Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread

[utopiarun]

I bought the CD last Thursday and haven't really made it through in one listen yet. I did a full listen while working on Friday but honestly my attention was elsewhere. It all seems familiar and I don't mean the callbacks which to my ears seem kind of clumsy and shoehorned. To all that say NM has made the same album over and over I agree, but most of them are really good and this one will probably be as well, I'm just not into it yet and having a hard time. I listened to the ending pieces by themselves yesterday and I just have the feeling I have heard it all before, typical big ending with passionate guitar solo, rinse and repeat.

I have wished for many years that Neal would get an outside producer to push him where he hasn't been before as he is so entrenched into his style, and I am not complaining, I have heard some great albums and seen some amazing shows, just would love to see him go off the rails musically a little.

[goo-goo]

To all that say NM has made the same album over and over I agree.....

I have wished for many years that Neal would get an outside producer to push him where he hasn't been before as he is so entrenched into his style....

I'm pretty much done with Neal Morse or Neal Morse band because of the first comment. Neal's music just doesn't engage me anymore because he has made the same album over and over (different concepts, but musically are very similar, very formulaic).  I think Neal's music would greatly benefit from an outside producer, however, I don't see it happening since he seems to be very comfortable with his music as it stands.

I saw a great meme on some FB group about Neal's music. Paraphrasing here: "You know you listen to Neal Morse when your playlist has 20 songs as Overtures"..something like that.

Right now only Transatlantic and Flying Colors are the only Neal related bands I can listen, and even those bands are getting too predictable and too formulaic on their last albums.

[bluefox4000]

Neal's also 60 so i doubt he'll change things up at this point, lol

but i like his formula but it is hit and miss really.  and no one relates less too religion than i do so his lyrics.....i just don't pay attention.

but neal's still a big fav.  so i won't complain too much.

the one album where it got on my nerves activly was lifeline.  i felt like there i was openly being sermon-ised too.

[emtee]

I'm pretty much in the same boat with NM. Testimony and One are two of my all time favorite albums. I LOVE them. ? was a big step down for me and that was my last NM purchase. I've heard all the others and yes, there are some amazing songs, but not to the point that I need to buy them.

[ProfessorPeart]

Neal Morse - the AC/DC of Prog Rock.

[bluefox4000]

Neal Morse - the AC/DC of Prog Rock.

good comparison.

same album.....same subject.  some hit big....some don't.

[Stadler]

Neal Morse - the AC/DC of Prog Rock.

 

[Peter Mc]

Gave it another listen today as the cd has now arrived and I could sit down with the lyric booklet and get more into it.

On second listen it still doesn’t do much for me.  There’s some nice melodies and some decent songs, there’s nothing terrible on here but nothing great for me either.  I find it quite joyless, dreary and monotonous which I never thought I’d say about a Neal Morse album which are normally joyous and life affirming.  Don’t know what it is but it just never bursts into life for me, just stays on one level.  He tries to inject a little life at the end but it doesn’t really work for me even then.

Oh well, he can’t hit a home run every time I suppose, he’s human after all!

[kaos2900]

There definitely seemed to be something missing from this release. Monotonous is a good work. I normally love his ballads and the melodies really shine and the emotion comes through. The ballads for the most part on Sola Gratia are just boring.

[The Letter M]

Got my signed 2-disc set from Radiant in the mail yesterday. I'm watching the Making Of DVD right now. So far, it's been an interesting watch given how different the making of this album has been!

-Marc.

[Learning2Live]

Does anyone know if Morsefest can be streamed on-demand if you buy a ticket or is it just the one scheduled time? I want to buy but will be busy Saturday night and am hoping I'd be able to watch it at a later point.

[OpenYourEyes311]

Does anyone know if Morsefest can be streamed on-demand if you buy a ticket or is it just the one scheduled time? I want to buy but will be busy Saturday night and am hoping I'd be able to watch it at a later point.

You have 48 hours to stream it on demand after the first stream, and you can have a video download of the shows for $25 once merch comes up.

[Learning2Live]

Does anyone know if Morsefest can be streamed on-demand if you buy a ticket or is it just the one scheduled time? I want to buy but will be busy Saturday night and am hoping I'd be able to watch it at a later point.

