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IT'S NOT TOO LATE

Neal Morse

Symphonic Prog


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Neal Morse It's Not Too Late album cover
2.78 | 112 ratings | 7 reviews | 4% 5 stars

Good, but non-essential

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Studio Album, released in 2001

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. It's Not Too Late (6:26)
2. All the Young Girls Cry (4:59)
3. Leah (4:02)
4. The Angels Will Remember (4:33)
5. So Long Goodbye Blues (4:39)
6. The Change (4:40)
7. Broken Homes (3:58)
8. Oh Angie (3:19)
9. The Eyes of the World (George's Song) (4:09)
10. Ain't Seen Nothin' Like Me (5:10)
11. I Am Your Father (4:19)
12. Something Blue (4:23)
13. The Wind and the Rain (6:09)

Total Time 60:46

Line-up / Musicians

- Neal Morse / vocals, guitar, synth, piano, organ, Mellotron, drums (7,9), percussion, producer

With:
- Nick d'Virgilio / drums
- Greg Westall / guitar (11)
- Brad Wetmore / bass (11)
- Jordan Zimmerman / drums (11)
- Chris Carmichael / strings (12)
- Letty Jones / French horn (3)
- Jim Hoke / horns (5)
- Neil Rosengarden / horns (5)
- Susanne Christian / backing vocals (2,6)
- Debbie Bresee / backing vocals (2,6)

Releases information

Artwork: Missinglink.com with Janet Balmer (photo)

CD Ear Candy Records ‎- ECRCD 005 (2001, Germany)

Thanks to ProgLucky for the addition
and to Quinino for the last updates
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NEAL MORSE It's Not Too Late ratings distribution


2.78
(112 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(4%)
4%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(20%)
20%
Good, but non-essential (49%)
49%
Collectors/fans only (16%)
16%
Poor. Only for completionists (11%)
11%

NEAL MORSE It's Not Too Late reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by Greger
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Neal MORSE is a true genius! He's a brilliant songwriter, a strong vocalist and leader of SPOCK'S BEARD, one of today's best progressive rock bands. He's also ž of the all-star super group TRANSATLANTIC, alongside Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER), Pete Trewavas (MARILLION) and Roine Stolt (The FLOWER KINGS). In my opinion he's at his best in these surroundings. Now he's in the news with his second solo album "It's Not Too Late", the follow-up to his debut self-titled solo album from 1999. The new album contains compositions that are absolutely amazing. I don't know how Neal can come up with so much good music. I'm not only thinking of his solo albums, but also SPOCK'S BEARD's and TRANSATLANTIC's releases. He's almost as creative and productive as Roine Stolt of The FLOWER KINGS. Neal's solo albums are in the straightforward singer songwriter tradition, far away from the music he creates with SPOCK'S BEARD and TRANSATLANTIC. It's piano oriented pop music with beautiful harmonies, catchy choruses and it's much better than the main part of the music and bands in this genre. There are reminiscences to BEATLES, EAGLES and JELLYFISH. Although there are some guest musicians on this album, Neal is playing the majority of instruments. Nick D'Virgilio, Neal's band mate from SPOCK'S BEARD, is playing drums on this album. It isn't often you hear such a great pop release, but Neal MORSE has come up with a album that can compete with Paul McCartney "Driving Rain", Prefab Sprout "The Gunman and Other Stories" and Timothy B. Schmit "Feed The Fire" as the best pop album from 2001.
Review by hdfisch
PROG REVIEWER
1 stars This record is really the worst crime Neal has ever committed in my view. I'm adoring very much the music he's done on "Testimony" and "One" despite the very religious lyrics I'm just ignoring. At least the music on those ones is great. But what we have here is really just a bunch of cheesy and and over sentimental sob stuff in the vein of Bruce Hornsby, Elton John etc.ONLY for very hard die-hard fans!
Review by UMUR
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
2 stars If you disregard the the rather useless second solo album from Neal Morse, called Merry Christmas From The Morse Family, Itīs Not Too Late is the second serious solo album from Neal Morse.

Neal Morse first solo album was released in 1999 and had a couple of good songs, some mediocre ones, too many bad ones and a long epic that saved the album from oblivion. Mostly the style was in a pop/ rock vein with only a few progressive hints. The same can be said about Itīs Not Too Late except that there are even fewer progressive hints on this album compared to the debut. The songs are very mediocre pop/ rock tunes that wonīt offend anyone. There are a few moments here and there where Nealīs solo music touches the progressive sound of his then main band Spockīs Beard. A good example would be the synth wave during the chorus in Look but mostly this is simple pop/ rock.

Most songs are very well composed but that is no surprise if you know Neal Morse. The man is extremely talented and he has an ear for memorable song lines. His lyrics are a different matter though. Trivial thoughts and a christian outlook on the world is just a bit too lame if you ask me. There is nothing wrong with being a Christian but singing about your faith the way itīs done here makes me kind of embarressed. The worst example here is obviously The Angels will Remember. To make matters worse there is also a kind of gospel choir in the background of this song which makes this a complete failure in my ears. Just terrible. If you want to hear Christian music Saviour Machine and Amaseffer are good examples of how it can be done so even us atheists think itīs great. Neal Morse is simply too much born again for my taste.

