Gig Review Neal Morse Band
Neal Morse and Mike Portnoy represent two of the most prolific careers in the Prog mainstream over the last 20+ years. In that time, they have been a part of more albums than many bands’ entire catalogs combined, a considerable amount of them regarded as Prog classics; Neal on ‘The Light’ and ‘Snow’ with Spock’s Beard, Mike with Dream Theater on Scenes From A Memory’ and ‘Images and Words’ and of course together on ‘Bridge Across Forever’ and ‘The Whirlwind’ with Transatlantic, not to mention Neal’s solo albums and the dozens of other albums they released. So when Mike Portnoy says this latest album might be the best album of his career, that is certainly a statement not to take lightly. It also places immense pressure on the album.
Most albums do not live up to such praise and usually end up disappointing. However, after many listens, it is fair to say, that with ‘The Similitude of a Dream’ the hype is for real.The album is based on the book ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come; Delivered under the Similitude of a Dream’ written by John Bunyan. The story, described as set in a dream, follows a lead character named Christian, who is tormented by spiritual anguish and told he must leave the City of Destruction to find salvation in the Celestial City. There is much more to the story, of course, and the part of the story portrayed in this album represents just a small portion of the book. Is it spiritual? But relative to prior Neal Morse releases, this album is absolutely accessible and, done in the guise of an allegory, does not come off preachy in the least. In fact, for anyone paying attention to the last few Neal Morse outings, this has been the case for some time now.Morse has produced a fair share of concept albums, including 5 in a row from the time he made Snow with Spock’s Beard through his first 4 solo albums.
CD review THE NEAL MORSE BAND ‘The Great Adventure’ (9/10) The announcement of a next The Neal Morse Band album is always an exciting moment. The combination of musical savvy and a sense for great melodies led to great records in the past and the new longplayer ‘The Great Adventure’ doesn’t take a different route. The 22 songs. The Neal Morse Band: The Similitude Of A Dream is a music studio album recording by NEAL MORSE (Symphonic Prog/Progressive Rock) released in 2016 on cd, lp / vinyl and/or cassette. This page includes The Neal Morse Band: The Similitude Of A Dream's: cover picture, songs / tracks list, members/musicians and line-up, different releases details, free MP3 download (stream), buy online links: ebay.
He had largely stepped away from concept albums with his more recent work, 2012’s ‘Momentum’ and 2015’s ‘The Grand Experiment’. While all of Neal’s solo albums have been recorded with Mike Portnoy and bassist Randy George, ‘The Grand Experiment’ was the first album released by the Neal Morse Band, with guitarist Eric Gillette and keyboardist Bill Hubauer on board as full-time members, not only as performers, but as songwriters. The result of this new 5-piece added a boost to the songwriting and overall sound that Morse had become known for.
Gillette and Hubauer are, on top of being stellar musicians (each plays practically every instrument), both phenomenal singers and Morse was smart to have them showcase those talents on the last album. With this new album, they all take everything up a notch and then some. This is now a band in the truest sense of the word.The flaw in most double or concept albums is that they usually can be and probably should be condensed into one great album’s worth of music. There are always one minute interludes that can be skipped over, too long and unnecessary intros, and songs that are not as good as some others. Neal and the band avoid those pitfalls here, which is part of why this album is enjoyable.
It is just a straight 100 minutes of music with no filler, no waste of time, nothing that makes you want to skip. While there are all the signature Neal Morse moments, there are loads of new elements and styles that make this album sound fresh and revitalized.
Additionally, the production, courtesy of the always reliable Rich Mouser, and the performances by each member are impeccable. Now let’s get to the music.(Skip to the last paragraph to avoid any spoilers)The album opens calmly with strings and Neal singing the album’s main melody “Long Day” setting the stage like any proper rock opera, before the bombastic “Overture” kicks things into high-gear.
There is so much contained in the opening instrumental, it is hard to absorb it all in one listen. Only after you listen to the entire album, does the “Overture” become clearer. From there we meet the character Christian, as he describes “The Dream”. This is all a build-up to the one of the main full songs and the single from the album “City of Destruction”, a hard-hitting tour de-force, that is unlike anything Neal and the band have written before. There are a few motifs that are repeated throughout the album, this song being one of them.
Neal’s ability to revisit and reinvent themes is his ace in the hole. Few of his contemporaries possess this songwriting skill at this exemplary level, which is why many fail at the epic song or concept album. Done with such precision, as it is here, demands attention from the listener and creates a more immersive listening experience.What comes next, beginning with “We Have Got to Go” is the equivalent to side 2 of The Beatles’ Abbey Road, with partial songs segueing into each other, keyboard and guitar solos interjected seemingly at will. “Makes No Sense” introduces another one of the album’s themes and is also where Eric and Bill add a soaring element to the song as they reach new heights with their voices.
