Transatlantic Official Thread

[Learning2Live]

I'm behind on this and just getting ready to dig in.  Reading through some of the posts here, it seems the consensus is both versions are quite good.  I'm thinking of ordering only one version to start with (will probably order the other at a later date).  What's everybody's opinion on which makes most sense to go with?  I know opinions will vary...

I'd suggest starting with Forevermore, as that was the original version of the album, the one the band had intended to release after their initial sessions and tracking.
The Breath Of Life wasn't conceived until almost half a year after Forevermore. I think it's more fun to hear what they wrote first and then see what Neal and the others changed for the "abridged" version.

-Marc.

I have that same viewpoint. I listened to Forevermore probably 10 or so times before finally giving Breath of Life a chance and to be honest, I didn't really enjoy it. I've got it so entrenched in my mind that 'Forevermore is how it was originally intended' that I can't really enjoy Breath of Life for what it is. It just feels like a 'radio edit' to me and I've never been a fan of radio edit versions of songs. I want the whole thing!

That said, if there is a song I really like more from Breath of Life than what's offered on Forevermore, it's the back-half of The Greatest Story Never Ends. Probably my favorite instrumental part of either album, although I don't think it really 'fits' in with the flow/atmosphere of the album. Still enjoy that part nonetheless.

[frogprog]

I understand the global shipping problems right now. I even understand the regional ones due to weather etc. What I can't understand is the way that the USPS in Philly area swallows up packages.
I realize that my vinyl purchase is a "luxury" item. But it's still something I'm paying to have shipped. I love my local mail carriers that walk the neighbor around me. 2 really nice guys and a nice gal. I' m not blaming them at all.
 However,for a package to get picked up, deposited an hour later in a warehouse that's close to the destination and then just sit there for 6 days with no explanation then to be pulled out and driven the additional 10 miles and delivered makes no sense to me. No weather problems, no holiday rush. Tractor trailers of un-delivered mail...sitting. For days on end. They are not doing their job and I would be fired if I performed to that standard.
I also had 3 Christmas packages that were tracked entering that warehouse 3 times! Before getting shipped to NY and back, Lehigh Valley and back and North Jersey before getting delivered. WTF???!!!
Anyway, sorry for the rant I feel better now! Back to the TA discussion.....

[kirksnosehair]

Another vote for the Forevermore version.  I like the Breath of Life version too, but I prefer Forevermore

You know, as this album has begun to really sink in more and more it's giving The Whirlwind a legitimate contest at becoming my #3 TA release.  As bosk1 noted earlier in the thread I was extremely cynical about the multiple version release.  It was confusing and it came across as straight up greed.  But the more I have listened to both versions the more I support the decision to produce a condensed version of the album and I think it's actually very cool that there are pieces and parts on that condensed version that do not appear in the extended version.   Sure, if you want to be cynical about it you can see it as a blatant cash grab, forcing hard-core fans like me to buy that second disc because it's got additional content not found on the one I purchased first, which was Forevermore.  But I don't really see it that way anymore. 


When it comes to viable material for albums, Neal Morse has a kind of perpetual embarrassment of riches.  He brought a lot of viable material to these sessions and when combined with stuff from others, Roine in particular, it probably would have filled 3 CDs if they used all of it     So, they had more than enough viable, solid-quality album-worthy material to work with and the end result from what I understand is "Forevermore" which is the original finished album.   

Making "The Breath of Life" was a stroke of fucking genius.   Neal had to understand that "Forevermore" is a little bit on the long side and a lot of people prefer more concise albums, so why not give the fans both options with the same concept album?  And it's not just some slice and dice CTRL+C / CTRL+V removal of extraneous material, that's the best part.  Neal did quite a bit of nipping and tucking and rearranging while also integrating some new elements, riffs, chord progressions and lyrics, i.e. "Take Now My Soul" (abridged) "Swing High, Swing Low" (extended).


Just when I thought these guys were probably never approach the level of the first two albums again, they poke me in the eye with a massive 2-Disc prog extravaganza featuring all of the best elements of the band's style that make them so great and then just for good measure they drop a condensed version with alternate lyrics, additional material and different arrangements.


