Despite not being an official member and not appearing on the studio albums, Daniel Gildenlöw (Pain of Salvation) has often joined the band during live shows. However, due to illness, Ted Leonard (Spock's Beard, Enchant, Thought Chamber) stood in for him during the 2014 tour. Leonard also joined the band during the 2022 tour.
Formation
Originally intending to include Fates Warning guitarist Jim Matheos, Morse and Portnoy tapped Flower Kings guitarist/vocalist Roine Stolt when Matheos was unable to participate. The band completed their lineup by adding bassist and progressive rock veteran Pete Trewavas from the group Marillion and Edison's Children. Before Transatlantic, the first moniker the band came up with was "Second Nature".
SMPTe and Bridge Across Forever (2000–2002)
Their first album, 2000's SMPTe (a play on words, as both a combination of the members' last initials, as well as a common machine time protocol used in high end recording studios) received strong critical reviews, including "some of the best progressive rock music ever written" (Robert Taylor in AllMusic).
A subsequent tour of the United States led to a double live CD, Live in America, and a video of the same name. The band showed their musical heritage on the live CD, presenting covers of the Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever", as well as a medley of Genesis' epic "Watcher of the Skies" and "Firth of Fifth". The band also released another double live CD/DVD called Live in Europe in 2003; one standout is the version of "Suite Charlotte Pike" that includes covers of tracks from The Beatles' Abbey Road album.
Though SMPTe contained the 31-minute opus "All of the Above", the band's second studio album, 2001's Bridge Across Forever, found the band flexing their muscles further in the long form for which progressive rock is known. The CD contained just four tracks, the 26-minute "Duel With the Devil", the 14-minute "Suite Charlotte Pike", and the 26-minute "Stranger in Your Soul" making up the bulk of the disc, with the title track coming in at a relatively scant five minutes. The limited edition also contains a cover of Pink Floyd's "Shine on You Crazy Diamond". In November 2001, the band toured Europe. As an added bonus for progressive metal fans, Daniel Gildenlöw of the band Pain of Salvation sat in throughout the tour, playing keyboards, guitars, percussion, and vocals.
Years of hiatus (2002–2009)
Morse left his regular band Spock's Beard in October 2002, stating "God wants me to do something else," which meant leaving the mainstream prog scene to launch a new career as a Christian musician. This move also included ending his activities for Transatlantic. Portnoy reacted: "This spells the end of Transatlantic as I wouldn't possibly consider continuing it without him." A live DVD of the tour was released in late 2003.
In the years to follow Morse continued to collaborate with Portnoy both in the studio and on stage. Morse' concerts frequently included one or more Transatlantic songs. A three-quarter reunion took place on 23 August 2008, when Stolt and Portnoy joined Morse at the Three Rivers Prog Fest in Pittsburgh for "We All Need Some Light" and "Stranger in Your Soul".
Reunion and The Whirlwind (2009–2013)
On 16 April 2009, it was officially announced that the band had reunited and begun work on a third studio album. The album was released in October 2009 and consisted of a single 77-minute title-track The Whirlwind. A special edition of the album was also released, including a second disc with four additional original tracks and four cover tracks. Additionally, a deluxe edition was released, which included a DVD documenting the making of the album. The album reached No. 21 on the U.S. Billboard Heatseekers chart.
The band toured North America and Europe in April–May 2010 in support of The Whirlwind. Dubbed the Whirld Tour, the band was again joined by Daniel Gildenlöw on stage.
In February 2013, the new Neal Morse band (with Mike Portnoy) and the Flower Kings started a European tour together which was followed by a gig in Los Angeles in May. Each band performed a set with their own songs and the encore set featured Transatlantic songs performed by Morse, Portnoy and Stolt supported by members of the two bands with special guests Jonas Reingold and Randy George alternating on bass. The encore ends with eleven musicians on the stage.
On 10 March 2013, Pete Trewavas announced at the Marillion Weekend Convention in Port Zélande, the Netherlands, that he would be going to Nashville in the Summer to record new material with Transatlantic. Neal Morse confirmed this to DPRP.
Kaleidoscope (2014)
On 30 May 2013, Mike Portnoy announced that they had finished writing a new Transatlantic album. It featured five songs (two epics and three 'normal length' ones) plus eight covers for the bonus disc. The album was released in January 2014. A world tour of the United States and Europe followed, including a performance on the "Progressive Nation at Sea" cruise created by Mike Portnoy. The band played two shows, with the first featuring the entire Kaleidoscope album and the second including guest performances by famous progressive rock artists such as Jon Anderson of Yes. On 11 September 2014, Kaleidoscope won Album of the Year at the third annual Progressive Music Awards.
The Absolute Universe (2019–2022)
Transatlantic recorded its fifth album, The Absolute Universe, and released it on 5 February 2021.
