The Neal Morse Band - The Similitude of a Dream (Extended Play Lounge Ep. 18)
Added 2022-04-15 17:40:04 +0000 UTCBuckle in, y'all...this is a long one! But, it's one of my favorite EPL experiences. I really enjoyed listening to this 2-disc concept album. The NMB has been strong in the polls recently, and now I can see why! I hope you enjoy!
Unlisted Vimeo Link: https://vimeo.com/699575801/b649bba479
Comments
Doug, you were spot on when you said that you didn't have to be a Christian to feel the latitude; the gravitas of this music. I am an agnostic and I can't get through this record without getting teary-eyed. I saw them play this live. When they got to Broken Sky/Long Day... I was a broken man... just f'n crying dude. It is that good. I can't stress how much I love this record. A perfect word for it, as you said, is PROFOUND.
Gary Raub
2025-05-19 02:52:14 +0000 UTCSigned up just to listen to the Neal Morse albums on here. Thanks for including this great music!
Eric Sundt
2023-10-30 02:55:40 +0000 UTCNew Patron here, sorry for the late response ! He often does -1 on his keyboards as well. It means he needs to relearn the songs when he's recording them on the B3 Organ (since it's analog). There's a funny bit of him talking about that on the making of Sola Gratia I believe.
Jacob Roberge
2023-01-28 07:39:39 +0000 UTCSomewhere around 1 hour you said that it kind of is a full narrative. Mike Portnoy thought so too. Then he and Neal Morse had their biggest fight in their partnership about it - Neal went back into his house and; the next morning he had written two more songs. And the journey keeps going...
Sebastian Johansson
2022-06-12 00:49:26 +0000 UTCLoved this! Good to hear there are modern prog-rock bands around still! See the comments about originality - and there was a lot of stuff that sounded like Pink Floyd, Genesis, The Beatles, even ELO! - but all bands have influences! (And one of the other projects that Neal was involved in was a Beatles tribute band.) I also liked Doug's comments at the end. Again lots of bands (especially Genesis) have used religious/belief/deity etc. motives and for me (as an atheist) the theme/lyrics didn't cause me an issue - after all, at the end of the day, it was inspired by a book and (until I Googled Neal) I would never have guessed his faith. Great EPL! Thanks!
Geoff Budd
2022-05-11 18:36:57 +0000 UTCI just listen to the stuff that interests me and skip what I find less interesting. Doug always has something sensible to say about the music, whether from the viewpoint of me being a fan or as a musician. I have tons of songs/albums I would like to see covered, but I realize he's just one person doing this because he likes it, not just to please me. So sometimes I'm lucky, sometimes not ;-)
Marc Volgers
2022-05-04 11:13:04 +0000 UTCI have a wide collection of music and extensive range recognise copy including bands which get over played. “City in my Head, Utopia, Heaven in my Body, Utopia, it’s Time For Me, For Me to Go”. And this extended lounge play has the base to copy to their hearts content. There is no equal representation because an agenda is pushed, lots of stuff out there doesn’t even get a look in.
Itsfun2listen
2022-05-02 16:36:42 +0000 UTCSo glad you did this...it's such a masterpiece. The concert in 013 Tilburg (which is available on DVD) I attended was by far the best concert I have ever seen, and I have seen quite a few. It was hard to keep dry eyes at Broken Sky/Long Day. The performance was immaculate but not just a technical achievement, they kept the feeling in the music.
Marc Volgers
2022-05-02 10:55:18 +0000 UTCI'm glad Doug has a more open mind and honestly listened and reacted to the music. From a musical point of view it's so well written - which Doug concluded in the end as well. It is extremely hard to write complete original music and of course you will hear influences of other bands in this. But just stating it's copied does no justice to the music.
Marc Volgers
2022-05-02 10:52:49 +0000 UTCThe reason it's mostly in flat/sharp keys is pretty simple: Neal almost always tunes down his guitars 1/2 step (Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb), not sure if he does a -1 on the keyboards.
