Undaunted, he formed the quirkily-named Spock’s Beard with his brother, Alan. They recorded The Light with what money they could scrape together. Against all odds, it was a breakout success, sending shockwaves through the small genre’s community.
Over the next 10 years, Spock’s Beard released 10 critically acclaimed CDs and 2 DVDs, ascending to the top of the prog world. Neal also released 6 CDs and 3 DVDs with Transatlantic, the heralded prog supergroup comprised of the genre’s best musicians.
The proverbial wayward son, Neal had finally found the success he sought. On the outside he seemed to have it all. On the inside, however, something was missing.
Morse came to realize that for him, embracing the Christian faith was the fulfillment of his spiritual quest. His walk was at once gradual and sudden—and as with so many, completely unexpected. As he continued, his path increasingly revealed more of what his heart had sought all along. Yet he also began to find his career growing at odds with his faith. The rising spiritual tension and increasing commercial success finally came to a head with the release of Snow (2002), the group’s magnum opus...and swan song with Morse.
The extraordinary 2-CD rock opera, composed by Morse, was widely acclaimed as the group’s finest. But it was the end of the era. Neal felt God calling him out of his former musical life and into the unknown. He made the agonizing decision to leave both Spock’s Beard and Transatlantic. Despite having finally achieved the success he had long sought, Morse had to begin all over again; musically, emotionally and spiritually.
Neal then embarked upon the most ambitious musical project of his career. Entitled Testimony (2003), it chronicles his spiritual and musical journey in words and music. The 2 CD set spans over two hours as one continuous piece of music. Genre-wise, it ranges from a gospel choir to hard rock; from symphony orchestra to contemporary pop. Testimony was also Neal’s first of many albums with drummer Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater). A deftly woven musical tapestry, Testimony takes the listener on a fascinating journey as unique as the man behind it.
The ensuing world tour was captured on one unforgettable night for the 2-DVD set, Testimony Live (2004). Morse was recognized as a remarkably passionate and engaging performer by England’s Classic Rock Magazine, who included him in their “100 Greatest Frontmen of Rock” listing. The tour was awarded “Best Rock Tour” from the popular Dutch website, DPRP, besting nominees Peter Gabriel, Radiohead, RUSH and others.
Morse’s next studio album was a conceptual, progressive rock album entitled One. Mike Portnoy returned to perform on drums (in what is regarded as perhaps his finest performance), with up-and-coming bassist Randy George. They were joined by legendary guitarist Phil Keaggy. The result was a band-focused sound, harkening back to Neal’s Transatlantic work. Continuing in the tradition of Snow and Testimony, One proved epic in scope and sublime in nature.
For Morse’s third progressive rock album, he took a new approach, artistically. On Question (2005), Morse weaves a compelling storyline that owes as much to C.S. Lewis as Indiana Jones. His journey is a timeless quest—to find the biblical dwelling place of God. Joining Neal are more of prog’s brightest stars, including Mike Portnoy and Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), Roine Stolt (Flower Kings, Transatlantic) and Steve Hackett (Genesis).
Bringing Question to the stage required an outstanding tour band. Fusing technical wizardry with musical nuance, a young band of unknowns proved themselves in the fire of Question’s musical rollercoaster. The audience responded with energy and passion, with the experience captured on CD. Unrestrained, raw, and magnificent, the resulting 2 CD set Question: Live (2007) was to be further unveiled on the DVD, Sola Sciptura & Beyond.
Neal's next prog epic was his most daring, stirring passions and controversy. On Sola Scriptura (2007), Morse tells a compelling and sometimes macabre tale of the darkness that inevitably falls when humankind tries to elevate itself to God. Focusing on the Church in the Middle Ages, Morse is unflinching in his description of its abuses. Neal frames the issue as just one example of faith separated from its true foundations. The album closes not with an end but a beginning—for us to consider our world, and feel called to illuminate it.
Question and Sola Scriptura were received as Neal’s best to date, and the ensuing tours were captured on film. The ensuing release, Sola Scriptura & Beyond (2008) was an extraordinary live concert 2-DVD set that brought both albums to life. Also included were generous selections from One and Testimony, a Transatlantic section, five songs from Spock’s Beard, and an hour of behind-the-scenes tour footage.
Less than three months later, Neal completed Lifeline (2008), his next studio album. Unlike his other releases, Lifeline wasn't a concept album. Free from this constraint, Neal stretched out in all directions. He revisited early Spock’s Beard, Snow, Transatlantic, his solo releases, and launched into new territory. Joining him once again were Mike Portnoy and Randy George. It was the album that fans of Neal and progressive rock the world over had waited for. Press coverage of the album reached from some of Europe's biggest mainstream music publications, to Rolling Stone in Mexico.
