Neal Morse: One

[BarryL]

I've spun this a couple of times, and I like it.

The total album is 79+ minutes long. 17 minutes is overtly Christian Jesus Will Save You stuff that will put everyone off. That doesn't start until about 50 minutes into the CD. Most of the album uses biblical imagery in minor shadings, but it is not blatant, and is usually about seeking more or looking to find something more. The final song, Reunion, is a bit of a rocker, and it more akin to a U2 lyric, which is tolerable.

I actually like most of this record better than Testimony because it isn't as blatently Christian. The song writing is unmistakably Morse, but I think that is a good thing. The songs are prog-oriented, always interesting in terms of the production and melodies, and good playing. The core of the band is Morse on guitars and keyboards, Mike Portnoy on Drums, and Randy George on Bass.

I say if you like Spock's Beard, this is a good album. It beats the pants off of Snow, which I generally thought was a mess of an album. Get out your burner, cut out about 20 or 30 minutes, and you've got a solid 50 minute CD without having to suffer one man's spiritual obsession.

If you decide to spring for this one, go for the digipak with the bonus material. About half of it is trashy, but the other half is interesting. They do a great job on some covers, including What Is Life?, which you will know when you hear it, U2's Where The Streets Have No Name, and Day After Day. But the kicker is the Who's I'm Free, with ****-kicking drumming from Portnoy a la Keith Moon. You can tell that they had a great time doing the covers, and it demonstrates the vesitility of Neal Morse's singing.

The good news here is that there's 50 minutes of great Morse music that is no more religious than his work with Spock's Beard. Maybe next time he'll manage to limit it to a song or two.

[MasterCylinder]

first:
Great review.........you usually do a thorough and complete job.....thanks.

second:
I'm probably the only guy here that did not realize Morse had gone Jesus-freak......guess I have not kept up over the years. How does one come from the dregs to the heavens ?
I have no opposition to a man telling me his beliefs; at least he is not on TV asking me to send him money. But I draw the line if this is some type of niche marketing. Your own inner thoughts and objectives are one thing; telling others to ascend to your "new standard" is another.

third:
I'm having trouble imagining that camel Portnoy spitting all over a biblical set.

[N. Abstentia]

It beats the pants off of Snow, which I generally thought was a mess of an album.

GASP! GUH! MUH!

BLASPHEMY!!!

I love Snow

I'm gonna find it hard to get into Neal's solo stuff because of the (like you say) spiritual obsession. But I may give it a try.

[BarryL]

[B]
I love Snow

I'm gonna find it hard to get into Neal's solo stuff because of the (like you say) spiritual obsession. But I may give it a try.

Testimony is over the top. Actually, the first CD is okay. But, overall, given that the whole thing is too long, Morse wrote a good two hours of music. It's supposedly autobiographical, and goes from his playing in bars to embracing Jesus as his personal saviour. But the only way I can really listen to the second half of it is to appreciate it as one man's work of art, and listen through a sort of Jesus Christ Superstar lens. It is mental gymnastics though, because more objectively it is the story of a man becoming unglued, slowly drifting from reality into a fantasy world of child-like make-belive and pretend.

The worst of One is the same way. In the song Help Me, he prays:

Please lift me up
Help me...Help me...Help me

Then he pens some lyrics for God:

I have heard you crying in the night
I have heard your prayers at the morning light
I have loved you since before your birth
Now I'll dwell among you on the earth
I'll send my son...

Anyway, other than the subject matter, the music is good, and you can easily purge your listening of these particular tunes if that's your desire. There is enough good material on both albums to make them worthwhile purchases, IMO. If you think that the religious overload might be offensive, then start with One.

The Camel...that cracks me up! Great nick name for Portnoy.

[MasterCylinder]

"THE CAMEL"............a moniker originated by Petrucci...............who actually has custom-made spit shields around the guitar speaker cabinets and gear that can be reached by hydroprojectiles launched from the drum riser.


Disgusting.

[BarryL]

"THE CAMEL"............a moniker originated by Petrucci...............who actually has custom-made spit shields around the guitar speaker cabinets and gear that can be reached by hydroprojectiles launched from the drum riser.


Disgusting.

I saw that on the DT DVD! That was the best part of Petrucci's description of his gear!

[Dusty Chalk]

I'm probably the only guy here that did not realize Morse had gone Jesus-freak......guess I have not kept up over the years.

Yeah, I'll say! That was the whole reason that Neal Morse split from Spock's Beard, because he had a vision or heard voices from his god, telling him to do so...you did know that, didn't you? That was like huge news...easily the most bizarre I've heard in recent years...

[ForeverAutumn]

Yeah, I'll say! That was the whole reason that Neal Morse split from Spock's Beard, because he had a vision or heard voices from his god, telling him to do so...you did know that, didn't you? That was like huge news...easily the most bizarre I've heard in recent years...

The funniest thing that I remember about that whole Morse-leaving-Spock's Beard-for-God situation was something that Demetrio posted. It was the conversation between Morse and god where god actually told him that he had to leave Spock's Beard and Transatlantic behind. Does anyone else remember that post? It was hilarious!