In all honesty I was expecting something that was going to amount to "Kaleidoscope II" and instead we got something that compares much more closely to The Whirlwind and clearly they know this because "my heart is like a whirlwind"


Anyway, I decided that owning the deluxe 3LP/2CD version of Forevermore and just streaming the rest does not sufficiently recognize the effort that went into creating The Breath of Life so I just went ahead and ordered 2LP/1CD Magenta vinyl version of The Breath of Life and the Blu-ray.  And while I was there I decided to pick up the 3 Disc special Edition KaLIVEoscope Ltd. Box Set - it's the only live TA that I didn't own so what the fuck, it's only money 

[darkshade]

After only listening to TBOL for the last week, I've gone back to Forevermore and WOW what a change. I prefer this version even more now having gotten used to TBOL and forgot about a lot of stuff that was edited out for TBOL. I kind of think Forevermore should have just been the album, and it feels like it has the strongest Roine Stolt influence as opposed to Neal Morse which is 85% of the time. I can tell Roine seemed a little annoyed that TAU got split into 3 different versions based on recent interviews, and at this point, TBOL comes off a little like Neal has to have more control over the final product. I think everything just works on Forevermore just fine, I even like the 2nd disc a lot more than the first initial listens. Everything feels fleshed out, doesn't feel rushed. The Breath of Life feels like too much was cut out, sure there's some unique music in there, but it's not a lot really, and it sounds like The Ultimate version is going to be right up my alley, whenever it arrives. I think the only improvement on the original was shortening the overture on TBOL, even though I like it on Forevermore, it feels pretty long, it's like 'let's get to the album already.'

[bluefox4000]

I still find myself playing TBOL more out of the 2.

but Forevermore is rising up i just need more concentration when playing it.  Rainbow Sky is now one of my favs.  it's bright annd very Beatle-esque so of course i would go towards that.

And The World we Used To Know....very Classic Flower Kings and to me can stand up with most songs from that late 90's/early 00's FK period.

Finally Solitude is maybe.....MAYBE my fav Transatlantic tune of the shorter variety.  it's very close.

I love this record.  both versions.

[Stadler]

I understand the global shipping problems right now. I even understand the regional ones due to weather etc. What I can't understand is the way that the USPS in Philly area swallows up packages.
I realize that my vinyl purchase is a "luxury" item. But it's still something I'm paying to have shipped. I love my local mail carriers that walk the neighbor around me. 2 really nice guys and a nice gal. I' m not blaming them at all.
 However,for a package to get picked up, deposited an hour later in a warehouse that's close to the destination and then just sit there for 6 days with no explanation then to be pulled out and driven the additional 10 miles and delivered makes no sense to me. No weather problems, no holiday rush. Tractor trailers of un-delivered mail...sitting. For days on end. They are not doing their job and I would be fired if I performed to that standard.
I also had 3 Christmas packages that were tracked entering that warehouse 3 times! Before getting shipped to NY and back, Lehigh Valley and back and North Jersey before getting delivered. WTF???!!!
Anyway, sorry for the rant I feel better now! Back to the TA discussion.....

I've mentioned elsewhere that I've had three cases opened against me on eBay for CDs I've sold and all three were stuck for some period of time in the Philly area.   Thankfully they all arrived finally, but still. 

[ronnibran]

Now that I’ve heard both versions many times I think my ultimate mix is simply TBOL with the addition of The World We Used to Know.

[darkshade]

I always find this feeling a bit funny since more than half of TBOL comes from the 2nd half of Forevermore. Maybe the edits to songs like "Owl Howl" and "Solitude" make a difference?

I am also of the mind that debates about "disc 1 vs disc 2" are silly because the tracklist is only divided by the media format. If we lived in a world without CDs and the music remained purely on vinyl, would people be debating which of thr 3 LPs was better for Forevermore? Would we be debating which of the two LPs of TBOL is better?

Maybe because I listen to music almost entirely digitally these days, I see albums as a whole work and don't really see them aa "disc 1" and "disc 2" unless they're definitely meant to be separate entities (like a bonus disc, or a second disc of extra songs not associated with the first disc, like Porcupine Tree's The Incident or Neal Morse's Testimony 2).

