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""Innocence & Danger" is a new success from The Neal Morse Band that promises many hours of fun ahead."
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4/5
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After having gratified us with a solo album last year (the excellent "Sola Gratia"), Neal Morse comes back this time in the form of the group bearing his name, The Neal Morse Band, to give us a successor to "The Great Adventure" (2019) entitled "Innocence & Danger".
As it has become accustomed, The Neal Morse Band is not stingy in music since, for the third consecutive time, it offers us a double album. But once is not customary, no concept links this time the titles between them, the two discs evolving besides in appreciably different playgrounds.
The first album, subtitled "Innocence", is a collection of relatively short tracks (for The Neal Morse Band) touching different musical styles, pop-rock, hard rock, AOR-like and of course, a bit of progressive. In this respect, it seems that the recent artistic collaboration with Jon Anderson has left some marks on the American. If he affirms that this meeting influenced his texts, giving them a freer and more avant-garde format, this is also felt in the music which often takes Yes-like tints ('Your Place in the Sun', 'The Way it Had to Be', 'Emergence', 'Not Afraid Part 1'), sometimes solar, sometimes aquatic, and on the recurrent use of the choral vocals. The mimicry is even pushed to the point of introducing a short classicizing instrumental with acoustic guitar, which is not the most interesting passage, as Steve Howe liked to sprinkle Yes' work.
Easy to approach, often energetic, very melodious, varied, playing on contrasts (in this respect, the presence of three singers is a real plus), "Innocence" is a flawless album.
The second album, "Danger", is quite different. Containing only two long suites, 'Not Afraid Part 2' (19'32") and the titanic 'Beyond the Years' (31'22"), it plays the progressive rock card with many themes, breaks and alternating vocals and instrumental passages. If 'Not Afraid Part 2', long variation of 'Not Afraid Part 1' of "Innocence", is very well done with its numerous sung themes and its choral passages of the most beautiful effect, 'Beyond the Years', without demeriting, is more conventional. We find everything we expect from Neal Morse and Transatlantic: epic melodies, all more beautiful, fluid transitions and a quality of interpretation that never fails. But also some superfluous compulsory passages, like the now traditional evocation of Gentle Giant's 'Knots' or the apotheosis finale. If the title can be listened without weariness, it does not provoke any surprise.
Nevertheless, "Danger" remains very pleasant to listen to and "Innocence" adds to the pleasure a good dose of interest giving the desire to play the record again and again. Is it necessary to specify that the sound recording is impeccable and that the musicians' performance is dazzling, between guitar and keyboards solos played at the speed of light and a first-rate rhythmic duo, without forgetting the excellence of the singers, either alone or in chorus. All in all, "Innocence & Danger" promises to provide many hours of pleasure. - Official website
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SIMILAR BANDS:
ARENA, UNITED PROGRESSIVE FRATERNITY, YES, ECHOLYN, MORSE, PORTNOY & GEORGE, PATTERN-SEEKING ANIMALS, THE TANGENT, SPOCK'S BEARD, UNITOPIA, SUPERNAL ENDGAME
TRACK LISTING:
01. Do It All Again (08:55)
02. Bird On A Wire (07:22)
 03. Your Place In The Sun (04:12)
04. Another Story To Tell (04:50)
05. The Way It Had To Be (07:14)
06. Emergence (03:12)
07. Not Afraid Pt. 1 (04:53)
08. Bridge Over Troubled Water (08:08)
09. Not Afraid Pt. 2 (19:32)
10. Beyond The Years (31:22)
LINEUP:
Neal Morse: Chant / Guitares / Claviers
Randy George: Basse
Bill Hubauer: Chant / Claviers
Eric Gillette: Chant / Guitares
Mike Portnoy: Batterie / Choeurs
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(0) MIND(S) FROM OUR READERS
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(3) COMMENT(S)
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A chaque "offrande" de Neal Morse - c'est bien le mot qui me semble le plus adapté -, la même sempiternelle question me revient : mais comment fait-il ? Comment fait-il pour imaginer des mélodies à une fréquence de batteur sous psychotropes, développer des morceaux aussi riches en instrumentation ? On pourra certes reprocher à NM de ne pas se renouveler, mais en est-il besoin ? Il fait ce qu'il sait bien faire, et cela suffit à notre bonheur. Et quand on se dit qu'on a atteint le pic de l'album avec Not Afraid Pt.2, et bien il nous sort un Beyond The Years qui vous pose ses 30 mn au compteur. Anachronique mais tellement jouissif.
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Oui. Trois fois oui pour cet album. Autant j'avais été déçu par le dernier effort solo de l'ami Neal Morse, un "Sola Gratia" un peu redondant à mon goût, autant cet "Innocence & Danger" me convient totalement. Bon, tout n'est pas exceptionnel, le titre 'Emergence" vient comme un cheveu sur la soupe et semble être une impro à la guitare ratée. Et, globalement, les titres tirant sur la pop au milieu de l'album ne m'emballent pas plus que cela mais ils contribuent à la richesse et la variété de l'ensemble.
Mais, honnêtement quelle fin d'album avec "Bridge Over Troubled Water", la reprise de Simon and Garkunkel, et les deux titres fleuves qui affichent 50 minutes à eux deux explosent tout.
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Pas grand chose de neuf sous le soleil divin de Neal Morse ... mais à ce niveau d'excellence, comment s'en lasser ?
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READERS
4.4/5 (7 view(s))
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STAFF:
3.8/5 (5 view(s))
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IN RELATION WITH NEAL MORSE
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OTHER REVIEWS
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OTHER(S) REVIEWS ABOUT NEAL MORSE
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