Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Smoke and mirrors (Neal Morse) (LP 3285)

Neal Morse  Momentum (CD, Radiant Records, 2012) ****  

GenreProg rock 

Places I remember: HMV

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Thoughts Part 5 (not on Spotify)

Gear costume: Momentum

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1Part 2Part 3Part 4Part 5

Active compensatory factors: Neal is a prolific musician and a great collaborator. I have albums by Spock's Beard, Transatlantic, Flying Colors (who have already appeared), and this solo album - his ninth! There are tons of other albums listed in his discography.

Yes, it's prog Jim, but he can do powerpop, straight rock and jazz rock as well, and often in the same song! Take Thoughts Part 5 as exhibit A. It sounds like a mix of Jellyfish, Dream Theatre and Living Color.

Neal also sounds a bit like McCartney at times (the Wings version) which is also very cool with me. The lengthy prog wig out track (World Without End) is epic in a Dream Theater sort of way, which is appropriate as Mike Portnoy is the drummer on Momentum.

Where do they all belong? Spock's Beard and Transatlantic to come.

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