The Official Flying Colors Thread

[Adami]

I got to see them late last year with Stads and Bill and it was a super awesome show. I'm mostly just shocked at how not good that mix is. And because it's the mix and not the performance, it's not like the other songs will be better in that regard.

[ytserush]

The live clip they released of Mask Machine is very underwhelming. It’s like they played it in slow motion. I thought that was a strange choice as the last encore, and it makes even less sense when changing the key and playing it slower.

Yea....I only got through a minute or so of it. It's about 10bpm slower than the album version and the mix is.......not very good.

I also thought it was a weird decision to encore with Mask Machine. But, what's more pop than ending the set with your famous single.

If I went to a show, I'd be underwhelmed at it ending with this. It would've worked more higher in the set, like 2nd song.

Probably my least favorite song in the set.

[Kyo]

Recent listens of all three albums reminded me that while I like Second Nature, the other two are much, much better.  And heck, I like every song on Second Nature, and there are plenty of awesome moments on there, but having a producer would have really helped songs like Open Up Your Eyes and Cosmic Symphony, the former of which is too long and suffers from padding (it could have been an awesome 7-8 minute song instead of 12 minute one it is)

I agree. In fact, I found the opening of Second Nature so weak that it kept me from getting into the album for quite a while. Every time I played it, I started with the first couple of tracks, and by the time they were over, I was bored or even annoyed. Sure, it's just two tracks, but that's almost 30% of the album's playing time. To me, Open Up Your Eyes sounds way too much like the usual Morse/Portnoy stuff (and not among their better efforts, either), with an over-long and too familiar opening and several "prog for prog's sake" bits in it. And I've always thought Mask Machine had decent verses and choruses (though not great) that were connected rather awkwardly with that lame instrumental pre-chorus. It still strikes me as a pretty mediocre song. Both of these seem like songs that would've benefitted from having an experienced producer there. I think the rest of the album is stronger and more original than those, but it took me a long time to realize that it would significantly improve my listening experience to just skip those first 18.5 minutes entirely.

[KevShmev]

  In fact, I found the opening of Second Nature so weak that it kept me from getting into the album for quite a while. Every time I played it, I started with the first couple of tracks, and by the time they were over, I was bored or even annoyed. Sure, it's just two tracks, but that's almost 30% of the album's playing time. To me, Open Up Your Yes sounds way too much like the usual Morse/Portnoy stuff (and not among their better efforts, either), with an over-long and too familiar opening and several "prog for prog's sake" bits in it. And I've always thought Mask Machine had decent verses and choruses (though not great) that were connected rather awkwardly with that lame instrumental pre-chorus. It still strikes me as a pretty mediocre song. Both of these seem like songs that would've benefitted from having an experienced producer there. I think the rest of the album is stronger and more original than those, but it took me a long time to realize that it would significantly improve my listening experience to just skip those first 18.5 minutes entirely.

Mask Machine (the studio version) has this kind of hypnotic catchiness that I find every endearing.  I get why some may not like it, but I am a big fan.

Agreed about Open Up Your Eyes.  Like I said before, the song has some awesome moments (all of the vocal melodies are stellar), but the instrumental sections needed some editing down.  Portnoy said the other day in his vinyl chatter than they self-produced that album and let the songs be what they were, but a producer probably could have made it better.  Some of those little instrumental sections sound shoehorned in and out of place, almost like they couldn't help themselves, and with no outside producer to chime in and fix it, it remained what it is.  Still a very good song, since there is a lot of greatness it, but it's a bit frustrating cause you just know it could have been really great.

[Ben_Jamin]

Open Up Your Eyes is odd for me. As a standalone song it's not long, but when I want to listen to the entire album, it tends to drag.

[Fritzinger]

  In fact, I found the opening of Second Nature so weak that it kept me from getting into the album for quite a while. Every time I played it, I started with the first couple of tracks, and by the time they were over, I was bored or even annoyed. Sure, it's just two tracks, but that's almost 30% of the album's playing time. To me, Open Up Your Yes sounds way too much like the usual Morse/Portnoy stuff (and not among their better efforts, either), with an over-long and too familiar opening and several "prog for prog's sake" bits in it. And I've always thought Mask Machine had decent verses and choruses (though not great) that were connected rather awkwardly with that lame instrumental pre-chorus. It still strikes me as a pretty mediocre song. Both of these seem like songs that would've benefitted from having an experienced producer there. I think the rest of the album is stronger and more original than those, but it took me a long time to realize that it would significantly improve my listening experience to just skip those first 18.5 minutes entirely.

Mask Machine (the studio version) has this kind of hypnotic catchiness that I find every endearing.  I get why some may not like it, but I am a big fan.

