In 2012 the pop/prog supergroup known as Flying Colors formed, releasing an acclaimed CD and doing a short tour that garnered rave reviews. The band was captured in Tilburg, Holland on September 20, 2012 and the full concert is now available on CD, DVD, and Blu-ray. This review is for the 2CD set, and it's a good one, as the band, made up of Mike Portnoy, Steve Morse, Neal Morse, Dave LaRue, and Casey McPherson, run through original Flying Colors material as well as some covers.
As solid as the Flying Colors debut CD is, these songs come across even better in a live setting. Melodic tunes such as "Love Is What I'm Waiting For", "Kayla", "Blue Ocean", "Forever in a Daze" and "Shoulda Coulda Woulda" sound even more hook laden, even more powerful musically in a live scenario, and the band sounds like they are having a blast playing them. McPherson really is a find, his pop styled vocals a perfect fit for the band and when paired with Neal's always alluring voice the results are magical. Of course, the group throw in a few nuggets from their other bands history, so look out for a venomous take on the Dixie Dregs classic "Odyssey", with Steve ripping it up on guitar and the whole band locked in tight. An acrobatic LaRue bass solo titled "Spur of the Moment" segues into an ominous rendition of Dream Theater's "Repentance", with Morse's guitar solo leading the band right into a gorgeous interpretation of the Spock's Beard classic "June", with Neal's vocals just soaring into the heavens. The best is saved for last though, with the three Flying Colors originals "All Falls Down", "Everything Changes", and "Infinite Fire", perhaps the most prog-rock sounding songs off their debut, and they are each given royal treatment here. The latter features some blazing guitar & keyboard trade-offs between the two Morse's.
I haven't seen the video of this concert yet, but judging by how good this live CD set is, no doubt it is spectacular. These guys really gel well together, and let's hope we haven't seen the last of them and that there's more Flying Colors to come.
Track Listing
CD1
1) Blue Ocean
2) Shoulda Coulda Woulda
3) Love Is What I'm Waiting For
4) Can't Find A Way (Endochine / Casey McPherson)
5) The Storm
6) Odyssey (Dixie Dregs)
7) Forever In A Daze
8) Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen)
9) Better Than Walking Away
CD2
1) Kayla
2) Fool In My Heart
3) Spur of the Moment (Dave LaRue)
4) Repentance (Dream Theater)
5) June (Spock's Beard)
6) All Falls Down
7) Everything Changes
8) Infinite Fire
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
