Innocence & Danger

If we’ve learned anything from the great tales of old, it’s that even the most dreadful of dragons can be slain. Fans and doubters alike will often create a metaphorical dragon that cannot be conquered. On the back side of two career-defining and highly celebrated double concept albums, lesser bands might be intimidated by the challenge laid before them – that being to match or surpass successes of the past. In the face of adversity (imagined or real), the band comes out swinging with yet another remarkable collection of quality prog rock anthems. In direct correlation to The Grand Experiment (the band’s first album), Innocence & Danger is similar in that it contains a series of unrelated songs and yet is a distinctly more sophisticated assemblage of tracks. This point clearly illustrates their maturation as a songwriting team. As an album, it feels much more cohesive than The Grand Experiment while coming across as slightly less edgy than both The Similitude of a Dream and The Great Adventure.The band is comprised of Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy, Eric Gillette, Bill Hubauer, and Randy George. Anyone familiar with Neal’s previous work knows that he has a knack for making progressive rock seem less intimidating to those who might find progressive rock unpalatable. Reflecting upon his years with Spock’s Beard, it’s evident that Neal established a methodical process of blending complex musical elements with indelible melodies and pop sensibilities. Put on your cloaks, dear readers. It’s time for a slightly unexpected adventure. There are far-off musical landscapes to be explored and fierce dragons to be slain! So gird your loins and prepare yourself for the musical pilgrimage upon which we’re about to embark.DISC 1 – TRACK 1: “Do It All Again” unapologetically heralds the nature of what is to be revealed in the next hour and a half or so then quickly settles back into a winsome melody. The pre-chorus rises in intensity and leads into the chorus which highlights Eric Gillette’s mesmerizing vocal timbre. The rhythmic feel of the second verse uses a double-time feel to heighten the tension. Bill Hubauer’s voice is very distinctive and contrasts so well with the voices of the other vocalists. When they are harmonizing together, a choir of angels just might be tempted by jealousy.DISC 1 – TRACK 2: “Bird On A Wire” begins with a jarring rhythmic pattern led by drum-meister Mike Portnoy and quickly leads into the basic chord progression for the main verse. The choruses (sang by Eric) are the mountain-top experiences from this song that will be banging around in your head for hours after you’ve returned to regularly-scheduled programming. Randy George seizes the opportunity to highlight his bass skills in a breakdown after Bill’s post-chorus vocal segment. “Bird On A Wire” is one of the most accessible songs on the album.DISC 1 – TRACK 3: “Your Place In The Sun” is another accessible song which hearkens back to some of the great bands of the past including bands like Toto, XTC, and Jellyfish. Neal, Eric, and Mike exchange lead vocal duties on the verses while Bill lays down some tasty vocals during the chorus section. The song also contains some of the playfulness of past Neal Morse Band classics like “The Ways Of A Fool,” “Hey Ho Let’s Go” and “Vanity Fair.” Eric’s voice sounds similar to that of Andy Sturmer, lead vocalist for 90’s band Jellyfish – particularly in the higher registers – which is probably why the connection was made.DISC 1 – TRACK 4: “Another Story To Tell” continues the three-track run of commercially accessible songs on the album. The riff for the verse has an infectious groove that just might entice you to (gasp!) dance (albeit a moderately slow dance)! The hook featured in the chorus is addictive. The song ends with a dreamy piano and sparse guitar swells which stealthily ushers the listener into the next song.DISC 1 – TRACK 5: “The Way It Had To Be” is a mellow, slightly “psychedelic” track a la Pink Floyd with the majority of lead vocals sung by Eric. In contrast, Bill adds his complementary, throaty vocal. A tasty, bluesy guitar solo helps lead you to the promised land of aural nirvana.DISC 1 – TRACK 6: “Emergence” is a relaxing classical/jazz-inspired acoustic piece. For some reason, the dissonant finger-picked chords chosen for the opening and closing sections sound like something John Mayer might have chosen to use for this song. The relaxing three plus minutes of sensory gold slowly evanesces directly into the next track.DISC 1 – TRACK 7: “Not Afraid Pt. 1” continues the relaxed feel of “Emergence” while conjuring up memories of some of the great acoustic guitar driven vocal bands from the 70’s like Crosby, Stills & Nash, Simon & Garfunkel, and The Mamas & The Papas. Close your eyes and float downstream.DISC 1 – TRACK 8: “Bridge Over Troubled Water” is an adaptation of Simon & Garfunkle’s hit song from 1970. The band has taken this classic to a whole new level. During the first two minutes, there’s virtually no musical marker that would indicate the lineage of the song. When the vocals come in at the 2:17 mark, the song becomes instantly recognizable to those old enough to remember the song. There’s a nice string section after the amazingly emotive lead guitar solo. The modulation to a new key takes the passage to a whole new level. If you’re the type to be moved to tears by music, this one just might get’cha. Use of the word “epic” to define this rendition of a classic of this magnitude cannot be impugned except, perhaps, at the hand of the most cynical of listeners.DISC 2 – TRACK 1: “Not Afraid Pt. 2” is the first of two long form progressive rock sagas which, together, comprise the contents of Disc 2. It begins with a haunting, mysterious piano part which then swells into a classic NMB prog section with an eerie organ that sets up the transition into the frenzied “chop-fest.” And in classic NMB tradition, the bottom drops out as the track mutates into what feels like a brand new song. Some of the specific vocal parts coupled with the corresponding keyboards in this song awakened a desire to revisit some old Styx albums for a well-deserved listen. This is the Neal Morse Band at its best.DISC 2 – TRACK 2: “Beyond The Years” is a brobdingnagian (huge) song in terms of length. Clocking in at 31:22, this is a musical novella filled with wonder and excitement. There are plenty of melodic and rhythmic pyrotechnics as well as a Gentle Giant-esque vocal passage to delight the true prog-lovers among you. This song, like “Bird On A Wire,” has an extraordinary section which features Randy George’s notable prowess on the bass guitar. You’ll definitely be “transatlanticized” by this song. Consider this a warmup for MorseFest 2022 which will feature Transatlantic both nights. Be there or be quadrilateral! (EDITOR’S NOTE: the reviewer has been on a reading binge lately. Remind him to thank author Jonathan Swift who wrote Gulliver’s Travel for the word “brobdingnagian”).Album Review: Neal Morse Band - Innocence & DangerIn summary, Innocence & Danger is an immediately likeable collection of well-crafted tunes from a band comprised of profusely competent musicians. It really doesn’t get much better than this. For those who love the art form of music and are sympathetic to Neal’s religious views, this is the pinnacle of (lyrically) Christian-themed music. It seems as though Neal Morse and his mighty band of musical warriors have done it again. They’ve slain the dragon of doubt.

