FLYING COLORS

The first one by the supergroup Flying Colors, formed by Mike Portnoy, Dave LaRue, Casey McPherson, Neal Morse, and Steve Morse. I see this line-up and I know that it's going to be cool (and prog?), well not really, it's so cool but a different feeling.

Such a great record, although most of the songs are not really proggy, it's a great collection of well written music and mostly art rock. This album had a producer, and you can notice that. The choice of songs, progressions, sounds...

I prefer their second and third album, but here there are some incredible tunes like "The Storm", "Kayla", "Blue Ocean" and the mini epic "Infinite Fire". The lyrics are so good and with a deep message, and without any doubt, nice music!

Listening diary 22nd March, 2021: Flying Colors - Second Flight (progressive rock, 2015)

Potentially the pinnacle of the careers of both Morse & Portnoy, although I might be one of the only ones on the planet with that opinion. Second Nature is a momentous aligning of the stars, as somehow all the potential they've had as songwriters coalesced into a genuinely exceptional achievement, entirely bound together by Casey MacPherson. This live recording also contains the best of their quite underrated debut record, and most importantly a spellbinding performance of Alpha Rev's "Colder Months" by Casey - and the moment where he transitions into "Peaceful Harbour" might be one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard on a live record. I made a comment yesterday about how Morse often fires and misses at some kind of spiritual depth - his roots in Christian Contemporary Music often undermine these attempts. But give those sorts of melodies which are often cheesy to the point of being unbearable in his own music to a singer like MacPherson, and they can turn to pure gold. The midsection of "Cosmic Symphony" is genuinely touching, something neither Morse nor Portnoy have ever truly achieved in their other bands, no matter how often they try.

8.9 (4th listen)

Part of my listening diary from my facebook music blog - www.facebook.com/TheExoskeletalJunction

Review Nº 463

"Flying Colors" is the eponymous debut studio album of the American super group Flying Colors and was released in 2012. This super group is formed by Mike Portnoy, Neal Morse, Steve Morse, Dave LaRue and Casey McPherson. The formation of the group started with the idea of having several virtuoso musicians and a pop singer joined together to make new fashioned music in the old fashioned way. The idea appeared in 2008 by the executive producer Bill Evans and the album was made with the help of the music producer Peter Collins. Intrigued with the idea and the prospect of working together, this group of musicians signed on to a contract to form a band and record a full length studio album.

So, the line up of the album is Casey McPherson (lead vocals), Steve Morse (lead and rhythm guitar), Neal Morse (vocals and keyboards), Dave LaRue (bass guitar) and Mike Portnoy (vocals, drums and percussion).

"Flying Colors" has eleven tracks. The first track "Blue Ocean" starts with a good and solid bass line by Dave LaRue. Vocalist Casey McPherson shows early that he is able to hold his ground within this so strong cast of musicians. By the other hand Steve Morse supplies the first, of what will be the main characteristic of the album, great melodic solos. The second track "Shoulda Coulda Woulda" represents a heavier rock track where Portnoy and LaRue make an excellent rhythm section. It's a standard hard and heavy rock song that shows the high quality of all musicians. This is the heaviest track on the album and is also probably to standard to my personal taste. The third track "Kayla" begins with a very promising way. Soon, I felt that it was to be a strong track with a great melody and a great vocal line by Casey. The vocal line in the chorus takes us into the catchy territory of American bands like Styx, Kansas and Journey. The fourth track "The Storm" is another hook filled track once more with some rally concise and fine guitar solos. I know this is a very standard rock track but, we are in presence of a very well written, performed and executed piece of music. The fifth track "Forever In A Daze" presents us with a fine interplay between Portnoy and LaRue. The song has a nice and rhythmic passage and the vocals are some of the strongest made on the album. The song has a funky, bluesy and even jazzy line and it has also a great guitar work by Steve Morse. The sixth track "Love Is What I'm Waiting For" is typically a commercial pop rock track. This is a song very influenced by The Beatles and it has also some Queen influences, particularly the guitar work that reminds us Brian May. This is a typical song of the 60's and 70's pop rock genre. The seventh track "Everything Changes" is a typical ballad with acoustic guitar to start and a simple back track of drums and bass to keep things moving. Once more we can see the influence of The Beatles on the song. And, once more, we can see a superior vocal and guitar works on this powerful and beautiful ballad. The eighth track "Better Than Walking Away" is another typical American ballad fashion way that gradually becoming louder and heavier and where its climax appears just before the song ends. This is AOR in its optimum form. The ninth track "All Falls Down" is like "Shoulda Coulda Woulda" a heavy rock song with some fast paced drumming and a great riff. It demonstrates that despite should the fancy take them, then the area of progressive metal can be very well on the album. The tenth track "Fool In My Heart" sees Mike Portnoy taking over the microphone. Once again Neal Morse taking the upper hand in the musical arrangement giving the song a rare blend of Portnoy and Morse sound. The bluesy solo by Steve Morse completes the feel of the song. The eleventh and last track "Infinite Fire" is the epic track on the album, the most progressive of all. It's a very well structured song and where we can see clearly the hand of Neal Morse. The song combines several styles of music, from blues to rock, funk and jazz. It's a perfect way to close this intriguing, surprising and magnificent album.