Agreed about Open Up Your Eyes.  Like I said before, the song has some awesome moments (all of the vocal melodies are stellar), but the instrumental sections needed some editing down.  Portnoy said the other day in his vinyl chatter than they self-produced that album and let the songs be what they were, but a producer probably could have made it better.  Some of those little instrumental sections sound shoehorned in and out of place, almost like they couldn't help themselves, and with no outside producer to chime in and fix it, it remained what it is.  Still a very good song, since there is a lot of greatness it, but it's a bit frustrating cause you just know it could have been really great.

I dient see the third episode.. but if even he sees it like that (I agree) why didn't they hire a producer for Third Degree?

[Dedalus]

  In fact, I found the opening of Second Nature so weak that it kept me from getting into the album for quite a while. Every time I played it, I started with the first couple of tracks, and by the time they were over, I was bored or even annoyed. Sure, it's just two tracks, but that's almost 30% of the album's playing time. To me, Open Up Your Yes sounds way too much like the usual Morse/Portnoy stuff (and not among their better efforts, either), with an over-long and too familiar opening and several "prog for prog's sake" bits in it. And I've always thought Mask Machine had decent verses and choruses (though not great) that were connected rather awkwardly with that lame instrumental pre-chorus. It still strikes me as a pretty mediocre song. Both of these seem like songs that would've benefitted from having an experienced producer there. I think the rest of the album is stronger and more original than those, but it took me a long time to realize that it would significantly improve my listening experience to just skip those first 18.5 minutes entirely.

Mask Machine (the studio version) has this kind of hypnotic catchiness that I find every endearing.  I get why some may not like it, but I am a big fan.

Agreed about Open Up Your Eyes.  Like I said before, the song has some awesome moments (all of the vocal melodies are stellar), but the instrumental sections needed some editing down.  Portnoy said the other day in his vinyl chatter than they self-produced that album and let the songs be what they were, but a producer probably could have made it better.  Some of those little instrumental sections sound shoehorned in and out of place, almost like they couldn't help themselves, and with no outside producer to chime in and fix it, it remained what it is.  Still a very good song, since there is a lot of greatness it, but it's a bit frustrating cause you just know it could have been really great.

I dient see the third episode.. but if even he sees it like that (I agree) why didn't they hire a producer for Third Degree?

"but a producer probably could have made it better." is a Kev's statement. Not Portnoy's.

BTW, I agree too.

[Fritzinger]

Oh.. okay, I misunderstood then 

I think that's what made the debut so unique. Portnoy and Morse are an absolute dream team in the genre, but that album marked the first time in many years they worked with an outside producer... (btw, not sure if Morse ever did)

[KevShmev]

My bad, I should have worded that sentence a little better.

[nobloodyname]

The live clip they released of Mask Machine is very underwhelming. It’s like they played it in slow motion. I thought that was a strange choice as the last encore, and it makes even less sense when changing the key and playing it slower.

I think something's gone awry somewhere. The version on Spotify is appreciably faster.

[Stadler]

Recent listens of all three albums reminded me that while I like Second Nature, the other two are much, much better.  And heck, I like every song on Second Nature, and there are plenty of awesome moments on there, but having a producer would have really helped songs like Open Up Your Eyes and Cosmic Symphony, the former of which is too long and suffers from padding (it could have been an awesome 7-8 minute song instead of 12 minute one it is)

I agree. In fact, I found the opening of Second Nature so weak that it kept me from getting into the album for quite a while. Every time I played it, I started with the first couple of tracks, and by the time they were over, I was bored or even annoyed. Sure, it's just two tracks, but that's almost 30% of the album's playing time. To me, Open Up Your Eyes sounds way too much like the usual Morse/Portnoy stuff (and not among their better efforts, either), with an over-long and too familiar opening and several "prog for prog's sake" bits in it. And I've always thought Mask Machine had decent verses and choruses (though not great) that were connected rather awkwardly with that lame instrumental pre-chorus. It still strikes me as a pretty mediocre song. Both of these seem like songs that would've benefitted from having an experienced producer there. I think the rest of the album is stronger and more original than those, but it took me a long time to realize that it would significantly improve my listening experience to just skip those first 18.5 minutes entirely.

This is my take as well.

[Ben_Jamin]

The live clip they released of Mask Machine is very underwhelming. It’s like they played it in slow motion. I thought that was a strange choice as the last encore, and it makes even less sense when changing the key and playing it slower.

I think something's gone awry somewhere. The version on Spotify is appreciably faster.

 

I just did now and it is faster and sounds better.

