Author Topic: The Official Flying Colors Thread  (Read 386146 times)

0 Members and 4 Guests are viewing this topic.

Offline goo-goo

  • Posts: 3169
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2135 on: October 12, 2014, 04:32:30 PM »
Footage for new DVDs being shot tonight!

Possible Spoilers (not from the concert though)! So please skip this post if you don't want to know.















The newsletter I got from Mascot just a bit before the tour started said that they were going to play the full album. Haven't seen that yet so there's a slight chance they'll do it tonight

Offline Ben_Jamin

  • Posts: 15725
  • Gender: Male
  • I'm just a man, thrown into existence by the gods
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2136 on: October 12, 2014, 07:46:54 PM »
The only Transatlantic references I get is in one section of Open Up Your Eyes. It sounds a lot like the flower kings.
I don't know how they can be so proud of winning with them odds. - Little Big Man
Follow my Spotify:BjamminD

Offline hefdaddy42

  • Et in Arcadia Ego
  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 53218
  • Gender: Male
  • Postwhore Emeritus
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2137 on: October 13, 2014, 07:15:53 AM »
I'm sorry that some of you aren't liking this album as much.  I think it's absolutely fantastic.
Hef is right on all things. Except for when I disagree with him. In which case he's probably still right.

Offline RodrigoAltaf

  • Posts: 2687
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2138 on: October 13, 2014, 08:22:26 AM »
I'm sorry that some of you aren't liking this album as much.  I think it's absolutely fantastic.

 Call me crazy, but I like it WAY more than the first one.

Offline King Postwhore

  • Couch Potato
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 59477
  • Gender: Male
  • Take that Beethoven, you deaf bastard!!
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2139 on: October 13, 2014, 08:31:33 AM »
Add me to the list.  I'm loving this album.
I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down'.” - Bob Newhart
So wait, we're spelling it wrong and king is spelling it right? What is going on here? :lol -- BlobVanDam
"Oh, I am definitely a jackass!" - TAC

Online jingle.boy

  • I'm so ronery; so sad and ronery
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 44899
  • Gender: Male
  • DTF's resident deceased dictator
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2140 on: October 13, 2014, 09:34:00 AM »
Add me to the list.  I'm loving this album.

+1  As I mentioned, it's definitely top 5 AOTY material.
That's a word salad - and take it from me, I know word salad
I fear for the day when something happens on the right that is SO nuts that even Stadler says "That's crazy".
Quote from: Puppies_On_Acid
Remember the mark of a great vocalist is if TAC hates them with a special passion

Offline ytserush

  • Posts: 5406
  • Like clockwork...
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2141 on: October 13, 2014, 09:44:15 PM »
Based on that one listen I have to ask where the hooks are.  I also think it's a sonic disaster (again.)  Hopefully this grows on me, but this album really sounds hurried.  The musicianship is awesome and is just incredible live, but I'm just not feeling it yet.
The album is growing on me but this is my main problem with it. Pop music really relies on hooks and a lot of the songs don't have any. So it's missing a lot of the pop aesthetic that would really distinguish it even more from other NM prog projects. The first album did this and it was great for that. This one has lost that a little.

Definitely a slow burner and the way it was produced doesn't help, but that's probably an industrywide problem at this point.

Although I still think (as I usually do that the new songs were much better live) a few are suddenly revealing themselves to me; specifically Open Your Eyes, Peaceful Harbor and Cosmic Symphony. And Steve Morse left his mark all over this album.


Offline yeshaberto

  • DT.net Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 8986
  • Gender: Male
  • Somebody Get Me A Doctor! - VH
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2142 on: October 13, 2014, 11:00:04 PM »
I cannot stop listening to this album!   And Casey's voice is amazing

Offline mikeyd23

  • Posts: 5479
  • Gender: Male
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2143 on: October 14, 2014, 07:28:16 AM »
Listened through the album a couple times, I definitely like it a lot! It'll probably take some more time to digest before I determine whether I like it more than the debut, but its certainly an enjoyable record. 

Its actually funny, before this project began, I was much more familiar with MP's and Neal's bodies of work than I was of the other members but on this album, I'd say Casey, Steve and Dave are the standouts.  That's not to take away from MP's and Neal's contributions both of them sound great, but after listening a few times some of Steve's lead parts, Dave's bass grooves and Casey's vocals are really what have stuck with me.

Offline Lynxo

  • It hurts when I poo
  • Posts: 1616
  • Gender: Male
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2144 on: October 14, 2014, 07:56:32 AM »
I fail to see any sonic problems with this album? Anyway, I'm really, really liking this album, even though I haven't listened to it as much as I would have wanted. :metal
Lynxo cured my bad breath with his penis.

