Neal Morse

On Lifeline we get an amalgam of everything near and dear to a progressive rock fan’s heart. Neal Morse is a sophisticated writer and arranger, with influences as diverse as Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Yes, The Moody Blues, Kansas, Styx, and maybe even a bit of Zappa, tempered with a healthy respect for such classic rock artists as The Who and The Beatles. Lifeline is a finely crafted work with big-sounding music and personal, heartfelt lyrics delivered with passion and precision by Neal. Essentially the work of three men (Morse on vocals, keyboards and guitars, Randy George on bass, and the amazing Mike Portnoy on drums), sophisticated arrangements, multi-tracking and Morse’s production skills make Lifeline sounds more like the work of a full six-man prog-rock band.

On this outing, Morse has created his first ‘Christian’ project not conceptually tied to a specific theme. Previous works have been multi-layered prog-rock operas about such weighty issues as personal conversion, the Old Testament temple, the life and work of Martin Luther, and God’s overall plan of redemption for humankind! Here, Morse relaxes a little and gives us seven songs about the Christian life in general – before you think he’s slacking off, let me mention that these seven songs amount to almost seventy minutes-worth of music, and that the penultimate track, “So Many Roads,” is a six-part opus over twenty-eight minutes long!

The title track starts off the album in typical Neal Morse fashion, introducing the main theme played solo on piano, then picked up by the rest of the band: the theme is restated and built up with tight percussive breaks and instrumental flourishes. For the uninitiated, this opening section (it’s a full four minutes before the song’s first vocals are heard) is an excellent introduction to Neal’s music and to Portnoy’s powerful drum work (which sounds like Keith Moon playing Ringo’s drum solo from The Beatles’ “The End” jam). The band plays the basic ten-note theme for all it’s worth leading into Neal’s vocal entrance: “When I was almost out of time / He gave me a lifeline right down to my soul / that I might grab a hold, when I was cast away / Right up from the grave…” For those who wonder about such things, yes – Neal is very clear about his subject matter, as the majestic ending declares, “Jesus is my Lifeline…”

Following the thirteen minute opening track (an excellent primer for prog-rock newbies) Morse gets down to songs of more conventional length and format. “The Way Home” is essentially acoustic-guitar driven – a powerful, emotional ballad about searching. The simply-titled, “God’s Love,” is a direct, very melodic statement with a strong chorus and very emotion-filled guitar work from Neal. “Children of the Chosen,” features some signature Morse vocals and tasty flamenco-inspired soloing on the acoustic guitar. Lifeline ends with the very climactic “Fly High,” a soaring, passionate ballad that builds to a goose-bump inducing finale featuring guest guitarist Paul Bielatowics (watch this guy!) fiercely taking things to a higher level with his soul-searing guitar work accenting the powerful climax of the song.

Not to be left out of the mix is the thoroughly delightful, prog-metal treatment of “Leviathan,” no-doubt one of the few songs in any Christian catalogue to include the word ‘nostrils,’ (“he sneezes and bright lights come out”) that don’t specifically belong to God. It’s a furious, horn-riff heavy, double-bass pedal song featuring an unexpected guest shot by an Old Testament character. Who says prog always has to be pretentious?

A Deluxe Edition of Lifeline is also available, including an extra disc full of great tracks (Neil’s ‘extras’ are usually packed with as much good music as most artists’ official releases). Neil’s projects are generally pretty intense, so the bonus disc starts off with a little pure fun, as he gives us an over-the-top, heavy metal version of The Osmonds’ “Crazy Horses,” followed by “Lemons Never Forget,” a Beatle-esque Bee Gees number (Morse even gets in a little “You Should Be Dancin’” after the song ends, as we hear some casual in-studio moments). The third track is, in my opinion, the best version of “The Letter” I’ve ever heard: based on Leon Russell’s re-arrangement of the hit by Box Tops, Morse takes the song that much further, really nailing it.

A cover of “(What’s So Funny About) Peace Love and Understanding” follows, leading up to two more Morse originals. “Sometimes He Waits,” and the mini-epic, “Set The Kingdom,” are fine compositions that are far more than the throwaways or botched takes that one often finds on bonus discs. Either of these tracks could find a place on any ‘official’ Neal Morse release, and are a real treat for any fans of Morse, prog, and good spiritually-oriented music in general.

The amazingly prolific Neal Morse has done it again. Lifeline is Neal’s fifth official studio project (if you don’t count Morse’s Bavarian Polka Odyssey – and we won’t) and is the latest and most accessible release of his post-conversion career. Together with Randy George and Mike Portnoy, Morse has once again given us intelligently-written songs from the heart, performed with the kind of chops that prog fans devour and with lyrics that Christians and spiritual seekers in general can fully embrace.

Tagged as: Lifeline, Neal Morse

↓ One comment

#1 John Wofford on October 2nd, 2008 at 2:47 pm

Mike Portnoy is one of my personal favorite all-time drummers. I’d love to see Morse live.

Awesome review, Bert, as always. Your work gets more and more interesting.

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