Concept album...The Wall, Animals, Quadrophrenia, Lamb Lies Down On Broadway... A successful bet, especially in the progressive rock scene. Bands like Pink Floyd and Genesis got a big part of their reputation from this kind of release. Neal Morse is one of the best in that. Well known in the progressive rock scene and almost unknown to the common knowledge of regular music fans. Morse’s music is a nice add-on to any record collection. Testimony was his first ambition as a solo artist.
Neal was recognized as a member of the now famous progressive rock band Spock’s Beard. He leaved the band to continue a solo career at the edge of a new millennium. Neal is also known for his born again Christian mentality. Several hard times happened to him and religion is what helped him to get through those rough times. It’s not a secret that religion is the main theme of this release. You’ll get Neal Morse testimony.
This huge monster was created with the help of Mr. Mike Portnoy, one of his good friends. By monster I mean this album is huge! More than 2 hours, and believe me this is worth it. What makes this record so amazing is the variety of stuff you’ll find. Metal, Prog, Pop, Rock, Gospel, Country, Symphonic moment... The starved music fan will be pleased. Another good thing is that the album is not based on one single mood. The record is not dark, it’s not happy, it’s not humorous, it’s all of that.
The story is basically Neal’s life. Talking about his days in Spock’s Beard, his marriage, going solo, etc. But the strong part of this record is what happened to his daughter. She had a heart failure and the doctor said she’s going to die. Neal and his wife started to go to the church and pray god. The girl was saved by a miracle. The hole she had in her heart had disappeared
The CD is divided in five different parts. Each part has his own particular mood. The first part is talking about Neal’s early life where he started to be a professional musician. You’ll hear a pretty happy vibe in this part. He’s talking about living the party life and all that. Then you’ll get to the hard times, transformation, etc.
The instrumental work on this album is pretty amazing. There’s lots of instrument use on this record beside the regular rock instrument. Violin has a strong place in the record. You can also hear sax, French horn, flute and many more instruments. Neal is basically a genius. He writes all the music. Guitar, piano, synth and he also sing. Talking about the singing, this record has a lot of vocals priceless moments. The harmony work and the emotional vocal work are perfectly done by Mr. Morse and his friends.
I recommend this record to any progressive rock fans or any people who want to get in the progressive rock scene. This is a good way to start and a good way to evolve your musical taste.
Highlights:
-Overture No1
-California Nights
-Colder In The Sun
-Sing it High
-Moving In My Heart
Pros:
-Neal’s great voice
-The Concept
-The instrumental work is top notch
-Variety
Cons:
-The born again theme might turn off some people.
