If you are a celebrated progressive rock musician who has produced dozens of albums, how do you make an album that is different to what is usually expected?
One answer is to work with musicians who also have decades of experience and worldwide recognition, plant a few seeds, then stand back and see what happens. For the Cosmic Cathedral project and their debut album ‘Deep Water’, this is exactly what Neal Morse did, joining up with Chester Thompson (Genesis), Phil Keaggy (Glass Harp) & Byron House (Robert Plant).
Much of the album was created from jam sessions where Morse’s long-time audio partner Jerry Guidroz put the best parts together, such as for the 38 minute epic, Deep Water Suite. Says Morse, “Time To Fly, also came directly from one of the jam sessions, where we took one of Phil’s ideas and all four of us elaborated on it.” What resulted from all this was a more groove-orientated feel, which Morse calls a “prog meets yacht rock meets The Beatles” kind of album, with an unmistakable jazz fusion influence: “These guys are real groovers: even if they're playing proggy stuff, it has more of a Steely Dan feel to it, but when Phil and I start singing it sounds like The Beatles!”
Limited 2LP black vinyl pressing in gatefold sleeve.
Tracklisting
Side A:
The Heart of Life 13:39
Side B:
Time To Fly 7:14
I Won’t Make It 3:59
Walking In Daylight 9:03
Side C:
Deep Water Suite I: Introduction
Deep Water Suite II: Launch Out, Pt. One
Deep Water Suite III: Fires Of The Sunrise
Deep Water Suite IV: Storm Surface
Deep Water Suite V: Nightmare In Paradise
Deep Water Suite VI: Launch Out, Pt. Two
Side D:
Deep Water Suite VII: New Revelation
Deep Water Suite VIII: Launch Out, Pt. Three
Deep Water Suite IX: The Door To Heaven
