TRANSATLANTIC

Track 1 - Duel With the Devil

This is the longest track on the album, but not by much. It is only 29 seconds longer than track 4, with both being over 26 minutes in length. We begin with what is effectively a string quartet. We'll hear this tune later. The band kicks in with power chords and fills giving us a proper big intro. At 2:15 Roine Stolt plays a nice melodic guitar solo. By 2:40 we've gone into odd meters, first featuring Morse on keys, then Trewavas' bass. There are several musical themes developed before Morse begins singing at around 4:40. This album was released about a year before Morse would leave Spock's Beard to explore his new-found born-again Christianity. I believe the lyrics here may have to do with him wrestling himself spiritually (but I could be wrong). Roine Stolt takes over on vocals after the music changes and becomes more mellow around 7:15. I like the tempo increase around 9:10, and Morse takes back over on vocals, albeit with harmonies from the rest of the band. Very cool riff just after 10:10 that takes us into an instrumental break. By 12:30 the music has mellowed out and Stolt plays a wah-wah guitar solo. Just before 14 minutes into the song a sax solo begins performed by a player named Keith Mears. Just before 15 minutes there is a huge half-time section. Love it! There's a cool changing meter section that begins after 16 minutes in. By 17 minutes we have a totally different groove, almost an R&B/Fusion type of thing happening, very smooth. Portnoy is playing some cool things on small sounding cymbals. There's a great proggy riff right at the 20:00 mark. Excellent drum fills from Portnoy follow close behind. There is a youth choir that joins in starting around 21:30. Morse hits a big note at 23:33 and things slow down and Stolt's guitar takes over the melody, with beautiful mellotron strings behind. The sound is enormous! And we hit the big final chord at 26:00 but it fades out with a subtle piano figure. This track is EPIC in every way. Everything one might want from a prog supergroup such as this.

Track 2 - Suite Charlotte Pike

I am more familiar with live versions of this one which incorporate a medley of other songs. This one is 14:40, although it's the second shortest track on the album. We fade in with a cool groove, that sounds like a jam session. They pause for a moment for some silly banter then kick back in. Morse counts to four then the vocals begin at 1:50. This song has a more straight rock feel, sometimes reminding me of Let It Be era Beatles. The Beatles influence continues with the piano pattern that begins at 4:42. Very smooth harmonies at 5:30. Stolt takes over on vocals just prior to the 6-minute point. Shortly before 7 minutes, we have some mellow synth parts that sound like Wakeman on the Revealing Science of God by Yes off of Tales from Topographic Oceans (one of the quieter sections). However, before long there is an upbeat groove that leads to a Capella harmony vocals singing "Don't you think if you can be lost?" (we'll hear this again later). Portnoy and Trewavas keep a tight-rockin' groove throughout. In the section about "In the temple of the gods" there is a high keyboard part that somewhat reminds me of sounds in the Beach Boys Good Vibrations. There is a voice that doesn't sound like Morse or Stolt singing some lead vocals around 9:45. Could that be Portnoy? I know he can sing. The vocal harmonies at around 10 minutes are great. I love the shifting meters at around 10:45. Things mellow out and get jazzy on a Fender Rhodes after the 11-minute mark. Nice bluesy guitar fills from Stolt around 12:30. Things start building up around the 13- minute mark, then fade out to close the song. Great track

Track 3 - Bridge Across Forever

This is the short song of the album at 5:30. It is a mellow piano-vocal song from Neal Morse. I believe he is finding his spiritual path on this one. Not much else to say about it. It is the weak point of the album for me. He sings and plays well, but it seems to slow the album down a bit.