[ytserush]

Recent listens of all three albums reminded me that while I like Second Nature, the other two are much, much better.  And heck, I like every song on Second Nature, and there are plenty of awesome moments on there, but having a producer would have really helped songs like Open Up Your Eyes and Cosmic Symphony, the former of which is too long and suffers from padding (it could have been an awesome 7-8 minute song instead of 12 minute one it is)

I agree. In fact, I found the opening of Second Nature so weak that it kept me from getting into the album for quite a while. Every time I played it, I started with the first couple of tracks, and by the time they were over, I was bored or even annoyed. Sure, it's just two tracks, but that's almost 30% of the album's playing time. To me, Open Up Your Eyes sounds way too much like the usual Morse/Portnoy stuff (and not among their better efforts, either), with an over-long and too familiar opening and several "prog for prog's sake" bits in it. And I've always thought Mask Machine had decent verses and choruses (though not great) that were connected rather awkwardly with that lame instrumental pre-chorus. It still strikes me as a pretty mediocre song. Both of these seem like songs that would've benefitted from having an experienced producer there. I think the rest of the album is stronger and more original than those, but it took me a long time to realize that it would significantly improve my listening experience to just skip those first 18.5 minutes entirely.

Petty much how I felt from the get go. Never really started to hum until almost midway through.

[The Letter M]

From Facebook-

As some of you may have noticed, the previously posted live version of Mask Machine from our upcoming “Third Stage: Live In London” was uploaded with a flaw in the playback speed...we’ve re-uploaded a new version that corrects that issue (and fret not, the versions being released on Blu-Ray and DVD are perfectly fine! 👌) https://youtu.be/CZsyXMjelcI

“Third Stage: Live In London” will be released on Sept 19th and will be available in these formats:
* 5-Disc Earbook (2CD + 2DVD + Blu-ray). The Blu-ray and DVDs also include bonus material of music videos and concert footage from Morsefest 2019
* Orange Transparent 3LP
* 2CD + DVD
* Blu-ray

Pre-order: https://smarturl.it/Flying-Colors

Glad they fixed it! I guess I can watch it now lol

-Marc.

[HOF]

Add me to the list of people who skipped the first few tracks of Second Nature. That album does have several great songs though. A Place In Your World is one of my favorite rock songs of the past 10 years or so. I also really like Lost Without You, Peaceful Harbor, and Cosmic Symphony. Don’t really love or hate anything else on it, but the rest aren’t all that interesting to me.

I feel about the same with Third Degree, only there’s no one great track there for me. Love Letter is the high point, and I like Last Train Home and Crawl a good bit. Cadence and Guardian are ok.

This take is going to get bashed, but there is something about Steve Morse’s guitar tone that feels almost lifeless to me at times. Like it lacks any kind of punch or edge and just kind of floats out there.

[KevShmev]

Not sure I agree with that, re: Steve Morse's guitar tone, but I am not a fanboy of his by any means (I like his playing, but he is not even close to being one of my favorite guitar players), so I don't feel the need to defend him to the pain here. 

[Stadler]

Yeah, HOF, I respect your input a lot across the board, but that hot take I have to press back at.   I don't think I've ever heard anyone knock his TONE. I know for a while after joining Deep Purple there was some criticism of the samey-ness of some of the solos, but that was chalked up to "samey as compared to what?" and his solo and Dregs work is SO stylistically varied compared to the relative structure of Purple that it's likely just as much perception as reality.   

I've seen the guy live... four times with four different bands (Steve Morse Band, Deep Purple, The Dregs, Flying Colors) and was just mesmerized all four times.  He's earned the hype.

[HOF]

Yeah, HOF, I respect your input a lot across the board, but that hot take I have to press back at.   I don't think I've ever heard anyone knock his TONE. I know for a while after joining Deep Purple there was some criticism of the samey-ness of some of the solos, but that was chalked up to "samey as compared to what?" and his solo and Dregs work is SO stylistically varied compared to the relative structure of Purple that it's likely just as much perception as reality.   

I've seen the guy live... four times with four different bands (Steve Morse Band, Deep Purple, The Dregs, Flying Colors) and was just mesmerized all four times.  He's earned the hype.

He’s an amazing player no doubt. I’ve seen him with the Dixie Dregs actually and it was a very impressive concert. I have never had an issue with his tone outside of FC. It’s not a bad tone or an ugly tone or anything. I think it could be more the way it is mixed on FC where it just seems to be missing some oomph. I don’t think it bothered me as much on the first FC album even. But the last two have left me wanting something more in that department.

[Stadler]

That's a fair critique.   

The Dregs... I go to a fair amount of concerts by myself (by design) and The Dregs was one of them, and I'm so glad.   It was in a small theater, and I had front row, and I sat there for two hours plus with a huge grin on my face tapping away.  It was everything I love about music; just two hours of no job, no meddlesome kids, no nagging wife, no COVID-19, no Trump, no Clinton, no Kardashians...  and the band was having that same level of fun; I don't think I've ever seen a band SMILE as much as that band did while delivering that set.   

[HOF]

Rod Morgenstein is the smiliest person I’ve ever seen when he’s playing. His drum solo on that night was one of the coolest things musically that I’ve witnessed in person.

