Artist : The Neal Morse Band

Album : Innocence & Danger

Release Date : 27-08-2021

Added : 03-10-2021






If you do a search on Myprogmusic by the name of 'Neal Morse', you'll get all of the American's projects over the past few years, which are split between 'Transatlantic', his solo albums with the most recent one 'Sola Gratia', the trio's project 'Morse/Portnoy/George', 'Flying Colors' and he has also released three albums with the 'Neal Morse Band' that have not been made available on streaming platforms but can be previewed with the latest live show on 'The Great Adventure' and the compilation 'The Neal Morse Band Collection'. So, it's the turn of a new album from the 'Neal Morse Band' whose members are all beginning to be well known as renowned progressive music artists and, when 'Neal Morse' releases an album, he often graces us with a double galette, which is again the case with 'Innocence & Danger'. And what a double disc!

First of all, the first part 'Innocence' contains 6 compositions that total about 50 minutes with various progressive influences and especially a rather immediate accessibility and this, from the first track 'Do It All Again' (see video above) with its heady chorus that we want to take back in chorus and with a final radiant of a thousand lights. 'Bird On a Wire' (see video here), that follows, could very well have been a composition on one of the 'Genesis' albums in the 70s/80s with omnipresent keyboards, resplendent backing vocals and an 'Eric Gilette' who takes on a 'Phil Collins' air. With 'Your Place in the Sun' (see video here), the playful melody takes us back to 'Beatles' songs and moves away from progressive but this is not at all pejorative as it is a very pleasant festive moment to listen to, an atmosphere that is found again in the following track 'Another Story to Tell' with this time a melodic wink to the 'Supertramp' of the 70s and 80s in the verses and without any transition, The Way It Had to Be' is a remarkable atmospheric track with 'Eric Gillette' sending us some Gilmourian sounds with his guitar and whose melody can make us think of some purified tracks of 'Phil Collins': a very nice moment causing multiple small shivers of happiness! ! The instrumental 'Emergence' which follows is a short acoustic piece with classical guitar in less accessible contemporary sounds but which shows all the feeling of Eric Gillette' on guitar, a bit like 'Steve Hackett' could do (see his album 'Under A Mediterranean Sky') and which serves as an appetizer for 'Not Afraid, Pt.1 ' which takes us on a remarkable ride with 'Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young'-style backing vocals and an addictive finale. The first part 'Innocence' ends in this calm and relaxing atmosphere with the 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' cover of 'Simon & Garfunkel', completely rearranged for the occasion with a progressive 8 minute version that 'Yes' or 'Genesis' would not have disowned and a fianl to make you shed all the tears in your body.

And this second part 'Danger', you will say to me, as much 'Innocence' could be an album to be made listen to any neophyte of progressive wanting to discover this style of music because all is implemented to have an assimilable listening quickly, as much 'Danger' is made for the afficionados of a progressive sought and complex that one must listen repeatedly to draw all the substantive marrow of it. First of all, it consists of only two compositions, for more than 50 minutes of listening, so one of more than thirty minutes, which is not very common, even in progressive music. First of all, 'Not Afraid, Pt.2' which unfolds for almost 20 minutes, typical of what 'Neal Morse' has done in the past, namely a clever mix of very diverse influences, covering the last 50 years of progressive music with several parts that fit together perfectly and in which each artist brings his stone to the building, with a special mention for the rhythm section of 'Mike Portnoy' who is not only there to accompany but who makes every second of this long track come alive in a masterly way. Then 'Beyond The Years', which extends the sauce by a good ten minutes compared to its predecessor, is slightly harder to tame with some very imaginative instrumental parts and a long epic finale that falls back into the sounds of string keyboards and is suddenly cut off without a real ending (could it be a sign of a forthcoming sequel?). In any case, a full analysis of this track would require lengthening this already long review and so, the best thing to do is to press play and fully enjoy this gargantuan composition.

In summary, this latest baby of the 'Neal Morse Band' is an excellent album with a nice variety of styles divided between the accessible and the most sought after and interpreted by artists who illuminate the whole by their talent which should place, without any doubt, 'Innocence & Danger' in a good place in the ideal discotheque at a good number of lovers of progressive music...

Line Up / Musicians

Neal Morse (Vocal, Guitar, Keybords), Randy George (Bass), Bill Hubauer (Vocal, Keybords), Eric Gillette (Vocal, Guitar), Mike Portnoy (Drums, Choirs)