You have 48 hours to stream it on demand after the first stream, and you can have a video download of the shows for $25 once merch comes up.

Thank you!!

[faizoff]

As much as I agree with all the comments about Neal Morse's music which are all spot on (AC/DC, 20 overtures, etc..) I somehow still enjoy them. I go through bouts of binging on his discography and then staying away for a while and then come back to it and enjoy them all regardless of reuse and familiarity of it all. I dunno, hard to explain.

On another note, I still haven't ordered Sola Gratia and seems like I can't order on Radiant Records. There is no option to add to car on the album page. Anyone else see the same issue?

[ShadowWalker]

As much as I agree with all the comments about Neal Morse's music which are all spot on (AC/DC, 20 overtures, etc..) I somehow still enjoy them. I go through bouts of binging on his discography and then staying away for a while and then come back to it and enjoy them all regardless of reuse and familiarity of it all. I dunno, hard to explain.

On another note, I still haven't ordered Sola Gratia and seems like I can't order on Radiant Records. There is no option to add to car on the album page. Anyone else see the same issue?

I went to order it from Radiant Records the other day and the only option was the CD/Vinyl bundle, which I had no interest in (never hopped on the vinyl train) so I just ordered it from Amazon. I am assuming if it is not listed that it simply means it is out of stock on the Radiant site.

[faizoff]

I would think so too, but there is no option for any format right now.

[bosk1]

I don't order from Radiant.  I had issues ordering from them twice in the past, and that was that.  And although most orders seem fine, I have seen enough problems with them from others that I don't even bother.  If that means Neal gets less of a cut because I am buying from another source, that's just the way it is. 

[darkshade]

The new John Petrucci album sent me on a DT kick for the first time in a loooong time, so I'm hoping to get into Neal's albums soon. I'm way behind though, Momentum and the last Transatlantic album was the last time I was really into Neal's work. I checked out TSOAD around the time it came out but never bought it.

Is TSOAD and TGA out of print? I can't find a copy of these in the US online anywhere. Same with older albums, still need a copy of One, the first Testimony album, TGA, and Neal's self-titled solo debut. TGA, JC:TE, and the new album are available. Thankfully, my "local" record shop (it's not close by) has almost every Neal Morse studio album (and some of his live albums) so I will have to journey up there at some point.

[MinistroRaven]

The new John Petrucci album sent me on a DT kick for the first time in a loooong time, so I'm hoping to get into Neal's albums soon. I'm way behind though, Momentum and the last Transatlantic album was the last time I was really into Neal's work. I checked out TSOAD around the time it came out but never bought it.

Is TSOAD and TGA out of print? I can't find a copy of these in the US online anywhere. Same with older albums, still need a copy of One, the first Testimony album, TGA, and Neal's self-titled solo debut. TGA, JC:TE, and the new album are available. Thankfully, my "local" record shop (it's not close by) has almost every Neal Morse studio album (and some of his live albums) so I will have to journey up there at some point.

I have many of those for sale, they are new still wrapped. If interested let me know and I will send you pics.

[Peter Mc]

The new John Petrucci album sent me on a DT kick for the first time in a loooong time, so I'm hoping to get into Neal's albums soon. I'm way behind though, Momentum and the last Transatlantic album was the last time I was really into Neal's work. I checked out TSOAD around the time it came out but never bought it.

Is TSOAD and TGA out of print? I can't find a copy of these in the US online anywhere. Same with older albums, still need a copy of One, the first Testimony album, TGA, and Neal's self-titled solo debut. TGA, JC:TE, and the new album are available. Thankfully, my "local" record shop (it's not close by) has almost every Neal Morse studio album (and some of his live albums) so I will have to journey up there at some point.

Neal has his own streaming service with all of his stuff on there if you are interested. It’s called Waterfall I think.

[Peter Mc]

Ok, I have had the album on repeatedly this week in work (one of the advantages of homeworking in this crazy time) so I could absorb it through osmosis and have sat down for another proper headphone listen. Listened to Sola Scriptura and Sola Gratia back to back.  I have to say that I enjoyed it quite a bit all the way through.  I think it will forever be in the lower half of his discography for me but it’s still a worthy addition and even Neal’s lesser albums are pretty incredible by anyone else’s standards!