I do agree that TBOL is over pretty quickly with its 64:12 runtime, but its brevity is what sets it apart from Forevermore, as well as its more focused lyrical concept. I definitely need to spin TBOL a bit more as I have almost exclusively been listening to Forevermore for the past week or so, but I miss songs like "Rainbow Sky", "The World We Used To Know", and the Gentle Giant-esque vocal break in the middle of "The Greatest Story Never Ends".

-Marc.

I've generally been listening to Forevermore straight through, especially considering it's only 11 minutes longer than The Whirlwind. 2nd disc works better when not isolated as its own disc for me. When albums get into the 2 hour range, depending on circumstances, I do generally like to split them up by disc, but only because I like to keep my ears fresh, even if it's only 5, 10 or 15 minutes in between discs. Gives it more of an Act I/Act II vibe, or for concerts, a Set I/Set II vibe.

[HOF]

See, I think the media format does influence the flow and songwriting on Forevermore. Maybe I’m being influenced too much by the way I’ve listened to it, but The World I Used to Know really does feel to me like it was written to close disc 1, and The Sun Comes Up Today especially seems like it was written to open disc 2. Kind of like the closing and opening songs in a musical before and after the intermission. I know in the past Mike has talked about writing even single disc albums with a side 1 and side 2 in mind (as in two sides of a record), and that sometimes he sequenced things with that in mind in DT. I also think Neal has done this before on some of his double CDs like Snow and Testimony. So I do suspect the band wrote those songs to serve as closing/opening tracks.

All that to say, when I was considering a single disc length version of the album, those two tracks seemed somewhat expendable because they didn’t make as much sense without a medium-related break in the album. 

[425]

HOF, I think that's absolutely somethng both Mike and Neal keep in mind. I think all of Neal's double concept albums have disc openers and disc closers. Maybe nowhere more obviously than on The Great Adventure, which is a 2019 album—hardly in the midst of the CD era. And I'd say SFAM strongly supports the point that Mike thinks about single disc albums this way. It's explicitly divided into two acts, and the division is exactly where there's sort of an emotional finale in the music (Through Her Eyes) and then things slowly build back up (Home).

And ultimately there's a reason those two tracks aren't on TBOL.

[The Letter M]

Oh I definitely agree that "The World We Used To Know" feels like a mid-album climax, and definitely the ending of the first chunk of the album. Mike even alludes to this during the making of documentary, saying that when they finished writing/arranging that song, he feels like they completed a portion of the album and that he finally felt like the album was finally finding a direction. I think because of that, they definitely arranged "The Sun Comes Up Today" to feel like a second overture/introduction for the second half of the album, especially considering the vocal melody for the verse is very similar to the one used in "Heart Like A Whirlwind", the first major vocal piece of the album.

But despite having two distinct halves of the album, I still see it as a whole. It's like a three-act movie - most fans and critics will review the film as a whole, but you don't see them saying "Act 3 is way better than Acts 1 and 2" like they should be taken and absorbed as separate entities like music fans tend to do with multi-disc albums. Sure, TAU is a loose concept, but it definitely feels intended to be taken in as a whole and not two parts. The example of DT's SFAM is a good one because I don't really see folks comparing Act I and Act II, in the same way that people would compare SDOIT's first disc and second disc. But hey, that's just me and the hill I'll die on regarding multi-disc albums, particularly concept ones. Interestingly, I saw a post on Instagram that referred to Forevermore as a triple album and TBOL as a double album, because they were vinyl listeners, so in the world of vinyl, folks would be comparing 3 LPs of Forevermore, rather than 2 CDs, so the discussion is probably a little different.

HOF, I think that's absolutely somethng both Mike and Neal keep in mind. I think all of Neal's double concept albums have disc openers and disc closers. Maybe nowhere more obviously than on The Great Adventure, which is a 2019 album—hardly in the midst of the CD era. And I'd say SFAM strongly supports the point that Mike thinks about single disc albums this way. It's explicitly divided into two acts, and the division is exactly where there's sort of an emotional finale in the music (Through Her Eyes) and then things slowly build back up (Home).

And ultimately there's a reason those two tracks aren't on TBOL.