Track 4 - Stranger In Your Soul

The other BIG epic, this may be my favorite Transatlantic track. (My version ends at a little past 26 minutes. I know most versions have the fade in from Suite Charlotte Pike after the proper song ends, making the full track 30 minutes long). The string quartet (parts overdubbed by a single player) returns from the beginning of the album. A fierce drum and bass part fades in, followed by keyboards then guitar, before Portnoy opens up the groove at 1:27. Things keep building with impeccable rhythm section work and a synth melody until the main musical theme begins at 2:00. Stolt plays a melodic guitar part accented by Trewavas' bass line. Things slow down and piano talkies over near the 3-minute mark and Morse begins singing. The second verse is in harmony. The meter keeps shifting in the verses. The harmony vocals are brilliant at 4:25. The main theme is back at around 5 minutes. A heavy rhythmic riff begins around 6 minutes and vocals join in with different singers trading off. I love all of the variations on the different melodies used in the song. The main theme returns at just after 9 minutes in. The groove changes at around 9:30 and Trewavas plays an amazing bass fill. As promised the "Don't you think if you can be lost?." section from Suite Charlotte Pike returns shortly thereafter. By 10:30 things have chilled out a bit before a rockin' part at 11 minutes. Excellent guitar from Stolt while the rhythms section is cookin' underneath. After a chorus, things get very mellow at just before the 13-minute mark. Vocals from Morse return at around 14:45 as things remain quiet. Things start building back up around 17:50. Several variations of tunes from throughout the song are played here. Then we get a jazzy verse with mainly piano & drums featured in the backing. I love the phasey, harmony vocals at around 20:00. Trewavas get another bass solo at around 21 minutes in. I am loving the big grand ending section with the half time feel. After what seems like the final chord, Mose plays one of the themes on the piano as the song fades.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

Outstanding album. My only deduction is from the title track, while a nice song, seems to drag down the progress of the album. The three epics are instant classics in my book. 4.75 out of 5 Stars.

Clicking 5...Really a 4.75, but 4 is too low.

Let's get started?the main album (not including bonus tracks) is considered a single piece split into 11 tracks, so that is how I'll be reviewing it here.

Track 1 - I. Overture/Whirlwind and II. The Wind Blew Them All Away

This one was on a Prog Magazine sampler CD back in 2009 when the album came out. We begin with sound effects fading in. Morse then fades in with a keyboard part. Then we have a symphonic fanfare followed by the band kicking in with Morse and Stolt playing a tandem melody. The beat changes at 2:15, then Stolt takes over with a guitar solo. The rhythm changes again with Morse taking a keyboard solo. There are a number of melodies in this part, which as an overture, will come back as we proceed through the piece, Bay around 5:15 Trewavas and Portnoy are featured as Pete plays an ascending bass line. Guitar and keys intersperse melodies. Portnoy is playing some great fills around 6 minutes in. By 7 minutes the band has locked into a steady groove and Stolt starts singing. On the second verse Morse joins on harmony vocals. At 8:45 we go into a half-time feel. Morse takes over lead vocals next. Things get mellow at 9:50. Morse continues on lead vocals at around 10:15. Stolt joins on harmonies at around 11:10. Heavier guitars come in around 13:25 courtesy of Stolt. The tempo goes up a notch and becomes more steady at around 14:30. Morse joins back in with more intense vocals. Great track!

Track 2 - III. On the Prowl.

This part begins with a groovy bass line from Trewavas, joined by Portnoy's slick drumbeat. Morse enters next with a fantastic electric piano solo. Stolt joins the party last on guitar. This movement is jazzy and swingin' so far. The finger snaps that join in help to accent that fact. The feel becomes more rock-like at around 3 minutes, then vocals join after the groove is established. The groovy feel returns at around 4:10, but only briefly. Nice melodic lines from Morse & Stolt at around 5:10. By 5:30 we have an open, airy feel before it begins to lead up to the transition to?

Track 3 - IV. A Man Can Feel

A heavy riff serves as an intro for this part before the tempo and dynamic drops. Stolt starts singing and part of the accompaniment is on Harpsichord. A little spooky sounding at first, but it becomes more hopeful soon after. There are beautiful harmonies in the chorus. The spooky feel returns with a mellotron in the groove and a slow-building Stolt solo. This part could be on a FKs album, easily. There is another guitar solo at around 3:30. It feels as though there are minimal overdubs. The song has a very "live" feel to it. Morse follows with an organ solo. Then the two of them play melodies together. At around 5:10 the tune changes to a more ominous one. The tempo and groove changes on a dime at around 6:10 with Portnoy providing double kick drums before this movement comes to a close. Outstanding track.