Conclusion: This is the kind of albums that divide the opinions of the prog heads. For the purists, this is an outrage for the progressive rock. It will annoy some radicals for its pop prog tendencies and modern production. Many may ask how can a group of such esteemed progressive musicians make an album like this, with any overt progressive leanings and choose a pop rock singer. Sincerely, I'm not in this group. I sincerely recommend this album, because probably I had no great expectations with it, in the beginning. "Flying Colors" is the kind of albums that grows as I heard it, and the more I heard it, the more I like it. It's true this isn't properly truly a progressive rock album. Still, I like this album, really. As I wrote before, I can't see any weak points on the album and I sincerely like the vocal work of Casey McPherson. So, and concluding, if you're looking for some sort of Transatlantic, Dream Theater or Deep Purple stuff here, you are wrong, and barring the last track "Infinite Fire" this may well not be the album you are looking for. However, if you search for a catchy and crafted melodic rock album with more than just a hint of progressive music, you're in the right place here. It captures your fancy and you willn't give a misused your money and time spent with it.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

What we have here is an outstandig live album by a well-known supergroup of prog stars shining, above all things, in the group's collective effort. But, don't be afraid, there are also a good share of solo takes on guitar and keyboards crowning the well-crafted songs that we have learned to love and expect from them. The mood is variable (in a good sense), making for an interesting listening experience, as well as the tempo and energy levels are, providing a much varied and entertaining soundscape for the ride.

As my own personal favourites here, I give you tracks 12 Infinite Fire and 13 Cosmic Symphony, both mini-suites featuring great instrumental expanse and wide dynamic range, going from delicate to overpowering within a few well spent minutes. Still, there's so much more going on here, that's for sure, as for example the smashing alchemy in the vocal harmonies all over the set.

An album meant to grace any record collection

The (likewise called) Third album of FC is their best until now. I got interested from their debut on, because of the known names of the musicians. I heard their music performed in an almost perfected way, but that's not what makes the shiver in my spine - no other than the song itself can do that. Because of that the Second album was a bit disappointing for me, but I decided to give it a third chance: and yes, there are at least 3 songs worth buying/streaming it. Last train home (save it for your funeral), You are not alone (Jasey's story of rescueing people in a rubber boat in Houston, after hurricane Harvey) and Crawl (you don't need to have a broken heart to get touched when he sings this part with his broken voice). It's a nice journey listening through the complete album, no skipping necessary.

Flying Colors is a successful Prog Related supergroup that was formed in 2011 from an idea by producer Bill Evans. He wanted to bring together some giants of prog rock to create songs that were accessible and complex. He recruited Steve Morse (Dixie Dregs), Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), Neal Morse (Spock's Beard), Dave LaRue (Dixie Dregs), and pop singer Casey Mc Pherson (Alpha Rev) who was signed with Disney records. This core line up has survived miraculously enough, through three albums to this point. Their 3rd album, released in October of 2019, is called "Third Degree" and features 9 tracks with a total run time of over 66 minutes. Of course, there is always a danger of hitting that fine line where people that love their music formualaic will find a supergroup such as this to be too complex, or progressive lovers will find it too commercial. The question is, does "Flying Colors" music land on that fine line?

