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Progland was founded by John Gabbard in 2005. It's purpose has been to provide you, the music community with the latest music and dvd reviews. It will continue to be your link to the most popular music reviews in the progressive world.

 

Neal Morse-"Testimony"

Reviewed by: Tom Beck
Genre: Prog Rock
Country: USA
Language: English
Length: 137:22
Release Date: September 23, 2003
Label:
Metal Blade
Band Members: Neal Morse / producer, composer, guitars, synth, piano, organ, vocals Mike Portnoy / drums
  Eric Brenton / violin, flute Chris Carmichael / violin, cello, strings
  Kerry Livgren / guitar solo on "Long Story" David Henry / cello
  Jim Hoke / sax Neil Rosengarden / trumpet
  Katie Hagen / French horn Mark Leginer / sax
  Byron House / string bass Glenn Caruba / percusion
  Johnny Cox / pedal steel guitar Jerry Guidrox / guitar
  Pamela Ward, Aaron Marshall, Rick Altizer, Terry White, Gene Miller / backing vocals
  Disc 1: 72:46  
  Part 1 - 41:08 Part 2 - 31:38
Track Listing: 1.)- The land of beginning again (3:10)  
  2.)-Overture no. 1 (5:58) . 9.)-Wasted life (6:50)
  3.)- . California nights (5:46) 10.)-Overture no. 2 (2:31)
  4.)- Colder in the sun (6:20) 11.)-Break of day (6:55)
  5.)- Sleeping Jesus (5:32) 12.)-Power in the air (5:03)
  6.)-Interlude (1:56) 13.)-Somber days (5:06)
  7.)The prince of the power of the air (2:43) 14.)-long story (5:35)
  8.)- The promise (2:52) 15.)-It`s all I can do (6:25)
  Disc 2: 50:57  
  Part 3 - 12:06 Part 5 - 10:33
  1.)- Transformation (3:00) 10.)- Overture no. 3 (1:05)
  2.)- Ready to cry (4:17) 11.)- Rejoice (2:28)
  3.)- Sing it high (4:48) 12.)- Oh lord my god (3:54)
  Part 4 - 28:19 13.)- God`s theme 2 (2:10)
  4.)- Moving in my heart (3:06) 14.)- The land of beginning again (0:54)
  5.)- I am willing (6:28)
  6.)- In the middle (2:27) Disc 3: 13:39
  7.)- The storm before the calm (7:31) 1.)- The fang ... sings! (0:18)
  8.)- Oh, to feel him (6:17) 2.)- Tuesday afternoon/find my way back home (13:21)
  9.)- God`s theme (2:31)
     
     
     
     
The Review

Neal Morse NEEDED to create Testimony. He had obviously been dealing with personal feelings about his faith, and place in the world. Testimony may be his “catharsis”, his release, in music, about everything he went through. Testimony is 100% autobiographical tracing his life from his early years growing up and partying in California, all the way up to his conversion, his being “born again” to Christianity.****

Perhaps the greatest thing about “Testimony” is its evidence that Neal was not going to abandon progressive rock for boring run of the mill Christian rock or worse yet, acoustic guitar strumming Kumbaya type of stuff. From the very first bars of “The Land Of Beginning Again/Overture 1” you know you are going to get progressive music. Plus, just looking at the length, and make up of the musical compositions on the CD; if you are a normal listener to progressive music, you notice right away that Testimony is divided into five long movements each being broken down into shorter segments. Basic progressive music structure.****

Looking back on Testimony it is not his best work, that was still to come; but the length and breadth of the work is pretty astounding. (Even though not his best, Progressive World still placed it in the top 5 for 2003, but keep in mind we hadn’t heard “One” and “?” yet) Not only is it nearly one continuous uninterrupted piece of music but it contains a seemingly endless display of different types of musical form. You name it, it’s in there; progressive, rock, jazz, folk, traditional, light classical. Testimony is definitely not boring. It may get a little preachy and soft along about the middle of disk two but recovers by the end. However, at the end, Neal has been “born again” so you get a lot of “Praise God, Alleluia” lyrics with the music. ****

Testimony is divided into five parts, or “movements” simply titled Part1 , Part 2, etc.. Each of the five movements is about a particular point in Neal’s life and his journey towards Christianity. Attempting to review each segment may be pointless because there are simply so many with so many varied styles a reader may quickly get information over load. As with any good progressive work “Testimony” rapidly changes musical styles, pace, and structure with segments blending into each other and lasting anywhere from only a couple of minutes to over seven minutes in length. Neal provides four separate overtures which provides the listener with a preview of what to expect in the next segments. Only three pieces are actually labeled as overtures but the first cut on Disk 2, “Transformation”, is very much like an overture. ****

Disk one is definitely the best of the two. Disk one primarily concerns itself with Neal’s life and adventures with only his first inklings about “there has to be something more” being briefly introduced. Disk one is progressive music at its best and rocks from number to number. Kerry Livgren (Kansas/Proto Kaw) makes his ONLY appearance with a guitar solo on cut #14 “Long Story”. To be honest he probably “phoned it in” literally. He is given personnel credits but he really should have been given “guest artist” credits. I mean, really, a couple minute guitar solo? If it was not listed as to where it actually occurs you wouldn’t even know it was him. However, he is also thanked for “spiritual advice” and “strong tea” so he must have actually been in the studio. His picture in booklet is pretty non-descript. ****

Disk two starts out strong but then begins to slow down the pace and gets pretty preachy, but “The Storm Before The Calm” is a killer number that picks up the pace and breaks a little of the mellowness. It’s probably the best number on disk two. By the time you get into “Part 5” it is 100% Christian lyrics. A simple glance at the song titles will tell you this much. Part 5 also tends to sound more like inspirational music than progressive music. The music is still complex and varied but not what I would really call progressive.****

Testimony is a decent progressive work but definitely not for every prog fan. And, as mentioned, not Neal Morse’s best solo work. If you want to check out Neal at his best as a solo performer check out “?”. That one is not to be missed. The lyrics are so cryptic anyway it is difficult to tell it is even “officially” a Christian recording. If you have a Christian friend and wish to turn them onto progressive music then turn them on to “Testimony”.

**** Grade: B

 

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