NEW RELEASES
So Many Roads
Experience the definitive Neal Morse concert event!
Neal Morse is better known for his epic studio releases than for lengthy tours. His acclaimed solo live DVDs (Testimony Live, Sola Scripture & More) and CD set (Question Live) have captured amazing performances from his live North American and Eurpean bands, and performers from bands ranging from Dream Theater to Christina Aguilera. Never before, though, has there been a definitive live Neal Morse experience.
Over almost 20 years, Neal has recorded 22 studio albums with Spock’s Beard, Transatlantic, and on his own. His career has followed an unconventional path, leading him to reject 10 years chasing a dream, and at another time, leave music altogether. His experiences and perspective have lead to some of progressive rock’s most memorable music.
The challenge of bringing these songs to life requires some of prog’s best musicians—a lot of them. In Europe, Neal came to know his band by chance email from an unknown Dutch drummer: Collin Leijenaar. Collin was trying to persuade Neal that his group of friends—all tremendous Morse fans—could not only play Neal’s material, but own it. Three and half hours worth. With one week’s rehearsal.
Morse was…skeptical, to say the least. The unknown performers were up against Mike Portnoy, Kerry Livgren, Roine Stolt, Steve Hacket, Jordan Rudess, Phil Keaggy, Randy George, Pete Trewavas, Kevin Gilbert, and the cast of Spock’s Beard. Neal had been down many roads he never expected, though, and something told him to take this one. The entire tour was booked before Neal even met his band.
The rest is history, of course, perhaps best illustrated by Neal’s comment on the Sola Scriptura & More Live DVD; before the band launched into a complete performance of the Sola Scriptura album, Neal says, “I hope you guys like this—it’s the second time we’ve performed it together.” And indeed, Collin and company owned every minute of it.
That was 2007. By the end of 2008, the now-seasoned band could tear through Morse’s material with confidence and creative improvisation. With changing material on different nights, the cumulative set is 3.5 hours long, encompassing Neal’s best songs and compositions from his 20 year career. This theme extends the recording engineering, mixing and production—resulting in studio-grade sound that whispers and thunders off the discs.
At the center is Neal Morse, one of Classic Rock Magazine’s “100 Greatest Frontmen of Rock”. With soaring vocals, virtuoso instrumentals, and a unique…sense of humor, Morse demonstrates why after 20 years, he remains one of prog’s brightest stars.
Experience the definitive Neal Morse concert event—29 tracks released from the studio’s confines and into the living world of live performance. Discover new songs and rediscover familiar ones, evolved and arranged in unpredictable ways. From The Light to Lifeline, experience the extraordinary music at the end of a road less travelled.
Download the free singles:
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Transatlantic's The Whirlwind
The dawn of the millennium saw four of progressive rock’s finest join together to form the supergroup, Transatlantic: Neal Morse (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Roine Stolt (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Mike Portnoy (drums, vocals), and Pete Trewavas (bass, vocals). Their two seminal albums, tours and DVDs redefined prog’s artistic and commercial possibilities with a combination of modern and traditional prog, classic pop sensibilities, and mind-blowing performances.
The stars that burn brightest often burn fastest, though; after two years, the members went their separate ways and Neal Morse left mainstream music altogether. The four remained friends, but when asked about the prospect of a reunion, responded that it was not likely. Fans kept the faith but realists moved on.
In the ensuing years, the four worked tangentially, with the exception of Mike Portnoy and Neal, who collaborated on Morse’s solo work. Nonetheless, Mike was surprised when Neal called him, suggesting a reunion. Morse had been working on a 45-minute piece entitled, “The Whirlwind”. As he progressed, it began to take on the characteristics of a Transatlantic epic. After hearing it, Mike agreed. They reached out to Pete and Roine, and asked them to consider a reunion. After nine years, their answer was: “Absolutely.”
Roine, Pete and Mike converged on Neal’s studio on April 15th. Each member brought new material with them. Starting from Neal's demo, the four wrote together and jammed extensively. Collectively, they created a completely new album, retaining Neal's original title. The material came fast and furiously, and in a span of either days, the team produced enough material for two releases. Recording engineer Jerry Guidroz’s long-time experience with the group captured the best performances, and together with mixing engineer Rich Mouser, produced the band's finest sounding effort to date.
Neal's original Whirlwind embodied a vision that guided the album’s initial lyrical evolution. Together, the band crafted the final narrative, steering the session's collectively written material, and unifying the music that each member brought to the reunion. The Whirlwind portrays the unyielding fury of life’s turbulence, longing, mysteries and uncertainty; and somewhere, in the storm’s eye, there is peace.
The Whirlwind will be available in three editions: a standard CD package, a two-disc Special Edition, and a three disc Deluxe Edition. The Special Edition includes a 20-page booklet, and a second audio CD featuring four other new songs recorded for The Whirlwind, along with four creative covers. The Deluxe Edition adds an exciting, full-length behind-the-scenes DVD.
This October, The Whirlwind will be unleashed on music fans worldwide. Get swept up in Transatlantic’s most extraordinary album to date, with their trademark epic compositions, sweeping story line, and astounding performances. The wait is over.
The Whirlwind is available as:
- Regular Edition Single CD of the entire 77 minute Epic
- Special Edition: 2-CD with a full-length bonus disc with 8 newly recorded
(4 originals, 4 covers) studio tracks. Also includes an extended CD booklet.
- Deluxe Edition: Adds a full-length behind-the-scenes DVD to the Special Edition!
Click here for the sneak-peak video.
