Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Prog Masterpiece, March 16, 2004
Back in the 70s, I was mildly interested in progressive rock but did not really get into any prog bands beyond Procol Harum and King Crimson. A couple of years ago, my interest in the genre was rekindled when I chanced to hear a CD by Porcupine Tree. So I just bought some prog CDs without hearing them first just to get a feel for who and what are driving forces in the genre today.
Among my favorites, I have found Spock's Beard, Gordian Knot and the Flower Kings. Its really like going back to the days of my youth. Then this supergroup project came to my attention and so I approached it with trepidation. Back in the 60s and 70s, a lot of supergroup projects were spawned to much fanfare, but few of them made any lasting impression on the music world. This CD, however, contained a cover of a song by Procol Harum which is one of my favorite groups so I just had to check it out.
It took me a while to get into it, but I found something new to enjoy every time I listen to it. Absolutely tremendous is the Procolish 30 minute six-part epic that opens the CD, All Of The Above. I don't find anything lame about the lyrics. The spirit of the song is uplifting with the tone being set by the soaring instrumental intro before Morse, Stolt and friends get down to business.
I like the rest of the CD, too, but it is the group's ambitious take on Procol Harum's ponderous second-album opus, "In Held (Twas)In I" that invites comment. To match the scope and quality of that piece would be a daunting project for the average group, but Transatlantic handles the task with aplomb. They do not try to copy it note for note, nuance for nuance. Instead, they give it their own flavor which at times is as breathtaking as the original. For a few fleeting lines, Neal Morse's voice bears a striking resemblance to John Lennon's. The last half of the song is truly inspirational. When you compare the lyrics of the rest of the album to the lyrics of the Procol Harum epic, you will see why the band chose to cover it. Those lyrics match up well with the spirit and attitude that imbues the career works of Morse and Stolt.
The keyboards and guitar blow me away, but each member pulls his musical weight, and each contributes substantially to the success of the project. If you have not yet heard Transatlantic but are a fan of any of the bands the musicians come from, you owe it to your ears to get this prog masterpiece today!
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33 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sublime!, April 24, 2000
Wow! This band, in terms of talent, is an embarrassment of riches. The amount of creativity, musicianship and energy bursting out of this album is simply astounding! I've been a fan of '70s progressive rock for a long time, and I place this album alongside the classics of that era. Being a casual fan of Dream Theater, an admirer of the Flower Kings, indifferent to Marillion, and never impressed with Spock's Beard, I didn't have incredibly high expectations for this album. If anything, I expected another decent Liquid Tension Experiment-type album because of Mike Portnoy's involvement. It turned out, obviously, to be completely different! Oh my gosh! This CD captures everything that made '70s prog great and deftly blends it with a liberal infusion of modern-day musical sensibilities--it moves the genre forward while staying true to its roots, unlike so many recent prog albums that seem to be purely retro. And none of this CD sounds forced or pretentious, as the Flower Kings sometimes tend to be (imho). Not a moment is wasted, and every bit flows beautifully and effortlessly into the next. These four supremely talented musicians clearly brought out the best in each other during these recording sessions. Portnoy is revealed as being a truly multi-dimensional drummer capable of doing just about anything. Pete Trewavas is a solid, creative bassist, Roine Stoldt is simply a genius (but I already knew that) who plays like Steve Howe only better, and Neal Morse has some great chops that mostly avoid the Wakeman/Emerson imitation trap that so many prog keyboardists fall into. Fresh, innovative, melodic, great constructions, powerful grooves, beautiful atmospherics, dynamic use of light and shade, tricky meters, and Mellotrons! Yes should be listening to this CD, to figure out what prog *should* sound like today. Yes haven't sounded this fresh and original in more than 20 years. Here's hoping "Transatlantic" is more than just a one-off project.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great...if you like Spock's Beard, January 24, 2002
Transatlantic is a true supergroup, boasting no less than four of the finest musicians the world has to offer at present: Mike Portnoy, the monster drummer for the U.S.'s Dream Theater...Neal Morse, vocalist and keyboard player for the U.S.'s Spock's Beard...Pete Trewavas, the fluid and melodic (and highly underrated!) bass player for England's Marillion...and Roine Stolt, guitarist/vocalist for Sweden's The Flower Kings.This massive CD (packed with nearly 78 minutes of sonic delights!) offers an uplifting selection of music that begins with the 30-minute epic "All of the Above" and ends with the Procol Harum chestnut "In Held (Twas) In I." The former is much more enjoyable than the latter, but sandwiched in between is some of the finest progressive rock played today. Or any day for that matter. HOWEVER, there's one big caveat to this band. If you don't care much for Spock's Beard, then you probably won't like Transatlantic too much. Neal Morse's fingerprint is all over Transatlantic. Not only does it boast his unmistakable voice, but his songwriting/arranging talents are also superimposed over everything on this disc. The chord structures, time changes, even the lyrics are extremely similar to Spock's Beard. I agree with other reviewers. Transatlantic singlehandedly revived my interest in progressive music. I was getting bored with it all, frankly. Especially Marillion. And I had never heard of The Flower Kings. When Transatlantic hit the stores, I soaked it up like a dry sponge tossed into a bathtub. And I got into Dream Theater again. And I discovered The Flower Kings. And I re-discovered Marillion. And I enjoyed Spock's Beard in a new way. In short, with Transatlantic, I got interested in FIVE bands because of one CD. I've spent a fortune tracking down all the group's various CDs (trust me; if it hadn't been for Amazon I probably would have failed in the attempt)...and countless weeks and months enjoying them all. All because of one CD: Transatlantic's debut. There's something extremely magical about Transatlantic. Even the album's cover graphics are first-rate. And, as I said, it renewed my interesting in so many other bands that I had taken for granted (or just didn't know about) previous to the release of this supergroup's CD. If you've found yourself becoming bored with music lately, if you'd like a great intro to modern-day prog rock, if you'd just like to see what all the buzz is about, pick up a copy of Transatlantic's debut (alternately called SMPT:E for Stolt, Morse, Portnoy and TrEwavas). The musicianship is exceptional. The recording quality is first-rate. And it's worthy of repeated listenings. In fact, it requires repeated listenings because of everything going on in this CD. You simply can't appreciate it all with just one or two listenings. I really hope Transatlantic sticks around a while and not lasts just two albums like Portnoy's Liquid Tension Experiment did. Transatlantic is special indeed. Partly because it's obvious all of these musicians enjoy working together. Because they're having fun we, the listeners, are having fun, too.
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by Transatlantic 