Track 4 - V. Out of the Night

The opening chords of this one remind me of "Getting Better" by the Beatles. Stolt on lead vocals at first. Morse takes over later. High energy track. Things chill out after the 1-minute mark. Stolt's guitar here reminds me of Steve Howe with the octaves. The original tempo returns just before 2:00. This one could have been a single. It's pretty commercial (not an insult) for this bunch of players. Stolt's Howe-like playing continues as he solos before the track comes to a close.

Track 5 - VI. Rose Colored Glasses

After an opening transitional chord, arpeggiated clean guitars take over, and Morse begins singing. We are in a slow ballad-like tempo. The beat becomes steady when Portnoy kicks in with a beat around 1:35. There is a simple melodic guitar solo between verses. There is a nice bridge with excellent vocal harmonies starting at around 3:20. A guitar solo begins around 4:20. What Stolt lacks in flashiness, he more than makes up for in melodies and phrasing. The vocals resume at around 6:20. The song fades out on sustained notes. Beautiful track.

Track 6 - VII. Evermore

We begin with some piano patterns. The bass & drums interject complex patterns on top. We go into a nice groove in 12-8 at 42 seconds in. The harmonized vocals begin at around 1:35. Portnoy and Trewavas go into a double-time feel at around 2:30. Lots of great playing happening here.

Track 7 - VIII. Set Us Free

We begin with what I'll call a "big Spock's Beard style" beat. Guitar and Keys play melodies as we get the festivities underway. Morse begins singing at around 1 minute in. This one seems to have the most overtly Christian lyrics on the album (for anyone who doesn't know, Morse left Spock's Beard to explore his Christian faith.). There is an extremely cool double-kick drum fill at 2:48. We end with piano arpeggios and other sounds.

Track 8 - IX. Lay Down Your Life

We begin with a bit of a sinister melody & groove. Morse has lead vocals on this one as well. This one has a really "big" sound. Coming out of the first verse turnaround the riffs are twice as long as they had been but return to the standard riff for the second verse & chorus. Nice guitar solo by Stolt. This leads us to?

Track 9 - X. Pieces of Heaven

A staccato, odd-metered rhythm begins this portion. We go into a 7-4 riff. There is some great proggy playing. This one feels like a perfect hybrid of Spock's Beard & Flower Kings styles in a brief but fun instrumental movement.

Track 10 - XI. Is it Really Happening

A long-sustained chord starts this part off. There are some spoken word parts in the mix. Perhaps news reports? Gradually, a spacy melody begins. This one is a bit Pink Floydish. (Think: "Is there anybody out there?") The rhythm becomes steadier as we progress. The music begins to crescendo at around 4:10. When we hit the guitar solo at 4:35 or so, the tempo also accelerates. Portnoy is going full-on double kick by 5:30, but it's not in a metal kind of way. The music is still atmospheric, even at a higher tempo. Things ease off slightly with a new rhythm and Keyboard feature at around 6:20. We morph into a 6-8 as the song begins to reach a conclusion. Then many meter changes! It really does sound like a whirlwind! Awesome prog!

Track 11 - XII. Dancing With Eternal Glory/Whirlwind (Reprise)

We have reached the final movement of the suite. Piano flourishes start us off. Morse begins playing steadily, before he begins singing. (It's been a while since Stolt did lead vocals?) The movement has a ballad-y feel to it. Stolt provides some slide guitar fills in the second verse. The lyrics seem very Christian again ("the giver of life is asking you to dance?don't be afraid to take his hand?") I like the music, but the lyrics are a bit much for a non-Christian such as myself. I love the big finish, instrumentally.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

Great musical performances throughout, as one would expect from this line-up as the suite progresses, though, it's like Roine Stolt's lead vocals were no longer required. Morse is a great singer, and talented musician, but I would have liked more balance. The writing and arranging credits are credited to the whole band, but the deeper we got into it, it became more and more Neil Morse's point-of-view. I mean no offense to anyone who follows a Christian path; if you find comfort in that, that's great. But to me, as I have listened to music from all four members' primary bands over the past 2 decades or more, only Morse's writing has gone that way. The Flower Kings particularly seem to address spirituality in a more universal/cosmic way. That said, the music and all but a couple of the movements had enjoyable lyrics to me. I'll give this 4.5 stars.

