MORE NEVER IS ENOUGH

Utterly amazing. This set even transcends the previous Whirld Tour Live release from Shepherd's Bush in London. It's things like this that make me hopeful that Mike Portnoy's departure from Dream Theater will lead to more frequent releases and tours from Transatlantic.

Having seen the first two shows of the tour in LA and San Francisco it was great to see how much more natural and cohesive the band was by the time they hit Europe. By Tilburg the band is hitting on all cylinders. The improvisations feel natural and brilliant ... even reaching back for a few Trans-Pacific snippets. The 3 CD show in Manchester is brilliant and the inclusion of Return of the Giant Hogweed in Tilburg, as part of the show itself makes this a must have set, as does the 39 minute version of Stranger in Your Soul ... aa well as the 4 additional Stranger in Your Soul jams on the 2nd DVD.

This is a 'must have' release ... and worth every cent I paid for it!!

I can never get enough of these fine musicians. While yes they play the exact same songs as Whirld Tour dvd, there is a reason to get this. With musicians at this level something wonderful happens called "variety". A concert will never look or sound the same. This is the case with this release. There is also different jams and extended instrumental passages. Mike plays with a different feel, Roine emphasizes some guitar lines over others, Pete plays out a bass lines softer differently, Neal plays a different keyboard passage or sings something differently. The point is it's different. And with the progged up mega pack you get two concerts one in Tillburg filmed, and the other in Manchester on audio (which is the last gig). The venue has a different vibe as well, as every one should. The musicians are all flawless, everything is nailed perfectly. While as of now I do prefer the first dvd release because I like the venue more, the camera angles and clarity are better, and I think the musicianship is slightly better. Plus Morse sounds a little better on the first dvd in my opinion. Now for the live audio one in Manchester included, this is just pure prog goodness. The live recording from that show is excellent. I still side with the first release though (the mega pack one with 2 dvd 3 cds), but still this one you should not pass up. These guys are. the masters of modern progressive rock. One can never get enough of the pure talent and composition these modern Bachs and Beethovens harness. So why get it? Well if you're a huge Transatlantic fan you probably will or already have it, but it's the concept of variety. There is always differences between shows (and you get two), for others they will prefer this one over the first (which in not the case for me as of now), but it's still a wonderful expression of the greatest genre on the earth. Progressive Rock executed to perfection by it's premier super group called TRANSATLANTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This a masterpiece. Five out of Five. (also included are four of the stranger jams which are quite funny and delightful. Mike goes pre- 2011 Opeth on us in one of them. Oh Mike and death metal ha ha ha ha)

More Never Is Enough (2011) is exactly what the name says.

I love Transatlantic and I pretty much love everything they released so far. This is no different!

Great show, great quality, abundant material. Neal Morse (vocals and keyboards), Roine Stolt (vocals and guitars), Mike Portnoy (drums and vocals), Pete Trewavas (bass and vocals) and on the stage Daniel Gildenlow (guitars, keyboards and vocals) are trully blessed with the gift of music.

The only problem is, More Never Is Enough (2011) is basically THE SAME as Whirld Tour 2010 - Live From Shepherd's Bush Empire, London (2010) released one year earlier.

Anyway, always great to see/listen this guys! Can't wait for the new album in 2014.

If you thought Transatlantic - Whirld Tour 2010: Live in London was the ultimate TA experience for a live DVD, well you are going to find out different if you pick up this immense 3 CD/2 DVD set More Never Is Enough.

Neal Morse (keys, acoustic guitar, vocals), Roine Stolt (guitars, vocals), Pete Trewavas (bass, vocals), Mike Portnoy (drums, vocals) and Daniel Gildenlow (keys, guitars, vocals and percussion) are the band that went on tour and consequently captured some of their best moments on stage at one of their favorite venues in Tilberg, Norway.

Transatlantic was in their finest form at these gigs. They climbed the mountain and made it to the absolute peak with this release. As these gods of prog look down upon us mere mortals they planted their flag in the fertile earth of progressive rock, forever leaving their mark upon our senses and souls. No, that is implying something other worldly and being too over the top, this was indeed an epic and beautiful set. This collection serves as a definitive piece of evidence, a literal foundation from which everyone else that creates music like this should endeavor to create and capture for their fans on CD and DVD. It is a treasure trove of archetypical prog rock that you quite simply cannot miss and if you do get it you can then claim to be amongst the prog lovers in the circle of knowing, that collective consciousness in the music universe that we all tap into. If not, as they say over in England, you are a punter.

The timing for this release just fuels the fire that is now burning out of control for this prog rock renaissance we have become immersed in.

