| Musical Style: Progressive Rock | Produced By: The Neal Morse Band |
| Record Label: Radiant | Country Of Origin: USA |
| Year Released: 2019 | Artist Website: The Neal Morse Band |
| Tracks: 11 / 11 | Rating: 90% |
| Running Time: 54:30 / 49:43 |
If you know anything about progressive music, you probably are a fan of Neal Morse. With well deserved reputation as ‘the king of progressive rock’, Morse cut his teeth in the mid-nineties as part of Spock’s Beard - with whom he recorded six studio albums, five live albums and five video/DVD’s previous to his departure in 2002 to pursue a solo career - but is every bit regards for his ‘super group’ side projects. Transatlantic and Flying Colors fit the bill in this regard, of which he joined forces with members of Dream Theater, Flower Kings, Marillion, Dixie Dregs, Deep Purple and Alpha Rev to account for another half dozen studio albums. Many of my favorite Neal Morse moments encompass his concept based solo releases. Beginning in 2005 with One, detailing man’s separation from God and how through the salvation experience man can become ‘One’ with God again, Morse followed up with ? (2006) to focus on the Tabernacle that Moses and the Israelites built in the wilderness and that was later built by Solomon based on the same design, and Sola Scriptura (2007) in detailing the life of the reformer Martin Luther.
Morse’s past plays a significant role on his most recent project, The Neal Morse Band. When factoring how its lineup also includes long-term solo album stalwart’s drummer Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater) and Randy George (Ajalon) along with newcomers guitarist Eric Gillette and keyboardist Bill Hubauer, The Neal Morse Band also falls well within ‘super group’ confines. Its Radiant Records debut full length The Grand Experiment stays true to form in leaning heavily towards progressive rock but with a strong basis of hard rock and even classic rock.
Following up in 2016 with The Similitude Of A Dream (also Radiant), The Neal Morse Band traverses similar musical territory but conceptually related as a 2 CD set drawing upon John Bunyan’s Pilgrim Progress in chronicling the spiritual journey of a man named Christian as he makes his way from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. Third full length The Grand Adventure from early 2019 (again Radiant) is also a 2 CD set (encompassing 22 songs!) in maintaining the conceptual focus closely linked to TSOAD but from the perspective of Christian’s angry, abandoned son Joseph.
Similar to my review of TSOAD, I am going to eschew one of my detailed track-by-track breakdowns and break things down by ‘Chapter’ instead (The Great Adventure features two ‘Acts’, with the first to feature the first three ‘Chapters” (encompassing disc one) and second the final two (making up the second).
Chapter 1
Opener “Overture” begins its first two minutes to a couple keyboard aligned verses, with final repeating the melody to closing track “A Love That Never Dies”. Final eight are instrumental, as The Neal Morse Band exhibits its jam based licks and chops with symphonic keyboards, theatrical overtures, hard rocking guitars and jazzy lead guitar leading the way. The thickset bass to close “Overture” segues to ethereal ballad “The Dream Isn’t Over” to feature keyboards, acoustic guitar and violin its brief two minutes.
Chapter 2
“Welcome To The World” starts Chapter 2 majestically to acapella vocals that give way to Hammond B3 and sturdy rhythm guitar. It proves an upbeat melodic hard rocker the remaining way, as mirthfully flowing verses (tinted with piano) trade off with an uplifting refrain (hinting of the pop based). It is first of several cuts to feature a killer guitar solo from Gillette.
Piano returns to open second ballad “A Momentary Change”, with organ and orchestration soon merging to help burnish the lofty scene. Piano carries over to “Dark Melody”, one of my album favorites in making a swarthy statement with its imposing melody and outbursts of exalted rhythm guitar. Morse shines with his moving classic tenor voice, as does Gillette in unveiling a bluesy guitar solo.
“I Got To Run” trends hard rock territory as Hammond B3 shines as a rumbling low end builds upon an almost chaotic flair. Gritty in hinting of the bluesy, it entices with its pleading refrain and palliative change to acoustic guitar at the end. “To The River” follows to a minute and a half instrumental build up intrinsic to church organ and intricate drum rolls. It hints of ballad like AOR moving forward in revisiting the melody to “Welcome To The World” while reaching for the dignified with its layered vocal melodies and classical guitar solo.
Chapter 3
Albums title track gets Chapter 3 underway. “The Great Adventure” proves another melodic hard rocker, enlivening with its guitar and organ interplay but equally infectious in terms of the bountiful (almost mirthful) hooks to shoulder its distance. “Venture In Black” separates as the polar opposite, contrasting with its ominous allure and plodding impetus to approach the doom-like. Despite the chilling vestige, quite the forthright melody arises and makes it a potential companion track to “Dark Melody” in the process.