Clicking 4, but really 4.5!!

Neal Morse and his band wanted to bring Transatlantic to Morsefest since 2000. It will be a reality in 2022 in Tennessee. This package of 2 Blu-rays has more than 4 hours and a half of music. The band played the complete "Whirlwind" and "Absolute Universe," plus some songs from their catalog. What is special here is the inclusion for the first time live of the cover of one of, if not the first 18-minute epic of progressive rock by Procol Harum, "In Held (Twas) In I." We have here a punchier version with added percussion. They also reproduce the sound of the original Hammond organ in a specific passage. The band has the addition of a percussionist, a choir, and a string quartet. But I have to say that we don't hear the orchestra much with this big soundstage produced by the band. The ballad "Shine" was written by Neal upon the inspiration of Paul Hanlon, to whom the album is dedicated. He has been a fan of Neal's music since the beginning and was supposed to fly from the UK to see this show, but passed away 2 days before. Neal was very emotional during the song. In the second ballad, "We All Need Some Light," we hear a duel of guitar between Neil and Roine, and for the first time in this calm passage, the violin's presence is heard. Then it's the complete "Whirlwind" suite. The epic song with multi-movement parts that take you on a long journey of musical crescendos. As much as I love long epic songs from many progressive rock bands, in the case of Neal Morse and Transatlantic, they always seem a bit too long. There are some recurrent themes, which is the norm for many epics, but I get a feeling of too much similarity in some sections of those songs.

The second disk is the "Absolute Universe" album, which is still enjoyable for me since it is the latest album. This is another hour and a half of music, but this time I am not that bored with the music. So, you have a lot of music on this package that will please Transatlantic fans, but having heard those albums a lot in the past year's studio and live versions, I won't go back often to listen or watch.

For night one, the band performed 'The Whirlwind' in its entirety, the first time they had done so in 10 years. They also added "Into the Blue" and "Shine" from their fourth album 'Kaleidoscope' as well as the classic ballad "We All Need Some Light." As a surprise, they also played a song they had never previously performed live - their cover of the Procol Harum classic "In Held 'Twas In I" from the first Transatlantic album 'SMPTe.' The second night saw the full performance of 'The Absolute Universe', bringing together all the songs from the two different versions, and then closing with a medley from their first two albums including "All of the Above," "My New World," and "Stranger In Your Soul."

This is Transatlantic at their best, in the live environment where everyone has total trust and faith in each other. The band may have had an extensive break, but their history together goes back more than 20 years, and I still feel Pete must get a huge lift out of playing with these guys given it is so very different these days to his day job. This is a prog act who redefine what it is to be just that in the 2000's, looking back to the Seventies but lifting that into the modern context and producing music which is both essential and incredible. Symphonic, massively over the top, this is a joy from beginning to end and the addition of Leonard is just the icing on the cake as the band somehow manages to life to new heights. Simply remarkable.

Transatlantic is a progressive rock super band formed in 2000 by Neal Morse of Spock's Beard and Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater. Originally intending to include guitarist Jim Matheos of Fates Warning, Morse and Portnoy decided to include Roine Stolt of Flower Kings when Matheos was unable to participate. The band ended their line up by adding Pete Trewavas of Marillion. Their debut album, "SMPT:e" of 2000 received strong and rave reviews. Their second album, "Bridge Across Forever" of 2001 finds the band affixing the form that prog rock is known for. Their third album "The Whirlwind" of 2009 arise after a break of almost seven years. The fourth album "Kaleidoscope" was released in 2014.

"Kaleidoscope" is available in two formats, a double edition and a special edition, which is mine. The double edition has two CD's. The first CD has the main album with five original tracks. The second CD has eight tracks, which are eight cover songs. The eight cover songs are "And You And I" of Yes, "Can't Get It Out Of My Head" of Electric Light Orchestra, "Conquistador" of Procol Harum, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" of Elton John, "Tin Soldier" of Small Faces, "Sylvia" of Focus, "Indiscipline" of King Crimson and "Nights In White Satin" of The Moody Blues. The special edition, beyond the main album and the bonus disc, contains also a DVD that contains the making of "Kaleidoscope", a promo video clip of the track "Shine" and images behind the scenes. This is probably the version that most fans will desire.

