Tim Morse’s ‘Transformation’ Turns 20 with a Remastered Release

Tim Morse – Transformation 20th Anniversary Edition (Cymalick Music, 2025)

Two decades after its original release, Transformation, the debut album by progressive rock multi-instrumentalist Tim Morse, has returned with renewed clarity, expanded depth, and a generous helping of bonus material. Remastered in 2025 to mark its 20th anniversary, Transformation 20th Anniversary Edition is both a time capsule and a fresh statement of purpose from an artist whose devotion to craft has never wavered.

Built around the theme of personal evolution, Transformation tells a loosely connected story of inner change.

The opening track, “Present Moment,” begins the journey with layered keyboards, chiming piano lines, and a swirling choir of 28 overdubbed voices. Rich Zeller’s lead vocals cut through the arrangement with clarity, though Morse’s dazzling array of synth and organ flourishes often steal the spotlight.

Elsewhere, Morse takes detours through a range of rock idioms. “To Set Sail” dips into 1980s AOR territory before pivoting into a scorching instrumental section driven by dueling keyboard and guitar lines. “Shatter” recalls Eddie Jobson in its keyboard work and propulsive drumming, only to dissolve into mantra-like chanting and eerie atmospherics. “Temptation” opens like a Journey style anthem, hook-heavy and radio-ready, but erupts midway through into full-on progressive territory with blistering solos.

The acoustic-led “Adrift” offers a gentler interlude, featuring slide guitar and understated vocals that feel more emotional than elsewhere. “Goodbye” begins as a ballad and blooms into a muscular instrumental passage, while “Prelude” nods to Emerson and Wakeman with regal synth fanfare. The cinematic closer “Ascension” is an ambient instrumental that wraps the album in a meditative haze.

But the real bounty lies in the newly added material. Morse and longtime collaborator Mark Dean unearthed over an hour of bonus content: demos, live recordings (including a faithful take on Genesis’ “Dance on a Volcano”), and previously unreleased compositions like “Sacred Skies,” a moody, spacey piece originally sketched out for a guitar student and now fully realized. “It had a bit of a Mr. Mister vibe,” Morse laughs. “But we leaned into the hypnotic, atmospheric qualities when finishing it this year.”

The story behind the album’s original creation is as compelling as the music itself. Morse spent months driving to Dean’s studio after his day job, working late into the night with singular focus. “It was the first time I was recording without watching the clock or worrying about the rules,” he reflects. “We were just piloting the ship, two guys chasing a shared vision.”

Morse’s career since has followed a steady and curious path. His second effort Faithscience extended the progressive rock lineage, while his side project The Mangoes introduced a poppier, tongue-in-cheek sensibility.