Mike definitely keeps physical media format in mind when structuring albums, and I think that's carried over into his work with Neal, as he has probably had a hand in how Neal has put together some of his albums. I remember Mike was also very adamant about getting his way with the Bridge Across Forever track order that he relinquished his input on other album aspects (artwork, etc) just to ensure that his track order was the final one. Interestingly enough, if Neal had his way, the album would've been "Stranger In Your Soul" -> "Duel With The Devil" -> "Bridge Across Forever" -> "Suite Charlotte Pike" and honestly, I cannot imagine the album having been so front-heavy like that, opening with two epics, so I am glad Mike sorted it out the way it ended up!

-Marc.

[HOF]

I do agree that you Forevermore is a whole piece and you can’t really disconnect Disc 1 and Disc 2. That said, I do enjoy disc 1 a little more than disc 2.

I also think Mike was right about the track list on BAF. I just don’t think any other arrangement works as well. You could have swapped the two epics maybe, but Stranger in Your Soul has the stronger ending. The way it played out in the end feels perfect.

[425]

Mike definitely keeps physical media format in mind when structuring albums, and I think that's carried over into his work with Neal, as he has probably had a hand in how Neal has put together some of his albums. I remember Mike was also very adamant about getting his way with the Bridge Across Forever track order that he relinquished his input on other album aspects (artwork, etc) just to ensure that his track order was the final one. Interestingly enough, if Neal had his way, the album would've been "Stranger In Your Soul" -> "Duel With The Devil" -> "Bridge Across Forever" -> "Suite Charlotte Pike" and honestly, I cannot imagine the album having been so front-heavy like that, opening with two epics, so I am glad Mike sorted it out the way it ended up!

I definitely agree with Mike on the BAF track listing (how can Stranger in Your Soul be anything but the closer?!), but what's interesting to me is that Neal's version is structurally very similar to Sola Scriptura.

[The Letter M]

I do agree that you Forevermore is a whole piece and you can’t really disconnect Disc 1 and Disc 2. That said, I do enjoy disc 1 a little more than disc 2.

I also think Mike was right about the track list on BAF. I just don’t think any other arrangement works as well. You could have swapped the two epics maybe, but Stranger in Your Soul has the stronger ending. The way it played out in the end feels perfect.

Oh definitely, and Neal even eventually came around to Mike's track order after the album was finalized. I think it was also Mike's idea to reprise the opening strings from "Stranger In Your Soul" at the beginning of "Duel With The Devil", which definitely helps with the cohesion of the album's bookending epics. Mike definitely has an ear for how an album should sound as a whole, and I think his love for albums has definitely helped him hone that talent.

Mike definitely keeps physical media format in mind when structuring albums, and I think that's carried over into his work with Neal, as he has probably had a hand in how Neal has put together some of his albums. I remember Mike was also very adamant about getting his way with the Bridge Across Forever track order that he relinquished his input on other album aspects (artwork, etc) just to ensure that his track order was the final one. Interestingly enough, if Neal had his way, the album would've been "Stranger In Your Soul" -> "Duel With The Devil" -> "Bridge Across Forever" -> "Suite Charlotte Pike" and honestly, I cannot imagine the album having been so front-heavy like that, opening with two epics, so I am glad Mike sorted it out the way it ended up!

I definitely agree with Mike on the BAF track listing (how can Stranger in Your Soul be anything but the closer?!), but what's interesting to me is that Neal's version is structurally very similar to Sola Scriptura.

I remember when Sola Scriptura came out, that was something I had noticed, not just because it was another four-song album with two big epics, but that the order was similar to how Neal originally wanted BAF. I guess he got his way after all!

-Marc.

[KevShmev]

My own Ultimate Edition has been tweaked:

01 Overture (Breath of Life)
02 Reaching for the Sky (Breath of Life)
03 Higher Than the Morning (Forevermore)
04 The Darkness in the Light (Forevermore)
05 Swing High, Swing Low (Forevermore)
06 Bully (Forevermore)
07 Rainbow Sky (Forevermore)
08 Looking for the Light (Forevermore)
09 The World We Used to Know (Forevermore)
10 Owl Howl (Forevermore)
11 Solitude (Forevermore)
12 Belong (Forevermore)
13 Lonesome Rebel (Forevermore)
14 Looking for the Light - reprise (Breath of Life)
15 The Greatest Story Never Ends (Breath of Life)
16 Love Made a Way (Breath of Life)

That works just right.  And flows great. Owl Howl has a natural start, so going from the fade-out of The World... to that works perfectly.  I can deal with Pete's rough vocals in Solitude, but not in The Sun Comes Out Today; those are far worse and sound like me on a bad day (and I can't sing to save my life).    Losing The Sun Comes Out Today and the Love Made a Way prequel was easy.  And I will treat Can You Feel It as a bonus track, ala Spinning or Lenny Johnson, that I will listen to on its own.  Already deleted both of the full versions off my phone and updated it with the above Ultimate Edition, and I don't see any need to tweak it again. 

