Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread

[Metro]

1. The Whirlwind
2. The Similitude of a Dream
3. Innocence and Danger
4. Bridge Across Forever
5. The Great Adventure
6. The Absolute Universe
7. The Grand Experiment
8. SMPTe
9. Kaleidoscope

[The Letter M]

Guess I'll join in, too...

Bridge Across Forever
The Whirlwind
The Absolute Universe
Innocence & Danger
The Similitude Of A Dream
The Great Adventure
SMPT:e
The Grand Experiment (Special Edition)
Kaleidoscope

So, for me, the NMB albums are middle-of-the-pack for the most part. I honestly haven't heard TSOAD and TGA thoroughly in a long while, but I still have fond memories of getting to know those albums, but I am a prisoner of nostalgia, and have loved BAF and TW a lot longer and they hold a special place in my heart. As for The Absolute Universe, I've grown to love it over the past almost-year, and it gets better for me every time I spin it, and likewise, I&D grows on me as well, and is probably my favorite NMB album to date. I think it says something to Neal and his bands that even his 2021 albums with both groups rank so highly in this ranking. He's still got it!

-Marc.

[Kram]

Neal played the solo live when they did shows for T2 (this was before he got the first iteration of what now is NMB), so I guess it was just a nod to that.

OK, thanks.  I knew there had to be more to it then just Neal being like "Hey Eric, let's split this solo and do it together".

[DTA]

SMPT:e
Bridge Across Forever
The Similitude Of A Dream
The Whirlwind
The Great Adventure
The Grand Experiment
Innocence & Danger
Kaleidoscope
The Absolute Universe

The first 2 TA albums were absolutely life-changing for me when I first heard them. They were my introduction into progressive rock and I only got them because MP played on them and I was a huge DT fan, but they became instant favorites. All the albums beyond that are great to decent, but nothing in prog-rock has really been able to touch those besides maybe the 90's FK albums and maybe V by SB.

[KevShmev]

My ranking of the nine TA and NMB albums would be as listed below.  Normal versions only, as I think counting versions with bonus songs is cheating.  Because there are three official versions of TAU, I listed the one I like the best.

01 The Similitude of a Dream
02 SMPTe
03 The Whirlwind
04 Bridge Across Forever
05 The Grand Experiment
06 Innocence and Danger
07 The Great Adventure
08 The Absolute Universe (ultimate version)
09 Kaleidoscope

[me7]

I was listening to Morsefest 2017 yesterday, and it's interesting that they played both Supernatural and Seeds of Gold, prior to playing Disc 1, but they did not play Absolute Beginner.  Anybody have any insight into why they skipped that one?

That song is best left forgotten. It sounds like a title track for a turn-of-the-millennium teenie film. It reminds me of the South Park episode, in which the boys start a Christian Rock band by copying famous love songs, only replacing all terms of endearment with God/Lord/Jesus

[KevShmev]

Yeah, even though that night was advertised as playing all of T2, I was fine with them having left Absolute Beginner out.   I don't dislike the song, but it's pretty average, and the set list that night was nothing but great stuff, and having that in there would have been like having a tiny hair in the otherwise marvelous soup.

[The Letter M]

I was listening to Morsefest 2017 yesterday, and it's interesting that they played both Supernatural and Seeds of Gold, prior to playing Disc 1, but they did not play Absolute Beginner.  Anybody have any insight into why they skipped that one?

I'm not sure. Someone should ask Neal next chance they meet him. Also ask him why he didn't place "Back To The Garden" with the rest of the songs from One back in 2014. That one has been bugging me, too.

Had he played those two songs, he would have live versions of every main solo prog album at Morsefest except Lifeline (which had its better songs played) and Momentum, since the only two Momentum songs played at Morsefest have been "Thoughts Pt. 5" (in 2020) and "World Without End" (played last year), but given that they played the epic already, I doubt he'll go back and do the whole album again. Maybe they'll play "Weathering Sky" and "Smoke And Mirrors" at some point in the future.

-Marc.

[KevShmev]

I was listening to Morsefest 2017 yesterday, and it's interesting that they played both Supernatural and Seeds of Gold, prior to playing Disc 1, but they did not play Absolute Beginner.  Anybody have any insight into why they skipped that one?

