Neal Morse LIFELINE – SPECIAL EDITION
2 CD set with Bonus disc containing 6 extra tracks!
Featuring the stunning guitar work of Paul Gilbert and Paul Bielatowicz
Plus extra pages of personal notes and photos!
"HANDS DOWN, NOBODY IN THE INDUSTRY DOES PROG BETTER THAN NEAL MORSE”
- TheProgFiles.com
Featuring Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater
Track List:
1. Lifeline (13:28)
2. The Way Home (4:20)
3. Leviathan (6:04)
4. God’s Love (5:28)
5. Children of the Chosen (4:55)
6. So Many Roads (28:43)
i – So Many Roads
ii – Star For A Day
iii – The Humdrum Life
iv – All The Way To The Grave
v – The Eyes Of The Savior
vi – So Many Roads Reprise
7. Fly High (6:31)
Total Time: 69:33
Written and Produced by Neal Morse
Mixed by Rich Mouser
Track Listing for the Bonus disc:
1. Crazy Horses
2. Lemons Never Forget
3. The Letter (Joe Cocker Version)
4. What’s So Funny (bout Peace, Love and Understanding)
5. Sometimes
6. Set The Kingdom
Guitar on “Crazy Horses” by Paul Gilbert
Guitar solo on “Lemons” by Paul Bielatowicz
Drums on “Set The Kingdom” by Collin Leijenaar
The bonus disc on this thing is incredible! With some crazy covers (like Crazy Horses originally done by the Osmond Brothers, you know, like Donny Osmond, and “Lemons” by the Bee Gees!) and some brilliant original songs that for some reason didn’t make the cut, this is one of the best bonus discs Neal has ever put out….and that’s some pretty high marks. Paul Gilbert’s blistering guitar work is a perfect match for Mike Portnoy’s driving kicks on Crazy Horses (Mike sings it too…classic!), and “Set The Kingdom” is a great prog piece that should have been on the main album, but I guess they ran out of room. Neal is at his best on Elvis Costello’s classic “What’s So Funny (‘bout Peace, Love and Understanding) as well the Joe Cocker version of “The Letter” and his poppy original “Sometimes”. All this and the extra personal notes from Neal regarding each song makes this Special Edition truly special. A rare find these days…
Here’s the official press release:
NEAL MORSE TO RELEASE NEW PROG CD, “LIFELINE” SEPTEMBER 30, 2008
MIKE PORTNOY AND RANDY GEORGE RETURN
September 30, 2008—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?
Lifeline is a collection of songs exploring a variety of topics in musical styles ranging from the classic sound of early Spock’s Beard to the fiery intensity of Sola Scriptura. For the first time in his solo career, most of his album’s songs span five minutes. (Then again, this is a Neal Morse album. So yeah, you’re also in for a 30 minute prog tour de force.) Overall, Lifeline is a breathtaking leap into uncharted musical territory, and a triumphant return to the eclectic sound of his early work with Spock’s Beard and Transatlantic.
The album opens with the title track, “Lifeline”, a song that might have overslept the Spock’s Beard V sessions. Neal honours the desperation he experienced for most of his life, and celebrates his eventual escape. Morse explores this previous life more intimately in the beautifully tragic “The Way Home”.
“Leviathan”, the third track, expresses Neal’s lighter side. Humour 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.
Neal explores spirituality, love, and hope on the next two songs. The most recognizable for Morse and Beard fans will be the second, “Children of the Chosen”. Its anthemic, harmony-laden choruses evoke Snow’s “Wind at My Back”. Together, both songs are among Neal’s most engaging.
“So 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 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, and grab hold…
Special Bundles!
*** Special Edition of “Lifeline” with the “Sola Scriptura and Beyond DVD” for a special nice price!
***Pre-order the Special Edition of “Lifeline” with Spock’s Beard’s “Snow – Special Edition” for a special nice price!
***Special Edition of “Lifeline” with Spock’s Beard’s “V – Special Edition” for a special nice price!
*** Special Edition of “Lifeline” with Spock’s Beard’s “Day For Night – Special Edition” for a special nice price
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