It still lacks a truly emotionally overwhelming moment for me but it’s thoroughly enjoyable.  The only shame for me is that the vocal melody at the very end (the “Arise, go into all the world” part) is my favourite vocal melody of the whole record.  I would have loved Neal to have built that into one of his epic endings with choirs, strings etc.  It was quite nice as a little quiet moment though too.

Anyway, I’m glad I’ve come around on it and can enjoy it as he’s one of my all time favourite artists even if all the religious stuff goes way over my head!

[Fritzinger]

Ok, I have had the album on repeatedly this week in work (one of the advantages of homeworking in this crazy time) so I could absorb it through osmosis and have sat down for another proper headphone listen. Listened to Sola Scriptura and Sola Gratia back to back.  I have to say that I enjoyed it quite a bit all the way through.  I think it will forever be in the lower half of his discography for me but it’s still a worthy addition and even Neal’s lesser albums are pretty incredible by anyone else’s standards!

It still lacks a truly emotionally overwhelming moment for me but it’s thoroughly enjoyable.  The only shame for me is that the vocal melody at the very end (the “Arise, go into all the world” part) is my favourite vocal melody of the whole record.  I would have loved Neal to have built that into one of his epic endings with choirs, strings etc.  It was quite nice as a little quiet moment though too.

Anyway, I’m glad I’ve come around on it and can enjoy it as he’s one of my all time favourite artists even if all the religious stuff goes way over my head!

That is one of those melodies like only Neal can write them. Who knows, maybe it will come back for a third album called Sola Fide 

[Kram]

Count me as one who had that blah blah reaction on my first few listens.  But I've got to say, it's really grown on me since.  I now find that I have some of the melodies running through my head throughout the day.  I think this will fall somewhere in the middle of his discography rankings.  Certainly not one of his best, but very good nonetheless. 

The production is excellent though.  Randy's bass sounds full and robust, Mike's drums sound excellent and I can clearly hear all the instruments Neal is playing - everything comes through in the mix.  I can't help but think why can't bands like Dream Theater and POS (although I have warmed to Panther's production) put out albums that sound this good?  Maybe DT should hire Neal to produce and mix their next album. His ear, combined with their incredible playing, would probably sound amazing!  I know it's not going to happen but one can wonder what the result would be.

[darkshade]

I never listened to Neal's self titled debut album, been listening to it and while I wouldn't call it my favorite of his, it's not bad. The first 7 tracks are mostly non-offensive rock songs, and the eighth is a pretty solid prog epic, great melodies everywhere. To my ears, this sounds like the beginning of his classic output since this record was released. Prior to this with Spock's Beard, outside of The Light, I've never connected with the 3 albums that followed it, though there is strong material throughout. Even The Light suffers from production issues, but the material is so strong it overrides the faults. V always stuck out from the rest, like, 'why is this one so much better than the others, musically and technically?' imo of course.

Still have to listen to the new album. Is this related to Sola Scriptura? Do I need to listen to that first?

[The Letter M]

I never listened to Neal's self titled debut album, been listening to it and while I wouldn't call it my favorite of his, it's not bad. The first 7 tracks are mostly non-offensive rock songs, and the eighth is a pretty solid prog epic, great melodies everywhere. To my ears, this sounds like the beginning of his classic output since this record was released. Prior to this with Spock's Beard, outside of The Light, I've never connected with the 3 albums that followed it, though there is strong material throughout. Even The Light suffers from production issues, but the material is so strong it overrides the faults. V always stuck out from the rest, like, 'why is this one so much better than the others, musically and technically?' imo of course.

Still have to listen to the new album. Is this related to Sola Scriptura? Do I need to listen to that first?

I don't think you *need* to listen to Sola Scriptura first, but Sola Gratia does make musical and lyrical references to Sola Scriptura throughout the album, so if you want to pick up on those, it might not hurt to listen to it first. Otherwise, the concepts are only parallel and not directly related.

-Marc.

