and it's not like I'm a huge Neal fan or anything), but also it was very easy to supplement it with the better of the "missing" songs from Forevermore into my own preferred arrangement.

I've said before that Neal had the right idea to cut it down a little, but he cut too much out imo, and edited too much of Roine's contributions out, and made his guitar lower in the mix, and I prefer most of the vocals on Forevermore as well. The first disc of Forevermore is excellent, the best single disc of music between the 3 discs, and I think the 2nd disc has some flaws but the entire experience is more fulfilling for me than TBOL, which as I said feels 'too' short. I also like the flow of Forevermore over TBOL.

[Nick]

Here's a question, and try not to change it as we have to keep things static to have the results have meaning. When it comes to analyzing things like the different versions, I always say you have to keep the time as a factor, and that is especially true when it comes to a live set. With that being said, and for simplicity assuming a ~90 minute Transatlantic set, would you rather see:

Forevermore
Breath of Life + Stranger in Your Soul

The question, that I'm not articulating well, is that for those of you who prefer Forevermore, do you prefer it enough to sacrifice a half hour of other TA material (like Stranger in You Soul) during a live set?

[Ben_Jamin]

I ended up ripping Forevermore into two separate tracks. And ripping TBOL into separate tracks. The crossfades on Forevermore flow great, and it was hard to not rip it together. While TBOL, I think flows alright.

For me, I really like Swing High, Swing Low and the rest of disc 1, and also TSCUT to Lonesome Rebel. I would've preferred another vocalist for The Sun Comes Up Today, like Roine taking the verses and having Pete do the Chorus. It's like they let whomever brought in the idea, sing the vocals for it. I actually enjoy Pete's vocals in Solitude, I think they work fine here. But in, TSCUT, it's a high-lead vocal part, and Pete does not have the tone for it. Lonesome Rebel, is my favorite of the 2nd disc songs, even though it's short. I also, prefer the extra lyrics in Solitude. This is why I prefer Forevermore

The Breath of Life, has some great parts as well, and is a nice way to shorten the Forevermore version. I also like Can You Feel It, and the lyrics as well to Take Now My Soul.

Now my own version of The Absolute Universe, includes both Can You Feel It, and Lonesome Rebel back to back. I may end up trying to mix the first verse of Take Now My Soul and the rest of Swing High, Swing Low into it's own song, but I really want the chorus to have both sets of lyrics from both chorus' like this...

"Swing High, Swing Low
Just get me through tomorrow
Take Now My Soul
Carry me through lord I'm coming home"

I think it would be really cool if they did this live.


Edit: I listened to both back to back on Audacity and it's hilarious hearing the music stay the same but the lyrics are different and the melodies slightly different.

[The Letter M]

Here's a question, and try not to change it as we have to keep things static to have the results have meaning. When it comes to analyzing things like the different versions, I always say you have to keep the time as a factor, and that is especially true when it comes to a live set. With that being said, and for simplicity assuming a ~90 minute Transatlantic set, would you rather see:

Forevermore
Breath of Life + Stranger in Your Soul

The question, that I'm not articulating well, is that for those of you who prefer Forevermore, do you prefer it enough to sacrifice a half hour of other TA material (like Stranger in You Soul) during a live set?

As someone who hasn't seen them live, if given the chance, I'd rather see them play SIYS, since I've obviously never seen it live before. But as a fan who has bought all of the live albums (and even Neal's live albums) where they've played SIYS so much, I would rather see them play all of Forevermore with the 90 minutes of time (though ideally, the 98 minute Ultimate version would be my pick).

So yes, if given the option, I'd rather see them use the 98-100 minutes of their complete concert time dedicated to the new album. It still leaves them roughly 65-75 minutes of concert time left for other material, which might not seem like a lot, but I'm sure Mike could figure out a satisfactory set list for them.

-Marc.

[Kram]

I'm pretty much the same with The Breath of Life at this point. I gave it a listen the other day, because I only had about an hour to listen to some music and I wanted to listen to the new TA album, so it's good for that reason, I suppose. However, when listening, I can't help but feel like it's the inferior product when compared to Forevermore. That may be the last time I listen to it for a while, and with only one song unique to it, "Can You Feel It" I feel like I'll get even more enjoyment out of the Ultimate version whenever it arrives, as that one song is nothing special IMO. Forevermore is tied at #2 with BAF for me, but TBOL is down at the bottom, below Kaleidoscope.