I'm not sure. Someone should ask Neal next chance they meet him. Also ask him why he didn't place "Back To The Garden" with the rest of the songs from One back in 2014. That one has been bugging me, too.

Had he played those two songs, he would have live versions of every main solo prog album at Morsefest except Lifeline (which had its better songs played) and Momentum, since the only two Momentum songs played at Morsefest have been "Thoughts Pt. 5" (in 2020) and "World Without End" (played last year), but given that they played the epic already, I doubt he'll go back and do the whole album again. Maybe they'll play "Weathering Sky" and "Smoke And Mirrors" at some point in the future.

-Marc.

Except that Back to the Garden is a bonus track, not an album track (that is not semantics, that is reality), so him not playing that is the same thing as not playing some of the bonus tracks from Lifeline as well.

The fact that Back to the Garden is part of the "restored" running order is irrelevant.  It is not a part of the officially released proper album.

[bluefox4000]

as long as we're doing rankingss which i enjoy.

1. Similitude
2. Bridge Across Forever
3. Whrilwind
4. Innocence & Danger
5. Absolute Universe (encompassing all versions here)
6. SMPT:e
7. Grand Experiment
8. The Great  Adventure
9. Kaleidoscope

The only NMB album i'd call an absolute classic is Similitude.....nothing else they did quite stands up to my two fav transatlantics's  Innocence & Danger came pretty close though. Kaleidoscope is a true stinker for Transatlantic though....yikes.



 

[Kram]

I was listening to Morsefest 2017 yesterday, and it's interesting that they played both Supernatural and Seeds of Gold, prior to playing Disc 1, but they did not play Absolute Beginner.  Anybody have any insight into why they skipped that one?

That song is best left forgotten. It sounds like a title track for a turn-of-the-millennium teenie film. It reminds me of the South Park episode, in which the boys start a Christian Rock band by copying famous love songs, only replacing all terms of endearment with God/Lord/Jesus

It's far from my favorite as well.  But I always got the impression that these Morsefest's were sort of the unofficial "official live documentation" of these albums, if that makes sense.  So I figured Neal (and MP being a completest) would have wanted that song documented as well.  I guess not.  It would be a good question to ask Neal.

[KevShmev]

I was listening to Morsefest 2017 yesterday, and it's interesting that they played both Supernatural and Seeds of Gold, prior to playing Disc 1, but they did not play Absolute Beginner.  Anybody have any insight into why they skipped that one?

That song is best left forgotten. It sounds like a title track for a turn-of-the-millennium teenie film. It reminds me of the South Park episode, in which the boys start a Christian Rock band by copying famous love songs, only replacing all terms of endearment with God/Lord/Jesus

It's far from my favorite as well.  But I always got the impression that these Morsefest's were sort of the unofficial "official live documentation" of these albums, if that makes sense.  So I figured Neal (and MP being a completest) would have wanted that song documented as well.  I guess not.  It would be a good question to ask Neal.

Neal seems to forget stuff like that, so it would probably be a better question to ask Mike Portnoy to be honest, as he has a mind like a steel trap and could probably give the exact reason and the date and time they decided against playing it.

[KevShmev]

Oh, and while it was not an instant grabber (what song over 30 minutes is??), I do now think that Beyond the Years is one of the best epics to ever appear on a Neal Morse-related album.   It is hard to top All of the Above or Stranger in Your Soul, but Beyond the Years is in that next tier. 

[gzarruk]

I was listening to Morsefest 2017 yesterday, and it's interesting that they played both Supernatural and Seeds of Gold, prior to playing Disc 1, but they did not play Absolute Beginner.  Anybody have any insight into why they skipped that one?

I'm not sure. Someone should ask Neal next chance they meet him. Also ask him why he didn't place "Back To The Garden" with the rest of the songs from One back in 2014. That one has been bugging me, too.

Had he played those two songs, he would have live versions of every main solo prog album at Morsefest except Lifeline (which had its better songs played) and Momentum, since the only two Momentum songs played at Morsefest have been "Thoughts Pt. 5" (in 2020) and "World Without End" (played last year), but given that they played the epic already, I doubt he'll go back and do the whole album again. Maybe they'll play "Weathering Sky" and "Smoke And Mirrors" at some point in the future.