Marc Volgers
2022-05-02 10:11:41 +0000 UTCPatrick, I can't thank you enough for just introducing Jellyfish into my musical life. I'd never heard of them but they are AWESOME...Like a combination of 10cc meets ELO, meets Steely Dan, meets Jason Mraz.
Paul Hoyle
2022-04-27 09:58:04 +0000 UTCDoug....even if you never decide to react to the following albums I mention below, please just listen to them for yourself (but hopefully you do a live reaction video as they are Epic too from Neal). One 2004), The Grand Experiment (2015), Testimony (2003) and especially ? (2005). Enjoy.
Paul Hoyle
2022-04-27 09:38:14 +0000 UTCYou know there's a follow-up album to this, right?
Justin Humberger
2022-04-26 00:56:50 +0000 UTCSorry, I sent the last post too soon. As Christian myself (from a British Churches of Christ background) I notice that there is generally a tendency to apologise or back pedal on any overt element of Christianity in lyrics. I think that it is almost impossible to be faithful to "Pilgrim's Progress" without being openly evangelical because this is the whole basis of the story. It's not about someone "finding themselves" it's a story of a man who left his family behind when they would not come with him to escape from the coming judgment of God and leaving his old life behind and enduring hardship and persecution made a journey to the New Jerusalem. This might not accord with many people's ideas, I heve some difficulties with some of his theological beliefs too, but it is an essential part of the book and therefore of any work based on it. I know that you said Neal used the Spark Notes instead of the book but the elements must still be there. many people are no longer familiar with the book so they won't know the background to many parts of it. Christian is carrying a burden on his back which he longs to get ris of so in "So Far Gone" Christian has been tempted from the Straight Path by Mr Worldly Wiseman who tells him that it will be far easier to visit Mr Legality who will rid him of his burden. As he approaches the house on a mountain (Mount Sinai) he fears that it will fall on him and is afraid to go further. Evangelist finds him there and takes him back to the path, away from the Legal Righteousness of the Old Testament. Without knowing the back story it's difficult to understand the words. The album is actually very much cut down and never even reaches the end where Christian and Hopeful cross over the river to arrive at the city. Many of the best parts of the book are not there including Vanity Fair where Christian's companion Faithful is killed, the pilgrims' capture by Giant Despair etc. and the removal of the burden is played down (it falls off Christian's back before Jesus on the cross and rills away into the sepulchre). Also, the idea of the Man in the Iron Cage is that having become apostate, he cannot repent again and be saved. Nevertheless it is a brilliant album and as I said, I'm glad that you reviewed it, I think that it's an important and enjoyable work. Thank you. Incidentally, Christian's wife Christiana and his children become pilgrims themselves. There's a good summary of both of the parts in Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pilgrim%27s_Progress
Paul
2022-04-23 20:08:24 +0000 UTCHi, I've just finished listening to the Long Play which was as informative and interesting as ever.
Paul
2022-04-23 19:30:25 +0000 UTCHi Doug, can I make a suggestion? Neal Morse also made "Jesus Christ, the Exorcist" which is the equal of "Similitude." If I'm not mistaken the whole of the album is available as a series of short(er) videos from a live performance at Morse Fest. That would be a great basis for a Long Play.
Paul
2022-04-23 10:18:11 +0000 UTCHi Ed, I just responded to you on Harri Best. Harri has just heard Neal Morse for the first time and was blown away with it for those who have never heard of his reaction videos. After Harri's positive response I'm looking forward to Doug's main course.
Paul
2022-04-23 10:13:57 +0000 UTCWhat a journey, man! So happy to have just finished this EPL, I can’t love enough this album since the day that I first listened to it, traveling from Switzerland to Italy in a train. I have enjoyed new albums as well (meaning in the morse-portnoy multiverse)… but this one… this one is special, and it’s clear you felt it too. Cheers from Argentina (:
Ezequiel Adatto
2022-04-22 03:50:27 +0000 UTCDefinitely need to follow up with The Great Adventure. Picks up where this one leaves off.