Forevermore is now my #2 as well, behind BAF.  I've yet to hear TBOL - but am I correct, in reading this, that there's only one unique song that is not on Forevermore?  If that's the case, maybe I'll just buy that one song on iTunes and create a playlist with that song added to Forevermore.  That sounds like all I'll need.  I would, of course, like to get my hands on the Ultimate edition, if it were to become available to purchase on a cd or a download.

[The Letter M]

I'm pretty much the same with The Breath of Life at this point. I gave it a listen the other day, because I only had about an hour to listen to some music and I wanted to listen to the new TA album, so it's good for that reason, I suppose. However, when listening, I can't help but feel like it's the inferior product when compared to Forevermore. That may be the last time I listen to it for a while, and with only one song unique to it, "Can You Feel It" I feel like I'll get even more enjoyment out of the Ultimate version whenever it arrives, as that one song is nothing special IMO. Forevermore is tied at #2 with BAF for me, but TBOL is down at the bottom, below Kaleidoscope.

Forevermore is now my #2 as well, behind BAF.  I've yet to hear TBOL - but am I correct, in reading this, that there's only one unique song that is not on Forevermore?  If that's the case, maybe I'll just buy that one song on iTunes and create a playlist with that song added to Forevermore.  That sounds like all I'll need.  I would, of course, like to get my hands on the Ultimate edition, if it were to become available to purchase on a cd or a download.

Some songs have new lyrics, vocalists, and arrangements on TBOL compared to Forevermore. It's definitely worth a listen once you've gotten Forevermore under your belt.

-Marc.

[Ben_Jamin]

I'm pretty much the same with The Breath of Life at this point. I gave it a listen the other day, because I only had about an hour to listen to some music and I wanted to listen to the new TA album, so it's good for that reason, I suppose. However, when listening, I can't help but feel like it's the inferior product when compared to Forevermore. That may be the last time I listen to it for a while, and with only one song unique to it, "Can You Feel It" I feel like I'll get even more enjoyment out of the Ultimate version whenever it arrives, as that one song is nothing special IMO. Forevermore is tied at #2 with BAF for me, but TBOL is down at the bottom, below Kaleidoscope.

Forevermore is now my #2 as well, behind BAF.  I've yet to hear TBOL - but am I correct, in reading this, that there's only one unique song that is not on Forevermore?  If that's the case, maybe I'll just buy that one song on iTunes and create a playlist with that song added to Forevermore.  That sounds like all I'll need.  I would, of course, like to get my hands on the Ultimate edition, if it were to become available to purchase on a cd or a download.

Some songs have new lyrics, vocalists, and arrangements on TBOL compared to Forevermore. It's definitely worth a listen once you've gotten Forevermore under your belt.

-Marc.

And if you really want an easy way to hear the differences, just import both versions onto Audacity and hit play. 

It really showcases the differences in the lyrical melodies, especially in the length of some notes and note beat due to the word change and syllables in each word.

Just this slight difference is why I prefer Swing High, Swing Lows vocals over Take Now My Soul.

[KevShmev]

Here's a question, and try not to change it as we have to keep things static to have the results have meaning. When it comes to analyzing things like the different versions, I always say you have to keep the time as a factor, and that is especially true when it comes to a live set. With that being said, and for simplicity assuming a ~90 minute Transatlantic set, would you rather see:

Forevermore
Breath of Life + Stranger in Your Soul

The question, that I'm not articulating well, is that for those of you who prefer Forevermore, do you prefer it enough to sacrifice a half hour of other TA material (like Stranger in You Soul) during a live set?

As someone who hasn't seen them live, if given the chance, I'd rather see them play SIYS, since I've obviously never seen it live before. But as a fan who has bought all of the live albums (and even Neal's live albums) where they've played SIYS so much, I would rather see them play all of Forevermore with the 90 minutes of time (though ideally, the 98 minute Ultimate version would be my pick).

So yes, if given the option, I'd rather see them use the 98-100 minutes of their complete concert time dedicated to the new album. It still leaves them roughly 65-75 minutes of concert time left for other material, which might not seem like a lot, but I'm sure Mike could figure out a satisfactory set list for them.

