Transatlantic Live at Morsefest 2022: The Absolute Whirlwind
dazzling keyboard work from Morse, inventive, gutsy guitar work from Stolt, powerfully articulate bass by Trewavas, and Portnoy playing with time in ways the average person never even imagined.
Live at Morsefest 2022: The Absolute Whirlwind
Transatlantic
InsideOut Records
Limited Edition Deluxe – Deluxe Edition: 5 CDs, 2 Blu-ray discs – Total combined time: 8 hours and 48 minutes 4 ½ hours of music
This review is only of the content of the audio recording
Big. Bombastic, emotional, sweeping, complex, dazzling musicianship. Yes, this is what you expect when you’re talking about progressive rock – and this album delivers. But you knew that. Transatlantic, after all, is a prog supergroup featuring some of the best players in the game. Propped up by the powerhouse drumming of Mike Portnoy and the solid, melodic, foundational bass playing of Pete Trewavas, Roine Stolt and Neal Morse get to soar on guitar and keyboards respectively. Add into the mix Ted Leonard on additional vocals as well as a live string ensemble, horns and background vocals and you have a prog experience of a lifetime – which is exactly what Morsefest is intended to be. This impressive package certainly repeats material that the dedicated fan already has in studio as well as other live versions – but it’s a fitting memory of a special weekend for those who were there, as well as a close approximation for the rest of us.
The pedigree of these musicians is such that the quality of the performance is pretty much guaranteed to be studio-level even in a live environment, and certainly it’s at that level here. The main difference in this performance then is the passion of playing in this special environment – and Neal Morse is never short of passion! The mutual appreciation between artist and audience is a palpable presence in both sets (this covers two nights of music) and becomes an element that’s impossible to create in a studio. Add to that the live strings, horns, and chorus, and the inclusion of ‘surprise’ songs – such as their cover of Procol Harum’s epic “In Held Twas In I” – and you have good reason to explore this massive set!
Reviewing the set list would be like reviewing the original albums again, and if you’ve read this far you’re probably already a fan and are more than familiar with the material. It should suffice to point out that everyone is in top form, which means dazzling keyboard work and emotional vocals from Morse, inventive, master-toned, gutsy guitar work from Stolt (who also turns in refreshingly unique vocals), powerfully articulate bass playing by Trewavas, and Portnoy playing with time in ways the average person never even imagined.
My notes on the music are littered with words like, ‘majestic,’ and ‘powerful,’ as well as phrases like, “the live choir adds chills,” “the importance of Trewavas can’t be over-stated,” and “that guitar is screaming.” Stand-out moments for me include the very powerful “Rose Covered Glasses,” a truly great song on every level, lyrically and musically, and the performance of “In Held ‘Twas In I,” the pre-prog masterpiece by Procol Harum, whose founding member Gary Brooker passed just months before this performance.
Clearly, this is a lot of music. And then there are the Blu-ray discs for an even deeper immersion into the event! Carve out some time and dive into this absolute whirlwind of an album!
Night 1 Tracklisting:
1. Into The Blue
2. In Held (‘Twas) In I
3. Shine
4. We All Need Some Light
5. Overture/Whirlwind
6. The Wind Blew Them All Away
7. On The Prowl
8. A Man Can Feel
9. Out Of The Night
10. Rose Colored Glasses
11. Evermore
12. Set Us Free
13. Lay Down Your Life
14. Pieces of Heaven
15. Is It Really Happening?
16. Dancing With Eternal Glory/Whirlwind (Reprise)
Night 2 Tracklisting:
- Overture
- Reaching For The Sky
- Higher Than The Morning
- The Darkness In The Light
- Take Now My Soul
- Bully
- Rainbow Sky
- Looking For The Light
- The World We Used To Know
- The Sun Comes Up Today
- Love Made A Way (Prelude)
- Owl Howl
- Solitude
- Belong
- Lonesome Rebel
- Can You Feel It
- Looking For The Light (Reprise)
- The Greatest Story Never Ends
- Love Made A Way
- Bridge Across Forever
- The Final Medley
4 ½ tocks
- Bert Saraco
To see concert photography by this reviewer - including pictures of Transatlantic in NYC - visit www.facebook.com/express.image
