Neal Morse Lifeline Genres:Pop, Rock, Metal, Christian & Gospel, Gospel Neal Morse is a prolific American multi-instrumentalist and progressive Rock composer based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is known for his musical versatility,his writing and recording output. The album features performance... more »s from Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) on drums and Randy George (Ajalon) on bass as well as special guest appearances including Paul Bielatowicz on guitar and Paul Gilbert (Racer X and Mr. Big) who features on a bonus cut. Neal and his band played the title track, 'Lifeline', live at at the Night of the Prog festival in Loreley, Germany.« less
Neal Morse is a prolific American multi-instrumentalist and progressive Rock composer based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is known for his musical versatility,his writing and recording output. The album features performances from Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) on drums and Randy George (Ajalon) on bass as well as special guest appearances including Paul Bielatowicz on guitar and Paul Gilbert (Racer X and Mr. Big) who features on a bonus cut. Neal and his band played the title track, 'Lifeline', live at at the Night of the Prog festival in Loreley, Germany.
CD Reviews
Neal's new cd needs a lifeline unfortunately.
Danny j. | fredericksburg,va | 10/01/2008
(2 out of 5 stars)
"I love Neal's work,the man is brilliant BUT,He missed it with this one.Neal should take a break and seek some new direction . I feel he's repeating himself badly with this cd.{I hate to say it}Neal is getting into a rut. He really needs to bring in an outside producer and some different musicians{especially in the drum area...sorry Mike you are great but your playing isn't "fresh" on this recording}This cd does have a few good moments, but, there's just too much familiar riffs and arrangments that won't allow me to give more than 2 stars.Neal,you're still a genius to me anyway...just try something new for your next one."
Time for something new
BB | Fredericksburg, Va | 09/30/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)
"First, let me say that I am one of Neal's biggest fans. I loved everything he's put out. That being said, this album is just "ok". Neal is getting VERY repetitious. I was able to predict his arrangements and melodies on most of the songs. Some of his riffs on this CD have been used before on previous CD's. One major problem is Mike Portnoy. Mike is one of the best rock drummers ever, but he's doing the same stuff over and over now. How many times does he have to do that alternating ride/china beat? Time for Neal to make a change in the drum department. Rod Morgenstein I think would be a good fit. Since Neal has already worked with him it's a possibility. Leviathan is the only song on this CD that I feel Neal branched out a little, though it still contains a riff previously used in Author of Confusion from the ONE album. The sax solo on So Many Roads is awesome also.
As predictable as this CD is though, it still blows away 99% of Christian music currently out there. Definitely still worth a purchase."
Song oriented, yet still progressive!!!
B. Neal | Rockford, ILLINOIS United States | 11/02/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"There has been some undeserved critisism thrown at Neal's latest album "Lifeline" lately. True it's not as progressive as Sola Scriptura, Neal's last studio album. But who cares, Lifeline is an emotional declaration of Neal's Christian faith, delivered in a heartfelt and truly rocking way! Sure it may be a little lighter than Sola and more song-oriented but the progressive elements are still quite evident throughout. This is especially true in songs like "So Many Roads" and the title track. There a certain 70's Styx meets Kansas vibe throughout the album with elements of Rush and early Dream Theater thrown in for good measure.
The production is top notch and Mike Portnoy's drumming is phenomenal as usual. Neal handles all the guitar and keyboard parts and I have to say that I'm impressed, I didn't know Neal could play lead as well as he does. "Leviathan" is a fun heavier quirky styled rocker that kind of reminds me of the Galactic Cowboys or the Flower Kings. There's also some nice acoustic ballads like "Gods Love." The song "So Many Roads" is the longest and most emotive song on the album, there is plenty of solos and instumental breaks on this 28 minute opus.
I know that some of Neal's fans don't dig the Christian lyrics, but being a Christ follower myself I am so happy that Neal provides top-notch progressive rock that just so happens to be Christian. Good Christian rock bands are few and far-between, let alone good prog bands. I'm a musician and I love bands like Dream Theater, Rush, Genesis, Symphony x etc. So one could imagine how overjoyed I am to discover someone like Neal Morse, especially since he's so frickin good!!! God Bless!!!
"
Good, but far from his best
Brian Zino | New Jersey, United States | 10/10/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Does Neal Morse break new ground with his latest Christian prog-rock album? Maybe a little, but not in any significant way. That said, is it good? Is it worth your time and money? If you're a fan of Neal Morse or the symphonically retro brand of 21st-century prog-rock, I'd say certainly.
Lyrics: Neal loves him some Jee-zus, and that's what he sings about here. Frankly, the concepts of his last three solo albums have approached ideas of faith and Christianity from more interesting angles than the more straightforward worship going on on this album, but there are still some interesting ideas/metaphors and turns of phrase. (Full disclosure: As a practicing Christian myself, I am inherently more sympathetic to Neal's core message than perhaps the general public might be, so take the above with an appropriate grain of salt.)
The three highlights for me are the rockers. "Lifeline" starts out with the standard Neal Morse opening: several minutes of high-energy instrumental work, heavy on the synths and mellotron, with Mike Portnoy and Randy George (as usual) laying down one of the fattest-sounding rhythm sections in the business. The verse-chorus stuff in this song is solid, and the instrumental breaks are fabulous. "Leviathan"'s heavy, slightly funky sound is something new and interesting for Neal (the "maybe a little new ground" I referenced above. And the (apparently obligatory) epic, "So Many Roads", does showcase some fine examples of Neal's facility with thematic development. (Digression: I'd rather have obligatory epics than obligatory ballads, that bane of 1980s rock. ^_^)
The remaining four tracks are relatively straightforward pop/rock tunes and ballads, punched up nicely by the aforementioned Portnoy/George rhythm section. Of these songs, "The Way Home" and "Fly High" are the stronger tracks, with more interesting songcraft on display. "God's Love" and "Children of the Chosen" are rather more wet, being kinda generic overall. The fact that they're right next to each other (and, together, right before "So Many Roads") is perhaps the album's biggest weakness.
Overall, I don't think my opinion of "Lifeline" will ever rise to the level of passionate adoration I have for my favorite Neal Morse albums ("ONE" and "Sola Scriptura"), but I can see it turning up regularly in my listening, especially those three fine rockers."
Lifeline for Prog fans
Randall A. Hardin | Miamisburg, Ohio | 12/31/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Looking at the 16 reviews to date, I see that one thing is clear... this might not be Neal's best album ever. However, this is still a great album. Repetitive from earlier work, maybe to some degree. I think that collectively, Neal's solo work is fantastic. People are comparing Neal to Neal, in some senses that is not fair. I agree with one writer suggesting to give Portnoy a rest (I can't believe that makes sense to me), I would like to see the band he toured with in the Sola Scriptura DVD on the next album. I think Neal gives a breath of badly needed fresh air to Prog music. This album grows on you, like most of his work has done with me."