[DTA]

I know touring is not on the horizon, but has the band mentioned which version they would play live if/when they do manage to do some live shows? I feel like Forevermore is the obvious choice but 90 minutes is a ton of time to dedicate to one album (though The Whirlwind was only about 10 minutes shorter).

[HOF]

I know touring is not on the horizon, but has the band mentioned which version they would play live if/when they do manage to do some live shows? I feel like Forevermore is the obvious choice but 90 minutes is a ton of time to dedicate to one album (though The Whirlwind was only about 10 minutes shorter).

I think the gist is that they might sort of pick and choose between versions, so you might get sort of a fourth version (or maybe they’ll just go with what’s on the 5.1 mix). Roine mentioned he’s not going to spend too much time listening to one version in case they decide to play another version so he doesn’t have to relearn it.

[The Letter M]

I know touring is not on the horizon, but has the band mentioned which version they would play live if/when they do manage to do some live shows? I feel like Forevermore is the obvious choice but 90 minutes is a ton of time to dedicate to one album (though The Whirlwind was only about 10 minutes shorter).

I believe Mike has said that he would like to see them play the Ultimate Mix version that clocks in around 98 minutes, but I wouldn't be surprised if the final live version stretched a little longer.

I can see them playing the first half of the TAU Ultimate Mix as set 1, the second half as set 2, and then do a  a 3rd set + encore that goes for about 40-60 minutes total, probably doing a Whirlwind medley, Shine and BATS from Kaleidoscope, and a medley of BAF movements (probably some Mashup of Duel, SCP, and Stranger).

-Marc.

[425]

I think someone else mentioned this some pages ago, but there are parts of this album where I can't quite tell whether Mike or Neal is singing, which is not a difficulty I've ever had before. Second verse of Take Now My Soul sounds very much like Mike at first, but then mid-line it suddenly becomes recognizable as Neal. Meanwhile I'm pretty sure they actually do trade off mid-verse on Reaching for the Sky.

[darkshade]

It would be cool if it was the Ultimate playlist but with adding even more songs, perhaps unused songs or newly written ones for the live performances, improv and jams, etc.. possibly extending the piece close to 2 hours. Or even insert songs from their back catalog as a unique way to play the piece but also play "the hits" throughout.

[KevShmev]

Eh, mark me down as someone who doesn't want to see medleys, but they are inevitable when it comes to the eventual tour and the revisiting of material from the first four albums.  Because, hey, it is always fun to take time and special care to craft long, well-flowing epics and then hack them up to pieces in the live environment. 

Do something like this:

Set 1:
The Ultimate Version of the new album (or something close to it) - at close to 90 minutes

Set 2:
Black as the Sky
Play 5-6 songs from The Whirlwind (not a medley since I consider them all different songs)
Stranger in Your Soul

Encore:
We All Need Some Light
All of the Above

Major win with that set list.

[425]

I think there's no way to get around having to do The Whirlwind as an abbreviated medley, but I agree that they shouldn't do a medley of anything else. After splicing All and Stranger last time, the obvious choice is to play Duel straight through.

[KevShmev]

I think there's no way to get around having to do The Whirlwind as an abbreviated medley, but I agree that they shouldn't do a medley of anything else. After splicing All and Stranger last time, the obvious choice is to play Duel straight through.

I'd be down with that.  My New World was brought back on the last tour, so that is probably going bye-bye this time.  Would be cool to see the return of Mystery Train, a fun, short rocker.  And I would love to hear a proper live version of Suite Charlotte Pike (without all of the Abbey Road stuff).

[Ben_Jamin]

Set 1:
The Ultimate Version of the new album (or something close to it) - at close to 90 minutes

Set 2:
Black as the Sky/
On The Prowl
Out Of The Night
A Man Can Feel
Rose Colored Glasses/
Stranger in Your Soul

Encore:
We All Need Some Light
All of the Above


I would add the bolded to this...