[KevShmev]

He’s an amazing player no doubt. I’ve seen him with the Dixie Dregs actually and it was a very impressive concert. I have never had an issue with his tone outside of FC. It’s not a bad tone or an ugly tone or anything. I think it could be more the way it is mixed on FC where it just seems to be missing some oomph. I don’t think it bothered me as much on the first FC album even. But the last two have left me wanting something more in that department.

Not sure I agree with this.  A player like Steve Morse, with his skills, could easily dominate the soundscape if mixed a certain way, but Flying Colors seems more about the mix of all of the instruments and, more importantly, the songs.  Sort of like Jellyfish in that it is catchy rock played extremely well by proficient players, but they rarely let the proficiency take over (the end of Open Up Your Eyes notwithstanding), and keeping Steve Morse where they do in the mix seems about right in getting the balance just right, IMO.

[ytserush]

Steve Morse doesn't do much in the way of stage presence, but he just LOVES to play his guitar. If you need someone to play the part of guitar hero. He's not your guy.

One of the reasons I like most of what he does.....

[JayOctavarium]

re:  TOO ONE

That's a conversation my buddy and I had after seeing FC last year.

I agree, Morse's tone seems kinda Samey and lacking, but I have nothing against that. That's his sound.

[gzarruk]

Just listened to Waiting for the Sun for the first time, and I like it a lot! I wish they included it in the main album.

Also for the first time ever, I was able to listen to More from start to finish. I still hate it, but at least I didn't skip it this time

[KevShmev]

I didn't care much for More at first (posts of mine in this thread when it first hit the 'net can back this up ), but it eventually grabbed me and now I like it a lot.  Really fun song to crank up when cruising on the highway.

[gzarruk]

I didn't care much for More at first (posts of mine in this thread when it first hit the 'net can back this up ), but it eventually grabbed me and now I like it a lot.  Really fun song to crank up when cruising on the highway.

I just don't think writing these heavily-inspired-by-Muse songs works too well for them. It seems like they like to do one for each album, and More is the worst of all three. Hope that it clicks with me one day, because so far I hate it

[HOF]

I didn't care much for More at first (posts of mine in this thread when it first hit the 'net can back this up ), but it eventually grabbed me and now I like it a lot.  Really fun song to crank up when cruising on the highway.

I just don't think writing these heavily-inspired-by-Muse songs works too well for them. It seems like they like to do one for each album, and More is the worst of all three. Hope that it clicks with me one day, because so far I hate it

A million times this. I have a certain hatred of Muse to begin with, but that style just seems so out of place on the FC albums. More actually seemed a little less awful than the previous ones to me. Still not something I really want to listen to though.

[KevShmev]

Shoulda Coulda Woulda is, IMO, easily the least best of the three "inspired by Muse" songs.  Really, none of the songs sound like a song Muse would have done, but the vocal effect and/or fuzzy bass used at times in them certainly gives them that strong Muse flavor.

[kirksnosehair]

Add me to the list of people who skipped the first few tracks of Second Nature. That album does have several great songs though. A Place In Your World is one of my favorite rock songs of the past 10 years or so. I also really like Lost Without You, Peaceful Harbor, and Cosmic Symphony. Don’t really love or hate anything else on it, but the rest aren’t all that interesting to me.

I feel about the same with Third Degree, only there’s no one great track there for me. Love Letter is the high point, and I like Last Train Home and Crawl a good bit. Cadence and Guardian are ok.

This take is going to get bashed, but there is something about Steve Morse’s guitar tone that feels almost lifeless to me at times. Like it lacks any kind of punch or edge and just kind of floats out there.

Steve uses a heavily gated plate reverb (I think) that has a very quick decay and it sometimes sounds a little weird to me as well.  His lead tone has always been a head-scratcher to me.  Not a fan of his tone at all, but his playing is impeccable so I guess I just overlook the tone. 

As for this band..I enjoyed the first album and I like about 1/2 of Second Nature, but I was unable to make it more than 3 or 4 tracks into the new album before moving on to something else.   

[DoctorAction]

Might give Third Degree another try tomorrow.

(I love CWS and Muse but I don't hear Muse in it.)

[DoctorAction]

Nope. Boring me to tears. Switching off.

[MirrorMask]

Might give Third Degree another try tomorrow.

(I love CWS and Muse but I don't hear Muse in it.)

Nope. Boring me to tears. Switching off.

That went well I'd say 

[DoctorAction]

That went well I'd say 

 

The first album is one my abs favourites of the last decade. Never mind. 

[MirrorMask]

I'm too in the "the first album was mindblowingly awesome but the third is meh" camp. I should do like you did, give it another chance, but I'm afraid the results might be the same....

[nobloodyname]

I had the same reaction as you two. Maybe it's time I gave it another go, too