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One of the greatest US Progressive Rock bands of all time release a 2016 BluRay document from their tremendously successful 2015 world tour!
Much to the excitement of Prog fans worldwide, the Neal Morse Band release ‘Alive Again’ as this 2016 stand alone BluRay and a 2CD+DVD set that shows the band at the top of their form, performing for a rousing audience in the Netherlands on March 6, 2015.
Riding high on the tremendous success of their breakthrough album: ‘The Grand Experiment’, the Neal Morse Band set out on a tremendously successful world tour in the spring of 2015. Neal Morse and Mike Portnoy teamed up with Randy George, Eric Gillette, and Bill Hubauer to create one of the greatest Progressive rock bands of all time. Full stop.
Says Neal: “The ‘Alive Again’ tour and the DVD/BluRay releases from it is one of the finest we have ever done. In my humble opinion… It's really great! I think you all are really going to dig it. Check it out and you'll understand how amazing this band is! I love it!”
“The Neal Morse Band is a force of nature. They have evolved into a great ‘live’ band, one that is as good as there is in music and they really shine on this recording. The performances here are jaw-dropping and might have you giving a standing ovation from your couch.” - Roie Avin, The Prog Report.
To the delight of his passionate and growing fan base, there seems to be no end in sight for the magical music and masterful musicianship that flows from the mind and hands of Neal Morse and his band of virtuosos!
Review from progreport.com:
‘Grand Experiment’, the Neal Morse Band’s 2015 release, was one of Morse’s most successful and celebrated releases and in seeing the live DVD from the ‘Alive Again’ tour, it’s no wonder!
The group consisting of Neal, Mike Portnoy, Eric Gillette, Bill Hubauer and Randy George sounded great on the album and they are even better ‘live’. The DVD finds the band in top form at a show in Holland at the tail end of the ‘Alive Again’ World Tour. Few bands can top this group of musicians and for anyone that failed to catch them on this tour, this DVD is as good as you can get.
The show was filmed up close and intimate. The venue is packed with 1000 or so die-hard fans and the vibe is one of fist-pumping joy. The set is filled with songs from the last album, with a few rarities and some spiritual numbers, providing something for every segment of Neal and Mike’s fan bases.
As the intro music ends, the group immediately dive into the a-cappella opening of: ‘The Call’, the epic opening track from: ‘The Grand Experiment’. If ever there was a song that in ten minutes encapsulated what this band is about, it’s this one. Each member has a brief section to shine along the way and by the time the ending chorus returns, the audience, and the person sitting on their couch watching, is strapped in for the long ride. Following the rock tracks: ‘Leviathan’ and ‘The Grand Experiment’ is a real deep track from the SPOCK’S BEARD era: ‘Harm’s Way’. Even the lost BEARD songs are special and this fourteen-minute number is equal to all of the celebrated tracks. Great of Neal to shine some light back on this one.
Following a brilliant keyboard solo by Bill Hubauer comes: ‘The Creation’, which at this point is one of the staples of Neal’s solo catalogue. Neal falls to his knees to finish the track and gets visibly emotional at the end. Mike introduces the acoustic set, where Neal sings: ‘There Is Nothing That God Can’t Change’, before the full band joins in on: ‘Waterfall’. The latter is truly one of the set’s highlights and showcases the wide-range this band possesses. Eric Gillette gets his shot at a solo for the intro to: ‘In The Fire’, another deep track from the ‘?’ album.
The signature performance of this tour comes in the form of the thirty-five minute epic: ‘Alive Again’ from the last album. For some bands, this song could be an entire set, but for this band, it is a walk in the park!
They weave their magic through each section with ease, each member stepping up when called upon. Bill Hubauer and Eric Gillette’s vocals here are a spectacular touch by Neal to add to the band.
The band takes some time in the middle to have some additional fun by switching up instruments. Mike jumps on the bass, while Eric shreds on keys, with Neal on drums. And the musical chairs continue as Eric does his Portnoy impersonation on the drum kit as Randy George shreds on guitar.
It’s enough to make an aspiring musician throw his hands in the air as if to give up!
The song finishes on the epic ending to close and leaves you breathless in its wake.
The encore is culled mostly from the ‘Testimony’ and ‘One’ albums, with the band closing on the anthemic: ‘King Jesus’.
As with all of Neal’s albums and DVD’s, there is a behind the scenes video that shows the band dealing with the spinal tap moments like the fan falling off the road in the snow, more serious moments like Mike needing to go to the emergency room minutes before a gig in Europe, and all the other trappings of being on the road. It is a great glimpse into the bond that these guys share, and how much the music makes it all worthwhile.
The band line-up is: Neal Morse (vocals / keyboards / guitar), Eric Gillette (lead guitar and vocals), Bill Hubauer (keyboards / guitar / clarinet / sax / vocals), Randy George (bass / bass pedals / vocals) and Mike Portnoy (drums / vocals).
‘Alive Again’ is also available as a 2CD+DVD – Stock # 1880401
‘Alive Again’ is released on 5th August 2016.
NEAL MORSE BAND: ALIVE AGAIN BluRay Track List:
01. Alive Again - Intro (2:06)
02. The Call (10:21)
03. Leviathan (6:00)
04. Grand Experiment (5:48)
05. Harm’s Way (14:12)
06. Bill’s keyboard solo (2:45)
07. Creation (16:49)
08. There Is Nothing That God Can’t Change (7:18)
09. Waterfall (7:18)
10. Eric’s guitar solo (3:32)
11. In The Fire (10:28)
12. Alive Again (34:16)
13. Rejoice (3:36)
14. Oh Lord, My God (3:11)
15. Reunion (4:44)
16. King Jesus (6:38)
17. Behind the scenes Video * Bonus Footage *