The line up on the album is Roine Stolt (vocals, electric guitars and percussion), Neal Morse (vocals, keyboards and acoustic guitars), Pete Trewavas (vocals and bass) and Mike Portnoy (vocals and drums). The album had also the participation of Daniel Gildenlow (vocals), Rich Mouser (pedal steel guitar) and Chris Carmichael (cello).

If you like progressive rock music, you surely know or at least heard of the super group Transatlantic. As many of we know, the band's formation is a true constellation of progressive stars. All these super musicians met again in 2013 and planned a new studio work, "Kaleidoscope". "Kaleidoscope" is a long album, over an hour, and only five songs, which can chase away the listener who hates long tracks guitar and keyboard solos and long intros. But, Transatlantic knows how to reconcile very well in each song heavier and lighter passages, more poppy and accessible with passages of pure rhythmic smashing. Regardless of the taste of each one, they are all very well elaborated tracks that bring together everything that this band has already shown in previous albums, what really is the progressive rock primer is all about.

About the five tracks, "Into The Blue" is the first epic. It's the typical opening song for a Transatlantic's album. With 25 minutes, it's a complete journey divided into five parts, "Overture", "The Dreamer And The Healer", "A New Beginning", "Written In Your Heart" and "The Dreamer And The Healer (reprise)", obeying to a very common logic in the classical music and reused by progressive rock. Each of these parts contains its own riffs, solos, choruses and vocal melodies, making of "Into The Blue" a set of tracks united by the same narrative idea and the melodic theme. "Shine" is a lovely heartfelt number, a ballad with a very calm and a nice engaging groove. All four members of Transatlantic have their opportunity to sing. The whole band participates, giving vigour to the song. "Black As The Sky" is a vigorous song, one of the best on the album. While the keyboards and guitar are the main instruments on the song, there's a great interplay between bass and drums throughout the entire track. "Beyond The Sun" is the least emblematic track on the album and one of the weakest in Transatlantic's discography. It serves as an interlude between the previous and the next track. It's neither a thrilling song as the previous one, nor as beautiful as "Shine". "Kaleidoscope" is the second epic. It's almost 32 minutes divided into seven parts "Overture", "Ride The Lightning", "Black Gold", "Walking The Road", "Desolation Days", "Lemon Looking Glass" and "Ride The Lightning (reprise)". It's exciting, beautiful, well made and well produced. It takes advantage of the skill of all musicians. It delivers very accessible sessions to the audience for any listener to be able to connect with its verses, choruses and rhythms. But, like every great epic progressive track, there are many sophisticated harmony passages and different time signatures. This is a true progressive epic piece in all its aspects.

Conclusion: Once again, some will say that Transatlantic doesn't propose anything new and is content to reproduce what they have already done in the past. It's true it has the same formula you've heard before and that offers very little in the way of experimentation or newness. But, it's done just as well as ever. Due to its technical quality and its above-average production, "Kaleidoscope" remains a fascinating album. Every element you expect is there fully. In the end, this is music adventurous, intricate, and fun that deserves acclaim, regardless of how identifiable it sounds. The fact that these great musicians can reunite compose and perform so well, it's reason enough to celebrate. The quartet still stands as a dominant force in its field. Let's hope they keep it going for years and years to come. So, fans will love it.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Transatlantic is the best example of a super-group to me, with four very talented musicians from four of the greatest progressive rock bands ever, Dream Theater (Mike Portnoy), Marillion (Pete Trewavas), Flower Kings (Roine Stolt) and Spock's Beard (Neal Morse). And I'm a huge fan of all these four bands and of the four musicians. But this doesn't mean necessarily a guarantee of the quality of Transatlantic. However, Transatlantic isn't, for sure, one of those failed experiments. It was proved before with two previous amazing studio albums, albums that are branded as two classics.

