Neal Morse's Testimony

[jerklund]

Hi!
I was very surprised when i heard that Neal Morse is making music again....
Anyway I got Neal's Testimony a while ago and liked some parts of the album very much. It is a bit like Snow pt.2 - yes it is too long-, but it has some great moments - does anyone agree?
Any opinions of new Spock's Beard cd?

j

[progdirjim(Admin)]

we've put the new Spock's Beard on the playlist here. I think it's pretty good, and I like that they've gone in a somewhat different direction (I guess out of necessity with the departure of the primary songwriter). But, I would not call it a great album, nor one of their best. It's just a little too over-produced and a little too "straight ahead" rock for me. I can see some dissention with this opinion - there's a fine line between excellent production and over production, and what I think is over-produced many might think is excellently produced. Other thoughts?

[Rick and Roll]

I just listened to the Neal Morse interview on the Gagliarchives show, followed by three killer cuts. I don't know if I can hang through 2 hours of it, but I liked what I heard!

As usual with his stuff though, I found the lyrics kind of run-of-the-mill (I thought that throughout Spock's Beard Neal would come up with two or three neat lines per song, and the rest would be fluffy generalization/cliche (I'm not talking about the message). Of course, lyrics count little either way in rating my personal enjoyment of a song.

However, he can still write a song, and there was some fun jamming in there.

Now with the Beard CD, I have to hear it. I have a weakness for straight ahead rock and roll (get ready to gag, bands like the Cult and Smithereens), but I get the feel from Jim's post that this is more slick, like Journey.

[progdirjim(Admin)]

yeah, slick is a good word. maybe not quite as poppy as later Journey. And still some good instrumental breaks.

I also apologize - I said we'd posted it to the playlist, but it's not there yet. Should see it in a day or two...

[Avian(Admin)]

I'd like to get your opinions about the new Neal Morse. Should we add it to the playlist? I'm kinda on the fence on this one. I'll do what you folks want...

Avian

[moses]

I'd personally vote for adding it. The music on Testimony moves me in a way I'm not used to.

And that's a good thing!

[zvinki]

I heard about 5 tracks and like 4 of them. I say add it. I am interested to hear what Yesspaz thinks since the subject is more up his alley. Do you find that the music supports the new found spirituality?

[jerklund]

...YES - I think music and lyrics support exactly that....

J

[Yesspaz]

Sure, I say add it. I'm all about adding almost anything that's artsy-fartsy. As for it's spiritual leanings - I know that Neal Morse is a professing Christian like me, but I'm not familiar with his music, or Spock's Beard for that matter, other than what's on AM. I know the folks over at Phantom Tollbooth like Morse/Beard. So as for this album, whether the musical side or the lyrical side, I'm of no help here. Sorry...

[Rick and Roll]

One of the tunes from Feel Euphoria was just played on AM. Not meaning to sound harsh, but it sounded forced. It was "A Man Named Sid - Change". Very by-the-numbers, I thought.

If this is on AM, I don't see why the Neal Morse wouldn't (the cuts I heard were way more prog & interesting than that).

[moses]

Ummm, this didn't get added to the playlist yet, did it? Or did I miss it?