[MasterCylinder]

I don't recall ever hearing or reading about any of this religious stuff.

This is confirmation that I work too many hours and have not been keeping up around here........*sigh*.

[Troy]

Morse was "going to walk the earth like Caine in Kung Fu".

He's a schmuck. His religion is more important to him than the music. The music is just a tool for him to spread his propaganda now. His lyrics have taken a nosedive since the conversion. They have become very obvious and heavy-handed. One note "help me Jesus" stuff. He's squandering his talent.

He only works with Christians now. All the members of his band are sky pilots too. So let only Christians buy his CDs too. He seems fine with that, which I find even more disappointing.

Call me when he starts doing secular work again. You can say the covers are secular, but you gotta buy the Bible School disc to get them. Even MORE insidious!

[mad rhetorik]

Morse was "going to walk the earth like Caine in Kung Fu".

He's a schmuck. His religion is more important to him than the music. The music is just a tool for him to spread his propaganda now. His lyrics have taken a nosedive since the conversion. They have become very obvious and heavy-handed. One note "help me Jesus" stuff. He's squandering his talent.

He only works with Christians now. All the members of his band are sky pilots too. So let only Christians buy his CDs too. He seems fine with that, which I find even more disappointing.

Call me when he starts doing secular work again. You can say the covers are secular, but you gotta buy the Bible School disc to get them. Even MORE insidious!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Portnoy is a "sky pilot." And I don't think Neal's new albums are being marketed as CCM, either. At least not directly.

That's not to say I care for his new direction. In fact, I didn't care much for his old direction either. Neal is talented for sure, but most neo-prog is so identikit and derivative that it doesn't grab my interest very much. The exception of course is Porcupine Tree, who I still really dig.

[Troy]

Double check on Portnoy . . .

[MasterCylinder]

So I'll go back to my original question......of what caused it ?



"How does one go from the dregs to the heavens ?"

[BarryL]

So I'll go back to my original question......of what caused it ?

If you read the SB lyrics, they are full of his "spirituality", starting with The Light off of the first SB album. Snow is blatantly "spiritual." The influence of sunday school is all over his lyrics, as they are with U2. But the blatent Jesus worship in his lyrics are overboard and offensive to many people. For example, from Father of Forgiveness on the One CD:

Oh, Father I've returned
the one who left alone
And you give me your kingdom
And tell me it's my own
And I see your open arms
And I know that I have found my place of rest
In the Father of forgiveness.

And in The Spirit of the Flesh:


Jesus understands
The heart of every man
He will take your pain
Your suffering and shame
Though the soul has died
It can be made alive
The holy place was closed
'Til Jesus rose!
When he spanned the crest
Between the spirit and the flesh.

Nobody wants to listen to this infantilism, except those who seek out this type of lyric. It's like Troy says, if you want the good music that's on this CD, you have to let Morse preach his religion to you as the price of entry.

As to why. I have my own opinion, but Morse says that when his daughter was born, she was diagnosed with some sort of heart defect. He says they prayed for her, and she was healed. The rest is history. I'm not sure that explains much though, and certainly isn't an excuse for his infantile behaviour around quiting SB, saying he's quiting the music business, and them coming out with a new album and tour about 18 months later.

As for Portnoy, I don't know if he's a Christian, but on the Testamony DVD, there's about two hours of tour footage, and I took special note to see if he participated in any of the pre-show prayer session. While he might have been in attendance, he wasn't praying, and many times he was absent. Maybe he was the one doing the filming.

[MasterCylinder]

Did Kerry Livgren not do the same ?


I don't mind someone doing the Christian thing at all..........just don't give me any double-standards.

I also do not believe that a "Christian" is a Black/White argument.

Meaning: I am certain there are many Christians in rock that write and record secular music.

[Dave_G]

I don't care if it's christian or hindu or jewish or whatever, if it rocks, and I like it, I buy it.

But I do not like Neil Morses music in any of his bands, his voice and the "sound" of Spocks Beard irritates me too much to really dig.

I like Kerry Livgrens "Seeds of Change" cd a ton, and it's christian music (I guess), but I could care less, it is still good, and heck, a little positive vibe isn't bad for me.

But I'm not a person who is really "religious" anyhow, and if Morse wants to appeal to that group of people, more power to him.

I wonder if he did a lot of drugs.

Dave

[Troy]

Meaning: I am certain there are many Christians in rock that write and record secular music.

Exactamundo.

I see it as an indication of our times. EVERYONE seems to be wearing their religion in their sleeves these days. Religion USED to be a very private and personal thing. Nowadays it's the first thing some people want to let you know about themselves.

It's divisive and arrogant IMO. Extremely non productive.

Why is it like this now? A couple of reasons: one is the tone set by our government here in the USA. You get a born again bible thumper in the white house and its' gonna give every other born again bible thumper that much more impetus to stand taller and assert himself tyhat much more. Ditto the war in Iraq. Sure, we're there for oil first and formost, but remember that 9/11 happened because the Arab militants attacked western business and religious ideology. Again, it gave Christians a leg to stand on.

I own secular albums by Christians and that's fine. It's when they start beating you over the head with their agenda that I jump ship.