Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

The extravaganza of it all, the performance, the gala festival, when it all boils down it no amount of words can quite possibly describe the flowing momentum and atmosphere that surrounds Neal Morse, one of the kings of the Progressive Rock genre, as his music is captured tantalisingly live and presented with open and frank clarity in Neal Morse’s Morsefest 2014 Live.

An extravaganza it surely is as Neal Morse returns to his home town and presents over the course of five hours some of the most enchanting Progressive Rock music to have been released and with the simply gorgeous additions of a six member female backing vocals section, full orchestra percussion and collaborators Mike Portnoy, Randy George, Bill Hubauer, Eric Gillette and the wonderful surprise of Alan Morse being present for a rendition of the Spock’s Beard classic The Light.

Spread over five hours, the amount of music to listen to, too truly immerse yourself in, is not only incredible but shows just how much certain weekends with certain musicians and performers can capture the imagination. The live festival is still hanging on as an entertainment feast but there is something rather enjoyable when it is just the one musician and a selection of songs from an immense back catalogue that is being played down your stereo speakers; it is even more a tangible experience when the bundle contains the concept albums Testimony and One as a live outpouring of thought and praise at the life around them.

Neal Morse’s early 21st Century solo recordings are perhaps some of the most beautifully combined works that can be heard from this period and as a piece of creativity, a vision of what makes music so important, they are honour bound to be heard in their full glory.

The songs on both albums roar with magnificent plunder but they also respectfully know when to lean back and let Mr. Morse’s words take effect and as an overall sense of collective endeavour in putting the music from the 2014 Morsefest into uncharted live territory, tracks such as California Nights, Sleeping Jesus, Power in The Air, Long Story, The Creation, Nothing To Believe, Author of Confusion and The Separated Man are all treated with reverence and the epitome complete Progressive cool.

With other tracks such as Wind At My Back, Stranger In Your Soul and Moving In My Heart all adding with the sense of the splendid raging at the softly spoken praise, Neal Morse’s Morsefest 2014 Live is more than an album, it is an experience.

Beautifully presented, five hours of celebration and tribute, Neal Morse knows how to capture an extravaganza.

Neal Morse’s Morsefest 2014 Live is released on August 21st.

Ian D. Hall