A Musician Worth Checking Out
Anyone who has ever listened to my music is aware that my voice is my primary instrument. That’s no secret. The reason I make acappella music is because of my voice being the instrument that God has given me the ability to play. That’s just the way it is.
However, although my music is acappella, and acappella music is something I enjoy listening to, it is also obvious to anyone who listens to my music that I am influenced by so much more than just acappella music. I am a huge fan of progressive rock music, most notably the works of bands like Dream Theater (and the side projects of its members), Yes, Rush, King Crimson, Genesis, ELP, and Pink Floyd, among others. I think what I enjoy most about prog-rock is that it is music that really challenges the listener through the complexity of its structure and lyrics. It is a lot like classical music, only with a little bit of different instrumentation.
Well, I have recently become a fan of an artist within this genre of music. His name is Neal Morse.
Neal Morse has been around for some time now, and I’ve been familiar with his work for years through his former bands, Spock’s Beard and Transatlantic. Neal has this ability to write these incredible epic pieces of music that really take the listener to another place. He is a great vocalist, guitarist, and keyboard player and he is a visionary as far as progressive music is concerned. But all of this is not what has sparked my recent interest in him.
A few years ago, Neal became a Christian.
Being very successful within a genre of music not known for having very Christian views, Neal was faced with a tough decision. He came to the conclusion that the environment that surrounded touring with Spock’s Beard was not the type of environment that a Christian should actively participate in, so he left both Spock’s Beard and his side project, Transatlantic, and began a solo career.
Because his lyrics had always been somewhat spiritual (he had apparently been searching for some time), this change was not a very big leap for him. But now that he had found what he was looking for in Jesus Christ, he had a whole new perspective to write from.
His first solo album, Testimony, is exactly as its name implies: It chronicles his transformation due to Jesus Christ. Musically, the album is everything that should be expected from a progressive rock artist: time signature changes, lengthy instrumental passages within epic songs, and superb musicianship. But lyrically, he was incredibly open about the sins of his past and his redemption through Jesus Christ.
He has since recorded 2 more albums worth checking out: One, and his latest release, ?, which are both incredible concept albums.
So why am I telling you all of this? Because I believe that Neal is a great example of what “living out the great commission” is all about. He was a VERY successful artist within his genre. He could’ve had anything and everything this world has to offer, yet he chose Christ.
As a result of this decision, God has blessed him tremendously over the past few years. His secular, progressive record label not only allowed him to release “Testimony” through them, they re-signed him when he had fulfilled his contractual obligations and allowed him to continue making albums that express his faith. He gained the respect of all of his peers, including his former band mates, which has allowed him to even lead a few of them to Christ.
Bottom line: By remaining true to himself and true to God, Neal Morse is making an impact.
I highly recommend his music to you, even if progressive rock isn’t your thing. Here’s his website:
Check him out!
Until next time, GOD BLESS!
--Eric G.
<< Home