Member:
Dragonflame713
(Profile)
(All DVD Reviews by Dragonflame713)
Date:
10/6/2004
Format:
DVD
Testimony Live is the life story of progressive rock artist Neal Morse, brought to the live stage. His performance during the show reflects much of what has occurred in Neal's life. Moments of happiness, sadness, bitterness, joy, need, and acceptance wind their way through as Neal tells with his voice and his music how he came to find his Answer.
Much like the changing moods and the changing times in one’s life, the music from Neal’s Testimony album (which is performed in it’s entirety) has many changes and draws from many different influences and styles. To bring this to the concert stage, Neal obviously needed a talented and versatile band and he did an excellent job in assembling one! In watching the DVD, one can see a band just gliding through the material with the greatest of ease. The fact that several band members play several different instruments, helps things along even more! For example Eric Brenton played guitar, violin, steel guitar, and mandolin! Dream Theater’s Mike Portnoy (who has also worked with Neal in Transatlantic and on the Testimony), really shows his versatility in his performance and fans of Mike’s will certainly relish watching him on this DVD!
This 2 DVD set is simply jam pakced with music, with DVD 1 featuring the performance of the Testimony album and DVD 2 featuring a look back at Transatlantic with a very moving rendition of “We All Need Some Light” (from SMPTe) and “Stranger In My Soul” (from “Bridge Across Forever”). It also features the classic Spock’s Beard epic “The Light” as well as a “making of” tour documentary.
The show is beautifully lit, and the picture quality is crystal clear. The sound on this DVD is also very well mixed and full bodied. The animated menus (which reflects the DVD’s cover) is very easy to navigate and also there is live footage inserted in spots.
I couldn’t end a review about this DVD, without commenting on Neal’s performance itself. His performance is very passionate, and very honest. He obviously feels every single word he is singing, and that is no surprise for he has actually lived what he is singing about. His progression in both the musical sense, and his spiritual sense are very evident in watching this performance. Ones who watch this DVD can still rejoice with Neal, whether they are believers in Jesus or not believers. For those who don’t believe, they can still “Rejoice” for although life is not a fairy tale, it is still such a joy to see someone who “lived happily ever after”. The ones who do believe can get inspiration from Neal’s Testimony and from that feel the joy, strength, and the Spirit which is the inspiration for Neal’s work and his new life in “The Land Of Beginning Again”…
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