The Neal Morse band continues to impress! The musicianship is off the charts, and the style ranges from flavors of Styx, Yes, Rush, The Dixie Dregs, America and more! Mike Portnoy is a beast of a drummer and displays his technical wizardry like no other on this album! And, the guitar player is world class even matching or exceeding the ability of Steve Morse! That’s saying something! Eric Gillette is a massive talent who’s playing rivals Joe Satriani, Steve Morse, Allan Holdsworrh, Eric Johnson, Vinnie Moore and the list goes on. I can’t sing his praises enough! Randy George, the Bassist, is tight and hard hitting, not missing a note. And then, there is the musical wizardry and prowess of Neal Morse which leaves you wondering how does he do it? At times you hear harmonies similar to America or Crosby Stills and Nash. But, I say this emphatically even though you hear these flavors, Morse’s style is distinctly his own! Every song is a hit! Less one which is a quiet and impressive aural bouquet of incredible acoustic playing reminiscent of Phil Keaggy who’s style is difficult to duplicate. This album is a home run! I can’t recommend this album enough! Kudos! Well done! This quickly became my favorite album of all time!

I will start by saying I love Neal Morse, The Neal Morse Band, Transatlantic and Flying Colors. Neal and Mike Portnoy are the common denominator in all. This album is a bit different from the first three Neal Morse Band albums and hence the name change to NMB. Neal purposely did not bring prepared material to the recording sessions so that it would be a truer band effort and I think it is.As far as the album goes, I love it. The first two songs alone will win you over. "Do It All Again" & "Bird on a Wire". Disc one has these two songs plus 5 more NMB songs plus a cover of Paul Simon's "Bridge Over Troubled Water". Frankly, I could have happily lived without the cover and heard something else by NMB but the band seems to be putting a lot into it and enjoying playing the classic piece.Disc two is two epic length Prog pieces ["Not Afraid pt II" at 19:30 and "Beyond the Years" at 31:23" and both are wonderful. After listening to them I hit play again and listened through again. Since receiving this album [both in CD and vinyl] I have played it frequently. If you aren't familiar with the Neal Morse Band this is a fun and easy way to start. If you don't like listening to long Prog epics you can focus on just the first disc and be completely satisfied.

OK, that isthis goes back to the wonderful Yes-ish-ness and the Classic Line-up of a thought-provoking and magnificent group! Watch what you start thinking because of the lyrics......myself, I found the journey revealing. That I liked the first CD much better says a lot about and to me.

I have been a long time Neal Morse fan! His latest albums were kind of getting a little dark sounding...at least for me...this one, however is a nice come back, with hopeful and great energy throughout. Love the Pink Floyd-ish kind of sounds here and there, too. Love this album! Great band, including my favorite drummer of all time, Mike Portnoy.