Twelve years after The Light, Neal continues to blaze new creative trails. In 2009, he shines brighter than ever in the next remarkable chapter in Neal's musical journey.
Smoke and Mirrors
Neal Morse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Made for unknown Gods by trembling human hands
Deceived from birth
Conceived to die
Misleading lives without a reason why
Disillusioned souls causing bloody tears
The truth masquerading with Smoke and Mirrors
The truth masquerading with Smoke, Smoke and Mirrors
Born into bondage as slaves to sin
Inspired to run races that we cannot win
Cleansing water
In a bowl of brass
Remains in obscurity behind darkened glass
Disillusioned souls causing bloody tears
The truth masquerading with Smoke and Mirrors
Disillusioned souls causing bloody tears
The truth masquerading with Smoke and Mirrors
Now we are here among the blind
We seek to know the one beyond all space and time
Reality is sweet for sure
For all of this confusion there is only one cure
He's planted in our souls
Life beyond the years
We will not be victims of Smoke and Mirrors
He's planted in our souls
Life beyond these tears
And we shall be like Him beyond
Smoke and Mirrors
The song "Smoke and Mirrors" by Neal Morse is about the illusions and deceptions that humans face in life. The first verse talks about fantasy worlds and barren lands being created by humans to serve unknown gods. This suggests that humans create illusions and delusions in order to cope with the unknown and make sense of the things that they cannot understand. The second line, "Deceived from birth, conceived to die," implies that life itself is an illusion and that humans are misled from the very beginning until the end. The last two lines, "Misleading lives without a reason why," refer to the fact that humans have no clear purpose, yet they continue to exist.
The chorus talks about the disillusioned souls and bloody tears that people shed when they realize that the truth is being hidden behind smoke and mirrors. In this context, smoke and mirrors represent the illusions that people create to hide the truth. The second verse speaks about how humans are born into bondage as slaves to sin, and how they are inspired to run races that they cannot win. The line "Cleansing water in a bowl of brass" refers to the fact that sometimes the truth can be obscured by religious rituals and traditions.
The bridge talks about how humans seek to know the one beyond all space and time and that reality is sweet for sure. The line "life beyond these tears" implies that there is life after death and that people should not be controlled by the illusions and deceptions of the world, but rather seek the truth that lies beyond the illusions. The last two lines, "And we shall be like Him beyond, Smoke and Mirrors," suggest that humans should strive to be like God and seek truth beyond illusions.
Line by Line Meaning
Fantasy worlds and barren lands
Created by humans, these worlds have no meaning or purpose.
Made for unknown Gods by trembling human hands
These worlds were created in worship of gods that humans haven't even discovered yet.
Deceived from birth
From the moment we come into the world, we are subjected to deception and trickery.
Conceived to die
Our existence is temporary and we are destined to die.
Misleading lives without a reason why
Our lives are often confusing and without a clear purpose, leading us astray.
Disillusioned souls causing bloody tears
People who are let down by the world cause pain and feel betrayed.
The truth masquerading with Smoke and Mirrors
The real answer is hidden behind lies and illusions, making it hard to distinguish fact from fiction.
Born into bondage as slaves to sin
Humans are born and live their lives in a state of moral imperfection and are controlled by our sinful nature.
Inspired to run races that we cannot win
We are encouraged to strive towards impossible goals and to pursue achievement without any true hope of success.
Cleansing water
Water that has been purified and is intended to cleanse a person's soul of sin.
In a bowl of brass
Symbolic of how such purity and clarity is often overlooked or ignored and obscured from view.
Remains in obscurity behind darkened glass
The truth about a person's true nature is hidden away and unclear due to various barriers, obstacles.
Now we are here among the blind
We find ourselves in a world where people are ignorant and cannot see what is really happening.
We seek to know the one beyond all space and time
We look for answers that transcend the limitations of the physical world and span all time and space.
Reality is sweet for sure
The truth can be beautiful and give us hope for our future.
For all of this confusion there is only one cure
Despite all the chaos and disorder, there is only one solution to find lasting peace.
He's planted in our souls
A divine presence has been instilled in us.
Life beyond the years
This presence provides an eternal life that extends far beyond our physical existence.
We will not be victims of Smoke and Mirrors
We won't be fooled by tricks and illusions anymore because we know the real truth.
Life beyond these tears
Our eternal life will be free from the suffering of this mortal realm.
And we shall be like Him beyond Smoke and Mirrors
We will become like this divine presence, free from the limitations and illusions of this world.
Contributed by Mateo J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Silo Agrain
One of my favorite melodic peace of beauty. Bravo
Alejandro Ariel Biondi
Impresionante como siempre.
phphreak
A great song.
Silo Agrain
Superbe mélodie la grande classe
japanesesen
Nice!