Morse crushed countless devotees when he left Spock's Beard during the upward trajectory following their ambitious 2002 release, Snow. A beacon for half-closeted prog sympathizers like me, Spock's was a current band that could muster tricky musical arrangements, but infused them with soul, humor, and Beatles-inspired pop sensibility. Since Morse's previous solo outings spotlit steps into piano man territory, and given the reason stated for departure (religious experience), many expected an overly pious version of his mellowed solo storytelling. Decidedly not so - Testimony fills two CDs with something-to-prove musical ambition, while the lyrical focus is humbled and direct.
The thrilling "Overture No. 1" ranges from orchestral passages to angular stabs a la Wings' "Live and Let Die." In Spock's Beard, string parts were Mellotron whiz Ryo Okumoto's territory; here, they're performed by members of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy, Morse's partner on two Transatlantic albums, provides forceful and meticulous percussion. Kerry Livgren, a Beard influence who long ago left Kansas under similar circumstances, guests on Testimony as well.
"California Nights" finds Morse at his most conversational, describing the hollowness of pursuing the West Coast star-making machinery. He yearns for a place "where no one knows the bad things that you've done; the past is truly gone" during "The Land of Beginning Again."
The question remains whether Testimony could have been made with Spock's Beard. Given the direction the Snow material was heading, one would think so. Still, the freedom and inspiration heard here are undeniable. Testimony feels more like a fresh start, rather than the continuation of an established solo career.
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2003Reviewed by Barry NothstineI wish there was a way to start again Just blink and count to ten In a land of beginning again Where no one knows the bad things that you've done The past is truly gone In the land of beginning again... Orlando Bloom tears open the envelope..."And the Grammy for 2003 album of the year goes to...Neal Morse for TESTIMONY"... Freddie Prinze Jr. looks astonished as he reads the name on the paper…
