| Musical Style: Progressive Rock | Produced By: Neal Morse |
| Record Label: Inside Out | Country Of Origin: USA |
| Year Released: 2024 | Artist Website: Neal Morse |
| Tracks: 5 | Rating: 90% |
| Running Time: 67:14 |
We understand Neal Morse because he subscribes to our musical worldview. He’s a manifesto of progressive rock enthusiasm unveiled in songwriting innate to manifold time and tempo changes, collaborative musical forms and lengthy compositions up to and including ‘mega epics’ in excess of 20 minutes. He is also renown for the variety of musicians in which he has worked, whether it be the stable roster of performers with his The Neal Morse Band project or wider array to appear on his various solo albums of which several take a ‘rock opera’ approach.
How does his most recent project Neal Morse & The Resonance and its November of 2024 Inside Out Music debut full-length No Hill For A Climber compare? It finds the artist maintaining his penchant for the ‘mega epic’, unveiled in two twenty-minute plus compositions that break down into multiple parts, which bookend around three shorter pieces in the five to six minute range. It also reveals Morse branching out into laid back and reserved musical territory drawing upon ballad like emotion, which despite backing from some of the variety and heavier rock inclining to many of his previous solo releases proves no less able from a songwriting standpoint.
Roster wise, Morse recorded the album with a group of talented local musicians (in the Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California area) he previous worked with such as multi instrumentalist Chris Riley, guitarist Andre Madatian and drummer Philip Martin. No, not necessarily household names, but one of the benefits to working with musicians not well known as some (according to the artist) ‘was a sense of newness and immediacy’. Morse explains further (quoting his press material): ‘These guys brought a lot to the table. There is a freshness that comes from working with new and younger people. There are some musical ideas they brought that would NEVER have occurred to me: there is lots of new stuff here’.
Album opens to first of its two ‘mega epics’, the seven-part, twenty minute “Eternity In Your Eyes”. First part “Prelude To Eternity” is a three and half minute instrumental running the gamut from ambient keyboards to up-tempo themes with a jam-fusion feel. Second “I See The Sun”, a rousing ballad affirmed by keyboards, taciturn bass and outlying rhythm guitar, gives way to third, “Northern Lights”, in similar laid back form with distorted vocals alongside bracing piano. Lyric snippet:
But I see the sun
Like a thousand years has begun
Yes, I see eternity in your eyes
The dream’s still inside
And the light of the world is alive
Yes, I see eternity in your eyes
Part four “Echoes Of Forever” ensues as a laid back but emotional instrumental accented by bluesy lead guitar and organ. The ballad like themes maintain on part five “The Dream’s Still Alive”, as found in its stilly done keyboards and soaring melodies, with “Hammer And Nail” part six abruptly shifting to an up-tempo form in which funky bass and churning guitar lead the way .
“Daylight” concludes the magnum opus with an introductory lead guitar and keyboard trade off, which transitions to a darker mid-tempo configuring built up by Morse’s moving classic tenor vocals and sonorous harmonies. The Floyd-ish instrumental three minutes closes things in wondrous fashion (one cannot deny the high level of musicianship here). Lyrics find artist maintaining his faith based penchant:
And there is the one
Who has loved you before you could run
Yes, here is the place where He resides
Yes, this is the start
Let forever live in y our heart
And may there always be eternity in your eyes
“Thief” follows at five and half minutes. It imprints of the plodding, trudging to heavy-footed bass and rippling vocal melodies that continually repeat songs title in watery fashion. Instrumental moments range from distorted leads and easygoing keyboards to upbeat Hammond B3. A horn section even steps in over the final minute. One of my album favorites, this one demonstrates Morse’s ability to be creatively progressive without going the epic route. Lyric snippet:
Everything you touch
Turns into lies, tears and goodbyes
But I’m gonna send you home
Jesus will rise, my Lord’s gonna fight
You come to steal and kill
But you don’t deceive me
Thief
I am a child of God
And He will protect me from you
“All The Rage” separates as one of albums most forwardly rocking. It brings pompous arena rock ardor, alive with inspiring overtures and impactful (albeit not hard rocking) rhythm guitar and gritty lead vocals (of whom I cannot provide attribution) to go alongside Morse’s crystalline croon. When piano briefly appears, it speaks of Kansas.
“Ever Interceding” returns to a calmer tilting. Acoustic guitar laces the song its six and half minutes, aligning with organ and distant rhythm guitar to make a pleasing AOR and melodic rock (almost medieval) statement but also highlighting a raspy lead vocalist whose name again I am unable to reference. Album liner notes list Riley and Bisaha as sharing lead vocal duties with Morse, but no breakdown is provided as to which song either front. Regardless, the two prove able performers from a vocal standpoint. Lyric snippet:
But I was the one
Like the prodigal son
Who had lost all sense and meaning
For one such as I
My Lord laid down His life
Now He’s ever interceding
For us all, for us all
Album concludes to its six-part, twenty-eight minute title track. Opening instrumental “The Mountain And The Valley” initiates its four and half minutes to spacey keyboards and acoustic guitar that give way to a bolder tempo essential to forwardly rocking sentiments and classical overtures.
A seamless transition realizes to “A Hill So High”, an AOR infused vocal duet with undeviating verse sections and dreamy refrain, and “Burn It Down”, trending acoustic rock highlighted by violin and sitar but divulging symphonic undercurrents and bluesy instrumental proclivity. “Love Is All” follows in dreamy ballad fashion, radiating angelic qualities with its gossamer keyboards and echoing vocal melodies. Lyric snippet:
No hill for a climber
(There is a way you can go)
No weight of the world can hold you down
(There is a God who loves you)
The Son of the Father
(Reach out and feel and take His hand)
Closing things is “The Resonance” with its opening classic rock style bass and organ that transition to chanted vocals carrying two brief verses and “The Mountain Beyond The Sky” in covering the final seven minutes to a dramatic aligning of orchestration, classical keyboards and moving vocals upholding the signature ‘no hill for a climber’ melody.
If a fan of Neal Morse or progressive rock with epic length songwriting, you can do no wrong with Neal Morse & The Resonance debut No Hill For A Climber. Yes, album brings a somewhat reserved and laid back almost ballad inspired sound compared to many of artists previous solo releases, albeit it gives rise to every bit high songwriting quality. It was also novel on Morse’s part to utilize what up to this point a relative unknown but no less talented group of musicians, who breathe a ton of life into the choice No Hill For A Climber material. I hope this is first in a series of album to follow from the group.
Review by Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing: “Eternity In Your Eyes” (20:55), “Thief” (5:22), “All The Rage” (5:34), “Ever Interceding” (6:31), “No Hill For A Climber” (28:48)
Musicians
Neal Morse - Lead Vocals, Keyboards, Guitars, Bass & Percussion
Johnny Bisaha - Lead Vocals
Chris Riley - Lead Vocals, Keyboards, Guitars & Bass
Andre Madatian - Guitars & Orchestration
Philip Martin - Drums
Joe Ganzelli - Drums
Additional Musicians
Chris Carmichael - Violin, Viola & Cello
Amy Pippin & Julie Harrison - Background Vocals
Desmond Ng - Trombone & Euphonium
