(Mascot records) Total Time:137:57
After his departure from SPOCK'S BEARD, Neal Morse released, the 2001 piano orientated album 'It's Not Too Late' with contributions from SPOCK'S BEARD and NDV drummer Nick D'Virgilio. His religious beliefs drove Morse's 2003 Christian themed outing 'Testimony'. At the subsequent concerts they featured the talents of DREAM THEATER and TRANSATLANTIC drummer MIKE PORTNOY.
Morse would be back in the recording studio in June 2003 crafting a new album entitled 'One'. This time musicians included DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy and AJALON bassist Randy George. A further album, simply titled '?', arrived in 2005. This time the studio contributions came from Mike Portnoy and Jordan Rudess of DREAM THEATER, Roine Stolt of THE FLOWER KINGS and Steve Hackett. A European tour took place in July 2006.Form this tour came the recordings for this album, from the Berlin performance. His next outing, 'Cover To Cover' issued in August 2006, would be collusion with MIKE PORTNOY and Randy George, credited to MORSE PORTNOY GEORGE.
Then Morse's next solo output, the 'Sola Scriptura' album of February 2007, featured contributions from Mike Portnoy , the ex RACER X , MR. BIG guitarist Paul Gilbert and bassist Randy George. This double cd is what you are prepared from his last works. Pomp, piano led progressive rock live album. He covers live all his Question Mark (?) album at the first part. Consisted mostly of songs, that are lay down pieces praising to the Lord, reminding a lot of early KANSAS, GENESIS. The second part is mostly from the “One” album, with a duet with Will Morse at “Cradle to the grave’. But hold on, is this an album that I will get bored? Definitely not, been melodic or human centric doesn’t mean you don’t have the abilities to perform interesting musical plots. Neal Morse above and beyond all ids a gifted musician and he prove it again at this album. It may not be as full of heavy guitars or pounding drums or even as progressive fusion keyboards as some works from other bands of the genre, but it is a real relaxing, mind travelling album. The melodies and the vocal lines are the other two big elements that send the album, to the league of the interesting live albums.
Nothing new under the sun, just an artist his piano and his band delivering soul testimonies, all faithful come closer and rejoice, listening.