The two DVDs are in the stratosphere on a performance level, and that is at every position in the band. The extended jams are things that dreams are made of and any aspiring musician or enthusiastic prog fan will be salivating while all this takes place before their eyes. And if all that is not enough you can step away from the visual experience and listen to every performance on the 3 CDs. When you listen to some of the runs guitarist Roine Stolt goes on its not hard to see how each member inspires the other to reach for the stars with their given instrument with each composition. And that is exactly what they do consistently throughout these performances.

Every band member is so inspired, you can see it, feel it, and hear it each performance. This collaboration called Transatlantic has proved time and again that is it magical and their innate abilities to deliver spot on improvisation is their ace in the hole.

Their second encore in Tilberg was the legendary Genesis track "Return of the Giant Hogweed". This was the first time the band performed it live (without Steve Hackett) and it turns out very well. In fact, in the intro to the set from Neal Morse he states that the fans at the show were singing all the words and that they are real prog fans.

"The Whirlwind" is an epic track custom built for these talented musicians and believe me they take every opportunity to find their own niche in songs like this, to their credit, without stealing the show from anyone else. Their chemistry and brotherhood within the band is clearly on display at all times.

There is a bountiful amount of music and concert experiences to enjoy here if you are fan of the band or prog rock. This one is going to be nearly impossible to top but for all us prog rock freaks it is so true, More Never Is Enough.

Key Tracks: Whirlwind, Return of the Giant Hogweed, Bridge Across Forever

Transatlantic's More Never Is Enough captures a masterful live performance.

"More Never Is Enough" is a totally brilliant monster release spanning a massive 190 minutes of full blown prog at its best. The 3 Cds are backed up by the double DVD showcasing the band in all their glory on the stage. Morse is in fine voice throughout and pours every ounce of his being into the songs; his Christian emphasis is understated in the lyrics but is never overbearing. Morse is a keyboard wizard and shines with every improvised and purposeful performance; a flawless flurry of organ phrases. Stolt is excellent on guitar, moving the audience through various emotions with powerful riffs, Trewavas is fantastic on bass and, of course, Portnoy is a revelation on drums. An amazing concert is the result of these virtuoso musicians, and on this release the audio experience is as dynamic as Transatlantic have ever proved. The DVD is perhaps the best visual representation of the band; A1 camera work capturing everything from the enthusiastic crowd who often stand to their feet after a song, to the performances of each band member. The Tilburg concert is almost identical to the Whirld Tour DVD but still has a lot of variations in the music.

There are a few surprises such as injecting classic songs in the midst of the mammoth instrumental breaks such as Santana's Soul Sacrifice, and Deep Purple's Highway Star. There is a nice jazz interlude in the middle of Duel with the Devil. The epic Stranger in My Soul which clocks 33 minutes, features acoustic vibrations of Stolt with some precious beautiful lyrics of Morse, "home is far away, I was sleeping wide awake, breaking down waiting for the sound". The song builds to some deep heavy distorted guitar, perhaps the heaviest track. The band take turn on vocals and Portnoy relishes the odd time sig changes. Other epics include the awesome All of the Above at 32 minutes and Duel with the Devil at 29 minutes. The Whirlwind is here in its entirety running for about 80 minutes and there are other quintessential Transatlantic songs such as We all need some Light and Bridge Across Forever. It was fun to watch the band perform Return of the Giant Hogweed as an encore and Morse loves the quirky lyrics and projects enthusiasm into the Gabriel classic as the band play dynamic familiar passages that have become part of prog folklore.

The opening track of The Whirlwind features minimalist feminine sections of symphonic beauty which are augmented by the masculine rock sections balancing out the quieter moments. The multi-movement suite of Stranger In My Soul shifts metrical patterns throughout and climaxes with the huge wall of sound that is essential Transatlantic. During Duel With The Devil there is a wonderful blend of guitar and organ trade offs, with sporadic drumming patterns and chaotic punctuation, building to a huge crescendo, lifting the crowd to their feet with a mighty roar. The sonata form structure is powerfully realised, utilising an opening theme, transition, a second theme, and a final closure. The track is captured perfectly on this live performance but it is always masterfully executed in any live set.

Daniel Gildenlow also performs, and Portnoy does some fun stuff with a performance of 'Manchester England England, I believe in God' from the movie "Hair". Also the band have interesting moments with the audience notably when the lights go up on the crowd and they sing "Rock the house", and Portnoy makes the crowd sing it a few times to get a louder response. Also the band switch instruments at the end for fun just to get the audience going. It is a lot of fun to indulge in these masters of prog and they never fail to please. Portnoy says there is only one thing that would satisfy the urges of a prog rock crowd; a bass pedal solo turned up to eleven, or perhaps twelve. The solo continues for a while and then a heavy riff cranks up, yes, exactly, Smoke on the Water. Portnoy actually sings the classic song and you have to admire the keyboards and cool guitar on this. Portnoy almost mocks the "Made in Japan" version at the end. What follows is some awesome drumming and wah wah guitar, and it somehow segues back to the Stranger in My Soul.