-Marc.

This is my take as well.  I have never seen TA and would love to finally see them and get Stranger..., but getting The Breath of Life would leave me too much musical blue balls, which of course would inevitably come back later in the set when Portnoy has them do a bunch of medleys to cover the rest of the back catalogue.

Play the whole songs!!

[darkshade]

It should be noted that TBOL does has some other little bits of music not found on Forevermore throughout the other tracks, and that's without mentioning the change of lyrics, different singers for different parts, etc... but the there is only one standalone song that is completely unique to TBOL only. "Can You Feel It"

However, it's still worth hearing, and is it's own experience. I just prefer Forevermore.

[darkshade]

Where do you guys currently rank The Absolute Universe in context with the rest of the band members' work?

I would put TAU:Forevermore up there with the best albums these guys were a part of: The Whirlwind, Bridge Across Forever; Spock's The Light, V; Neal's ? album, Sola Scriptura, Testimony 2, Similitude/The Great Adventure; TFK's Stardust We Are, Flower Power, Space Revolver, Unfold The Future; Dream Theater's I&W, Awake, SFAM, 6D, and so on...

Every day for the last couple of weeks, when I wake up, I have had some part of The Absolute Universe stuck in my head. Even with its flaws, this album really is one of the best albums these guys have put out collectively or on their own. Almost unbelievable after all the other great music they've made.

[KevShmev]

Where do you guys currently rank The Absolute Universe in context with the rest of the band members' work?

I would put TAU:Forevermore up there with the best albums these guys were a part of: The Whirlwind, Bridge Across Forever; Spock's The Light, V; Neal's ? album, Sola Scriptura, Testimony 2, Similitude/The Great Adventure; TFK's Stardust We Are, Flower Power, Space Revolver, Unfold The Future; Dream Theater's I&W, Awake, SFAM, 6D, and so on...

Every day for the last couple of weeks, when I wake up, I have had some part of The Absolute Universe stuck in my head. Even with its flaws, this album really is one of the best albums these guys have put out collectively or on their own. Almost unbelievable after all the other great music they've made.

It still feels too early to say, but I am loving it more and more, the more I listen.  I still can't say I put it as high as the band's first three albums, and I can't see it ever being on the same level as the best ones by Neal/NMB, DT or The Flower Kings, but it's still pretty damn good (when looking at the ultimate edition I conjured up).  It's definitely better than any Marillion album, though!

[Ben_Jamin]

The Whirlwind is at the top and The Absolute Universe (both versions) rank 2nd...

What I like about Transatlantic is their use of all members. This group is doing all the things I like about each member. The Whirlwind and The Absolute Universe really capture this. Bridge Across Forever does as well, but it's not my preference of what I like from each of the guys.

I really enjoy the Roine Stolt songs and inputs, more so than Neal Morse (and that is because my friend introduced me to Neal Morse music and I just got an overload of his style and it's really dominate), but when you blend both their influences and styles, it makes for great music like those two albums.

[darkshade]

Where do you guys currently rank The Absolute Universe in context with the rest of the band members' work?

I would put TAU:Forevermore up there with the best albums these guys were a part of: The Whirlwind, Bridge Across Forever; Spock's The Light, V; Neal's ? album, Sola Scriptura, Testimony 2, Similitude/The Great Adventure; TFK's Stardust We Are, Flower Power, Space Revolver, Unfold The Future; Dream Theater's I&W, Awake, SFAM, 6D, and so on...

Every day for the last couple of weeks, when I wake up, I have had some part of The Absolute Universe stuck in my head. Even with its flaws, this album really is one of the best albums these guys have put out collectively or on their own. Almost unbelievable after all the other great music they've made.

It still feels too early to say, but I am loving it more and more, the more I listen.  I still can't say I put it as high as the band's first three albums, and I can't see it ever being on the same level as the best ones by Neal/NMB, DT or The Flower Kings, but it's still pretty damn good (when looking at the ultimate edition I conjured up).  It's definitely better than any Marillion album, though!