Beginning with "The Loss Inside" (5:50), you get a song that begins with the full band playing at full force with a tasty guitar riff and the deep, somewhat gruff vocals. The music stays rather heavy with some great guitar solos and a nice organ solo. The music takes on the same feel as Asia, accessible but just a notch above the standard pop. The influences of Spock's Beard and Dream Theater are there, but in a more watered-down format. However, this track is a great opener and should get everyone's attention right off the bat. "More" (7:09) continues with the heavier pop sound, this time with vocals that are slightly processed and the song ends up sounding like something by "Muse" this time. I can see, however, that many people are going to hit the "like" button for this one because it is instantly likeable, but I also feel that it will wear itself out quickly, as it sounds like it's been done before, and it has more or less. The symphonic sound that comes in half-way through is a nice touch, and the interplay with keys and guitar is also appealing, but again, the question is whether it will hold up to the test of time. The music slows and quiets down when the vocals come back, and Casey continues with his best Matt Bellamy impression, then the band kicks back in and eventually return to the main theme. The music is professional and well developed, as you would probably expect considering the line-up involved.

"Cadence" (7:40) moves to a softer tone, but is heavy in the symphonic keys department. The vocals are a bit annoying here as the vocalist continues to imitate other vocalists. He can hold his own okay, but so far, I have a hard time hearing a tone or style in his singing that would make him recognizable. The music turns to an accessible Neo-prog style as it goes on, but when I say accessible, it is, so don't expect anything surprising or that really stands out here. The music takes on a slightly pompous attitude, even being lighter than the first two tracks, and more accessible. It's a bit boring. "Guardian" (7:10) starts off with pre-planned studio chatter that is supposed to sound like it was unexpectedly placed on the song and give everyone that warm and fuzzy feeling that we are listening to musical gods at work. Just like the previous track, this one is prog-lite, maybe even to a larger extent. There is a nice bass solo put in there though that eventually develops into a running guitar bridge that takes it all predictably back to the main theme. The problem is, the main theme on this track is a bit weak.

"Last Train Home" (10:31) has a slower, yet majestic sound to it, very "Asia"-like. Casey utilizes his full chest voice, trying to sound a bit operatic, but quickly giving up on that. After a couple of boring verses and choruses, the music speeds up a bit and builds up for an instrumental break, which features a Spock's Beard-like synth solo which finally falls off to acoustic strumming and more vocals. The attempt to be more personal for the listener just sounds contrived. Then there is some embarrassing vocal scatting that follows the guitar. It's impressive that the song is well developed and it does manage to break the 10 minute mark, but you end up feeling like it was 10 long minutes. "Geronimo" (5:19) goes for a funky vibe with layered vocals. There is some nice, tricky rhythmic patterns here, but it still remains quite accessible, and a bit too poppy for my own taste. The funkiness doesn't really feel that believable either.

"You Are Not Alone" (6:21) was penned by Casey about the effects of Hurricane Harvey in Austin, TX, which is where he is from. It does seem heartfelt enough, but it's really quite straightforward and is also obviously intended as a single. This is probably one track, even though it is far from progressive, that seems like the band is the most connected to, and Casey's vocals really connect here. It's also not quite as sappy as I thought it would be. It is straight forward pop though. "Love Letter" (5:09) is another single from the album, and is just way too happy sounding, perfect for skipping down the sidewalk. Definitely ackkkk-worthy. They're trying to make a Beach Boys song here and failing miserably. It's the kind of song that Frank Zappa would make fun of if Casey ever became his lead singer (of course we know that is impossible now), but think of The Turtles "Happy Together" and you'll have the right idea.