-Marc.

Except that Back to the Garden is a bonus track, not an album track (that is not semantics, that is reality), so him not playing that is the same thing as not playing some of the bonus tracks from Lifeline as well.

The fact that Back to the Garden is part of the "restored" running order is irrelevant.  It is not a part of the officially released proper album.

But they did include Nothing to Believe and King Jesus, both being "bonus" tracks and part of the "restored" tracklist just like Back to the Garden. I think that's what Marc is saying, why include some of the extra tracks and not all of them.

Of course, Neal and co. can do whatever they want with their own setlists/shows, but I'm definitely with Marc on this one.

[The Letter M]

I was listening to Morsefest 2017 yesterday, and it's interesting that they played both Supernatural and Seeds of Gold, prior to playing Disc 1, but they did not play Absolute Beginner.  Anybody have any insight into why they skipped that one?

I'm not sure. Someone should ask Neal next chance they meet him. Also ask him why he didn't place "Back To The Garden" with the rest of the songs from One back in 2014. That one has been bugging me, too.

Had he played those two songs, he would have live versions of every main solo prog album at Morsefest except Lifeline (which had its better songs played) and Momentum, since the only two Momentum songs played at Morsefest have been "Thoughts Pt. 5" (in 2020) and "World Without End" (played last year), but given that they played the epic already, I doubt he'll go back and do the whole album again. Maybe they'll play "Weathering Sky" and "Smoke And Mirrors" at some point in the future.

-Marc.

Except that Back to the Garden is a bonus track, not an album track (that is not semantics, that is reality), so him not playing that is the same thing as not playing some of the bonus tracks from Lifeline as well.

The fact that Back to the Garden is part of the "restored" running order is irrelevant.  It is not a part of the officially released proper album.

But they did include Nothing to Believe and King Jesus, both being "bonus" tracks and part of the "restored" tracklist just like Back to the Garden. I think that's what Marc is saying, why include some of the extra tracks and not all of them.

Of course, Neal and co. can do whatever they want with their own setlists/shows, but I'm definitely with Marc on this one.

That's precisely what I've thought- why bother learning two but not all three? It's not like BTTG I a particularly difficult song to learn. I just would like to know why it wasn't included. I'm sure Mike brought it up considering how much of a fan he is of Neal's music, but maybe Neal just didn't want to do it. Same with "Absolute Beginner".

-Marc.

[me7]

Why am I convinced that BTTG is an actual bonus track and not part of the original album?

[Mladen]

Because it's a bonus song. I find it odd that this discussion takes place so often. Official tracklists are available all over the place. 

[ronnibran]

The Morsefest performance of "One" was specifically promoted as being the "entire One album including the bonus tracks that are part of the One storyline".  This is what makes it seem odd to me that that particular song was singled out and omitted.  Not that I really care either way (even though I like the song), just sayin'. 

Personally, I always thought Back to the Garden felt more like it "belonged" in the story/setlist than Nothing to Believe.

[Kram]

Oh, and while it was not an instant grabber (what song over 30 minutes is??), I do now think that Beyond the Years is one of the best epics to ever appear on a Neal Morse-related album.   It is hard to top All of the Above or Stranger in Your Soul, but Beyond the Years is in that next tier. 

I agree with you - Beyond the Years is an amazing song!  I love everything about it (even the crazy instrumental section and Bills vocals (they're not always my favorite) but they work well on this track). Love Eric's solos, the keyboard solos, everyone's vocals etc.  It's hard for me to compare it to TA though.  I was trying to make a list earlier of my favorites of TA and NMB, like a lot of you guys did, and it just wasn't working for me for some reason.  I think to me, they're just "different enough", if that makes sense, where it's hard for me to lump together.  Whereas Neal's solo prog albums and NMB I can easily lump together.

[KevShmev]

Oh, and while it was not an instant grabber (what song over 30 minutes is??), I do now think that Beyond the Years is one of the best epics to ever appear on a Neal Morse-related album.   It is hard to top All of the Above or Stranger in Your Soul, but Beyond the Years is in that next tier. 