"The Whirlwind" is the third studio album of Transatlantic and that was released in 2009. It's available in three formats, a standard traditional edition, a double disc special edition and a deluxe edition, which is mine. The standard traditional edition has the main album, while indexed into twelve tracks, "The Whirlwind", which is considered as only one song. The double disc special edition, in addition to the main album, has a bonus disc that includes eight studio recordings, four original Transatlantic's songs and four cover songs. The four cover songs are "The Return Of The Giant Hogweed" from Genesis, "A Salty Dog" from Procol Harum, "I Need You", a song that is a combination of America's and The Beatles and "Soul Sacrifice" from Santana. The deluxe edition, beyond the main album and the bonus disc, contains also a DVD. This release of "The Whirlwind" is probably the version that most fans will desire, and that it will be by a very good reason. The DVD contains a rather lengthy and very insightful journey with this super group. Namely, it tells that Roine Stolt, Neil Morse, Pete Trewavas and Mike Portnoy as they reunite and go about recording this new Transatlantic's album. All over the DVD, we can clearly see that they have an amazing chemistry between each other.

"The Whirlwind" is a concept album divided into a twelve part epic, running just about seventy-eight minutes. It deals with ecological and political issues. The full piece has some recurring themes, both lyrically and musically. Lyrically, there are a lot of references to the wind in most songs, while musically the themes of the album appear on it at different times and in different forms. The concept is more difficult to grip than many usual concepts. For instance, it's easy to find out the concepts behind "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway", "Scenes From A Memory", "2112", "The Wall" or "A Thick As A Brick". It revolves more around the struggles faced in live, not just in ours, but in other lives too. Many running themes that will pass the album are the whirlwind, the ship and the lives that are affected by the whirlwind.

One of the greatest advantages of this album is that the concept is split into twelve parts, making some of the songs more accessible and easier to listen to. That was some elements that were missing from the other two earlier studio works, with tracks sprawled between ten minutes and a half an hour. The balance between the vocals and the rest of the band also improved. Morse and Stolt share their vocal duties equally and the four musicians bring more highly complex instrumental works into each track. This became an important advantage that was gained in the making of this album.

Musically, the album arising with an orchestral introduction, the customary cool prog instrumental arrangements follows and the Transatlantic sound returns as they used to serve us. There are many fine musical arrangements here, which combine vocals and instrumentation that sound wonderfully. Subtle musical references to symphonic prog rock legends like Genesis, Yes, Gentle Giant and Pink Floyd are audible and recognizable here. However, fans of The Flower Kings, Spock's Beard and the solo albums of Neal Morse will also love this album. The craftsmanship of these four musicians is outstanding and the compositions are even better than those on their previous albums. There are many fine arrangements that combined with the vocals of the chorus sound wonderful. "The Whirlwind" has ample twists and turns to maintain your attention, with their enthralling musicianship Transatlantic have again given us a fine release.

Conclusion: Many improvements were made on "The Whirlwind". The album is more accessible, better balanced and laid a great foundation for the concept to lie on. None of these elements were so well contained in the past two studio albums. So, "The Whirlwind" is a better album than its predecessors. Transatlantic isn't an everyday band, but a group of extraordinary and accomplished musicians who have come together to do what they do better and record the kind of prog music that they and their fans like. So, give to "The Whirlwind" the time to be perfectly digested as it deserves. Albums like these are the reason why I love prog. So, this new Transatlantic's album deserves an inclusion in your prog collection. Just to finish, I need to write some more few words about the disc two. As I wrote above, the second disc is actually a bonus disc. It's one half originals and the other half is covers. I personally enjoyed it, but it's just only a nice bonus disc to the really impressive first disc. I particularly enjoyed the cover songs on it. It's always a pleasure to hear such songs performed again in a more modern way, as a tribute to so many great bands and musicians from the past.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Song by Song:

Track One: Duel With the Devil "Have you woke up screaming in the silence of the night?..." Great opening lyric, and (bad grammar aside) Love the synth work in the first of three epic tracks that grace this record. I love the quiet backing guitar about 7 minutes in. Near the 12 minute mark, there's an epic Wah guitar solo, with some accompanying Sax near minute 13. I've never been a huge fan of Morse's lyrics overall, but they're pretty good here. The female backing singers near the end work pretty well. Great symphonic Rock Epic, 4.5 stars. Very 'Epic' in scope.

