THE WHIRLWIND

I am a level 1 going into this one. I know some bits and pieces but not the whole thing. For those who don't know, Transatlantic is a supergroup consisting of Roine Stolt of the Flower Kings on guitar & vocals, Neal Morse, originally of Spock's Beard, later solo and other Flying Colors on keyboards & vocals, Mike Portnoy originally of?and now back with? Dream Theater, and too many other projects to name here in between on drums, and Pete Trewavas of Marillion on bass. This is the third of basically 5 studio albums they did together (the fifth, and they say final, one had 2 versions.) I am more familiar with the first 2 than this one.

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!!