Progressive rock supergroup Transatlantic (Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy, Roine Stolt & Pete Trewavas) have announced the release of Live at Morsefest 2022: The Absolute Whirlwind for April 26th, 2024. This huge limited 5CD + 2 Blu-ray Art book set features both sets from Morsefest in their entirety, with nearly 4 and a half hours of music in total.
To coincide with the announcement, the band have launched a live clip of the track ‘Can You Feel It’, taken from night 2.
Mike Portnoy sheds light: “Not to be confused by last year’s live release of our last show in Paris, THIS release of Transatlanticat Morsefest 2022 represents the most epic and mammoth of all Transatlantic Live releases!“
The performances span 2 nights, 2 completely different sets, 2 Transatlantic concept albums done in their entirety, accompanied by strings, horns, percussion, and female vocals.
Neal Morse adds: “At long last, a musical dream come true in true epic fashion! To play The Absolute Universe, The Whirlwind, and other great pieces of music with Transatlantic, along with an amazing string section, background singers, etc. What more could any musician ask for? This is the very best of the very best in my view. I hope you all enjoy experiencing this as much as we enjoyed performing it!“
Roine Stolt says: “Playing Morsefest was quite a task, learning all the different material for the 2 different shows. We even got a chance to play that Procol Harum tune, that is dear to me & takes me back to my teenage years, just getting to know what prog is/was. The addition of the strings and choir at Morsefest, plus Philip adding percussion, lent a different and perhaps more of an orchestral side. That worked really well and made these 2 nights very special.”
Pete Trewavas comments: “To play Morsefest 2022 was an absolute pleasure for me and gave us a natural break at the end of the North American leg of The Absolute Universe tour, where we regrouped at Neal’s to rehearse for the two shows, back where we had rehearsed for the tour some four or five weeks earlier.
“We had 3 days, I think it was to refresh The Whirlwind full version and learn ‘In Held T’was In I’. The festival was an absolute blast. We were all super relaxed and enjoying ourselves, probably due to the little break from touring back to rehearsing.
“Neal had been wanting to get Transatlantic at MorseFest since we released The Whirlwind, and it never panned out for various reasons, so it felt fitting that we got it all together for The Absolute Universe tour.”
Morsefest, the festival put on by Neal Morse annually in Nashville, Tennessee, has been in existence since 2014. Typically, the weekend-long event celebrated music from Neal’s solo work and other bands from his career.
In 2021, Transatlantic released The Absolute Universe, the band’s 5th album since forming in 2000. However, as the band’s motto is “More Is Never Enough,” The Absolute Universe was released as two different versions – The Breath of Life (Abridged version), and Forevermore (Extended version). In addition, the band combined those two versions for an Ultimate Edition of the album. With touring restrictions due to the pandemic finally lifted, the band finally started their tour in April 2022 ending up at Morsefest on the weekend of April 29th and 30th.
The weekend at Morsefest provided 2 nights of shows. For night one, the band performed their classic album The Whirlwind in its entirety, the first time they had done so in 10 years. The evening also added “Into the Blue” and “Shine” from the band’s 4th album Kaleidoscope as well as the classic ballad “We All Need Some Light.” As a surprise, the band played a song they’ve never performed live before – their cover of the Procol Harum classic “In Held ‘Twas In I” from the first Transatlantic album SMPTe.
Night 2 saw the full performance of The Absolute Universe – The Ultimate Edition, combining all the tracks from the 2 versions of the album. The night closed with a medley of tracks from the band’s first two albums, including “All of the Above,” “My New World,” and “Stranger In Your Soul.”
For the first time, the band performed alongside a choir and string section, making these shows truly special for those who were in attendance. Now, you can experience these incredible performances for yourself with the release of this Limited Deluxe 5CD+2Blu-ray art book, featuring an extensive 36-page booklet with photos, contained within a hardcover.
Night 1 Track listing:
- Into The Blue
- In Held (‘Twas) In I
- Shine
- We All Need Some Light
- Overture/Whirlwind
- The Wind Blew Them All Away
- On The Prowl
- A Man Can Feel
- Out Of The Night
- Rose Colored Glasses
- Evermore
- Set Us Free
- Lay Down Your Life
- Pieces of Heaven
- Is It Really Happening?
- Dancing With Eternal Glory/Whirlwind (Reprise)
Night 2 Track listing:
- Overture
- Reaching For The Sky
- Higher Than The Morning
- The Darkness In The Light
- Take Now My Soul
- Bully
- Rainbow Sky
- Looking For The Light
- The World We Used To Know
- The Sun Comes Up Today
- Love Made A Way (Prelude)
- Owl Howl
- Solitude
- Belong
- Lonesome Rebel
- Can You Feel It
- Looking For The Light (Reprise)
- The Greatest Story Never Ends
- Love Made A Way
- Bridge Across Forever
- The Final Medley
Pre-order here: transatlantic.lnk.to/LiveAtMorsefest2022-TheAbsoluteWhirlwind