One

One of the most moving pieces of music ever written. And then Neal adds Phil Keggy into the equation and words cannot express the beauty that is Cradle to the grave. Thank you Mr. Morse, from the bottom of my heart.

Quite simply, this is the best album in the history of the world. Seriously. Yes, I'm a believer, but if the high point of 'separated man' doesn't have you pounding the table flush with goosebumps, then your hearing is bad. Of course, Portnoy shines, the man is a machine... Randy George is incredible as always, but the genius is morse. Genius. I can't believe I thought I enjoyed music before I discovered Neal. Warning... If you give this music it's due, the rest of your 'radio friendly' library will become painfully lame. You have been warned!

This is an amazingly well written album. I'm a pretty serious musician and this album is like one of those christian albums that some of my non-christian friends will probably listen to just because the music's so good. Amazing.

Why did you have to convert? What is an atheist progger supposed to listen to now? Why couldn't you keep your . . . music . . . and religious beliefs . . . seperate? Music is so intresting . . . but the lyrics . . . such a cop-out. 5 stars for music . . . -5 for lyrics . . . 3 stars total . . . to make you feel good (guess I'm like Jesus like that).

I am a huge Neal Morse fan, and a big Spock's Beard (Neal's former band) fan as well. I own all of his solo projects, including his latest, Sola Scriptura. They're all great, but One is my favorite. In Neal's first solo prog epic, Testimony, he tells the story of his own conversion to Christianity. In One, he tells the story of man's fall into sin, and God's plan of Redemption. Lyrically, it's amazing. Neal is one of the best lyricists around today, in any genre. But where Neal really shines is in his musicianship. He plays every instrument well. I would say he's better on each instrument than the guys in his band, but nobody's better on drums than his drummer and pal, Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater. Randy George is also stellar on bass. And Neal's also a great singer, and the vocals on this album are top notch and passionate. The one thing I'd say in conculsion is that this is a seamless piece of art, so rather than buy a song or two, do yourself a favor and buy the whole album. Even if you're not a fan of Christian music, if you like progressive rock, you can't go wrong here!

I got to say that Neal has brought me forward a ton in my faith after hearing his music. A man thats not a afraid to throw his love for Christ out there. This is a man most of us should look up to..(besides the almighty man himself :-)). As far as music goes, theres great harmony, musicianship, lyrics and its just perfect. Not to mention that hes got one of the best drummers in the world at his side :D.

This is a great place to start to find out what Neal Morse and Christian Prog Rock is all about. If you like this set, definitely go find the 2 CD version with the extra tracks left off this version. The bonus track King Jesus alone as well as the cover songs from Badfinger, U2, George Harrison and The Who are well worth the extra effort! Check it out!

Wow, I can't say enough good things about this album. If you're into prog rock of any sort, this is a must-have. Neal is just plain incredible! All instrumentation is top-notch (all of Neal's guitar and key parts are addictive and Mike Portnoy is a BEAST on drums). Plus, Neal is one of the most balanced vocalists and songwriters that I think I've ever heard; everything he's done is just so dynamic... there's something in there for everyone. Basically, just buy the album and listen yourself. If you don't like it, there's something wrong with you.

What a fantastic album. This is the only Neal Morse album that I own, and I listened to this before I purchased any Spock's Beard albums. Morse left SB after the release of the album "Snow" after converting to Christianity. His solo works reflect this conversion. "One" is simply fantastic. Buy the entire album in order to get its full effect. Progressive rock ("prog") is not exactly for the casual listener, due to its rather long song lengths and complex style, but that's what makes the genre so great. This album's main subject is man's battle with sin, our downfall from grace, and our eventual return to God. "The Creation" starts off with nice orchestral arrangements and fantastic drumming from Mike Portney of Dream Theater. Morse is a powerful lyricist and a skilled musician (keyboards, vocals, and guitar). "The Man's Gone" displays Morse's skills with the acoustic guitar, as is shown later in the tune's reprise in "The Separated Man." "Author of Confusion" is very much like a Dream Theater song... hard rocking... there's some great voice layering in that song. "The Separated Man" begins with a very catchy opening. The song changes as the different movements of the song progress. "Cradle to the Grave" is a bit slow to me, especially after hearing some other strong epics; however, it nonetheless is not a bad song. It is a conversation between a man who realizes his troubles and his need for a god and the Almighty Himself. "Help Me/ The Spirit and the Flesh" is probably my favorite, although I like most of the songs equally (that's when you know an album is a masterpiece). "Help Me" is a rather self-explanatory title (man's plea for help) and "Spirit and the Flesh" is about Christ's triumph over the dark forces of sin. "Father of Forgiveness" is a nice little piano piece... a more Christian-style song about a love of God. "Reunion" starts out very strong with a brass arrangement, followed by a "praise session" pleading "Make us One!" "One" may be a piece of Christian music, but I think that even if I wasn't Christian I might enjoy the album still, even if I merely listened just to the music itself. Morse could be called a successor to masters of progressive rock like Yes, and I like to think of this album as the "Close to the Edge" of "Christian prog." Set some time aside and listen to this. What I do like about this album is that it's not overly sappy, and it deals with a rather dark topic. Best of luck to Neal Morse, he is such a talented musician.