THE WHIRLWIND

When I hear anything from "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" I always end up thinking about "Teenage Rampage" by Sweet. Somehow memories of things I did at the time, places I went become blurred. If Teenage Rampage was suddenly on a new remaster of The Lamb just after The Lamia I wouldn't be at all surprised. Although the differences are nowhere near as wide, I'm always going to end up thinking about "The Whirlwind" by Transatlantic at the same time as "Down and Out In Paris And London" by The Tangent. Thy once shared a guitarist, they are/were both "Supergroups" they both begin with T, they are both very good, well, much better than just that, and they both released an album in November 2009, I had looked forward to both in the months coming up to the release.

The big difference in anticipation factor was that where The Tangent have released a steady stream of albums since 2003 with at least one product every year since then, it's inevitable that my thirst to hear Transatlantic together again (and with the same people) was somewhat greater. Both of the bands made stonking and genre defining debut albums, both bands as far as I am concerned released a weaker sophomore set shortly after-wards. The Tangent got their chance to recover (which they did - admirably so) and Transatlantic waited until now to have their shot. The big question was, would they, could they do it again? It's a question that I am sure many others would ask, and a comparison I'm sure many others will have made and at the time of writing I see that this forum actually has a thread about which of the two bands is the best.

At least with Transatlantic we were guaranteed our favourite people again. However, I think that there are huge differences in personnel with Transatlantic. How so? And here I simply have to go straight for the horns by saying that the principal writer and obvious lynchpin in Transatlantic has come back to the project as a completely different person. An openly converted and quite radical Christian believer with a mission, an established chain of successful Christian tinged solo albums behind him with a message which to quote the man himself is a "Whole nother trip".

This album chooses to kick off with a fireworks display and the OVERTURE section (god I LOVE titles like that, used to get everyone at The NME and SOUNDS so annoyed). The album screams its trademark from the word go, that big fat synthesizer theme, urgent and in your face drumming, the bass running about all over the place (with a fantastic sound!!) and Stolt's wonderfully weaving guitar. Big grin all across my face, banging my knees in time and then getting caught out - this is what I want, I've wanted it for years and now I've got it. Welcome back. You have been gone too long.

As the overture gives way to the first song, they surprise us and it's Stolt who is the first voice to appear, just as you expected the first long Morse note that starts so many of his projects. the Title track "WHIRLWIND" is classic Transatlantic, Stolts's vocals soon (all too soon) giving way to Morse for those big tuneful and exciting choruses, pulsating latent verses and general "joy of prog" stuff that the band are so good at delivering. I am "in the zone" so are they and this album has kicked off with a glorious first impression.

I am not going to do a track by track analysis of this album (besides which it's all supposed to be one long track which it simply is not). Suffice to say that it features dazzling musicianship, great tunes and throughout gives you that whole Transatlantic sound which is dear to so many of us who like our prog rock to be joyful and upbeat. It is just fantastic. And now is a good time for the "buts". here are a few of the major "Buts"

BUT I would argue that since the first Transatlantic album, there have been an awful lot more Transatlantic albums than just the two official ones. The formula that worked so astonishingly well on SMPTe has been used and re-used again and again. I'd argue that V by Spock's Beard had far more in common with SMPTe than it had with "The Light". I feel that I have been listening to Transatlantic when I hear "Testimony", when I hear "Question Mark" and when I hear "One". Despite the great input from Stolt and Trewavas on all Transatlantic material the fact is that Morse and Portnoy have such big and proud standing roles within the band that they simply can't be detached from all those other records they have made together (V excluded for portnoic reasons) Those great fat synth lines are also in the Morse solo work, the same with all the choruses and verses, the writing, the lyrics, the sound, the production are all so similar that its very difficult to really see what the nub of Transatlantic IS other than a well know trademark under which to sell yet more Neal Morse led material.

BUT the lyrics. I mean, really "BUT THE LYRICS". I am not a subscriber to Neal Morse's new Christian lyrics. I'm not a Christian, and I'm not really planning on becoming one at 56 years old. And But within But, BUT I support Neal Morse's right to write about anything he wants, and if he believes in something enough, well it's his right, he might even say his duty, to write about it. I've still listened to all his prog stuff since, enjoyed a lot of it, and sometimes repressed a few shudders of distaste about what he's saying, but overall can live with it because of the quality of the music. On this album he sounds like a priest with his hands tied up. Sounds like a Vicar opening a village fete who has to "say something but not make it too religious", yet who desperately needs to convert this potential flock of secular people to come to Church. So the direct references to "my Lord", "God" and "Jesus" have become references to "The Master", the "Giver of Life", the "True Breath" and I'm afraid that the people at the village fete who are waiting to get on with the mud wrestling and welly wanging are not in any way fooled by this thin disguise.

In fact I find the lyrics rather blurry. they're simple yet don't convey much at all. I'm not sure what it's all about although it feels very Old Testament Noah stuff. I feel I'm being preached at, but don't really know what it is I'm supposed to be being taught. And the lyrics are very thinly spread, lots of repeated lines, reprises and themes stated over and over all of which may be disguised or justified by saying "well it's all one long song" or could be cynically dismissed as "not enough marmalade for so much toast"

I don't think either Transatlantic or The Tangent have ever given us something really new. Even from the off. Both of them have given us what so many of us wanted, tastes and flavours of the music we loved earlier in our lives with a sharp modern edge. I don't think either band would claim to be great innovators, Trewavas and Tillison have been far more innovative in other bands than these two (hence I like the others less). Tangent have kept their styles moving around the central core of what they do from symphonic prog to straight Jazz fusion and Transatlantic have stayed exactly the same, straight down the line. The Tangent's music has always been more collages of recognizable nods to many different bands and styles whereas Transatlantic/Spock/Morse have always had a fixed and readily identifiable sound of their own. Both these positions are understandable and even likeable. Most of us hate it when "the band's we're in(to) start playing different tunes" which is all a part of our own inflexibility. And in recognizing my own inflexibility I have to recognize why it is that I like Transatlantic so much, why all Morse's sermonizing, why all the clichés, why all the similarities with other Morse led material will not stop me loving this record by Transatlantic, because despite my higher ideals of "progress" and "development" I have to admit at the end of the day (no pun intended) that this is just about the record I wanted them to make. Thank you for doing it to all of them. I remove two stars for the lyrics and give one back for just being such a damn fine band. 4 stars therefore. My second review for this site.

Grim Tim December 2009