It would be neat to hear them going from Black As The Sky into the bass intro part of On The Prowl and play The Whirlwind up until Rose Colored Glasses. And if they are up for another long set, flow right into Stranger In Your Soul from Rose Colored Glasses

[425]

I'd be down with that.  My New World was brought back on the last tour, so that is probably going bye-bye this time.  Would be cool to see the return of Mystery Train, a fun, short rocker.  And I would love to hear a proper live version of Suite Charlotte Pike (without all of the Abbey Road stuff).

I don't have much enthusiasm for Mystery Train, but a proper standalone performance of Suite Charlotte Pike would top my wishlist for a setlist.

[Kyo]

Yeah, I think we're likely to see Duel with the Devil back in the set. One thing I'd almost bet on is Into the Blue. They'll want to have *some* Kaleidoscope material in there and Daniel, who I assume will be touring with them again, has never performed his vocal feature in Into the Blue live (remember, he was in the hospital during the Kaleidoscope tour), so it would make sense for them to revisit it for the occasion.

[The Letter M]

Yeah, I think we're likely to see Duel with the Devil back in the set. One thing I'd almost bet on is Into the Blue. They'll want to have *some* Kaleidoscope material in there and Daniel, who I assume will be touring with them again, has never performed his vocal feature in Into the Blue live (remember, he was in the hospital during the Kaleidoscope tour), so it would make sense for them to revisit it for the occasion.

Daniel *did* sing it when he joined the band for their show in 2014 at The Sweden Rock Festival:
https://youtu.be/OfQPrmcwXws

But yeah, it would be nice to see that happen for a full tour.

-Marc.

[DTA]

I know touring is not on the horizon, but has the band mentioned which version they would play live if/when they do manage to do some live shows? I feel like Forevermore is the obvious choice but 90 minutes is a ton of time to dedicate to one album (though The Whirlwind was only about 10 minutes shorter).

I think the gist is that they might sort of pick and choose between versions, so you might get sort of a fourth version (or maybe they’ll just go with what’s on the 5.1 mix). Roine mentioned he’s not going to spend too much time listening to one version in case they decide to play another version so he doesn’t have to relearn it.

That would be cool in that each live show might be a slightly different experience depending on what songs/versions they decide to include. Maybe rotating the back catalog too if the band is up for learning that much material.

I'd be down with that.  My New World was brought back on the last tour, so that is probably going bye-bye this time.  Would be cool to see the return of Mystery Train, a fun, short rocker.  And I would love to hear a proper live version of Suite Charlotte Pike (without all of the Abbey Road stuff).

I don't have much enthusiasm for Mystery Train, but a proper standalone performance of Suite Charlotte Pike would top my wishlist for a setlist.

Oh yeah, Suite Charlotte Pike is definitely due for a comeback. I could do without the "staples" (Stranger/We All Need Some Light) this time around to make room for other stuff but I doubt those songs will ever be totally absent.

Maybe something like this:

The Absolute Universe
---------------
Duel With The Devil
Black As The Sky
Suite Charlotte Pike
---------------
All Of The Above

[Fritzinger]

I would not like to see Suite Charlotte Pike in the setlist, unless it's the Abbey Road/SCP medley (which I doubt because it's far too long). Along with Mystery Train, it's one of my least favorite songs by the band.

[bluefox4000]

Suite Charlotte Pike.  would please this fan greatly. 

But no abbey road.  never liked that in there honestly.  you're needlessly breaking my buzz for the song with that shit. lol  so i never really play that live version.

[HOF]

I think highly of both Suite Charlotte Pike and Mystery Train. Love that more poppy/oddball side of the band.

[Kram]

I'm behind on this and just getting ready to dig in.  Reading through some of the posts here, it seems the consensus is both versions are quite good.  I'm thinking of ordering only one version to start with (will probably order the other at a later date).  What's everybody's opinion on which makes most sense to go with?  I know opinions will vary...

I'd suggest starting with Forevermore, as that was the original version of the album, the one the band had intended to release after their initial sessions and tracking.
The Breath Of Life wasn't conceived until almost half a year after Forevermore. I think it's more fun to hear what they wrote first and then see what Neal and the others changed for the "abridged" version.