I very nearly exist year after year by being supplied by Neal Morse and cohorts projects.What an output between the offshoot bands and solo work and DVDs.And it is all fantastic.I think it was Mike Portnoy that said he considers Neal Morse as the "Paul McCartney" of songwriters.Morse is more a composer. So many prog bands can't write a song. They just throw everything at the wall.And now with the NMB they combine their talents so effectively.FIVE BIG STARSPS, if you see them live you may want to bring a handkerchief. It is that moving!

Otro gran disco de este genio musical, pasajes excelsos de rock progresivo, tan buenos que se me olvida que tiene letras cristianas, jejeje. Muy recomendable!!

As per the video, they were debating on whether to keep everything on a single CD. Instead they chose the shorter songs on the first CD [49 minutes] and a 2 track 51 minute second CD.You standard Morse album. Even though not an album with a theme there is connections between the songs.Supposedly they were a bunch of tracks that didn't make the album as well as covers. I guess they will be on a fourth "Cover to Cover" album at one point.Note that the last track on CD #2 [Beyond the Years] abruptly stops. Unsure if on purpose.The 2CD/DVD edition includes "Making of" DVD [60 minutes] plus 3 band members showing off their gear [maybe 40 minutes].

Fue una pena que la presentación de este álbum en Madrid allá por mayo de 2022 no causara ninguna repercusión mediática en la gira que The Neal Morse Band (NMB) realizó por Europa. Porque la música que representan es de lo mejor que puede ofrecer hoy día el rock como evento cultural, no solo a una audiencia de seguidores prog en particular; sino, en general, a todo tipo de público que espera ver un gran acontecimiento de primer orden sobre un escenario, buscando sobre todo calidad y virtuosismo. Y si algo les sobra a los integrantes de este grupo es calidad y virtuosismo. Por eso no se entiende que los medios no atendieran este evento como noticiable y sí un concierto de un dj que parece ser abarrota escenarios con música pastiche obtenida de ritmos y melodías de otros compositores más serios, y que meten en una batidora cibernética para luego algunos críticos de dudosa formación alabarlos como músicos extraordinarios. Cierto es que algún dj se acerca a este oficio por dinero, para luego manifestar todo su talento con música de verdad, como Mason Bates, que ha presentado recientemente un sublime concierto para piano y orquesta de un éxito arrollador entre el público de música clásica. Pero ésa es la excepción.Que Neal Morse considerado por muchos periodistas especializados el mejor compositor de rock progresivo del mundo en dos décadas, las que llevamos de siglo XXI, o Mike Portnoy ganador de múltiples premios al mejor baterista de rock durante 30 años, o Randy George un consumado y veterano guitarrista y bajista que domina todos los estilos, no hayan podido promocionar esta joya como es 'Innocence and Danger' porque no les hayan dado voz mediática en ningún programa o informativo de televisión, clama al cielo de los rockeros. De hecho, a estos cultos de los telediarios solo hay un grupo de rock progresivo que merece su atención: Pink Floyd. Pero yo podría asegurarles que algunos trabajos surgidos de esas fluidas neuronas rosas son un bodrio comparado con las composiciones inocentes y peligrosas de NMB. Sobre todo el CD 1, 'Inocencia', es una colección de magníficos temas que podrían ser pinchados eternamente en la radio fórmula FM dedicada al rock, pero que no lo hacen por desconocimiento de los pinchagaitas de turno o porque no están dispuestos a difundir música de más de 4 minutos, aunque no dudan en poner los 7 que dura 'Starway to Heaven' de Led Zeppelin hasta la saciedad. Por lo que si a usted le gusta el rock de verdad, el rock lleno de virtuosismo en sus declamaciones instrumentales, con ritmo y melodía épica, no se pierda 'Do It All Again', 'Bird On A Wire' o 'The Way It Had To Be' que duran prácticamente lo mismo que el emblemático tema de los Zeppelin. Y hablando de este último tema de NMB. Sí a los medios audiovisuales tanto les gusta Pink Floyd, éste tema es de esa escuela, nos lo recuerda su ritmo cadencioso y su sonido de guitarra en los solos. Este tema habría sido una buena excusa para dar cobertura a los conciertos de NMB en España. Pero sin duda los temas de NMB que más éxito tienen en la reproducción de sus vídeos promocionales son 'Your Place In The Sun', muy influido por los trabajos de George Harrison (D.E.P.) y 'Another Story To Tell' en la línea de Asia y Yes. Concluye este CD 1 con 'Emergence', un sólo de guitarra acústica ejecutado por Neal Morse; 'Not Afraid (parte 1)', quizá el más