Show 65 - IF it's NEAL, IZZ good!

[Rick and Roll]

I bumped a Flower Kings double show for this one. I bought three fantastic CD's and just had to share them. They're also available soon for Moonplay


IF - five cuts each from:

"Not Just Another Bunch of Pretty Faces" and
"Tea-Break Over - Back On Your "Eads"

In The Winter Of Your Life
Follow That With Your Performing Seals
Still Alive
Borrowed Time
Chiswick High Road Blues
Merlin the Magic Man
I Had A Friend
Tea-Break Over - Back On Your "Eads
Raw Sewage
Song For Allison

I was turned on to If in college, and "Pretty Faces" is a special record (1974). It's part rock, part blues, part fusion. Sort of an aggressive BSW or Chicago sound - Dick Morrisey (Gabriel, Numan, and many others) supplies flute and lots of sax, and Cliff Davies (Nugent's best and first drummer) is the driving force. Greg at Synphonic had it on his list (both on CD for $18), I was shocked.

"Performing Seals" is the BADDEST tune on the planet, and "Borrowed Time" is close behind. "Seals" starts off with a piano riff that harkens to that old battery commercial, and a killer theme. "Raw Sewage" is of course an instrumental

Neal Morse - "?"

The Temple Of the Living God
Another World
The Outsider
Sweet Elation
In The Fire
Solid As The Sun
The Glory of the Lord
Outside Looking In
12
Entrance
Inside His Presence
The Temple Of the Living God

This is a prog masterpiece. it's easily his most preachy, with actual verses as most of the lyrics. Don't let that deter you - man what a record. Hackett, Stolt, Rudess, Alan Morse all take turns with of course Mike Portnoy.

I'll let Moses and Sharc add to the description especially since they were spot-on with their assessments. Thank you for the recommendation, this is a classic!

Izz - "My River Flows"

My River Flows
Late Night Salvation
Rose Colored Lenses
Deception
Crossfire
Anything I Can Dream
Abby's Song
Deafening Silence

"Sliver of a Sun" was breakfast. "I Move" was lunch (one of the greatest prog/pop records ever). "Ampersand" was an appetizer. This is A MEAL. What a fantastic CD!

Izz defies description...a two-drummer band not playing Southern rock! brothers Tom and John Galgano pen great music. "Coming Like Light" from "I Move" was a sniff of their epic writing, the last cut (over 20 minutes) reinforces it. Buy this CD!

I've got great stories about them, but I have to go...... hope you all can listen!