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BarryL
02-09-2006, 09:06 AM
Morse's Question Mark is a solid piece of musical writing, although given the topic (the Tabernacle), it is preachy. I'd rather have my nonsense lyrics about space invaders than people being saved by a living mystical entity. It is more a story based in the biblical past than it is out and out preaching as is Testimony.

It is typical Morse, and the music is of high quality. Musical and lyrical themes run in and out pulling the whole thing together. If this was a Spock's Beard release and there was less bible quoting going on, everyone would be raving about this.

The unusual problem listeners have with Morse is that he is so good and so prolific that we say we've heard it all before. Don't let yourself become so jaded. Neal Morse single-handedly has more talent than the sum of the players in most prog bands.

After soaking in Kevin Gilbert's The Shaming Of The True over the past few weeks, I must say that I admire NM for his artistic integrity and his ability to continue to write great music album after album for ten years running now (with the exception of Snow).

The whole revival of progressive rock over the past five years owes everything to Morse and Roine Stolt, both modern progressive powerhouses.

Would I name ? 2005 prog album of the year? That didn't even occur to me, but now that it's mentioned, I probably would put it in the top five.

Number one is easily Tomas Bodin's I AM.
Number two is probably RPWL's World Through My Eyes.

3-LockBox
02-09-2006, 04:18 PM
Morse's Question Mark is a solid piece of musical writing, although given the topic (the Tabernacle), it is preachy. ->I'd rather have my nonsense lyrics about space invaders than people being saved by a living mystical entity.

->(me too)

*The whole revival of progressive rock over the past five years owes everything to Morse and Roine Stolt, both modern progressive powerhouses.

*hhmmm...

and I'd prolly rank RPWL in the top 5 as well. I did listen to that ? album...on Delicious Agony of all places (shame on them!)...and I totally get what its about: the first coming of Jesus was to tell people to do away with all the old practices and eschew dogmas. The second coming will be to tell everyone how badly they didn't get it the first time :p At least this is the excuse I use for not going to church.

Church on football sunday? I mean, C'MON!

Its preachy to be sure, and to be exact, only a few Christians might even pick up on it. I'm sure he consulted a few scholars on most of this stuff. I wished he were still with Spock's Beard, instead of making music that few people (I'm betting here) in his target audience are going to buy. I didn't find it all that engaging because of the very thing you pointed out...its becoming a 'been there, done that' thing with me. You really only need to own one of these Morse-is-so-Christian albums.