When given the chance to be a fly on the wall at the recording sessions for Neal Morse' new album I jumped at it!
Yeah, I had to work for my keep by having a video camera stuck in my hand most of the time but it was worth it because I was able to capture on film some of the most incredible playing I have ever seen. Maybe some of the shots will make it on a DVD for us fans to enjoy, which would be an added bonus for me. So I tried to shoot some stuff that us fans would like to see....weird angles...in the drum room with Mike... in the studio as they discussed where to go on the song they were working on... eating lunch... all kinds of stuff. Neal had a camera or two and sometimes three going on the whole time, everyday they were working.
Man would I hate to be the video guy who has to go through about 20 to 25 tapes of that stuff and cut it down to make a DVD of it! I mean there is some exciting stuff to see but there are also a lot of moments where you are filming waiting for something cool to happen and it doesn't right away... so you feel like you're just burning tape but you have to because you never know when something cool will happen. Just as soon as you decide that you shouldn't be filming...boom...something cool happens and you miss it! Although I didn't let that happen really...i can't think of anything cool I missed because I kept that puppy rolling all the time!
Ok, well that was my job while I was there but I also got some hang time and got to know the guys a little bit. I got to meet Neal back in December 20003 for an
interview for this very same site. Like he does with just about everyone, he invited me to church. I decided I would go and we have become fast friends. That's how the gig filming the new album came about. I had filmed some stuff at the Bowling Green, KY show and I guess he liked it. I also met Randy George at the Bowling Green gig as well and Jerry Guidroz who was handling sound. My first encounter with Mike Portnoy was this studio session for the new Neal album.
Let me take you through some of my thoughts on each of these guys as musicians and people.
Neal Morse:
Top flight musician who handles himself on keyboards and guitars and vocals with equal skill. One of the nicest guys you'll ever have the privilege to meet. Master musician, humble human. I noticed how focused and hard working he was in the studio. Always thinking and pondering where to go with a piece of music. Passionate yet vulnerable to Mike and Randy's suggestions. Listening to their advice. Sometimes accepting it and sometimes the big VETO! haha!
Also he was still like a kid in a candy store, loving every minute of the privilege he's been given in life to make music for a living and the gift of playing with the very best musicians alive. Let's not forget the sense of humour! These guys together are hilarious!
Randy George:
What can I say about Randy!? He too is passionate and always brimming with ideas. Multi-instrumentalist who finds himself at home on bass or guitar or keys. Can sing pretty darn good too from what I heard in Bowling Green. Randy is the big bear who is always ready to give a smile or hug to anyone who needs it. A huge believer in loving all people and he practises it. A wealth of musical knowledge resides in his head quite like Portnoy. Hopefully you'll get to see these guys trying to come up with songs for the bonus cd of cover songs. You'd think you were at the library of congress listening to these guys come up with all kinds of off the wall songs and bands to cover. That was cool! Randy is one of those guys who becomes an instant friend. He makes you feel like you've known him all your life.
Mike Portnoy:
What can I tell you may not already know about Mike?! haha! Well let me start by saying he is definitely a New Yorker all the way. Kinda gruff exterior but he soon let's you into his head a little once he feels comfortable with you. Once he knows you're not there to kiss his butt and be a google eyed fan! No, he's there to work and man does he! Brutal on himself to find the exact fill or rhythm for each and every song. It doesn't take long either! He finds a groove and just pounds the living daylights outta those drums with a manic precision that easily explains why he is the worlds most famous and best drummer today. He was always making our jaws drop!
Like I said, as a person he is a little gaurded until you get to know him. After that initial warm up period he really let's loose and will have you just cracking up all the time. One thing that was cool was that me and Mike were the only two there who knew anything about metal and it was a connecting point I think. We both love Opeth and I hooked him up with an Opeth logo hat that he seemed to really dig and we talked a bit about all things Akerfeldt. I think he's the kinda guy who would give you the shirt off his back. He's very professional in the studio and seeks to give whoever he's working for the very best of what he has to offer. I call him God's Favorite Drummer! He has to be....look at all that talent he's been created with! Anyway it was huge buzz hanging with that guy!
Jerry Guidroz:
Jerry is Neal's right hand man in the studio. The consummate pro engineer! Knows his way around Pro-Tools like the back of his hand. Jerry's about half our ages but has the ability of a seasoned pro. He's always looking for a joke to crack and loves to have a good time while working. Well they all did as a matter of fact :)
Jerry likes to shoot straight and cuts no BS when telling you what's on his mind. More than once I would see Neal just shake his head at Jerry's skill like... WOW I can't believe how cool this guys is and how much he knows. Every time they would ask for something they thought was hard to do Jerry would just tickle that keyboard and POW make it happen. Truly gifted guy with a heart of gold and the enthusiasm to match. You could tell he gets off on making people happy and giving the impossible.
Ok so while all this magic was going in the studio, which is at Neal's house by the way, his wife Cherie and his Mom-in-law were taking care of us all. Making killer food and cleaning up behind our sorry butts. Making sure we had any and everything we needed or wanted.
Cherie should be named Prog Chef of the century! As many times as I have been up to Neal's place she is always cooking up some killer food! I'll put it to you this way. As good as Neal's music is, so is Cherie's cooking! haha!
Now to the music: I can't give too many details because that's for Neal to decide and make press releases on. What I can say is that this album is way different than "Testimony". I mean that musically and lyrically. Blatantly Christian in the lyrics as you'd expect but the music is very different. I can venture to say that it is all over the map musically and dare I say really gets heavy in some sections.
Not metal heavy but really hard rock heavy with some far out solos and stuff. While I was there Neal had the guitar strapped on most of the time and from what I've heard there is alot of guitar on the record as well as keys. I still hold to the conclusion that leaving Spock's Beard was the best thing he ever did. His work by himself is fully realised in a way that I don't think it ever was with Spock's or Transatlantic.
Get ready! The doors of the prog world are gonna be blown wide open when this album hits the shelves! Man I get goose bumps just thinking about it! HAHA
Thanks to Neal, Cherie, Mike, Randy, and Jerry for letting me invade their space and being a fly on the wall! To the prog kids Jayda (hope I spelled that right!) and Will! HI!
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