The last track is "Crawl" and comes in at an impressive 11:14 minutes. It starts with piano and somewhat annoying vocals. The light symphonic pop sound comes in as the music develops a bit, and then releases the attention in a repeating bridge that move predictably to a chorus. Rinse and repeat with a little more vigor the 2nd time. Then we move into a Asia-style instrumental break, progressive, but predictable, with a lot of the usual rapid guitar notes. Later, the music calms and processed vocals come in, and it sounds like Muse has returned.

For the more "adventurous" listener, there is a special edition available which gives you a bonus disk with 6 more songs! Wow! Don't be fooled into this one because it consists of one more original track, and then 5 instrumental versions of songs that you have already heard on this album. It's not worth the trouble.

In the end, the band definitely does what it was created to do, make progressive-lite music that is very accessible. However, it seems to me that it is mostly uninspired, taking age-old formulaic patterns and regurgitating them into another progressive pop band very similar to Asia and Muse. The best songs are the first two, and then I tend to get lost in the feeling of sameness that follows. You've heard it all before, but I know there is a market for the style. It all sounds good enough on the first go round, but subsequent listenings will be less enthusiastic. If music along the lines of Asia, Alan Parsons and so on is something you love, then you should check this out, but be warned that it feels a bit contrived and predictable. 3 stars seems like a fair rating.

Up until I first watched this disc, I liked Flying Colors, but I would not say that I regarded them as one of my favourite bands. Since they have put out only two albums (both of which I own), it is probably way too soon to really form a lasting opinion about this, anyway. However, after watching this disc, I am absolutely certain that the disc captures one of my top 5 or so, favourite live performances, on DVD or Blu-ray, in my substantial collection. There are few bands that I know of that can play live versions of their material, which I prefer to their original studio versions, or that I like at least equally, as another take on the same music. I now proclaim Flying Colors, on the evidence of this disc, to be one of those bands. Of course, this is very possible with musicians and composers of this high calibre and with the crystal-clear recording of live sound that can be achieved these days. Just to be complete about the technical quality of the disc then, the visuals are as stunningly pristine as the sound.

Of course, however, it is the quality of the songs and the performance of them, that should really matter to the purchaser of this disc. It is evident that the songs are infused into the muscle-memory of the band members, as they tour, play and perform. A big factor in my enthusiasm for this disc, is the palpable sense of enjoyment of the band members and their pride in the music that they have created. The simple rule is that when the performers have fun, the audience has fun. A remarkable fact about this disc, is that the band had only one album of Flying Colors songs to create their set-list from, so they played the whole album, plus songs from their past bands, to pad the performance out beyond an hour, as Mike Portnoy informs the audience. Let me assure you that these older songs are as far from filler material as you are likely to hear and the fact that there is not a poor song or performance on this disc, should tell you something about the quality of this band and the quality of their first album (Flying Colors).

Although this is a prog rock band, the songs are mostly very accessible, very positive and uplifting, without being anywhere close to light, frothy, throwaway pop music - and I love every song. This opinion comes from someone whose music collection consists mainly of prog rock of all sorts, including a lot of dark, dense, challenging and frankly bizarre stuff, which I generally far prefer to easily accessible music. Of course, all of the band members, bar one, have solid backgrounds in major progressive rock bands. Neal Morse (ex-Spock's Beard) is just ridiculously talented as a keyboard player and vocalist and as for drummer Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater) - well he only cements his reputation as one of, if not the best drummer, in rock music today. He doesn't even totally crash and burn in his vocal parts! The other band members are the axe wizard Steve Morse on lead guitar (Dixie Dregs, Deep Purple), Dave LaRue (Dixie Dregs) and the younger-than-the-rest and extremely talented vocalist (also guitarist), Casey McPherson (Alpha Rev).

First, a confession: when I picked up this CD at my local library (a blind choice of an unfamiliar band, discovered entirely by chance) I had no clue to the stellar pedigree behind it. Neil Morse and Mike Portnoy, the stateside half of TRANSATLANTIC, recording alongside the guitarist and bass player from THE (DIXIE) DREGS? With marquee value like that, it was easy to overlook the red flag raised by the addition of a lead singer (Casey McPherson) recently signed to the Hollywood/Disney record label...a potential kiss of death, for discriminating Prog fans.