Track Two: Suite Charlotte Pike "If she runs, let her run, run, run..." I think I detect a 12 string guitar somewhere in the opening, (I should know, I own one). A bit of 80s harmonies on this one, near Beatles-esque. I have a feeling they realized this, considering the ending of Section I. If She Runs has the lyric 'It's Hard -- Calming the Beatle inside me" It reminds me of (at the time of posting this) the latest Moon Safari record, obviously, that came later, but perhaps Moon Safari took a page out of Transatlantic's book. Everything goes back to The Beatles it seems, go figure.

Many prog-heads don't seem to focus on the lyrics too much, but I'm an exception. I'm sorry Neil, these lyrics are rather generic, nothing spectacular.

The electric piano in the background works on section V, not sure about the REALLY high pitched synth in the background, as I'm writing this, I'm developing a headache because of it. Otherwise, great track!

Track Three: Bridge Across Forever "There's a bridge made of light, that crosses between death and life..." Ok, stop the review

What kinda Jon-Anderson parody stuff is this. I believe this is Neil writing Christian lyrics. I'm a Christian myself, these lyrics aren't where it's at man, I'm sorry. I could write better than this. Generic Rhymes all around, anyways, back to the review.

The shortest song on the album, (and the title track) Runs a mere 5:33, it opens with an ethereal piano intro. This is a very spiritual song. (this is the obligatory Morse Ballad Track, but one of his better ones... I think) Slightly repetive, he repeats the title too much, It's like a Bob Seger song. But slower

Track Four: Stranger in Your Soul "Not so long ago, I lived Far Below..." VERY Nice drum and keyboard intro, Portnoy contributes a drum fill before the rest of the band joins in. Transatlantic love their Overtures, that's for sure. (That's not an insult, OR a compliment. It's a statement, take it how you like) Near 4 minutes they get HEAVY. The backing choir synth, and metal guitar, it all gels together so well? The song builds to a WONDERFUL climax (as per usual).

Having the multiple singers works well here, who cares about the lyrics if they're sung this well?

This is a rather smooth track, my favorite on the album.

ANALYSIS: 5 Stars for the musicianship, 3 for lyrics, it gets a 4

The first (and so far only) Transatlantic album I've listened to, I've heard it nearly half a dozen times, and it really only gets better with each listen. Usually I go through each song individually, but they are so musically and thematically linked, it would be near impossible. However, I will say my favorite section is VI. Rose Colored Glasses. I think it just has a great feel to it, and the lyrics flow very well, especially the line; "This world is not our home, You can live like a rollin' stone, But you cannot escape with your life!"

The record never slows down, in it's 72 minute runtime, (All one GIANT Suite, though some might not agree, who cares when the music is this amazing!)

Like I said earlier, I'm not familiar with the band's catalouge very well. I'm more used to the 70's stuff, and I'm slowly expanding outwards. It seemed cool to listen to a 72 minute suite, so I did. Lo and Behold, it's good. Each member has their time to shine (especially Stolt, he solos all over here)

Section 12 (Dancing With Eternal Glory) seems to get some flak for being your typical Neil Morse Ballad, it seems fine to me, but maybe that's because I grew up with 80s music, it's all ballads there. Nevertheless, it doesn't really bother me in the slightest.

Overall, a fantastic record, and I highly recommend it to those looking to expand their musical horizons.

Easily a 5-Star album, it's beautiful.

"...And from the whirlwind, Comes the breath of life!"

"Bridge Across Forever" is the second studio album of Transatlantic and was released in 2001. Due to the debut studio album of Transatlantic, "SMPTe", Neal Morse, without question, has become the pivotal figure in the progressive rock supergroup Transatlantic. But, for this second album, the group attempted to balance each member's contribution more equally, because of the criticism that their debut studio album "SMPTe" was too dominated by the musical style of Neal Morse. Anyway, "Bridge Across Forever", at times, sounds more like a Spock's Beard's album than an album from any of the other players' primary bands. Perhaps that's because Morse handles most of the lead vocals, but it could be something deeper than that. While isn't a concept album, the lengthy epics share at least one movement with another.