John Wismar
2022-04-21 19:58:17 +0000 UTCLacks any originality, hopefully we move forward now, please. Unwritten credits to; Todd, Kasim, Roger & Willie for providing the music to copy from, don’t forget Squonk by Genesis and Peter Hammill for acoustic guitar techniques
Itsfun2listen
2022-04-20 18:49:06 +0000 UTCWhen are you going to listen to The Great Adventure?
Sebastian Johansson
2022-04-19 20:54:07 +0000 UTCI haven't been active here for a while, but if I had been - this would be like Christmas Day! A lot of goosebumps and a few tears. As a Neal Morse/Spock's Beard/Transatlantic/Dream Theater/Rachmaninov(?)... -fan; I would rank this, and the following album my top 2. I love watching these reactions (and insights)!
Sebastian Johansson
2022-04-19 19:30:50 +0000 UTC"Heaven in my Heart" is the low point of Sola Scriptura, an otherwise amazing album. At least IMO. So I 100% agree with you.
Blinky
2022-04-19 19:05:40 +0000 UTCFinished! Thank you for that great breakdown and analysis! To help with you tryong to work out who's who, especially with the different vocals, watch the video for The Man In The Iron Cage: https://youtu.be/9U7AKNOTeQI Eric has a great voice, higher pitched than Neal, but taking some of the best vocal parts, like The Broken Sky at the end. Bill has a different voice and takes the lead on things like The Ways of a Fool, which he originally wrote about a balloon seller who dreams of letting the balloons carry him away into the air... Mike gets to sing the voice of temptation, and was very proud of getting to sing Satan in the Confrontation! I was lucky enough to see the live show on this tour (as linked by Guilherme above!), and it was very interesting finding out which bits of guitar or keyboard Neal did and which he left for Eric or Bill. BTW to witness Eric's talent, he did some great cover songs during lockdown with him playing and singing everything... check out his YouTube channel https://youtube.com/c/EricGilletteMusic
Patholas
2022-04-17 13:01:39 +0000 UTCYou can't tell me that this wasn't WAY better than Dark Side... This has some actual substance and I know he really enjoyed and appreciated it. DS is just straight boring when compared to newer prog like this.
Justin Humberger
2022-04-17 00:18:26 +0000 UTCI don't know if I agree with this... From a technical point of view, yes because it'll probably be a couple months before it gets voted top, lol...but from a musical standpoint. I really think Doug should take some time and have at least a few, if not several of his own personal joy-filled experiences with Similitude before he does TGA. He really needs time to get those themes dialed in and know the album well to appreciate TGA as much as he could. Sure, he would like it if he did it the very next day, but I'd rather see him be more familiar with this one first. I don't care how much of a master listener someone is, they need at least a few listens to this as there's so much to pick out and appreciate in it.
Justin Humberger
2022-04-17 00:15:51 +0000 UTCHuge Neal-era SB fan but haven’t gotten all the way through his solo / NMB stuff. I loved the first disc of this, EXCEPT the final track. Perhaps ironically, perhaps deliberately, I feel like his music falls into more boring CCM and hymn tropes when he gets the most overtly religious. The tormented journey is way more sonically interesting to me than the supposed payoffs. In his SB stuff and early Transatlantic stuff, I find the opposite to be true - the resolutions are glorious and fulfilling. And religiously oriented music can have amazing apotheoses - Mahler 2!
Gary Thobaben
2022-04-16 21:18:27 +0000 UTCAwesome! Thank you for analysing my favourite NMB album... I'd be very interested to hear your views on any of the other NMB / Neal Morse / Transatlantic albums next! :-)
Patholas
2022-04-16 20:59:05 +0000 UTCYou are the man, my man! You took an album I already dearly loved and showed me I understood very little of what was going on. and elevated my awareness tremendously. Awesome analysis, Doug. That's all I can say.
Ed Noponen
2022-04-16 20:20:24 +0000 UTCGREAT JOB Doug!! Such a amazing album on SO many levels. Keep up the GREAT work! Love your show.
