TIM MORSE

Here we have the fifth album from Tim Morse, and the fourth which I have reviewed (I missed out on the last release, 2022's 'Awaken' which was released under the band name Parallels). I first came across Tim in 2006 after the release of the debut, 'Transformation', but his solo albums until now have always included other musicians, yet here he has decided to embrace his full talents as a multi-instrumentalist and done everything himself, including vocals. Morse says, "There were no rules about the music itself, so Soundtracks is a diverse, eclectic mix of styles and genres. On this album you'll find a Beatles homage ('Blueberry Way'), instrumental electronic music ('Cityscape'), a ballad ('Lullaby'), and so much more. It was a blast to roll out of bed and think, 'I feel like recording bass this morning?' and not depend on anyone else to complete the project. It brought out a fun aspect of experimentation, especially with instruments I'd never played in the past."

The result is an album which is pleasant to listen to, firmly staying in the middle of the road, but its quality should not necessarily be negated due to that. There is the feeling that this will be used more as background music than actually listened to, but there are certainly some enjoyable moments within this and there is a lightness and Summery feel which is refreshing. One can certainly imagine some of the music being taken and used within films, and the cover photo certainly fits very well with what is taking place inside, as if Morse felt something needed more keyboards, or guitars, or even banjo then he delivered. There is not a lot of percussion, which leaves room for space, and it certainly works in this setting. It is not as progressive as some of his material, but there are times when he reminds us, he has written a highly acclaimed book on Yes. A nice way to wind down from some of the more intense music I listen to.

I do not believe that Tim is a relation to Neal, but again we havea Morse who is producing exciting and interesting prog music. Tim may be better known to some as an author of a best-selling book on Yes, so it is probably not surprising that there are a few Yes nods, but these are rare. This is all about the bringing together of Tim (mostly keyboards, plus some lead vocals and guitar) with Mark Dean (all other instruments) and then adding in the vocals of Richie Zeller. This is very much a prog album, with layers of keyboards and piano, but at the same time, it is also inherently a melodic rock album with plenty of guitar. It may be Tim's name above the door, but this is very much a group sound and not a keyboard workout. They have taken some Floyd, some Hackett, even some Kansas, that little bit of Yes, and thrown it all together and boy does it work. This is extremely polished, with enough time changes and little bits and pieces in the mix that brings a smile to the face. Richie appears to be approaching his vocals much more from a rock area than 'normal' prog (whatever that is), which gives the band a different flavour ? it is reminiscent in some ways of the approach of Damian Wilson, but these vocals are much earthier, with more balls. This is one that progheads and even melodic rock lovers will not want to miss.

Originally appeared in Feedback #86, Feb 2006

A trap album.. The last Tim Morse! At the beginning yes it's them finally their grandsons. THE BEATLES you understood, and then the machine starts up.. melodic, ethereal, finally not too much, and then electro but just in snowy layers, and then variations.. progressive yes the word is out... and then these jazzy atmospheres... but from afar with this piano that smells good. In short some would say Art Rock.. I say it's a beautiful progressive album. 1. Blueberry Way for the Beatlesian sound 2. Remembrance for the interlude coming from limbo, challenging 3. Cityscape goes on VANGELIS, CARPENTER, threatening, dark synth, towards a submerged city 4. Broken Compass for the bucolic, contemplative ballad, pop rock from the time when one could travel without fear and without effort 5. By The River interlude with the trumpet coming to crash on your ears, delicate sweetness 6. Balance between the acoustic guitar, the banjo and the accordion, for the southern melody with this final slide spleen guitar that warms the hairs 7. Eponymous soundtracks, majestic, a solemn zest of VANGELIS, YES, voice-overs, a vocal in the distance, a funeral march worthy of a BOWIE; the first sung title

8. Empty Vessels with vibraphonic or xylophonic bells, a burst of cat with fleeting flute and a synthetic spatial outro that makes you jump 9. As Yet Untitled for the riff à la BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST, in symphonic redundancy, the illuminated vocal and a beautiful final keyboard layer 10. Solar Flare for its jazzy soft, twirling approach 11. Deidra for its delicate piano and its crystalline guitar arpeggio, a timeless variation 12. Mind Games oriental intro before leaving on a sung piece from the 80s, with lightness and shamelessness, almost soul-funky with this dancing groove à la EARTH, WIND & FIRE; a moment with another keyboard from the 3rd period of GENESIS 13. Lullaby for the marshmallow title with the little train that passes, your monolithic tone that unfolds like an endless rail 14. Musical vortex with the ambient moment that lets go into another world riding bubbles, passing from one to the other before they burst.

It is safe to say that under his own name Tim is not the most prolific of musicians, but he must be forgiven as he is also in other bands as well as being accomplished author, there are only so many hours in the day. I actually have all three of his solo albums which stretch back to 2005 and 'Transformation' and have always found them enjoyable without ever really having the killer punch. This compilation covers that 15-year period from 2005 to 2020 and has seen Tim remaster the old material with Craig Long, while also including songs which have not previously been easily available. In the end he had so much fun that he provides an additional five songs on the download version, taking us to a total of 19 and a running length of 1 hour 50 minutes.