Offline Jaq

  • Posts: 4050
  • Gender: Male
  • Favorite song by Europe: Carrie.
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2145 on: October 14, 2014, 08:56:26 AM »
I don't ever tend to hear most of the production problems people on the internet talk about, to be honest.  :lol
The bones of beasts and the bones of kings become dust in the wake of the hymn.
Mighty kingdoms rise, but they all will fall, no more than a breath on the wind.

Offline hefdaddy42

  • Et in Arcadia Ego
  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 53218
  • Gender: Male
  • Postwhore Emeritus
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2146 on: October 14, 2014, 10:11:48 AM »
I don't hear any sound problems either.
Hef is right on all things. Except for when I disagree with him. In which case he's probably still right.

Offline The Letter M

  • Posts: 15562
  • Gender: Male
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2147 on: October 14, 2014, 10:43:49 AM »
Ditto. I thought the production was on par with the first one, which still sounds great to me. Both albums sound great, although if there ever happened to be HDTracks versions of them, I wouldn't hesitate to get them.

-Marc.
ATTENTION - HAKEN FANS! The HAKEN SURVIVOR 2023 has begun! You can check it out in the Polls/Survivors Forum!!!

Offline Mosh

  • For I have dined on honeydew!
  • Posts: 3857
  • Gender: Male
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2148 on: October 14, 2014, 10:34:40 PM »
The production sounds really unremarkable to me. It isn't bad, but it isn't particularly good either. It also depends on the song though. I think Cosmic Symphony and Mask Machine have good production, Open Your Eyes not so much.

Also not a big fan of the sequencing on this album. The debut had a really great flow and every song seemed to be placed very methodically. It feels like there was less thought put into the tracklisting this time around.

These are my only complaints though. I'm really loving the album aside from that actually. Cosmic Symphony is a mindblowing epic. Probably the first time a Morse epic has really excited me since Duel With the Devil. As an entire album it's a little uneven but I've come to at least enjoy every song except Open Your Eyes (possibly my least favorite FC track).
New Animal Soup scifi space opera for fans of Porcupine Tree, Mastodon, Iron Maiden: Chariots of the Gods

https://animalsoup.bandcamp.com/album/chariots-of-the-gods

Offline The Letter M

  • Posts: 15562
  • Gender: Male
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2149 on: October 15, 2014, 06:19:32 AM »
Just saw a really long review of the new album on the front page of https://www.progarchives.com/ and was cringing halfway through the first paragraph.

For the love of God, if you're going to gush about a band, learn their names! It's not Neil Morse! Even if you type "Neil Morse" into Google, it says "Showing results for Neal Morse". How can you spell the man's name "Neil" four times in your review?  :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm:

Oh well, just thought that was funny enough to share. Anyone else feel frustrated when this happens? I mean, grammatical errors and typos of words are fine - people in this day and age are less likely to fix those - but people's names?! Come on... :rollin

-Marc.
ATTENTION - HAKEN FANS! The HAKEN SURVIVOR 2023 has begun! You can check it out in the Polls/Survivors Forum!!!

Offline Orbert

  • Recovering Musician
  • EZBoard Elder
  • *****
  • Posts: 19275
  • Gender: Male
  • In and around the lake
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2150 on: October 15, 2014, 06:58:07 AM »
I have to agree.  I know it's no big deal to some people, but there is a right way and a wrong way to spell someone's name, and if you want people to take your writing seriously, learn to write.  And spelling things correctly, especially people's names, is part of writing.

I like the sequencing on this album.  I like this album overall more than the first.  The guys have some prog in them, a lot of it, and even though this band doesn't focus on it as much as their other projects, it's gonna come out.  Heck, "regular" bands dabble in longer-form songs sometimes, so I don't see what people's problem is with a band full of prog guys doing it.  So they have a couple of longer, proggish songs.  On the first album, they saved the really long one for last, and opened the album with the second-longest one.  Here, they're closer in length, but they did basically the same thing only swapped them.  But I like how "Mask Machine" follows it right up and gets back to basics.  And from there, to me it feels like the idea is to show off the versatility of the band.  The first album flowed nicely, but to be honest, it all mushed together.  I didn't feel like there were a lot of standouts.  Here, the contrast from song to song is obvious, but I like the variety.  I guess it's a different kind of flow.

Offline Mosh

  • For I have dined on honeydew!
  • Posts: 3857
  • Gender: Male
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2151 on: October 15, 2014, 08:15:43 AM »
I don't mind that the songs are longer but I feel like a few of them really drag, or there are little moments I could do without. Some songs would've benefited from being trimmed down, that's all.
New Animal Soup scifi space opera for fans of Porcupine Tree, Mastodon, Iron Maiden: Chariots of the Gods

https://animalsoup.bandcamp.com/album/chariots-of-the-gods

Offline RoeDent

  • 2006 Time Magazine Person of the Year
  • Posts: 6037
  • Gender: Male
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2152 on: October 15, 2014, 10:30:41 AM »
Just saw a really long review of the new album on the front page of https://www.progarchives.com/ and was cringing halfway through the first paragraph.

