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.
The Promise
Neal Morse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They have no more power before us
Dark is their reality
There's a light that we can see
Lighting up the pathway before us
There's so much that we can know
There's a godly way to go
His is the best place to be
He's the truth that makes you free
Can't you feel he's keeping his promise
Princes, principalities, legals and legalities
They have no more power before us
There's a light that we can see
There's a new reality
Can't you feel he's keeping his promise now?
Princes, principalities, legals and legalities
They have no more power before us
There's a light that we can see
There's a new reality
Can't you feel he's keeping his promise, promise, promise now?
The prince of the power of the air
Was calling me back out there
The prince of the power of the air
Can lead you down, can lead you down
The prince of the power of the air
Can lead you down anywhere
The prince of the power of the air
He led me almost anywhere
The above lyrics are from Neal Morse's song, The Promise. The song reflects on the power of God and how it can free people from the grasp of the devil. The lyrics mention the Prince of the Power of the Air, who is seen as the devil or Satan. The song emphasizes that the power of God is greater than any other power, including that of the devil. The lyrics suggest that when people turn towards God, they can overcome any obstacle and move towards a new reality.
The song talks about the powers of the world, such as princes, principalities, legals, and legalities, which can seem overwhelming and controlling. However, the song emphasizes that these powers are insignificant before the power of God. The light that can be seen is symbolized as the pathway laid down by God, which guides people towards a new reality where the promise of God is kept.
The lyrics also touch upon the idea that one can be led astray by the devil, but God's power is strong enough to bring them back towards the right path. The song seeks to reassure listeners to not let themselves be led down by the devil but rather to hold on to hope and trust God's promise.
Line by Line Meaning
Princes, principalities, legals and legalities
The institutions, legal rules, and authorities that once held power over us
They have no more power before us
We are no longer bound by their control
Dark is their reality
Their ways are shrouded in darkness and deceit
There's a light that we can see
We have discovered a path forward that leads to truth and hope
Lighting up the pathway before us
Illuminating the way to a brighter future
There's so much that we can know
There is infinite potential for growth and discovery
There's a godly way to go
We can choose to follow a divinely inspired path
Can't you feel he's reaching down for us
We can sense the presence of a higher power guiding us
His is the best place to be
The place with this divine presence and guidance is the most desirable
He's the truth that makes you free
The divine is the ultimate source of truth and freedom
Can't you feel he's keeping his promise
We have faith that the divine being will keep his promises to us
There's a new reality
We have shifted our perspective to a new understanding of the world and our place in it
Can't you feel he's keeping his promise now?
We are confident that the divine being is fulfilling his promises to us in the present moment
The prince of the power of the air
Satan or a similar embodiment of evil
Was calling me back out there
I was tempted to return to a sinful, worldly way of life
Can lead you down, can lead you down
Evil forces have the power to lead you astray
Can lead you down anywhere
There are many paths to temptation and wrongdoing
He led me almost anywhere
The temptations of evil almost caused me to stray from the right path
Can't you feel he's keeping his promise, promise, promise now?
We are absolutely confident in the divine being's faithfulness and fulfillment of promises
Contributed by Nathaniel C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.