[darkshade]

I never listened to Neal's self titled debut album, been listening to it and while I wouldn't call it my favorite of his, it's not bad. The first 7 tracks are mostly non-offensive rock songs, and the eighth is a pretty solid prog epic, great melodies everywhere. To my ears, this sounds like the beginning of his classic output since this record was released. Prior to this with Spock's Beard, outside of The Light, I've never connected with the 3 albums that followed it, though there is strong material throughout. Even The Light suffers from production issues, but the material is so strong it overrides the faults. V always stuck out from the rest, like, 'why is this one so much better than the others, musically and technically?' imo of course.

Still have to listen to the new album. Is this related to Sola Scriptura? Do I need to listen to that first?

I don't think you *need* to listen to Sola Scriptura first, but Sola Gratia does make musical and lyrical references to Sola Scriptura throughout the album, so if you want to pick up on those, it might not hurt to listen to it first. Otherwise, the concepts are only parallel and not directly related.

-Marc.

Thanks! 

[Fritzinger]

I never listened to Neal's self titled debut album, been listening to it and while I wouldn't call it my favorite of his, it's not bad. The first 7 tracks are mostly non-offensive rock songs, and the eighth is a pretty solid prog epic, great melodies everywhere. To my ears, this sounds like the beginning of his classic output since this record was released. Prior to this with Spock's Beard, outside of The Light, I've never connected with the 3 albums that followed it, though there is strong material throughout. Even The Light suffers from production issues, but the material is so strong it overrides the faults. V always stuck out from the rest, like, 'why is this one so much better than the others, musically and technically?' imo of course.

Still have to listen to the new album. Is this related to Sola Scriptura? Do I need to listen to that first?

I don't think you *need* to listen to Sola Scriptura first, but Sola Gratia does make musical and lyrical references to Sola Scriptura throughout the album, so if you want to pick up on those, it might not hurt to listen to it first. Otherwise, the concepts are only parallel and not directly related.

-Marc.

Thanks! 

Sola Scriptura is a great album, I think you'll have to listen to it whether you're gonna listen to Sola Gratia or not 

[Kwyjibo]

I'm really liking this album although it looses a bit of steam in the end imo.

And I finally figured out what the melody at the beginning of the overture reminds me of, it's kinda similar to Mahavishnu's Birds Of Fire. 

[Moor]

Very solid and complete album!
Extremely enjoyable. Following the lyrics/story is a must.
The choir addition is awesome.
NM is like those restaurants that you have been visiting for 20 years to eat the same meal, and each time you still find it delicious and look forward for the next 

[Fritzinger]

Very solid and complete album!
Extremely enjoyable. Following the lyrics/story is a must.
The choir addition is awesome.
NM is like those restaurants that you have been visiting for 20 years to eat the same meal, and each time you still find it delicious and look forward for the next 

That is so accurate 

Neal's new releases are consistently of high quality and I always look forward to his new albums. He is one of those constants you can always rely on. I sometimes feel bad for him because he gets so much shit for making "his" kind of music. But he is always so genuinely excited for everything he does. If you don't want more Morse music, just don't listen to it.

[Stadler]

I was working on my deck last weekend, and I put on "The Grand Experiment".  I had sealer on my hands so I didn't want to touch the phone or speaker; I listened to the entire album FIVE times in a row, and even the fifth time I was excited for Alive Again (actually, all the songs except for Agenda). 

[425]

It's overshadowed somewhat by Similitude having coming out the following year, but yeah, The Grand Experiment is a really good album. Alive Again is one of my favorite of Neal's epics, The Call is a superb track, and Waterfall is really beautiful.

[Fritzinger]

I think Alive Again is very good, maybe 3-4 minutes or so too long. Also, I'm always a little bummed that that very cool fast part from 3:25 never reappears in the track (I think! Please correct me if I'm wrong?)

[bosk1]

NM is like those restaurants that you have been visiting for 20 years to eat the same meal, and each time you still find it delicious and look forward for the next 

  Such a perfect analogy! 

[Stadler]

I think Alive Again is very good, maybe 3-4 minutes or so too long. Also, I'm always a little bummed that that very cool fast part from 3:25 never reappears in the track (I think! Please correct me if I'm wrong?)

I don't think it does, at least not in that form, but I may spin it later just to double check (the melodies in that song are positively addictive).