A group with only one studio album is typically not in the position to be issuing live sets, but Flying Colors is an exceptional case. When you have guys like drummer Mike Portnoy and guitarist Steve Morse involved, rules are broken and individual back catalogs are prime for the plucking. After a couple small stateside shows to road-test the material and get the juices flowing, Portnoy, Morse, bassist Dave LaRue, keyboardist /singer Neal Morse and vocalist / guitarist Casey McPherson headed over to Europe for a short fall tour in 2012. Seizing the opportunity of getting the five together, a show in Tilburg, Netherlands was filmed, recorded and now available as the double CD and DVD/Blu-ray Disc release, Live In Europe.
After a few fluttering notes from the Beatles’ “Flying,” each member comes out, one by one, to take their place for “Blue Ocean,” which also opens the Flying Colors album. The in-your-face rocker “Shoulda Coulda Woulda” follows, and the audience gets an earful of just how good these songs sound live. The entire self-titled studio debut, a melodic wunderkind, is played with precision and pretty much note-to-note to its studio counterpart. It’s mostly on tunes from each player’s past where the musicianship gets a work-out. So when the Dixie Dregs’ “Odyssey” is sandwiched in between “The Storm” and “Forever In A Daze,” it creates a massively meaty center to two strong cuts from the Flying Colors album, featuring riveting solo spotlights for Morse and LaRue.
McPherson, a little awed by the company he’s keeping, nonetheless handles a majority of the lead vocals with confidence and flair. His soaring take on Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” most definitely provides a vehicle for his range and depth, while “Better Than Walking Away” and “Kayla” may be the two best possible reasons as to why he ranks easily with the other musicians on stage. He even exchanges a few leads with Steve Morse, who doesn’t need to exchange leads with anyone.
When it comes to vocals, of which Neal Morse is also a worthy participant, none is more surprising than Portnoy on the simple and snappy “Fool In My Heart.” But then a “special treat” comes as the drummer introduces LaRue on his “Spur Of The Moment,” giving pause to anyone doubting the bassist’s virtuosity and role in this band. Dream Theater’s “Repentance” unveils the prog roots, with Portnoy again assuming the vocals, while Spock’s Beard “June” is a perfect example of why having three powerful singers in a band filled with acclaimed musicians expands the possibilities to untold heights.
The Blu-ray and DVD, suavely directed and edited by Bernhard Baran, includes a 45-minute documentary that includes interviews with the band members, live footage from various shows and candid behind-the-scenes bits. The reception, the camaraderie and the chemistry are all indicators that Flying Colors is a band with a future. Of course, competing with heavy schedules presents its own set of challenges, but judging by what’s happening on Live In Europe, it’s obvious the band members are having as much fun as their audiences — a pretty damn good reason to give it another go when time and circumstances permit.
~ Shawn Perry