Neal Morse is again responsible for the lead vocals, Piano and guitars while he is again helped out by Spockīs Beard Collegue Nick dīVirgilio on drums. There are other session musicians on the album but no one I recognise.

The production is very good, so no problem there.

The cover artwork is very trivial and typical for a solo album with a picture of part of Nealīs face.

I wasnīt too impressed with Neal Morse debut album and Iīll have to say the same thing about this one. This is too nice pop/ rock without any edge and with only a few progressive moments. Iīll still rate it 2 stars though as Neal Morse sure knows the tools of his trade. Even with his eyes closed and writing with his left hand he is able to make professional sounding music. Too bad itīs not to my taste. Iīll recommend you stick to Nealīs work with Spockīs Beard. I understand that his later solo albums should be much more impressive and challenging so Iīll give them a go later on and hope for a revelation.

Review by Easy Livin
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin
3 stars Who?

While on holiday in California a few years ago, I picked this album up from an electrical goods warehouse for $1.50. Clearly, the name Neil Morse is not widely known outside of progressive music circles, and the store felt that the sole copy they had constituted an overstock. Morse was of course the guiding light (in temporal terms at least!) of Spock's Beard, up to and including their "Snow" album. He was also a member of the prog "supergroup" Transatlantic. This album was recorded while Morse was still a member of Spock's Beard, and released between their "V" and "Snow" albums.

Here we have 13 tracks, most of which were recorded in Nashville with Neil and only drummer Nick D'Virgilio playing on them. Also present is one track ("I am your father") which Neil wrote in 1982, and re-recorded with his old band mates from the 1980's. Finally (although not last on the album) is "The eyes of the world", subtitled "George's song" recorded by Morse alone in is own home. The songs were written by Morse over a long period of time, the oldest going back to 1982.

It is perhaps worth saying up front that this album is not in the vein of the complex prog of Spock's Beard or the ambitious solo projects of more recent times. This is primarily a collection of straight forward rock songs. This is Morse (and d'Virgilio) having a bit of fun; we even get snippets of studio chat on "Leah".

The 6― minute opening title track is about as close as we get to prog, but even here the slightly funky, slightly jazzy interludes disguise a straightforward pop number. Morse even has the nerve to echo Ian Hunter's (Mott the Hoople, "All the young dudes") closing "I've wanted to do this for years" as the track concludes.

The following "All the young girls cry" sounds like it is taken straight from Todd Rundgren's Beatles tribute "Deface the music". Here we have a girlie chorus to emphasise the repetitive, catchy nature of the song. The aforementioned "Leah" would bring a tear to a glass eye, the lyrics seeing a father trying to explain to a daughter why mummy has left home. "Leah, mothers love their daughters, I'm sure that she still cares for you now?. I'll be taking care of you now". Excuse me a minute?..

OK, back again. The bearing the soul type lyrics, which will become a feature of Morse's solo works, are rather in their infancy here. As such they can become somewhat cringe-worthy and grating.

The songs are best described as generally adequate, as are the arrangements which are primarily live in the studio. The occasional embellishment of horns ("So long goodbye blues") or strings ("Something blue") add welcome colours, although to be fair Morse's frequent switching between keyboards (and guitar) for different tracks also helps retain a level of interest.

The highlight for me is Neal's track with his old mates, "I am your father". Sentimental tosh perhaps, but lyrically it hit hits the mark, and Morse's impassioned vocals contribute to a genuinely moving song. Got to say the mellotron and Hammond help a lot too.

In all, an adequate but pretty lightweight album from the man who has done so much to further the cause of prog in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Latest members reviews

2 stars Neal Morse's solo career started with a couple of albums that are quite different from the type of releases that will characterize his solo discography after he left Spock's Beard in 2002. His first solo album, the self-titled album he released in 1999, bore only faint traces of progressive rock, fo ... (read more)

Report this review (#2571909) | Posted by lukretio | Saturday, June 19, 2021 | Review Permanlink

3 stars UNDISCOVERED PROG MASTERMIND IN POP ALBUM SHOCKER!!! I was initially a little concerned after hearing Neal's self-titled solo debut, and thought that would be it. Just some songs that he had, liked, and thought should be released. Fair enough. Then, when I heard of this, I was even more conce ... (read more)

Report this review (#24845) | Posted by | Thursday, March 24, 2005 | Review Permanlink

4 stars This album...are quite a cool collection of songs...one can easely hear the skeleton of Spock beard tunes...with the trimmings coming up ahead.....nice songs ...brilliant tunes..and Nealīs singing abilities to boot.....anyone whoīs into Spockīs...can grap this cd..as it is filled to the brim w ... (read more)

Report this review (#24844) | Posted by Tonny Larz | Sunday, December 28, 2003 | Review Permanlink

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