Gary Gelinas
2022-04-16 15:17:43 +0000 UTCDoug, LOOOOVE your work! One suggestion: on concept albums like this and Misplaced Childhood, if you're going to stop at the end of a song, when you restart go back a few seconds, at least 5. One area I think you haven't given attention to is the transitions between songs. These are KEY elements of these concept albums. The transitions often tell the story in a dramatic way. Many of the shorter pieces in concept albums often serve as "connectors" between not only songs, but foundational ideals being expressed. I strongly encourage you to think about these concepts in your analysis.
Michael Strawn
2022-04-16 05:00:53 +0000 UTCIt's gonna be a long listen but I'm looking forward to it. One of my all-time favorite releases and perhaps my favorite of the 21st century. Appreciate you making the deep dive to deliver the goods! :)
Michael Strawn
2022-04-16 04:01:08 +0000 UTCThe first half is so much better then the 2nd half with the exception of The Battle. While I can get over the christian references, the music does feel more preachy. That being said the first half is one of the best albums of this modern time.
Arrow2theACL
2022-04-16 03:51:46 +0000 UTCThanks so much, Doug. Your analysis is fantastic. I've said from the first NMB record that it's by far Mikey's best drumming, he's so musical and it blends with Neal's arrangements perfectly! What a masterpiece!
Anthony Taylor
2022-04-16 00:25:06 +0000 UTCSo, DSOTM and this have been reacted to. Everyone happy I guess. I like this album a lot.
Jean-Michel LaFontaine
2022-04-15 23:31:38 +0000 UTCFor those interested the live performance of TSOAD is here: https://youtu.be/Ry2_dlz7eXc
Guilherme Cruz
2022-04-15 22:04:17 +0000 UTCThank you
Guilherme Cruz
2022-04-15 22:02:16 +0000 UTCWell said! Exactly why I enjoy watching Doug’s reaction video’s.
Toby
2022-04-15 21:03:48 +0000 UTCThank you, Doug, for this wonderful journey you took us on. I’m glad you liked this so much, it’s one of my favorite albums too. At around 27” you asked who’s singing? That was Eric Gilette, he’s a great singer and guitar player. Check out his solo stuff, it’s awesome! You guessed right with Mike’s vocals. :) Great reaction, thank you!
Toby
2022-04-15 20:58:13 +0000 UTCThe Great Adventure definitely should be queued up soon-ish. It's just as phenomenal as Similitude
Nick Rzeczkowski
2022-04-15 20:52:05 +0000 UTCLet the great adventure now begin
Matt Hardman
2022-04-15 20:41:48 +0000 UTCA definitely future vote album needs to be "the great adventure". Finish off the story.
Matbeard420
2022-04-15 20:16:41 +0000 UTCGreat listen. "The Ways of a Fool" reminds me a lot of Jellyfish. Their "Spilt Milk" album is incredible, you gotta check it out. I know Portnoy is a big fan of them and I'd be surprised if he didn't have them in mind while writing that one.
Patrick Aris
2022-04-15 20:08:30 +0000 UTCI'm so happy to see you dive into this behemoth! :)
Rela
2022-04-15 19:38:27 +0000 UTCFunny thing about Neal saying it could've been 5 discs...a couple years later they did another double album based on Pilgrim's Progress!
Ian Swank
2022-04-15 18:53:13 +0000 UTCOne of the things I love about watching you react to some of my favorite albums is not so much your unsurpassed knowledge of music and ability to follow complex arrangements on the spot, but your genuine, almost child-like, enjoyment of what you're listening to. If your channel was only a professorial breakdown of the musical construction of a piece, I would quickly tire of it. But I frequently find myself laughing at your facial responses and emotional reactions (I love it when you throw your hands up in the air or get surprised by an unexpected transition in the music). And you address us all as if we've just stopped over for a beer and are sitting in the room with you listening to, and discussing, cool music. You have a winning formula here, Doug. Don't ever change it. :) - Buffalo Fred - Secret Garden Poetry https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJlbNPantYjTBDayi6Xh-PQ/videos
Fred Beaulieu
2022-04-15 18:23:49 +0000 UTC
