Morse, Tim: Transformation - 20th Anniversary Edition

US keyboardist Tim Morse (no relation to that other guy Neal) released his debut album Transformation in 2005. I have since reviewed three of his albums, all earning an impressive four stars. After reaching out to Tim on Facebook he was kind enough to send me a couple CDs, one of which is the 20th Anniversary Remaster of his debut album. The album is filled to the brim with great musicianship and finely crafted melodies with bands like Yes and Genesis being a major influence. And that would make sense since Morse was a key member in the Yes tribute band Parallels.

Regarding this 20th Anniversary edition, these tracks have been recaptured with supreme recording quality, incredible depth and of course the musicianship is exceptional.

The disc begins with the adventurous “Present Moment�, a fast paced keyboard led romp with a Yes-like vibe, the positivity oozes from the speakers as vocalist Richie Zeller unleashes his warm melodic lead vocals amidst Mark Dean’s fiery guitar solos and Morse’s outstanding keyboard work. The music is enhanced with wonderful choir vocals courtesy of Ami Romness. Next is “To Set Sail�, one part classic rock and two parts symphonic prog - the blistering guitar work and virtuosic keyboards are a joy to behold. Sweet acoustic guitar highlights the gently crafted intro to “Prelude� which eventually blooms into a full out progressive romp where gothic sounding organ, dramatic synths and proggy twists and turns reveal the band’s progressive edge. The sometimes heavier “Adrift� is a dynamic slice of twisty progressive rock featuring a stellar guitar solo from Dean and a fine lead vocal from Morse. The band’s progressive side is most explored on the sixteen minute opus “Apocalyptic Visions�, a multifaceted effort where scintillating musicianship is the order of the day.

There is also bonus material available at Bandcamp which includes approximately 80 minutes of live versions, studio tracks and a whole lot more. Some of the highlights include the smooth “Sacred Skies� featuring great bass and guitar work, the rocking “Apocalyptic Visions Redux ‘25� and a very cool live rendition of the Genesis classic “Dance on a Volcano�.

Transformation is an excellent listen front to back with not a dud track in the bunch. Highly recommended!

Track Listing:
1. Present Moment
2. To Set Sail
3. Prelude
4. Goodbye
5. Shatter
6. Temptation
7. Adrift
8. Apocalyptic Visions
9. Ascension
Bonus Tracks (available on Bandcamp)
10. Sacred Skies
11. Present Moment Live
12. Adrift Live
13. Apocalyptic Visions Live
14. Dance on a Volcano Live
15. Goodnight Single Edit
16. Shatter Early Mix
17. Temptation Redux ‘25
18. Apocalyptic Visions Redux ‘25
19. The Chase Scene Demo
20. Vicious Cycle Demo
21. Prelude Demo
22. Haulin’ Oats Demo
23. Cloudburst Demo
24. The Last Wave

Added: April 10th 2026
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Artist @ Facebook
Hits: 30
Language: english

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