Flying Colors cd Review
Flying Colors debut cd is out on March the 26th
on the Music Theories Recordings label
and again is labelled as a “Supergroup”.
Executive producer Bill Evans had the idea of getting
world renowned musicians together and with producer Peter Collins on board went
to work.
The band consist of Mike Portnoy (drums), Steve Morse (guitar),
Neal Morse (keyboards), Dave LaRue (bass) and Casey Mcpherson on vocals.
Household names
apart from Mcpherson (from the band Alpha Rev) who has had significant
Billboard success in 2010 with the Hollywood/Disney album “New Morning” and in
early 2011 over the course of 9 days the eponymous Flying Colors debut cd was
composed and recorded.
The cd starts with some idle studio chatter ending in
“Good Luck”.
Over the course of the 11 songs we visit many styles of
music. Classic rock, prog, folk, heavy rock, AOR, ballads, jazz, so many
different factions all thrown into a blender and what comes out at times is
outstanding.
Every you time you hit play you hear something you missed
the time before.
I don’t think I have ever heard such a diverse collection
of music on one cd.
I’ll try to pick out some favourites when believe me I
listen to it all every time.
“Blue Ocean” starts with a beginning that reminds me of
“Highway Star” by Deep Purple with LaRue’s bobbing bass line and Portnoy’s drum
beat setting the scene. You have a huge chorus and an almost Yes feel to the
track before Steve Morse plays a superb lengthy solo (his first of many).
Next up is a huge rock song “Shoulda Coulda Woulda” which
I totally love. You just want to bang your head with Portnoy driving the song over a huge guitar and bass
line. Some slightly mad vocals from Mcpherson just fit the song and again
another terrific solo from Steve Morse.
I’m sure if the band play live it will go down a storm.
“Kayla” starts and ends with an acoustic guitar and gives
Mcpherson a real chance to shine. A name not many will know but after this surely
a man to watch out for. A huge chorus which is made for radio(fat chance!) and
the song then develops into a lengthy guitar solo led musical event with some
wonderful drum patterns from Portnoy that change the pace of the song but drag
it ever higher.
“The Storm” is a real rock ballad which again starts with
an acoustic guitar and emotional vocal. Before it builds to another great
chorus. Some big rock licks kick in at the midpoint before another highly
melodic solo from Steve Morse.
The band just seem to know how to build a song and you
never really know where it is off to next which is wonderful.
“Forever In A Daze” has a real funky bass line with some
huge rock riffs from Morse and another great chorus before more great bass work
from LaRue showing off an amazing chemistry with Portnoy.
“Love Is What I’m Waiting For” has a real Beatles pop
influence to it before a guitar solo that reeks of Brian May. Brilliant!
“Everything Changes” and “Better Than Walking Away” are
both rock ballads with great orchestration and huge choruses with the former
track having a quiet wonderful solo from Steve Morse that just keeps growing.
“All Falls Down” is another all out rocker with Portnoy
excelling with his double bass drum work.
“Fool In My Heart” has Portnoy on lead vocals and he does
a great job on this slower song that again has a slight Beatles edge to it.
Last up is the twelve minute prog epic “Infinite Fire” where
the lush production of Peter Collins come to the fore giving everyone the
chance to shine. You can imagine the band jamming the middle section to its
conclusion and the interplay of the guitar and keys of the 2 Morse’s is quiet exceptional.
An hour of the most exquisite music I have heard in a
long time which deserves to be absolutely massive.
We can only hope they tour and I can only imagine what
they could produce if they were together for more than 9 days.
Just go and buy it!!!!
ME