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"It’s Not Too Late”
I’m a diehard Spock’s Beard fan.
I’ve LOVED almost every single release by them. So being offered a chance to review
Neal Morse’s second solo release made me feel warm all over. Here was a strong
member/part of a band that was talking to me in a more modern version of the style
of prog I love. And I’ve been asked to review his newest release.
 Okay.
This is not a Spock’s Beard CD. While Neal’s voice with its gravel sounding tremolo
and his powerful punch can remind you of Spock’s Beard, this is of course NOT
Spock’s Beard! The reason this is not a Spock’s Beard CD is that the quality of the
players (of course with the exception of the phenomenal drum Master Nick D’ Virgilio
who stands as tall as any drummer in any style of music and who of course is Spock’s
Beard drummer), while good beyond question, do not mesh as a “band”.
As I
listen to this Neal Morse CD, as well as his first, I can only imagine what the
musical world would be like if Kevin Gilbert had not left this physical plain.
Neal’s work is so comfortably poppy. Kevin’s work was so prog poppy. I can only
imagine of what a Gilbert/Morse CD might sound like… But I ramble…
The
songs on this CD are the type that should be all over the airways of the radio in
this musically bankrupt nation we live in. Songs of life, songs of love, love lost,
and more. But damn it, the songs are just to heavy for the radio listening public
to “get it”.
There
are songs on this CD that touch me in levels of my heart and soul that most of the
music I like avoid like the plague if you will. That most music overall purposely
avoid because, well it’s just too real.
“The
Angels Will Remember” should, no would be BIG if a larger audience ever heard it.
“Broken Homes” comes far too close to my own life than I want to admit. “Leah” made
me cry. The beauty and ultimate truth of this song was something I had a hard time
not seeing. “I Am Your Father” had me calling my father that I had not spoken to in
almost 20 years. Its songs like this that make those of us that “think and care”
ask for something musically deeper than we think we can see.
Neal
Morse is a poet and a thinker. A man who has been in this R & R Biz quite some time
and who has penned a CD of highly emotional, heart wrenching music.
From “It’s Not Too Late” all
the way through “The Wind & The Rain” this is a top notch CD. Is it better than
Neal’s first solo release? Well, that’s for you to decide. For me this is an
emotional roller coaster of GREAT music. I like it a lot. To sum it all up, “Ain’t
Seen Nothin’ Like Me” pretty much say’s it all!
Rating: 8 of 10 Keyboards
Reviewed By: Captain MDA
Review Date: 08/27/02
Visit the artist website
Neal Morse
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