I'd probably put TAU below all those aforementioned albums, but it's still right up there for me, at least Forevermore (and I haven't heard the Ultimate yet)

[darkshade]

The Whirlwind is at the top and The Absolute Universe (both versions) rank 2nd...

What I like about Transatlantic is their use of all members. This group is doing all the things I like about each member. The Whirlwind and The Absolute Universe really capture this. Bridge Across Forever does as well, but it's not my preference of what I like from each of the guys.

I really enjoy the Roine Stolt songs and inputs, more so than Neal Morse (and that is because my friend introduced me to Neal Morse music and I just got an overload of his style and it's really dominate), but when you blend both their influences and styles, it makes for great music like those two albums.

I totally agree with you about The Whirlwind, it's the best album any of those guys made, even more than Scenes, Six Degrees, and maaaybe IaW for me, IaW has more historical value.. I find TW nearly flawless, and the music itself very powerful. I also agree about BAF, the epics are insane and some of their best, but I'm not that crazy about the 2 middle songs, they're fine, but I can take em or leave em. Neal's ? album is up there but the religious lyrics bring it down a notch.

About Roine's songs and input, that's one of the reasons I rank The Breath of Life much lower, because it cuts out a ton of Roine's contributions to the music. It's also why I don't consider Kaleidoscope one of my favorites as well, though that may also be a case of all the members not putting in their A game at the time.

[Ben_Jamin]

The Whirlwind is at the top and The Absolute Universe (both versions) rank 2nd...

What I like about Transatlantic is their use of all members. This group is doing all the things I like about each member. The Whirlwind and The Absolute Universe really capture this. Bridge Across Forever does as well, but it's not my preference of what I like from each of the guys.

I really enjoy the Roine Stolt songs and inputs, more so than Neal Morse (and that is because my friend introduced me to Neal Morse music and I just got an overload of his style and it's really dominate), but when you blend both their influences and styles, it makes for great music like those two albums.

I totally agree with you about The Whirlwind, it's the best album any of those guys made, even more than Scenes, Six Degrees, and maaaybe IaW for me, IaW has more historical value.. I find TW nearly flawless, and the music itself very powerful. I also agree about BAF, the epics are insane and some of their best, but I'm not that crazy about the 2 middle songs, they're fine, but I can take em or leave em. Neal's ? album is up there but the religious lyrics bring it down a notch.

About Roine's songs and input, that's one of the reasons I rank The Breath of Life much lower, because it cuts out a ton of Roine's contributions to the music. It's also why I don't consider Kaleidoscope one of my favorites as well, though that may also be a case of all the members not putting in their A game at the time.

Yeah it's why I don't enjoy Kaleidoscope either, although Black As The Sky is the best song of that album.

The Breath of Life, is that Neal Morse style my friend overloaded me with, he's over-dominate in that version for me. And Forevermore is that perfect blend.


Also, the "Oh Oh Oh's" in Rainbow Sky remind me of the Rick and Morty Evil Morty themes "Ah Ah's" don't know why, I guess it's the layering...

[HOF]

Where do you guys currently rank The Absolute Universe in context with the rest of the band members' work?

I would put TAU:Forevermore up there with the best albums these guys were a part of: The Whirlwind, Bridge Across Forever; Spock's The Light, V; Neal's ? album, Sola Scriptura, Testimony 2, Similitude/The Great Adventure; TFK's Stardust We Are, Flower Power, Space Revolver, Unfold The Future; Dream Theater's I&W, Awake, SFAM, 6D, and so on...

Every day for the last couple of weeks, when I wake up, I have had some part of The Absolute Universe stuck in my head. Even with its flaws, this album really is one of the best albums these guys have put out collectively or on their own. Almost unbelievable after all the other great music they've made.

Hmmm, I’ve enjoyed it a lot but I’m not ready to put it above my favorites from TA or any of the individual members’ other output. I’d say it’s pretty clearly third for me among TA albums (below BAF and SMPTe) at least. Also probably the most I’ve enjoyed anything by Neal since he left SB besides the first two Flying Colors and maybe Testimony.

