Lifeline - Dark Publications

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Editorial Reviews:

Album Description
Neal Morse is a prolific American multi-instrumentalist and progressive Rock composer based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is known for his musical versatility,his writing and recording output. The album features performances from Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) on drums and Randy George (Ajalon) on bass as well as special guest appearances including Paul Bielatowicz on guitar and Paul Gilbert (Racer X and Mr. Big) who features on a bonus cut. Neal and his band played the title track, 'Lifeline', live at at the Night of the Prog festival in Loreley, Germany.

Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...

2 out of 5 stars

Neal's new cd needs a lifeline unfortunately. October 1, 2008
6 out of 8 found this review helpful

I love Neal's work,the man is brilliant BUT,He missed it with this one.Neal should take a break and seek some new direction . I feel he's repeating himself badly with this cd.{I hate to say it}Neal is getting into a rut. He really needs to bring in an outside producer and some different musicians{especially in the drum area...sorry Mike you are great but your playing isn't "fresh" on this recording}This cd does have a few good moments, but, there's just too much familiar riffs and arrangments that won't allow me to give more than 2 stars.Neal,you're still a genius to me anyway...just try something new for your next one.

3 out of 5 stars

Time for something new September 30, 2008
5 out of 6 found this review helpful

First, let me say that I am one of Neal's biggest fans. I loved everything he's put out. That being said, this album is just "ok". Neal is getting VERY repetitious. I was able to predict his arrangements and melodies on most of the songs. Some of his riffs on this CD have been used before on previous CD's. One major problem is Mike Portnoy. Mike is one of the best rock drummers ever, but he's doing the same stuff over and over now. How many times does he have to do that alternating ride/china beat? Time for Neal to make a change in the drum department. Rod Morgenstein I think would be a good fit. Since Neal has already worked with him it's a possibility. Leviathan is the only song on this CD that I feel Neal branched out a little, though it still contains a riff previously used in Author of Confusion from the ONE album. The sax solo on So Many Roads is awesome also.

As predictable as this CD is though, it still blows away 99% of Christian music currently out there. Definitely still worth a purchase.

5 out of 5 stars

4.5 stars for Neal's "Lifeline" September 30, 2008
5 out of 7 found this review helpful

Great CD. Not sure if I like it better than "Sola Scriptura," but it's definitely a winner! Some songs rock hard, others are acoustic, with one ("Can't Find My Way Home") resembling Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" without every venturing into the territory of plagarism. Mike Portnoy (drums) and Randy George (bass), as usual, turn in very good performances. While "Lifeline" doesn't surpass "Sola Scriptura" or "Testimony," it is a worthy addition to the Morse catalog. I had the wonderful opportunity to watch Neal during a pre-gig dress rehearsal with his band earlier this summer, and they did "Lifeline" long before any of us heard it. Great stuff. The reference to Britney Spears and today's bubble-gum, "American Idol"-driven market near the end of this record was a nice touch without being nasty.
It's amazing that Neal Morse continues to put out great music, and so much each year. He cranks out three albums in about 2 years, if not less time. Good stuff.

3 out of 5 stars

An "ok" album....(at best) September 30, 2008
4 out of 7 found this review helpful

I'm a big Spock's Beard/Neal Morse/Transatlantic fan and own everything any of those groups have done so I'm definitely predisposed to like Neal's work. (Even his Beatles 2 disc cover with Portnoy :))

That being said, overall I think this album doesn't represent Neal's best effort. The title track has some nice moments though doesn't stray too far from the "formula". Leviathan is kind of fun and So Many Roads also has it's moments. The rest of the songs, however, are little more than worship songs like what Neal's released on his Praise albums. That's fine if that's what your in the mood for - and sometimes I am - but in this context on what's supposed to be a prog album, I'm a little disappointed.

I did get the special edition which had the bonus disc and I actually enjoyed Crazy Horses and Lemons Never Forget as much as I enjoyed anything on the first disc so I'm glad I decided to spend the few extra dollars.

All in all I think it's really time for Neal to take a year off, really take some time to explore new territory because a lot of the stuff on this album definitely has the "been there, done that".

Note: I know this review sounded more negative than positive but that's pretty much just because Neal's set the bar so high for himself with albums like The Light, One and ?. I did actually enjoy the album and it's certainly better than 95% of the music that's out there nowadays.

4 out of 5 stars

Life Almost at its Best September 30, 2008
4 out of 6 found this review helpful

For those of you who are familiar with Morse's work then picking this up is a no brainer. It's progressive and it's Neal, so what could be wrong with that. At first listen, this album has all of the characteristics of Spock's Beard and Transatlantic so can anything be wrong with that? I would say not, but after some more listening time I would tend to agree with the other reviewer that Neal has done this before, but it's no different here than picking up the latest Journey album. Been there, done that also because that's the genre they're in. So, Neal isn't going to stray too far from the formula he knows and has done for years. Not to say that this isn't a killer album and doesn't blow away anything in the mainstream Christian market. It certainly does. The three tracks, Lifeline, Leviathan, and So Many Roads are the prog pieces of the album. While the other tracks are good, they are more to the worship side of things and a lot more mellow. But I think Neal is proclaiming his faith here and that's why they're included. I saw a little more "Jesus" referenced in this album than previous and that's his right. After all, he is a Christian and how else does he proclaim his faith other than sharing it with you in the songs. So, I wouldn't expect anything different going forward and maybe more in your face about Neal's faith. While I love the songs he did with Transatlantic and the evident spirituality in those songs which I think were some of his best, this album still delivers. It just delivers in a different way. I would love to see songs like "We All Need Some Light" or "Bridge Across Forever" in further outings from Neal. Without putting his faith in your face those songs make quite a huge statement, bar none to what he has done since.

Overall, a solid effort here (Between 4 and 5 stars) and this review is only for the 'Lifeline' album, not the bonus disc that is also available.

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