Reaching for the sky (Transatlantic) (LP 4721 - 4722)

Transatlantic  Kaleidoscope (CD, InsideOut Records, 2014) ****  

Transatlantic  The Absolute Universe - The Breath of Life (CD, InsideOut Records, 2021) *** 

Genre: Prog rock

Places I remember: FOPP

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Shine (Kaleidoscope) on YouTube

Gear costume: Black as the Sky (Kaleidoscope) on YouTube

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: The modern prog world loves to dabble in multiple side projects. The supergroup Transatlantic is a good example. Transatlantic is made up of Neal Morse (ex–Spock's Beard), Roine Stolt (Kaipa, the Flower Kings), Pete Trewavas (Marillion) and Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater).  There's a lot of prog pedigree in that assembled collection of talent.

Kaleidoscope was the band's fourth album together. My copy is an enhanced bonus one - 2CD and a DVD. The first CD is the album, the second has eight cover versions of artists from Yes to The Moody Blues and the DVD is a collection of bonus videos,

Being prog it has two lengthy suites and some shorter songs that display the band's range, from what AllMusic calls 'gentle, '70s-hued pop hooks ("Shine"), richly detailed ambient soundscapes ("Beyond the Sun"), and thunderous, ELP-kissed stadium anthems'.

Their fifth, and final album is called The Absolute Universe. It came in three different lengths - mine is the 64 minute abridged version, called The Breath of Life. I'm a less is more guy.

It's good in an AOR prog kind of way but this one feels more like a Neal Morse solo album or else a latter day Yes album without Jon Anderson than Kaleidoscope. No denying the guy can write and sing some quality prog songs.  

Where do they all belong? That's it for Transatlantic, a good companion to all those parent band albums.