It is certainly a huge package with more Transatlantic than has ever been released previously, and it is certain to appease the legion of Transatlantic fans. A concert packed with utter brilliance, this is one of the best live releases of the year.

'More Never Is Enough' - Transatlantic (8/10)

Keeping in mind that I will be only focusing in on the pure audio aspect of Transatlantic's 'More Never Is Enough', it should be noted that this live release by modern prog's flagship supergroup is more of a boxset than anything. At five discs (three CDs, two DVDs), there is more than enough to keep any listener involved for at least a couple of nights. Also keep in mind that, while I regard each member of this band quite highly, the music of Transatlantic has never touched me in a particularly profound way. Perhaps it was just my sense that the music they played looked to the past rather than, well, progressing, but most of all, Transatlantic, to me, has always felt like 'prog for prog's sake', pulling out every imaginable cliche to create something that no right-thinking prog listener should be able to resist. To that effect, 'More Never Than Enough' takes the ambition and overindulgence typically associated with prog rock and pushes it to maximum. The audio-only material is three hours long by itself, and in that time, even a casual listener of the band will get a very clear idea of what a Transatlantic show is all about. For a band that prides themselves on virtuosic musicianship and what I perceive to be 'prog stereotypes' however, there is an intimacy and good nature to the band's performance that lifts 'More Never Is Enough' from being a run-of-the-mill, overdrawn live album to an excellent, overdrawn live album.

The band's album-long epic 'The Whirlwind' was my first earnest experience with Transatlantic, and that hour-plus monster is represented here in full. As far as the first disc goes, it may be the most powerful musically speaking, and it is also the most true to the recorded sound. There are the expected fresh inflections that the vocalists put into their delivery, but the first chapter of 'More Never Is Enough' feels a little too much like deja-vu. Short of being overly critical however, Transatlantic's skill as a musical unit shines here, and it should be clear even to the band's detractors that each member of this band are worthy of legend. Mike Portnoy's drumming has a much stronger focus on sounding dramatic than his work with Dream Theater, but his distinctive style of playing the kit translates well onto the 'symphonic prog' format. I admittedly could not say I am an expert on any of the other members, but the music feels largely like the brainchild of Neal Morse. Indeed, his vocals drive the music forth much of the time, although the other band members are often to contribute singing as well.

The latter two discs are where my views on Transatlantic began to change. While I cannot consider myself a fan of the band yet, hearing the band communicate so effectively with the audience debunked many of the preconceptions I had about the band; that they were taking the classic prog format too seriously. In actual fact, there are many times here where it's clear that the band is out there playing because they enjoy what they do, and they're having plenty of fun with it. Also underlining the talent and chemistry of the band are many times when they will go off on silly sections seemingly impromptu, be it singing about Boba Fett (the silent bounty hunter of Star Wars fame), or breaking into a 'Smoke On The Water' cover, or even taking a break in order to make a few light-hearted jabs at the progressive rock fanbase. It's clear that the crowd is completely into everything they are doing, and it is for good reason. 'More Never Is Enough' is a huge release that may only be suitable for purchase by adamant fans of the band and musicians involved, but based on this music, I'm feeling that I am now going to have to make a point to see Transatlantic live at least once in my lifetime.

If you didn't have enough of live releases from the Whirland Tour, here's a chance to get not only a DVD fo that same tour, but also 3 cd with another performance of that tour in Manchester. The picture quality of the DVD is not at the same level as the previous DVD, it is a lot darker but still acceptable. So we have an evening of epics starting with the whole album of Whirland for 80 minutes. The second set is other long epics including one of their best song and favorite "Stranger in Your Soul". And that's where I have troubled with. Transatlantic's music or Neal Morse's solo songs are too long. I am ok with 20 minutes songs, but 30 minutes when the same themes are repeated seem going too far no matter how brilliant are those songs. And it's more an endurance exercise to sit through a complete show on DVD. However the performance is energetic as usual, Neal and Mike are always the ones that seem to enjoy themselves the most. If it wasn't enough there are some extras of jam improvisations on the song "Stranger in Your Soul", each different in many locations. You won't watch this a second time. This is good music, plenty for your buck with almost 7 hours, and you can listen or watch it in a complete week, one hour a day!