For the love of God, if you're going to gush about a band, learn their names! It's not Neil Morse! Even if you type "Neil Morse" into Google, it says "Showing results for Neal Morse". How can you spell the man's name "Neil" four times in your review?  :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm:

Oh well, just thought that was funny enough to share. Anyone else feel frustrated when this happens? I mean, grammatical errors and typos of words are fine - people in this day and age are less likely to fix those - but people's names?! Come on... :rollin

-Marc.

The worst ones for me are Dave Gilmour and Steve Wilson. Makes me cringe big time.

Bringing it back to Flying Colors, Cosmic Symphony is really growing on me. It feels like a mini version of Kaleidoscope, with clearly defined movements. But it also has the piano motif that links them together. Great song to close with. And it winds down very nicely too.

Offline Nekov

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 10719
  • Gender: Male
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2153 on: October 15, 2014, 12:27:54 PM »
Just finished listening to the new album. I don't think the problem with it is the added prog, I think overall it's just not as interesting and fresh as the first one was

Forget what I said. After listening to the album for the past week or so I'm totally loving it. That first impression was very very wrong.
When Ginobili gets hot, I get hot in my pants. 

Offline hefdaddy42

  • Et in Arcadia Ego
  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 53218
  • Gender: Male
  • Postwhore Emeritus
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2154 on: October 15, 2014, 03:00:44 PM »
:clap:
Hef is right on all things. Except for when I disagree with him. In which case he's probably still right.

Offline PROGdrummer

  • Posts: 719
  • Gender: Male
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2155 on: October 15, 2014, 05:30:57 PM »
Just saw a really long review of the new album on the front page of https://www.progarchives.com/ and was cringing halfway through the first paragraph.

For the love of God, if you're going to gush about a band, learn their names! It's not Neil Morse! Even if you type "Neil Morse" into Google, it says "Showing results for Neal Morse". How can you spell the man's name "Neil" four times in your review?  :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm:

Oh well, just thought that was funny enough to share. Anyone else feel frustrated when this happens? I mean, grammatical errors and typos of words are fine - people in this day and age are less likely to fix those - but people's names?! Come on... :rollin

-Marc.

The worst ones for me are Dave Gilmour and Steve Wilson. Makes me cringe big time.

Bringing it back to Flying Colors, Cosmic Symphony is really growing on me. It feels like a mini version of Kaleidoscope, with clearly defined movements. But it also has the piano motif that links them together. Great song to close with. And it winds down very nicely too.


I saw "Michael Akerfeld" in a few different articles.


I feel that Cosmic Symphony would be a much stronger song with Neal's part (Searching For The Air) completely taken out.

And it should be called Pound for Pound.

Offline Nick

  • A doctor.
  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 20053
  • Gender: Male
  • But not the medical kind.
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2156 on: October 15, 2014, 05:50:18 PM »
Just saw a really long review of the new album on the front page of https://www.progarchives.com/ and was cringing halfway through the first paragraph.

For the love of God, if you're going to gush about a band, learn their names! It's not Neil Morse! Even if you type "Neil Morse" into Google, it says "Showing results for Neal Morse". How can you spell the man's name "Neil" four times in your review?  :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm:

Oh well, just thought that was funny enough to share. Anyone else feel frustrated when this happens? I mean, grammatical errors and typos of words are fine - people in this day and age are less likely to fix those - but people's names?! Come on... :rollin

-Marc.

The worst ones for me are Dave Gilmour and Steve Wilson. Makes me cringe big time.

Bringing it back to Flying Colors, Cosmic Symphony is really growing on me. It feels like a mini version of Kaleidoscope, with clearly defined movements. But it also has the piano motif that links them together. Great song to close with. And it winds down very nicely too.


I saw "Michael Akerfeld" in a few different articles.


I feel that Cosmic Symphony would be a much stronger song with Neal's part (Searching For The Air) completely taken out.

And it should be called Pound for Pound.

If there is one thing I've learned from Dream Theater, it's that your last line is false. Not every title has to be so head bludgingly obvious.
For the best online progressive radio: ProgRock.com
For the best in progressive news, reviews, and interviews: SonicPerspectives.com
For a trove of older podcasts and interviews: WPaPU.com
Awesome Majesty Pendant Club: Member #1

Online jingle.boy

  • I'm so ronery; so sad and ronery
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 44899
  • Gender: Male
  • DTF's resident deceased dictator
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2157 on: October 15, 2014, 08:47:51 PM »
Just finished listening to the new album. I don't think the problem with it is the added prog, I think overall it's just not as interesting and fresh as the first one was

Forget what I said. After listening to the album for the past week or so I'm totally loving it. That first impression was very very wrong.