We must remember that Tim has been part of the Yes tribute band Parallels as well as writing about the band, so perhaps that we get some wonderfully symphonic numbers is not a surprise, but he actually starts the album with a solo classical guitar piece which works incredibly well as an aperitif. The real delight with the compilation is that he has deliberately brought together songs which would normally sit close to each other, showing the breadth of his material, and while that may seem clunky and contrived, within this set it works very well indeed. This is progressive rock which is easy to listen to in that it is not challenging, yet there is a great deal on here to enjoy and the variety means there is something here for everyone.

He recently covered "Awaken", which got Rick Wakeman to comment it was the best Yes cover he had ever heard, but while there is a cover on here it is somewhat surprising that it is not by Yes at all, but rather by Pink Floyd. I have always felt that 'Animals' is an overlooked album in the Floyd canon, with 'Dark Side of The Moon' and 'Wish You Were Here' preceding it and 'The Wall' following, but it was the first album of theirs I ever bought (on 8-track cartridge, can you believe it?), and I have always loved it. His version of "Dogs" is an absolute delight, and I can listen to that one track all day. Although it is a solo release, Tim believes in bringing in the right musicians for the right job, so there are a host of people involved on this given that it covers such a long period. Previously I have always enjoyed his albums while not thinking them to be essential, but with this set my view has changed. If you have yet to come across Tim Morse then this is the place to start.

As a solo artist it is safe to say that Tim is not the most prolific around, but since his last album, 2012's 'Faithscience', he became a member of the Jerry Jennings band and formed The Mangoes with Bret Bingham. Mind you, given it was seven years between his debut and his second, and only six years to this one, possibly we only have to wait until 2023 for the next one. I have both his earlier albums in my collection, and at one time was in regular contact with Mark Dean who had a major part to play with the debut as well as quite a lot in the second, but I note he is not nearly as involved this time (just one guitar solo). Neither is David Ragsdale, who guested on both of those, but although Tim initially wanted this to be a pure solo album he realised he was missing the input of others so again has used plenty of guests.

When the writing was finished Tim decided that it was essential to record on as much vintage gear as possible ? Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes electric piano, Mini-Moog, and Mellotron samples. He spent a day at the Oakland Vintage Synthesizer Museum tracking songs with all kinds of analogue synthesizer goodness (including the mighty Moog Taurus Bass pedals). Says Tim, "On this recording I wanted to find the right balance between structure and improvisation. Of course, all of my solos were improvised (most of them are first takes done on the original demos), but even parts that might seem structured were done one pass on the fly. I believe that adds a vital feel to the music. I also kept a lot of scratch tracks where some precision may be sacrificed because the feel of the music was right."

This is a solid enjoyable rock album with prog and pop tendencies, and while none of the songs really stand out, it is still fun to listen to. In many ways it is a direction continuation of the last one, which also had a similar feel in that while not totally essential, it is a songs-based album with pleasant vocals and can be easily enjoyed.

3.5 stars for sure

Tim's second album named Faithscience was on market after 7 years from the debut in 2012, but worth the wait, because this second offer is as good as the debut. All pieces are more then ok, imagine a combination of Spock's Beard with The Flower Kings, that symphonic prog that might be intresting to listners. Complicated arrangements with excellent musicianship, elaborated arrangemnts, intresting keyboards and nice guitar parts, as muct sound this type of music. All pieces stands as great, not a weak moment here, there are 2 pieces over 9 min that I think are the best from here or maybe little more intresting then the rest. Musicicnship is great, lots of invited guests Tim's helping hand, they done all a great job in the end. So, both albums worth investigated, he is little known in prog circles and I think must be praised more Faithscience needed for sure 3.5 stars, a good one from start to finish, great art work aswell.

Tim Morse is a solo keyboardist known as the member of the Yes cover band Parallels. He is also the author of two prog related books. And before you ask yourself, no, he has no relation with Neal Morse. Faithscience (2012) is the musician's second album. It's the follow up to Transformation (2005) and it was released last year by AEP Records.

Tim spent 2 years writing and recording the album. In fact, Faithscience (2012) started off as a conceptual album about Charles Lindbergh (a pilot that managed to make the first solo crossing over the Atlantic), but in the end Tim decided to write about more topics and the concept drifted away.

Tim Morse's music is based on the traditional Symphonic Prog, but the one born in the 90's with bands like The Flower Kings and Spock's Beard. In fact, his vocals remind a lot Roine Stolt, but they're far from being a copy.

