THE NEAL MORSE BAND: THE SIMILITUDE OF A DREAM

I'll admit to being a diehard fan of Neal Morse - love nearly everything he's done from Spock's Beard to Transatlantic to Flying Colors to his solo work - and I can safely say that this is one of the best records he has ever done. The additions of Eric Gillette and Bill Huber to make it a full-fledged band, the Neal Morse Band, have added a major boost to Neal's overall sound. It still sounds very much like a "Neal Morse record" more often than not, but having three lead vocalists (Neal, Eric and Bill), as well as a lead guitarist unlike any Neal has ever had, is like a shot of adrenaline to his sound. And the songwriting is stellar throughout most of the album. Double albums inevitably have that lull at some point, but this record never really does; Disc 2 is arguably as strong as Disc 1. Now, I know that some like using the "Neal Morse formula" as an argument against him, but the way I see it, he has perfected his sound and style, and it's firing on all cylinders on this record, from start to finish. Highly recommended to all prog fans!!