[MinistroRaven]

Following the release of their brand new fifth studio album ‘The Absolute Universe’, progressive rock supergroup Transatlantic are pleased to reissue their much-loved debut album ‘SMPTe’ on Gatefold 180g 2LP + CD + LP-booklet on the 30th April 2021. Originally released in 2000, this album saw Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy, Roine Stolt & Pete Trewavas coming together for the very first time, to craft what AllMusic called a “progressive rock masterpiece”, laying the foundation for the epic music that would be created by these four musicians over the next 20 years.
Pre-order now here: https://transatlantic.lnk.to/SMPTe-VinylRe-issue2021

[kirksnosehair]

I'm pretty sure that The Absolute Universe - Forevermore will most likely be taking the top spot for me in the TA catalog.  I can understand why some say it's too long but I don't think that at all.  In fact, of all the double albums I listen to, this is easily the shortest-feeling double album I've heard in a long time.  I goes by so fast! 


I like TBOL too, but I'm a sucker for almost anything that Neal Morse records except his Jesus music, so it doesn't bother me at all that it sounds a lot more like a Neal Morse solo prog album than a TA album, to me this almost like we got two concept albums. 

[425]

Where do you guys currently rank The Absolute Universe in context with the rest of the band members' work?

I would put TAU:Forevermore up there with the best albums these guys were a part of: The Whirlwind, Bridge Across Forever; Spock's The Light, V; Neal's ? album, Sola Scriptura, Testimony 2, Similitude/The Great Adventure; TFK's Stardust We Are, Flower Power, Space Revolver, Unfold The Future; Dream Theater's I&W, Awake, SFAM, 6D, and so on...

Too early for me to be ranking TAU precisely within a larger catalogue, but here's an attempt at this question focusing mainly on Neal and Mike's output, since I only know about a quarter of the TFK discography and one Marillion album...

Images and Words is probably untouchable for me. It's been my favorite album pretty much ever since I first heard it, and I don't see that changing barring someone coming out with a spectacular album that hits just the right emotional spot for me at the right time in my life.

I'd definitely put The Whirlwind and Bridge Across Forever at the top of the Transatlantic discography, with TW slightly ahead. That's probably a tier unto itself as well.

The next tier has SFAM at the top, followed by, in some order, Train of Thought, The Great Adventure and maybe ?. This tier is the highest plausible place for TAU, I think. But I'd be more inclined to put it in the next tier with...

The Similitude of a Dream, Kaleidoscope, The Grand Experiment and Awake. The Light, Sola Scriptura and SMPTe are hanging around the lower part of this tier as well, but I think it's very likely that Forevermore and the ultimate edition will end up above all three of those.

[bluefox4000]

TAU is 3rd for me after Bridge and The Whirlwind.

i really think  TAU is their best in years at this point.

and Kaleidoscope is not even of any importance to me at all lol

[KevShmev]

Where do you guys currently rank The Absolute Universe in context with the rest of the band members' work?

I would put TAU:Forevermore up there with the best albums these guys were a part of: The Whirlwind, Bridge Across Forever; Spock's The Light, V; Neal's ? album, Sola Scriptura, Testimony 2, Similitude/The Great Adventure; TFK's Stardust We Are, Flower Power, Space Revolver, Unfold The Future; Dream Theater's I&W, Awake, SFAM, 6D, and so on...

Every day for the last couple of weeks, when I wake up, I have had some part of The Absolute Universe stuck in my head. Even with its flaws, this album really is one of the best albums these guys have put out collectively or on their own. Almost unbelievable after all the other great music they've made.

It still feels too early to say, but I am loving it more and more, the more I listen.  I still can't say I put it as high as the band's first three albums, and I can't see it ever being on the same level as the best ones by Neal/NMB, DT or The Flower Kings, but it's still pretty damn good (when looking at the ultimate edition I conjured up).  It's definitely better than any Marillion album, though!

I'd probably put TAU below all those aforementioned albums, but it's still right up there for me, at least Forevermore (and I haven't heard the Ultimate yet)

Given how stylistically similar it is to much of the work the guys have done in the past (over various albums in various bands), the key for me will be how it ages once the new car smell wears off a bit.  For me, with these concept albums, having a great beginning and a great ending are often what separates the all-timers from the merely great, and I fear that TAU's ending just won't stack up in that regard.  The ending is not bad at all; it is good.  But it's just not HOLY CRAP amazing like the end of Similitude, Scenes, Snow, One, etc.