Bonus disc:
- SPINNING
- LENNY JOHNSON
- FOR SUCH A TIME
- LENDING A HAND
- THE RETURN OF THE GIANT HOGWEED (Genesis)
- A SALTY DOG (Procol Harum)
- I NEED YOU (America / The Beatles)
- SOUL SACRIFICE (Santana)
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Lifeline
Hot on the heels of his breakthrough concert DVD, Sola Scriptura & Beyond (which sold out before its release date), Morse unleashes another progressive rock masterpiece with Lifeline. But where do you go from Beyond?
Following Spock’s Beard’s Snow album, Neal crafted some of the most acclaimed concept albums in the annals of progressive rock. His rich sonic landscapes capture the imagination—musically, lyrically, and often spiritually. When Neal began writing his next opus, though, he took a fresh approach and let his songs stand individually.
Lifeline is a collection of songs encompassing Morse’s diverse musical styles, ranging from the classic sound of early Spock’s Beard to the fiery intensity of Sola Scriptura. His fresh approach yields songs spanning minutes instead of entire CDs. (OK, this is Neal Morse, so he slipped in a 28-minute mini-epic.)
The album opens with the title track, “Lifeline”, a song that might have overslept the Spock’s Beard V sessions. Neal honors the desperation he experienced for most of his life, and celebrates his eventual escape. He describes this previous life more intimately in the beautifully tragic “Can’t Find My Way”. (If the title sounds like a Transatlantic song, then you’re already prepared.)
“Leviathan”, the third track, expresses Neal’s lighter side. Humor is not usually associated with prog…then again, neither are metal guitars answered by funk horns, and sneezing sea monsters. Perhaps ironically, this is also probably the heaviest track of Neal’s career.
In th next two songs, spirituality, love, and hope are explored. The most recognizable for Morse and Beard fans will be, “Children of the Chosen”. Its anthemic, harmony-laden chorus evokes Snow’s “Wind at My Back”. Together, both songs are among Neal’s most engaging.
“Many Roads” is Lifeline’s inevitable, majestic epic. Chronicling Neal’s life, musically and biographically, the song traverses the many musical paths leading to the establishment of one of rock’s most distinctive voices. Prepare for a surprisingly candid account of Neal’s early experiences, and his motivation to seek a new life.
Bringing Lifeline full circle is the closing track, “Fly High”. Neal sings of returning to the beginning…before there were so many questions, so many roads. We return to where we were as children—safe in the eye of a raging storm. Looking skyward, we see a path leading out. We reach upward, higher than we ever could before, and grab hold…
- Click [ here ] for the Standard Edition.
- Click [ here ] for the Special Edition.
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Sola Scriptura & Beyond
Neal Morse has accomplished the almost unheard of in commercial music:
After 15 years, 22 albums, 3 bands, and 4 concert DVDs, his last two albums (Sola Scriptura
and Question) have been received as his best. Now, Morse and his new band bring both
albums to the screen, live on 2 DVDS; plus over an hour of other great performances, and 100 minutes of behind-the-scene footage.
Sola Scriptura was one of the most ambitious, controversial, and critically acclaimed
progressive rock albums in recent memory. The album finds Morse unflinching in his
depiction of corruption in the Church throughout history, and the consequences of
humankind’s attempts to elevate itself to God. Lauded equally in Europe and the United
States by the mainstream and CCM press, the album adorned numerous “Best of 2007” lists.
Question is a journey on the timeless quest to find the dwelling place of God. Lyrically, Neal
creates a compelling story-line that owes as much to C.S. Lewis as Indiana Jones. Neal
searches through history, within the nature of men, and across Neal’s own life. The accolades range by genre from mainstream progressive rock (Dutch Prog Rock Pages, Netherlands: “Top 5 Albums of the Year”), to Contemporary Christian (Cross Rhythms, UK: “10 out of 10 stars”),
to modern rock (The National Review Online, US: “Album of the Year”), to hardcore metal
(Metal Glory, Germany: “10 out of 10 stars”).
All the material from both albums is performed in its entirety, with all the energy, surprises,
and unforgettable moments of a great live concert. Sola Scriptura is played straight through;
Question is played combining two concerts. In addition, Neal performs a major portion of his
acclaimed One album, and portions of his ground-breaking Testimony release.
Neal’s complex structures, rapid-fire parts, and elaborate arrangements need just the right
performers to ignite his music. He finds them in five extraordinary, young—and unknown—
musicians. With the intensity of a new band with something to prove, they tear through parts
recorded by Mike Portnoy, Randy George, Paul Gilbert, Jordan Rudess, and others.
The show doesn’t end, though, with the fading echoes of the final note. Backstage, in and around cities throughout Europe, the cameras accompany Neal and his band on their journey. Uncensored experiences and candid moments reveal the good, the bad, and the unexpected of life on the road. Being a prog visionary doesn’t help the bus go back 110 miles for forgotten sandwiches, find a drug store at 2AM when those sandwiches turn out to be older than the bus, or ask for directions at 3AM
because nobody knows where they are now.*
Sola Scriptura & Beyond captures two spectacular performances (including one full concert) from two amazing nights. His most recent solo releases are performed with the excitement of his first with Spock’s Beard. Over an hour of additional performances feature favorites from his other two studio
prog albums, a Transatlantic interlude, and five songs from Spock’s Beard.
Travel from the last decade of prog to today, and from the backstage to the soundstage. Capturing a
thousand timeless moments, Sola Scriptura & Beyond manifests musicians and audience uniting to
create an electrifying musical phenomenon. Join Morse and a new generation of prog musicians as
they unleash Neal’s very best, as you’ve never seen or heard it—and beyond.
Click [ here ] for more information.
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