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Mike takes his turn at vocals with the rocker “Draw the Line” which leads in to the instrumental “The Slough” before concluding this section of the album with “Back to the City.”One of the surprises on the album and true highlights is the Beatle-esque “The Ways of a Fool”, where Bill Hubauer takes lead vocals. The song is sheer pop brilliance and adds a new element to this core’s musical repertoire. Eric Gillette reprises much of Disc 1 in “So Far Gone” before Neal closes out the first disc with the gospel “Breath of Angels”, a pure, emotionally charged Morse number. Bill proves again, on this album, his ability to do practically anything and Eric continues his ascension up the guitar royalty ladder with stupendous soloing and tremendous vocal ability.Disc 2 starts with the rockin “Slave To Your Mind”, an explosive track with the band cutting loose, shifting through numerous time changes and solo breaks. Mike again shows the power and creativity to play any style and keep things interesting and exciting.
Throughout much of Disc 2 there are more surprises stylistically, like the folky “Shortcut to Salvation” the bluesy “The Man in the Iron Cage”, the country-twang of “Freedom Song” and The Who-inspired “I’m Running”, which features a monster bass solo by Randy George. All of these together, make as inventive a listen as one can remember with a Neal Morse album. Make no mistake, in between, there is still plenty of Moog and synth solos and Prog extravaganza to thrill the senses, but as you stick with this album, you begin to appreciate the incredible diversity contained in these 2 discs.The finale begins with “The Mask” which features a grand piano solo before changing into a dark, almost industrial reworking of “City of Destruction”. This precedes the track “Confrontation”, which is a climactic reprise of many other album themes and one of the best moments on the album. The final instrumental “The Battle” is full-on Prog madness, with some of the group’s best soloing moments. All this leads up to the epic final track, the quintessential Neal Morse ballad, “Broken Sky/Long Day (Reprise).
Gig Review Neal Morse Band Youtube
Not much to say here that will do justice to the ending, but kudos to Neal for allowing Eric to shine during the closeout moments on this track. If you don’t get chills, you might need to check your pulse. It all ends with Neal bringing it all home on a quiet note, just as the album began.All in all, this is quite an achievement by a group of musicians that didn’t need to improve upon already magnificent careers filled with incredible albums. While its position atop any all-time lists will be up for debate, ‘The Similitude of a Dream’ does the impossible and exceeds all expectations.
It is absolutely a jaw-dropping release that will no doubt rank alongside the best albums by Neal Morse and Mike Portnoy, if not above them.Released on Nov. 11th, 2016Key tracks: City of Destruction, Makes No Sense, The Way of a Fool, Confrontation, Broken Sky/Long Day (Reprise)TRACK LISTING:Disc 11. City Of Destruction5. We Have Got To Go6.
Makes No Sense7. Draw The Line8.
Back To The City10. The Ways Of A Fool11.
So Far Gone12. Breath Of AngelsTOTAL TIME: 51:59Disc 21.
Slave To Your Mind2. Shortcut To Salvation3. The Man In The Iron Cage4. The Road Called Home5. Freedom Song7.
I’m Running8. The Battle11.
There are talents and there are rare talents in this world like Neal Morse. The prolific progressive rock genius seems to top himself over and over throughout his storied career.
Where others would just stand pat and repeat themselves, Neal continually writes, records and performs across a spectrum of styles. All of this has synthesized in The Neal Morse Band. Certainly not his final destination musically by a long shot, with 2016’s The Similitude of a Dream and the sprawling double album The Great Adventure (both InsideOut Music) he has gelled all of his various elements together impressively.The Space is a beautiful venue that sadly I don’t get to often enough. Last time I was here the huge open room with great sound, brick walls, and a small seating section was wide open and packed with people in general admission show. Thought for the more grown-up prog rock opera/ theatrical experience there were two columns of seats with eager fans. The graybeard in the crowd likely appreciated the seat for the long show ahead of us and the younglings in the room were jumping out of their seats with joy.Neal has a penchant for working with the best talent on earth, befitting of his own prowess.
The band on The Great Adventure and the tour included legends like drummer Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater, The Winery Dogs, Sons of Apollo), bassist Randy George, keyboardist Bill Hubauer and guitarist Eric Gillette, with Morse singing, playing keyboards and rocking it on lead and rhythm guitar.Set in two parts, the album is a masterclass in songcraft, talent and technique. The band performs the entire album from The Great Adventure, without a break. Twenty-one songs, of high concept prog rock, and at the center Morse is the ringmaster. Part theater, part spectacle, Morse leads the way with his many costume changes, expressive performance, and his own talents musically. He brings the crow into his world, sometimes taking the spotlight and sometimes letting the music or the musicians shine.
Neal Morse Band The Great Adventure Review
It doesn’t feel like a backing band (it’s not) or an all-star band (which it is), it feels like a great team with a lot of selfless sharing and stepping out. The staging and the video screen behind the band were incredible, some of the most stunning visuals we’ve seen in a long time, that really blew me away. Neal is a wonderful performer, connecting with everyone in the audience on a personal level. You feel as if he is singing right to you, right with you all the time.The lengthy encore was practically an entire set unto itself, with hits from his over twenty solo albums to choose from, alternating between solemn folk songs, to ballads to prog rock workouts. The fans seem to ebb and flow with the songs, highlight moments raising our passion and our voices. It was a pretty magical night and such a unique show too.