The line up on the album is Roine Stolt (vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, Mellotron, keyboards and percussion), Neal Morse (vocals, grand piano, Hammond organ, mini Moog, Rhodes piano, synthesizer, guitars and mandolin), Pete Trewavas (vocals, Warwick bass and Taurus bass pedals) and Mike Portnoy (vocals and drums). It had also the participation of Chris Carmichael (violin, viola and cello), Keith Mears (saxophone) and Elite choir (background vocals).

"Bridge Across Forever" has four tracks. All songs were written and composed by Roine Stolt, Neal Morse, Pete Trewavas and Mike Portnoy except "Bridge Across Forever" which was written by Neal Morse and Celeste Prince. The first track "Duel With The Devil" is divided into five parts: "Motherless Children", "Walk Away", "Silence Of The Night", "You're Not Alone" and "Almost Home". It starts with good instrumental themes played in a classic heavy progressive style. After some minutes Neil's vocals starts with a heavy Mellotron sound. The lead vocals are shared by the band in a very effective way. After that, Roine brings a second vocal melody, which is also very strong, followed by a quieter part, with some guitar sounds and saxophone. After several minutes, the rest of the track mainly consists of themes that were introduced earlier, performed with some variations. This is a great and very exciting opening track to the album. The second track "Suite Charlotte Pike" is also divided into five parts: "If She Runs", "Mr. Wonderful", "Lost And Found Pt. 1", "Temple Of The Gods" and "Motherless Children/If She Runs (Reprise)". It has a more bluesy feeling and is the song most different from the other tracks on the album. According to the diary on the official website of the band, it was meant as an ode to The Beatles and a way to use some unfinished bits that the band had lying around. This is a track that sounds pretty good and that has a very strong retro feel, and where at the times the band is doing wild 60's rock. Sincerely, I don't feel this piece of music too much original, cohesive and progressive. However, we must say that it has some great musical moments like "Temple Of The Gods". The third track is the title track "Bridge Across Forever". It's a short and intimate piano ballad where the emphasis is on its melody, which is very beautiful, and is magnificently sung by Neal. A nice sensitive romantic ballad is a very good idea to break the all tension of the album, indeed. Like "We All Need Some Light" of "SMPTe", this lovely ballad it would have fitted very well on one of Neal's solo albums. The fourth and last track "Stranger In Your Soul" is divided into six parts: "Sleeping Wide Awake", "Hanging In The Balance", "Lost And Found Pt. 2", "Awakening The Stranger", "Slide" and "Stranger In Your Soul". It shares many similarities to the opening track, and in a way this reflection gives the album a cyclical feel. Again, some very good themes are used, and performed in a very fresh and energetic way. The mood changes from aggressive and bombastic to melancholic and subtle. Vocally, it's a very strong track, both on melody and on the singing voices. Some earlier themes from the album appear on this track, mostly effectively. This and the first track are clearly the best and worth buying the album.

Conclusion: "Bridge Across Forever" has the same formula of their previous studio album "SMPTe". Nobody can criticize the band as a low respectable band, because they always said that Transatlantic wanted to make classic prog rock music releasing all the musical influences from the old classical bands of the golden prog era. The two long tracks "Duel With The Devil" and "Stranger In Your Soul", are in the same vein that "All Of The Above" from the first album. This is where the band develops their own sound and at the time shows all the musical influences that they have. The performance is very good, providing the technical skills of each member. The vocals are excellent, giving the perfect balance between the classical symphonic rock and the freshness of the present day production. Between these two masterpieces there are "Bridge Across Forever", a typical beautiful ballad which isn't very well connected to the rest of the tracks and "Suite Charlotte Pike" a funny track with a lot of The Beatles feel were all band's members singing for a final unsorted but an interesting result. Concluding, here we have again a very good album with a high commercial potential, with two long tracks with absolutely stunning quality from the band that helps to cover the other weak points.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)