interviewpage
Neal Morse - interview October 2004 |
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Victory: Anders here from VictoryZine, Finland. Neal: Hi, Anders. How are things in Finland? Victory: It's quite rainy, as it always is this time of the year. How is over there? Neal: It's great. We have a beautifal fall, with the sun shining. Victory: Sounds awesome! Well, let's directly go to the question. After you'd released "Snow" with Spock's beard you made the announcement that you'd leave the band. What did you think about the future? Did you know what was going to happend? Neal: We were ready for anything. When you surrender to God you have to be ready for anything. I didn't even know if I'd continue doing music. But suddenly the music (from testimony) came into my mind, it was like it exploded into my mind. Victory: Sounds awesome. But weren't you concerned about how people would react, now that you had left Spock's Beard? Neal: I was concered about the audience, but I was most concerned about my band memebers. Victory: I understand. Neal: Yeah, it was quite difficult in the beginning but now it's just getting better and better. Victory: About Testimony, it received some excellent reviews in the media and I am yet to hear a single person to dislike it. Were you surprised how well it landed in people's hearts? Neal: I was surprised that it was very well receieved. And lot of people really got touched, that makes me real grateful! Victory: Can you tell us little about the tour that resulted in the DVD? Neal: It was a wonderful tour, with a increadible bunch of guys. I didn't even had a whole band but I prayed about it, and the Lord brought me them. Eric, who had just recently becomea christian, came out of the blue, he called me up while I was praying who I'd play with. He's playing all these instruments and he came to my place and suddenly he was a part of the team! Bert, who I had no idea who he was *laughs*, drove here from a distant place(2000 miles away!) and just walked in and just started to sing all the parts. Haha, I didn't even know that he could sing! Victory: Haha, that is awesome!. Soon, your new album, "One" will be released. How would you describe its music? Neal: I'd say it's in the same vein. Testimony meets transatlantic plus little Spock's beard. It's a little bit heavier though. Victory: You must feel grateful for what God has been doing through you the last years, I mean you have been very productive, releasing quality album after quality album. Neal: I do feel good, I feel that God is working in my and my family's lives. I have been growing spiritually, and that's the most important thing. Victory: Talking about the new album, can you tell us shortly about the songs from the upcoming album? Neal: The creation - starts with a orchestra tries to bring the listener a piece of a heavenly place. It's starts when man and God are Being united in the garden, like everything is perfect. But Man wanted to be a coruler and as we know today the result was being divorced from Him. But God so loved us that He made a plan how to solve this problem and A part of this album is to show that God gave Jesus so we could be reunited with God. Where are you tells about God reaching out for man. Reaching From The Heart is when man realizes that He must reach out for God. Victory: That sounds like one great story, but what about the music? Neal: Musically it sounds a bit like "all of the above" and other epics I created can be compared to it. It's much like progressive rock! Victory: Haha, that's probably what the fans want! Neal: Yeah! One thing that's particular cool with working with Mike is that he seems to know what people want to hear. I don't have that ability but I am very thankful that he has it! Victory: Amen How about the other songs? Neal: The man's gone - is about an idea I got from my pastor. It's about when the man's mind wanting to his own god. Like when he's leaving God to live out for him self. And he gets into trouble du to that. Author Of Confusion - It's a heavier track. It's about all the confusion that happends , it what happends when man separates from God. I was thinking about the tower of bable, with the result that all the languages appeared and made man confused - it's a result when man tries acomplish his own things. It just confuses him. That's a really heavy progressive piece of music. The Separated Man - Is a song with many instrumental passages. It's about the idea that man says"I believe in myself, I can do all I want. I am a superman!" There Phil Keagey does a wonderful guitarsolo in this song. At the end man remembers how it was when walking with God, remembering how great it actually was! Cradle to the grave - Phil sings the God role in this song. Man starting realize that he needs help. He talks how he wants to be received by God, not by man. It starts when man sings to God but he's so far away, and then it the reverse - God sings to man, but the man is so far away! Help me/The spirit of the flesh - It's man's last cry for help. He's got hooked on drugs and other bad stuff. God answers his prayer and says "I'll send my son to save you" Jesus role is about reaching down to man and reaching up to God. He's the mediator in the new covenant. He understands us, he was in the flesh but he also had the spirit nature from God that was in him. Father Of Forgiveness - The story of the prodigal son put to music! It's kind of a celebration song. Reunion - It's the giant to close up the album. The last verse is a prayer from man to God. It's a worship tune, where man praises God. Victory: Man, I cannot wait to hear this album! What about your own all time favourite songs? Neal: You mean my own songs? Man, this is difficult! For a big prog epic: Stranger in your soul or Cradle to the grave and The creation is great too. Man, I cannot do this, it's too difficult for me to pick out my own songs *laughs* Victory: Finally, What can you say to our nonbelieving readers? Neal: I would encourage them to give their heart and life to Jesus. He'll make you glad, you won't be sorry! He'll give you joy for your day that you cannot even imagine. That what he does, that's His will. He's wonderful! praise him with your life, but don't try do anything by own. Let instead God lift you up. The bible says that we should humble before Him and He'll give us all we need! God bless you Victory: Thank you Neal! Hope to hear from you soon again! |