I agree with you - Beyond the Years is an amazing song!  I love everything about it (even the crazy instrumental section and Bills vocals (they're not always my favorite) but they work well on this track). Love Eric's solos, the keyboard solos, everyone's vocals etc.  It's hard for me to compare it to TA though.  I was trying to make a list earlier of my favorites of TA and NMB, like a lot of you guys did, and it just wasn't working for me for some reason.  I think to me, they're just "different enough", if that makes sense, where it's hard for me to lump together.  Whereas Neal's solo prog albums and NMB I can easily lump together.

The crazy instrumental section (the one that begins around 21-22 minute mark) is still the one thing holding back just enough for me to not put it on the same level as All of the Above and Stranger in Your Soul, but it doesn't bug me anymore like it did at first; I just don't love that section.  But the rest of the song is just money.  I can ignore the silly cutoff at the end since that feels like the epilogue following the real climax anyway.

[Kram]

Oh, and while it was not an instant grabber (what song over 30 minutes is??), I do now think that Beyond the Years is one of the best epics to ever appear on a Neal Morse-related album.   It is hard to top All of the Above or Stranger in Your Soul, but Beyond the Years is in that next tier. 

I agree with you - Beyond the Years is an amazing song!  I love everything about it (even the crazy instrumental section and Bills vocals (they're not always my favorite) but they work well on this track). Love Eric's solos, the keyboard solos, everyone's vocals etc.  It's hard for me to compare it to TA though.  I was trying to make a list earlier of my favorites of TA and NMB, like a lot of you guys did, and it just wasn't working for me for some reason.  I think to me, they're just "different enough", if that makes sense, where it's hard for me to lump together.  Whereas Neal's solo prog albums and NMB I can easily lump together.

The crazy instrumental section (the one that begins around 21-22 minute mark) is still the one thing holding back just enough for me to not put it on the same level as All of the Above and Stranger in Your Soul, but it doesn't bug me anymore like it did at first; I just don't love that section.  But the rest of the song is just money.  I can ignore the silly cutoff at the end since that feels like the epilogue following the real climax anyway.

Yeah, the cutoff doesn't bother me anymore either.  It's a great song 100%!

[KevShmev]

Speaking of Innocence and Danger, as some of you may or may not remember, a friend and I have been doing listening parties for a while now, where we run through the discography of an artist and discuss each album.  I had the idea a few weeks ago of ending the year/starting the new year with reviewing five albums by favorites.  Like me, he is a big fan of Steven Wilson, DT and Neal Morse, so we did, in order, The Future Bites (SW), A View from the Top of the World (DT), LTE3 (LTE), Innocence and Danger (NMB) and The Absolute Universe (TA).

Having just done the last two, it was shocking how much better Innocence and Danger is than The Absolute Universe.  My buddy had nearly the exact same thought.  Even when taking the ultimate edition of TAU into account, it just feels light years behind I&D.  Part of that is because TAU is just lacking in spots, but a big part as well is because of how damn good I&D is.  It just sounds fresher and more vibrant.  I really want to find a way to see them on the upcoming tour, but I am just not sure it is possible.

[Stadler]

I'm repeating myself now, I know, but I haven't had a record "linger" with me like I&D for a LONG LONG time (and funny that Maiden's album is in the same boat and they came out within weeks of each other).

[bluefox4000]

I recently played I & D again too and i still LOVE it.....a lot of it plays like a neal era spock's album actually.

Two things though.

1. unlike most here.  I have not grown to like Beyond the Years at all......too disjointed for me.  nothing really gells for me.  and it doesn't justify 30 minutes for me.  if he wanted to stretch one song out it should have be Not Afraid Pt. I ADORE that song.  BTY is one of my least favorite epics he's done.

2.  also i've had it with the prog-ed up versions of classics.....they don't work


solid 8/10

or if you want 4/5

[bosk1]

Since I got the album a bit later than most, I had seen the criticism of Bridge Over Troubled Water before I got the album.  I often like covers, and I think Neal has done some great ones, so I was going in fully prepared to defend this one (especially since the original is a pretty good song).  But I have to say, it just doesn't do anything for me.

[Kram]

The NMB has great chemistry and I think they know it.  IMO, the music sounds fresher because of the input from Bill and Eric.  They are both super talented, and when you add their talents to one of the most prolific song writers in prog history, you get this awesomeness.  That's how I see it.