pop y comercial de este trabajo; y el "cover" de Simón & Garfunkel 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'.Reconozco que el CD 2 'Peligro', puede conllevar un riesgo inminente a una emisora de radio si lo que piensa es difundir cualquiera de las dos piezas, piezas de una grandilocuencia rockera progresiva inaudita para el pinchagaitas de turno. Pero si usted disfruta de temas expansivos de estilo sinfonico, déjese llevar por esa grandilocuencia tumbado en una hamaca, recordando los bellos momentos de su pasado, mecido por la música de los 31 minutos de 'Beyond The Years'. Y cuando califico este tema de grandilocuente, no lo digo en sentido peyorativo, de artificioso y pretencioso, sino el que marca el diccionario de la RAE, "de estilo elevado", y si se busca "elevado", en su acepción primera: "sublime", que a su vez significa "excelso", "que descuella entre lo que le rodea", "que sobresale en mérito", "de superior calidad o bondad que dignifican su obra y es estimado por ello". Se discute sin embargo sobre su modo de cerrar este tema. Creo que el final abrupto que lo concluye no tiene nada que ver con un problema de espacio. El CD 2 dura 51 minutos y un CD tiene capacidad para 80. Tampoco creo que sea porque no sabían cómo terminar. Lo más probable es que como en muchas series de TV que dejan un final suspensivo para continuar la conclusión en la temporada venidera, NMB es probable que enlace ese final con otro tema como 2ª parte, ¿tal vez titulado "Beyond the centuries" (Más allá de los siglos) en su próximo trabajo? Y de ser así, de admitir está suposición como probable, ¿sería éste el último de la banda? ¿O el último con letras cristianas o moralistas? En todo caso el tiempo dirá si hay continuación o no de este tema, si variará la filosofía de Neal Morse y compañía a la hora de afrontar un nuevo proyecto o simplemente prescindieron de componer una coda al final de 'Beyond the years'. O puede que sea todo más fácil de explicar: hubo un corte de energía en el estudio de grabación y era más caro retomar desde el corte o empezar de nuevo que pagar el recibo de la luz. Quizá alguna vez lo explique alguien de NMB.Pero si este tema no satisface sus expectativas por su final, los 20 minutos de 'Not Afraid 2' puede colmarlas. Un tema más progresivo, y por tanto arriesgado, que sinfónico; pero que tiene sublimes hallazgos musicales épicos.Sólo hay una pequeña mancha en este disco, la versión un tanto fallida en su comienzo de 'Puente sobre aguas turbulentas' de Simon & Garfunkel, una intromisión que alarga el tema original sin ninguna aportación que lo mejore o lo potencie desde un prisma progresivo. El problema: lo nuevo no casa bien con lo que ya había, y lo nuevo es el comienzo, un postizo que se nota más que un bisoñé a un calvo, aunque solo hasta que comienzan los acordes de una guitarra acústica que termina ensamblando con la melodía original.Si este comienzo hubiese sido sustituido por efectos sonoros de sintetizador imitando una tormenta, el viento, el correr del agua hasta esa parte de guitarra acústica, la versión de 'Puente sobre aguas turbulentas' habría ganado en calidad. Bien es cierto que el sonido sinfónico con preponderancia de los teclados de Bill Hubauer en la parte culminante del tema es fantástico, con la aportación vocal e individual de todos los miembros de la banda. Una versión digna, pero no mejor que otros 'cover' de Transatlantic o que la famosa versión de 'America'' ejecutada por Yes del también dúo estadounidense. Todo un ejemplo éste a la hora de interpretar una canción clásica de música popular, sin necesidad de distorsionarla con unidades melódicas totalmente diferentes en forma y espíritu a la original, pero que la regenera con un genial solo de guitarra eléctrica de Steve Howe y un acompañamiento bestial y memorable del bajo de Chris Squire a lo largo de todo el tema.P.D.: Parece que esa manera de afrontar el tema de Simón & Garfunkel con una introducción ajena al cuerpo melódico original del dúo, ha sido detectado por NMB. Esto se aprecia en el vídeo de su directo de Hamburgo y lo han solucionado incorporando la guitarra en contrapunto de Gillette como fondo de esa melodía original de ' Bridge Over Troubled Water'.

Only recently discovered Neil Morse and this album meets expectations Great to listen to whilst walking the dog

このバンドの事は全く知りませんでした。私はドリームシアターの大ファンで現時点での最新作であるA View from the Top of the World購入後にAmazonでの投稿者の一人でのレビューのなかにこのバンドの事が触れられており、気になり購入してみてびっくりしました。最高では無いですか❗ケビンムーアのいた頃のドリームシアターの香りも有りますし、メロディ、演奏、どれをとってもケチのつけようが有りません。ギターボーカルのEric Gilletteは逸材だと思います。ギターもボーカルも最高レベルです。ドリームシアターには申し訳ないが2021年暮れ現在こっちの方が彼らの新作よりハマりました。何で今現在国内盤が出てないのか不思議でなりません。昨今のテクニカルに走りすぎてるドリームシアターに不満なリスナーならこのバンドに全部持ってかれますよ👍