-Marc.

I have that same viewpoint. I listened to Forevermore probably 10 or so times before finally giving Breath of Life a chance and to be honest, I didn't really enjoy it. I've got it so entrenched in my mind that 'Forevermore is how it was originally intended' that I can't really enjoy Breath of Life for what it is. It just feels like a 'radio edit' to me and I've never been a fan of radio edit versions of songs. I want the whole thing!

That said, if there is a song I really like more from Breath of Life than what's offered on Forevermore, it's the back-half of The Greatest Story Never Ends. Probably my favorite instrumental part of either album, although I don't think it really 'fits' in with the flow/atmosphere of the album. Still enjoy that part nonetheless.

Thanks to everyone who shared their opinion.  I'm going to go ahead and order Forevermore and maybe pick up TBOL sometime later down the road.  Too bad there isn't a CD or download available for the Ultimate Edition, as I would probably just get that.

[KevShmev]

I'd be down with that.  My New World was brought back on the last tour, so that is probably going bye-bye this time.  Would be cool to see the return of Mystery Train, a fun, short rocker.  And I would love to hear a proper live version of Suite Charlotte Pike (without all of the Abbey Road stuff).

I don't have much enthusiasm for Mystery Train, but a proper standalone performance of Suite Charlotte Pike would top my wishlist for a setlist.

Oh yeah, Suite Charlotte Pike is definitely due for a comeback. I could do without the "staples" (Stranger/We All Need Some Light) this time around to make room for other stuff but I doubt those songs will ever be totally absent.

Given that I have never seen Transatlantic, I can see it now...I will finally get to see them when they eventually tour on this, and it will be the one tour where none of All of the Above, We All Need Some Light or Stranger in Your Soul get played. 

(similar to how I have seen DT 9 times, yet have somehow never seen Learning to Live)

[Peter Mc]

Stayed away from the thread for a bit while I really got to grips with the two versions of the album and I’ve found that I generally like the longer versions of the songs on Forevermore but, my Ultimate Edition would still cut it down to one cd.  Right now my version would be as follows:

Overture (Forevermore)
Heart Like a Whirlwind (Forevermore)
Higher Than The Morning (Forevermore)
The Darkness In The Light (Forevermore)
Swing High, Swing Low (Forevermore)
Bully (Forevermore)
Rainbow Sky (Forevermore)
The World We Used To Know (Forevermore)
Belong (Forevermore)
Can You Feel It (The Breath Of Life)
Looking For The Light (Reprise) (Forevermore)
The Greatest Story Never Ends (Forevermore)
Love Made a Way (Forevermore)

I actually prefer TBOL version of The Greatest Story Never Ends but it doesn’t line up with the Forevermore version of Love Made a Way as it doesn’t have the big thematic ending.  I have had to include the Forevermore version then as I much prefer the Forevermore version of Love Made a Way.

Owl Howl is maybe something that, in time, will make the cut but feels unnecessary at the moment.  The others I’m fairly happy to cut although Solitude with another singer may have made it.

[DTA]

I'd be down with that.  My New World was brought back on the last tour, so that is probably going bye-bye this time.  Would be cool to see the return of Mystery Train, a fun, short rocker.  And I would love to hear a proper live version of Suite Charlotte Pike (without all of the Abbey Road stuff).

I don't have much enthusiasm for Mystery Train, but a proper standalone performance of Suite Charlotte Pike would top my wishlist for a setlist.

Oh yeah, Suite Charlotte Pike is definitely due for a comeback. I could do without the "staples" (Stranger/We All Need Some Light) this time around to make room for other stuff but I doubt those songs will ever be totally absent.

Given that I have never seen Transatlantic, I can see it now...I will finally get to see them when they eventually tour on this, and it will be the one tour where none of All of the Above, We All Need Some Light or Stranger in Your Soul get played. 

(similar to how I have seen DT 9 times, yet have somehow never seen Learning to Live)

  Hey you might get lucky and get the live debut of a new extended version of In Held Twas In I instead! But those songs are excellent live and the closest thing they have to "staples" so I'm sure they'd work them in somehow. I think the only TA song I haven't seen live is Beyond The Sun so I'm all about them doing as much of TAU as I can get.