Any 22-song album is certain to have some chaff, and The Great Adventure proves no exception, with “Hey Ho Let’s Go” being the culprit. Despite its medieval flair, it evokes images of a hobbit beer pub marching song to find Samwise, Frodo, Merry and Pippin lounging around a table at the Prancing Pony in Bree chanting to the sing-along ‘hey-ho-let’s go’ melody after having a few too many ‘pints’…
“Beyond The Borders” closes Chapter 3 strongly in semi-ballad form with needed elements in the form of piano, echoing vocal melodies, orchestration, tower bells and moving allure.
Chapter 4
Similar to its album opening companion track, “Overture 2” is also instrumental in starting delicate and airy to cinematic orchestration and church organ only to abruptly morph into a hard rocker over its final minute half to driving guitars and flashy riffing. Did I mention that Gillette’s lead guitar work is killer?
“Long Ago” follows as a placid acoustic and piano ballad, while “The Dream Continues” follows in similar vein but shorter at a minute and a half in making use of woodwinds and sitar. These two fall within the good category.
Great, however, is anthem rocker “Fighting With Destiny” with a front to back up-tempo allure and raucous (but very catchy!) flair to stand alongside instrumental moments carried by screaming organ and other great guitar solo. Of equal quality is the Beatles-esque “Vanity Fair”, underlying of a bouncing (almost child like) rhythm complementing carefree backing vocals and pop-based hooks of a lighthearted variety. That said, I could have done without the Looney Tunes style segue at the end.
Chapter 5
“Welcome To The World 2” crosses the hard rock threshold as albums heaviest, brazen with its staunch riffing and weighty guitars but equal recognizable in terms of the same emboldened melody, noting its counterpart earlier in the track listing. Eerie keyboards lend a direful effect.
Two shorter two and a half minute cuts supersede in “The Element Of Fear” and “Child Of Wonder”. Former maintains the ill-boding effect for its feedback driven instrumental first two minutes prior to its final seconds playing up a succinct acoustic laced verse, while acoustic sentiments remain for the latter with its relaxed ballad like flavorings.
Album closes to three of its more progressive cuts beginning with “The Great Despair”. A full on return to hard rock, “The Great Despair” stays true to the darker qualities while fusing impermeable rhythm guitar and that acoustic with another breathtaking melody to play up the pointed, moving and just plain inspired. Instrumentally, things decelerate to bluesy lead guitar.
Seven and a half minute “Freedom Calling” maneuvers its initial two minutes as a classy progressive rocker essential to the at times edgy and keyed up and others smoother keyboard driven as another essential melody takes root. Subsequent four are home to an awesome instrumental interlude to run the gamut from the symphonic to jazzy-jam based to keyboard runs to remind of Kansas at its prime best.
“A Love That Never Dies” comes in a minute longer as progressive ballad in similar sorts to Shadow Gallery or Theocracy. With piano, orchestration and organ leading the way, the song provides a sweeping resonance with its lushly done overtures and prodigious full on emotion as Morse stretches with his impeccable vocal abilities. The big choir-like vocals to populate the second half – not to mention flowing guitar solo – reinforce the momentous as things build to their grandiose close.
Summary
With the strength to its third full-length release The Great Adventure, The Neal Morse Band is turning into one of my favorite progressive acts. Those strengths reveal in terms of not only the expert musicianship - Morse, Portnoy, George, Hubauer and Gillette comprise a literal dream team - but also songwriting when factoring how The Great Adventure is home to such a high volume of great material. It would not be out of line to suggest The Great Adventure features many of my favorite songs from the group.
Quality to The Great Adventure is such that constructive commentary is minimal. Keeping in mind that TSOAD and TGA base upon similar conceptual themes, it would have been nice if greater difference existed to separate the cover art between the two, noting how both albums utilize the same background and similar fonts. I hope I am not out of line to suggest also pairing TGA down to a more efficient single CD instead, but I understand equally how on concept releases each track is essential to convey the mood and emotion of the storyline at hand. Regardless, The GREAT Adventure stays true to its namesake as a GREAT album that if it does not challenge for album of the year is certain to place well within the top 5.
Review by Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing (disc one): “Overture” (10:06), “The Dream Isn’t Over” (2:40), “Welcome To The World” (5:25), “A Momentary Change” (3:42), “Dark Melody” (3:29), “I Got To Run” (6:05), “To The River” (5:02), “The Great Adventure” (6:17), “Venture In Black” (5:16(), “Hey Ho Let’s Go” (3:22), “Beyond The Borders” (3:07)
Track Listing (disc two): “Overture 2” (3:46), “Long Ago” (3:45), “The Dream Continues” (1:20), “Fighting With Destiny” (5:23), “Vanity Fair” (4:00), “Welcome To The World 2” (4:01), “The Element Of Fear” (2:34), “Child Of Wonder” (2:28), “The Great Despair” (6:18), “Freedom Calling” (7:31), “A Love That Never Dies” (8:38)
Musicians
Neal Morse - Keyboards, Guitars & Vocals
Eric Gillette - Guitars & Vocals
Bill Hubauer - Organ, Piano, Synthesizers & Vocals
Randy George - Bass, Bass Pedals & Vocals
Mike Portnoy - Drums & Vocals