Faithscience (2012) has an impressive and extensive list of guest musicians such as David Ragsdale (violin - Kansas), Jerry Jennings, Mark Dean and Moss Hudson (guitars), Gordon Stizzo (drums), Jim Diaz & Sean McMillin (bass), Timothy Stanley (cello) and many more. The album is a brilliant mix of keyboard driven Prog with lots of amazing guitars moments (especially by Mark Dean) and tracks that make you think and shake your head. It's quite amazing that Tim has been in a cover band for some time but his own music doesn't sound like Yes at all. That's quite a good job of him.

'Descent' and 'Voyager' open the album giving quite a great first impression. 'Closer' then follows and it is one of the most interesting songs, no doubt. 'Window' changes the pace of the album to a little acoustic piece of music, so Tim can follow with 'Numb' with the acoustic feeling and can also add some cello.

The middle of the album presents 'Myth' and 'Found It', the weakest tracks on Faithscience (2012). 'Rome' comes back to the good Tim Morse's sound. To conclude, we have the final trio with the amazing 'The Last Wave', the beautiful acoustic ballad 'Afterworld' and the wonderful final bit of piano and voices of 'The Corners'.

Faithscience (2012) is one of the most interesting albums released last year! It has everything that a good prog fan would like to hear and a bit more. If you don't know Tim Morse yet? it's high time!

Sometimes I wonder what kind of a career can one have if carrying the same surname with a legendary figure of the same music path.American keyboardist Tim Morse, who has no relationship to the legend of Neal Morse, prooved to have a decent one.A prog enthusiast already with two books on his back ('' "Yesstories" and "Classic Rock Stories"), Tim Morse came in touch with multi-instrumentalist Mark Dean through Magna Carta's Mike Varney and released indepedently his debut ''Transformation'' in 2005 along with lead vocalist Richie Zeller.

A rich and at time pompous Progressive Rock album with tons of changing climates, ''Transformation'' not only prooves that Tim Morse is an excellent musician and composer, but the album will certainly have a great impact to all these searching for releases that have both modern and vintage elements.Influenced by GENESIS, YES and U.K., Morse presents a fresh prog approach with passionate vocals, superb and powerful bass lines by Dean and some incredible keyboard parts, including organs, synths and piano.The tracks show inspirations from SPOCK'S BEARD-like modern Prog, Symphonic Progressive Rock with a few more Fusion-esque keyboard techniques added for good measure, but they all sound extremely tight and well-crafted.Especially keyboard lovers will find this album more than satisfying, as Morse's work is characterized by bombastic organ passages, grandiose pianos and atmospheric synth textures all the way.''Transformation'' is highlighted by the 16-min. ''Apocalyptic visions'', a beautiful composition with variation on themes, alternation between highly technical and more spacey/Electronic parts and nice shifting moods.

Additionally the album unfolds around a concept about a man and his life's transformation through time with strong autobiographical sections.Nice discovery for all fans of modern and well-arranged Progressive Rock with evident references to the 70's.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.

This is the second album from Tim, following on from 'Transformation' which came out in 2005. Originally this project started out as a concept album based on the life of Charles Lindbergh, but eventually strayed from that original vision to be more all encompassing. Tim provides all keyboards, many of the guitars and most of the vocals while Mark Dean has also had a massive input into this album as he did with the last. David Ragsdale also makes a return appearance, providing violin where required. Overall this is a very interesting album, with some great musicianship throughout ? comment also needs to be passed regarding the production which is superb and really makes the listener feel that they are in the middle of the band.

The booklet is very basic, but to make up for it the listener can go to the website and uncover information regarding every song from Tim himself which makes it all very personal (and if you haven't purchased the CD yet then it is possible to also play tracks at this page as well). This is a really solid album with lots going for it, but I do feel that there are times when it loses its' way a little, and that is probably because this isn't a group album ? but rather a multi-instrumentalist with additional hired hands. To me this album is at its' finest when Tim allows himself to remove all restraints and provide some blistering keyboard runs and interplay. He has great confidence in his touch and ability, and this really comes through with the delicate piano on album closer "The Corners" which moves through swathes of orchestration to something that is both powerful and poignant.

It is an album that I enjoyed playing, and I am sure that while it is not totally essential many progheads will feel the same and I urge you to check out the website and give it a try.

Tim Morse is an unknown american musician who release his first solo album in 2005 named Transformation. Well I was very pleasent surprise about this album, this is symphonic prog rock with some killer keybords made by Tim hinself and very well performed pieces. It reminds me of greatest artists of prog like Genesis, Spock's Beard and Yes among others. Complicated arrangements with excellent musicianship, maybe the voice of - Richie Zeller is in some places little flat and without any range, overall is more then ok, even Tim sings on couple of pieces fiting better in the musical context then Zeller, but is just my opinion. All pieces stands as great, not a weak moment here, Tim done some great parts and the album is a real keyboardheaven release. Fans of the genre will love this album, yet unnoticed to many. Pieces like Apocalyptic Visions, nearly 17 min of majestic symphonic prog, that's why this album got very positive fitback from giants of prog like Peter Banks or Patrick Moraz. 4 stars to this album, recommended to all listners of good , chalenging prog.