Good on ya for being man enough to admit it. :tup  And welcome to the "I'm Lovin it" camp.
That's a word salad - and take it from me, I know word salad
I fear for the day when something happens on the right that is SO nuts that even Stadler says "That's crazy".
Quote from: Puppies_On_Acid
Remember the mark of a great vocalist is if TAC hates them with a special passion

Offline PROGdrummer

  • Posts: 719
  • Gender: Male
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2158 on: October 15, 2014, 10:02:36 PM »
If there is one thing I've learned from Dream Theater, it's that your last line is false. Not every title has to be so head bludgingly obvious.

Uh, I just think its a better fitting title for the song. "head bludgingly obvious" or not.  :\

Offline MS394

  • Posts: 91
  • Gender: Male
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2159 on: October 16, 2014, 01:41:38 AM »
Just wanted to say how much I love the bridge of "One Love Forever"; I think Neal's voice sounds powerful, the melody is great and the space provides dramatic tension that contrasts the "joyfulness" of the whole tune, bringing a nice balance.
The final vocal harmonies of the song are also gorgeous IMO.

Great tune :D

Offline bobs23

  • human mic stand
  • EZBoard Elder
  • *****
  • Posts: 294
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2160 on: October 16, 2014, 05:54:28 AM »
If there is one thing I've learned from Dream Theater, it's that your last line is false. Not every title has to be so head bludgingly obvious.

Uh, I just think its a better fitting title for the song. "head bludgingly obvious" or not.  :\

Pound For Pound was the working title. Personally, I prefer It's title now.

Offline Mosh

  • For I have dined on honeydew!
  • Posts: 3857
  • Gender: Male
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2161 on: October 16, 2014, 09:17:04 PM »
Cosmic Symphony is a really cool title. Not a fan of Pound for Pound, even as a movement name.
New Animal Soup scifi space opera for fans of Porcupine Tree, Mastodon, Iron Maiden: Chariots of the Gods

https://animalsoup.bandcamp.com/album/chariots-of-the-gods

Offline PROGdrummer

  • Posts: 719
  • Gender: Male
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2162 on: October 16, 2014, 09:59:41 PM »
are the lyrics in the second verse of Bombs Away really "Snackin' on Cheese Whiz"?

Offline bosk1

  • King of Misdirection
  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 12827
  • Bow down to Boskaryus
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2163 on: October 17, 2014, 09:01:17 AM »
are the lyrics in the second verse of Bombs Away really "Snackin' on Cheese Whiz"?

:rollin  Every time I hear that lyric, I keep meaning to look it up and check.
"The Supreme Court of the United States has descended from the disciplined legal reasoning of John Marshall and Joseph Story to the mystical aphorisms of the fortune cookie."

Offline Jaffa

  • Just Jaffa
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 4866
  • Gender: Male
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2164 on: October 17, 2014, 09:03:15 AM »
According to the booklet, yes, that's exactly it. 
Sincerely,
Jaffa

Offline The Letter M

  • Posts: 15562
  • Gender: Male
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2165 on: October 17, 2014, 09:09:39 AM »
I watched a bit of the Track-By-Track Commentary by the band on the DVD and I think Casey said the working title for the track was "Cheese Whiz", and so they kept the title in the lyrics when it came time to write them.

-Marc.
ATTENTION - HAKEN FANS! The HAKEN SURVIVOR 2023 has begun! You can check it out in the Polls/Survivors Forum!!!

Offline hefdaddy42

  • Et in Arcadia Ego
  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 53218
  • Gender: Male
  • Postwhore Emeritus
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2166 on: October 17, 2014, 10:22:36 AM »
That's awesome  :lol
Hef is right on all things. Except for when I disagree with him. In which case he's probably still right.

Offline Orbert

  • Recovering Musician
  • EZBoard Elder
  • *****
  • Posts: 19275
  • Gender: Male
  • In and around the lake
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2167 on: October 17, 2014, 10:28:59 AM »
Hey, Cheese Whiz is cool.  Ain't nothin' wrong with snackin' on Cheese Whiz.

Offline RoeDent

  • 2006 Time Magazine Person of the Year
  • Posts: 6037
  • Gender: Male
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2168 on: October 17, 2014, 11:20:44 AM »
I personally think Cosmic Symphony is a bit too ambitious a title for a song only 11 minutes long. I think it would fit better with a proper epic, like 25 minutes. Perhaps completely instrumental too.

That's not knocking the song at all. It's a great song.

Offline majo

  • Posts: 211
Re: Flying Colors: Morse + Morse + Portnoy + LaRue + McPherson project
« Reply #2169 on: October 17, 2014, 02:14:02 PM »
brilliant album. easy top 3 for me this year.
Life's too short to remove USB safely.