On 5 June 2021, Mike Portnoy announced on his Twitter feed that Transatlantic would be playing at Morsefest 2022 outside of Nashville, TN on 29–30 April 2022 as a warmup gig for Cruise To The Edge. It was subsequently announced that both The Absolute Universe and The Whirlwind would be played in their entirety at these shows.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transatlantic_(band)
Studio albums
SMPTe (2000)
Bridge Across Forever (2001)
The Whirlwind (2009)
Kaleidoscope (2014)
The Absolute Universe (2021)
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Transatlantic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When are you going to land?
I should have stayed on the farm
I should have listened to my old man
You know you can't hold me forever
I didn't sign up with you
I'm not a present for your friends to open
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah
So goodbye, yellow brick road
Where the dogs of society howl
You can't plant me in your penthouse
I'm going back to my plough
Back to the howling old owl in the woods
Hunting the horny-back toad
Oh, I've finally decided my future lies
Beyond the yellow brick road
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah, ah
What do you think you'll do then
I bet they'll shoot down the plane
It'll take you a couple of vodka and tonics
To set you on your feet again
Maybe you'll get a replacement
There's plenty like me to be found
Mongrels, who ain't got a penny
Sniffing for tidbits like you, on the ground
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah
So goodbye, yellow brick road
Where the dogs of society howl
You can't plant me in your penthouse
I'm going back to my plough
Back to the howling old owl in the woods
Hunting the horny-back toad
Oh, I've finally decided my future lies
Beyond the yellow brick road
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah, ah
The lyrics to Transatlantic’s song “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” speak to the idea of leaving behind one way of life and embracing something new. The singer is addressing someone who has tried to hold onto him, telling them that it’s time for him to move on. The song starts off with questions directed at the person dismissing him, asking when he is going to “come down” and “land.” These questions can be interpreted as the singer asking when the person will let him go and allow him to find his own way.
The singer then reflects on his own decisions, admitting that he should have stayed on the farm and listened to his old man. But now, he is determined to move on from the life he’s been living. He knows that he can’t be held captive by someone else’s dreams and that he isn’t just a gift for someone else’s amusement. The singer is young and feels that he still has the world at his feet.
The chorus of the song serves as a goodbye to the world the singer is leaving behind. He is saying farewell to the yellow brick road, where the dogs howl, and the penthouses are out of reach. Instead, he’s going back to his plough, to hunt owls in the woods and horny-back toads. He’s found where his future lies, beyond the yellow brick road.
The final verse of the song brings a shift in tone. The singer is now addressing the person who has dismissed him, warning them that they’ll probably get a replacement. He tells them there are plenty of people like him who will do the same job. He calls himself and others “mongrels” who are just trying to make their way in the world. The song ends as the singer takes one final look back at the yellow brick road and heads towards his future.
Line by Line Meaning
When are you gonna come down?
When will you stop trying to hold me in one spot and let me move on with my life?
When are you going to land?
When will you stop pretending that you can keep me grounded and not let me fly?
I should have stayed on the farm
I regret not staying where I belonged and listening to the wisdom of my elders.
I should have listened to my old man
I should have taken the advice of my elders and not gone down the wrong path.
You know you can't hold me forever
You are aware that you cannot control me indefinitely and expect me to stay.
I didn't sign up with you
I did not agree to be a part of your world or follow your rules.
I'm not a present for your friends to open
I am not something to be displayed to impress others, I have my own life and desires.
This boy's too young to be singing the blues
I am too inexperienced and too young to be experiencing such sadness and regret in my life.
So goodbye, yellow brick road
I am finally saying goodbye to the false path that you put me on.
Where the dogs of society howl
I am leaving the place where the people who conform to society's expectations bark and complain.
You can't plant me in your penthouse
You cannot keep me confined in your luxurious living quarters because I do not belong there.
I'm going back to my plough
I am choosing to return to the hard work of my roots and find happiness in that way of life.
Back to the howling old owl in the woods
I am returning to where I felt most at home, being in nature surrounded by wildlife and natural sounds.
Hunting the horny-back toad
I am pursuing my own goals and purpose, even if it seems insignificant to others.
Oh, I've finally decided my future lies
I have made the decision for myself that my future is not with you, but on a different path.
Beyond the yellow brick road
I am looking past the false path that you forced upon me and seeking my own destiny.
What do you think you'll do then
What is your plan now that I have decided to leave you behind?
I bet they'll shoot down the plane
I anticipate that you will try to prevent me from leaving by any means necessary.
It'll take you a couple of vodka and tonics
You will need to drink heavily to cope with the fact that you cannot control me anymore.
To set you on your feet again
To help you recover emotionally from the realization that I am leaving you behind.
Maybe you'll get a replacement
Perhaps you will find someone like me to replace me, but they will never truly be the same.
There's plenty like me to be found
There are many other people with potential out there, but they will never fully replace what you have lost in me.
Mongrels, who ain't got a penny
These people will be penniless and poor compared to me, someone who had potential but was forced in the wrong direction.
Sniffing for tidbits like you, on the ground
These people will be looking for scraps of happiness like you are, living a life that is not truly fulfilling.
Contributed by Mackenzie W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.