The supergroup was assembled by executive producer Bill Evans (no relation to the late, great Jazz pianist, sadly), and 'assembled' is definitely the right word. This is a quintet manufactured to strict industry standards, less a band than a boardroom committee of seasoned professionals, tasked with single goal: to make and market virtuoso pop music.

And if that agenda recalls the similar mission of groups like ASIA and GTR, imagine the disillusion of your harder-to-please Proghead friends after hearing the band's 2012 debut. The name-brand talent attracted some notice in these pages, but judging from a recent shortfall of reviews those high hopes have cooled for this sophomore effort. Which is a shame, because it's clearly the better album, with a far stronger rapport between each player.

Not surprisingly, there's a lot of Neil Morse's fingerprints on the music, but thankfully none of his backwards theology. The album's first and longest track, the mini-epic "Open Up Your Eyes", might have been an outtake from an early SPOCK'S BEARD session, and is almost matched by the inaptly titled bookend of "Cosmic Symphony", really three shorter songs awkwardly spliced into an attractive 12-minute suite. These two longer pieces give the musicians plenty of room to strut their stuff, more so than the clutch of pop songs and power ballads between them, all of them textbook models of AOR anonymity.

Maybe the project should have come with its own PMRC warning label: "Caution - Musicians Performing Below Expectations". And yet by its own narrow standards the album actually works very well, unlike the similar (and often sorry) mainstream digressions of other Proggers tempted by the fruit of commercial redemption. The longer songs show a tentative sense of renewed ambition, up to a carefully circumscribed point. And the lack of any self-conscious boilerplate Prog Rock keeps the music more honest, if less interesting, than anything by TRANSATLANTIC: a fraternal twin with the same genes but no outward resemblance.

The original plan, to "make new-fashioned music the old fashioned way" (quoting the Flying Colors website) might seem like a recipe for anachronistic kitsch. But it beats the contrary formula embraced by so many Neo-Prog acts, of regurgitating old-fashioned music the new-fashioned way. If the project continues we might, with any luck, hear the more creative instincts of Morse, Morse and Co. rise higher to the surface. Watch this space...

The first cd of Flying Colors was done by Steve Morse and Neal Morse as the second was the results of the collaborations of each member which gives more variety and quality in the music. The music is still song/vocals-oriented almost AOR and Pop with progressive elements. The most progressive and longer tracks are "Open up Your Eyes" and "Mask Machine" with more complex time signatures. Neal Morse's keyboards while not having a major role like in his solo career bring some atmosphere in the music, also McPherson does most of the singing. We are in front of talented musicians here. Dave Larue in the first song add some interesting bass lines to the melody. Steve Morse's guitar solo are abundant and melodic. "The fury of My Love" starts as a ballad with piano and vocals and develop the melody in the Beatlesque fashion. I didn't enjoy the acoustic medley from Casey McPherson repertoire. There's plenty of typical classic pop rock songs on the edge of hard rock that includes a welcome little rhythm change for Progressive listeners., but don't expect another Transatlantic or Spock's Beard type of music. Some tracks have too much simplicity, for example, "Kayla" and "Shoulda Woulda Coulda", I suspect some humor in the latter, but "Cosmic Symphony" is quite different and enjoyable. This concert is well presented with 24 cameras in high definition with two types of surround sound.

It's probably the first time I'm rating something as "Collectors/fans only" because this release is indeed only for the ones who are crazy about this band and their material, which, in my opinion, sounds as a mediocre cover on all those great prog rock bands from the 70s.

Despite the indisputable performance skills and good mixing quality, this release left me with a feeling like I've just listened to another Transatlantic live album with those very very predictable drum fills from Mike Portnoy. And I still consider him to be one of the best modern drummers.

Perhaps the only thing that really haunted me was the "Colder Months" / "Peaceful Harbor" medley.

Sorry folks, didn't mean to hurt anyone's feelings.