[KevShmev]

Eric and Bill definitely add a lot of to the greatness of NMB, but to circle back to my point about I&W being a lot better than The Absolute Universe, that was on the heels of having listened to The Breath of Life and Forevermore (which did the reviews as two separate ones of the two versions). Both are such massive teases.  My own personal ultimate edition of the album, which blends the best of the two versions, is pretty darn good, but I can't count my own personal running orders as an official version damn it.   But there is some great stuff on TAU.  And Roine hits it out of the park on that record (when Neal isn't editing his stuff out  ).

[gzarruk]

Eric and Bill definitely add a lot of to the greatness of NMB, but to circle back to my point about I&W being a lot better than The Absolute Universe, that was on the heels of having listened to The Breath of Life and Forevermore (which did the reviews as two separate ones of the two versions). Both are such massive teases.  My own personal ultimate edition of the album, which blends the best of the two versions, is pretty darn good, but I can't count my own personal running orders as an official version damn it.   But there is some great stuff on TAU.  And Roine hits it out of the park on that record (when Neal isn't editing his stuff out  ).

Innocence & Words?

[Kram]

Eric and Bill definitely add a lot of to the greatness of NMB, but to circle back to my point about I&W being a lot better than The Absolute Universe, that was on the heels of having listened to The Breath of Life and Forevermore (which did the reviews as two separate ones of the two versions). Both are such massive teases.  My own personal ultimate edition of the album, which blends the best of the two versions, is pretty darn good, but I can't count my own personal running orders as an official version damn it.   But there is some great stuff on TAU.  And Roine hits it out of the park on that record (when Neal isn't editing his stuff out  ).

I hear you, and I agree Roine is great on TAU.  I think for me, it just depends on my mood.  Sometimes I'm just in a Transatlantic mood, and everything I play from them is just great, and sometimes I'm not.  Just me I guess..

[KevShmev]

Eric and Bill definitely add a lot of to the greatness of NMB, but to circle back to my point about I&W being a lot better than The Absolute Universe, that was on the heels of having listened to The Breath of Life and Forevermore (which did the reviews as two separate ones of the two versions). Both are such massive teases.  My own personal ultimate edition of the album, which blends the best of the two versions, is pretty darn good, but I can't count my own personal running orders as an official version damn it.   But there is some great stuff on TAU.  And Roine hits it out of the park on that record (when Neal isn't editing his stuff out  ).

Innocence & Words?

Hah, yep.

I hear you, and I agree Roine is great on TAU.  I think for me, it just depends on my mood.  Sometimes I'm just in a Transatlantic mood, and everything I play from them is just great, and sometimes I'm not.  Just me I guess..

For sure. It's funny because since I posted that earlier this week, I have spun my own personal ultimate edition of TAU several times and have enjoyed the heck out of it, so I just need to stick with that forevermore.

[425]

Having just done the last two, it was shocking how much better Innocence and Danger is than The Absolute Universe.  My buddy had nearly the exact same thought.  Even when taking the ultimate edition of TAU into account, it just feels light years behind I&D.  Part of that is because TAU is just lacking in spots, but a big part as well is because of how damn good I&D is.  It just sounds fresher and more vibrant.  I really want to find a way to see them on the upcoming tour, but I am just not sure it is possible.

I've already mentioned my lyric-related struggle with TAU, but I think even if that were not the case, I would feel this way. Having them both come out in the same year really drives home that TA is a collaboration whose best years are behind it, while NMB is a really vibrant and exciting collaboration in the here and now.

[The Letter M]

Tour update....

https://www.nealmorse.com/2022/01/13/nmb-tour-update-good-news-and-bad-news/

-Marc.

[King Postwhore]

Well, mine is still on.  Damn I hate that bands have to shuffle like this.

[gzarruk]

After years of me trying to get him onboard with no success, my dad (a guitarist who usually doesn't like prog too much) just asked me to share some NM music with him. He's listening to Sola Scriptura right now

[KevShmev]

After years of me trying to get him onboard with no success, my dad (a guitarist who usually doesn't like prog too much) just asked me to share some NM music with him. He's listening to Sola Scriptura right now

Nice!