As a young musician, Neal’s dream was like many others – to find success in the pop music world. But after years of struggling in the Los Angeles singer-songwriter scene, he realized that this dream would not materialize. Rejecting conventional wisdom, Morse took a courageous step: He about-faced and devoted himself to progressive rock, the music truly in his heart. The obscure and fiercely competitive genre held little chance of commercial success.
As a young musician, Neal’s dream was like many others – to find success in the pop music world. But after years of struggling in the Los Angeles singer-songwriter scene, he realized that this dream would not materialize. Rejecting conventional wisdom, Morse took a courageous step: He about-faced and devoted himself to progressive rock, the music truly in his heart. The obscure and fiercely competitive genre held little chance of commercial success.
Undaunted, he formed the quirkily-named Spock’s Beard with his brother, Alan. They recorded The Light with what money they could scrape together. Against all odds, it was a breakout success, sending shockwaves through the small genre’s community.
Over the next 10 years, Spock’s Beard released 10 critically acclaimed CDs and 2 DVDs, ascending to the top of the prog world. Neal also released 6 CDs and 3 DVDs with Transatlantic, the heralded prog supergroup comprised of the genre’s best musicians.
The proverbial wayward son, Neal had finally found the success he sought. On the outside he seemed to have it all. On the inside, however, something was missing.
Morse came to realize that for him, embracing the Christian faith was the fulfillment of his spiritual quest. His walk was at once gradual and sudden – and as with so many, completely unexpected. As he continued, his path increasingly revealed more of what his heart had sought all along. Yet he also began to find his career growing at odds with his faith. The rising spiritual tension and increasing commercial success finally came to a head with the release of Snow (2002), the group’s magnum opus... and swan song with Morse. The extraordinary 2-CD rock opera, composed by Morse, was widely acclaimed as the group’s finest. But it was the end of the era. Neal felt God calling him out of his former musical life and into the unknown. He made the agonizing decision to leave both Spock’s Beard and Transatlantic. Despite having finally achieved the success he had long sought, Morse had to begin all over again; musically, emotionally and spiritually.
External links
Filmography (Movies)
Morsefest 2024: The Joseph Epics/Jesus Christ: The Exorcist/D'Virgilio, Morse & Jennings
Character:
Release Date:31/10/2025
Neal Morse - Live at the Cavern Club
Character:
Release Date:28/07/2025
Neal Morse & The Resonance – First Expedition
Character:
Release Date:01/05/2025
Neal Morse & Friends: Morsefest Inner Circle Show – London 2025
Character:
Release Date:28/03/2025
Neal Morse & Friends: Morsefest USA 2024 – Inner Circle Show
Character:Self
Release Date:30/11/2024
Morsefest 2023: Testimony feat. NMB
Character:Self
Release Date:08/11/2024
Neal Morse & Friends: Morsefest Inner Circle Show – Brentwood, 2024
Character:Self
Release Date:27/09/2024
Neal Morse - Cruise to the Edge: Awakening - The Movie
Character:Self
Release Date:23/05/2024
Transatlantic: Morsefest 2022 - The Absolute Whirlwind
Character:Self
Release Date:26/04/2024
Neal Morse & Friends: Morsefest Inner Circle Show – De Boerderij, Holland 2023
Character:Self
Release Date:15/03/2024
Morsefest USA 2023: Inner Circle Concert
Character:Self
Release Date:01/11/2023
Neal Morse: The Dreamer Joseph Part One Commentary
Character:Self
Release Date:01/09/2023
Neal Morse: Live at Tower Records 2003
Character:Self
Release Date:01/03/2023
Transatlantic: The Final Flight: Live At L'Olympia
Character:Self
Release Date:17/02/2023
Morsefest 2020: Sola Gratia
Character:Self
Release Date:23/01/2023
Morsefest 2020: Cover2Cover
Character:Self
Release Date:23/01/2023
Spock's Beard: In The Year 2000
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/2023
Neal Morse and Friends: Songs From God’s Smuggler at Morsefest 2022
Character:Self
Release Date:01/09/2022
The Neal Morse Band: Morsefest 2021
Character:Self
Release Date:24/06/2022
The Neal Morse Band: A U.S. Tour Of Innocence And Danger
Character:Self
Release Date:01/03/2022
Spock's Beard: Live in Bochum 1998
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/2022
The Neal Morse Band: The Making of Innocence & Danger
Character:Self
Release Date:27/08/2021
Morsefest 2019
Character:Self
Release Date:27/08/2021
Neal Morse: The Making of Lifeline
Character:Self
Release Date:01/07/2021
Spock's Beard: Acoustic SNOW
Character:Lead and backing vocals, guitar, keyboards and drums
Release Date:13/04/2021
Transatlantic: The Making of Breath of Life (Abridged Version)
Character:Self
Release Date:01/03/2021
The Making of the Absolute Universe by Transatlantic
Character:Self
Release Date:05/02/2021
Transatlantic - The Absolute Universe
Character:Self
Release Date:05/02/2021
Neal Morse: Jesus Christ the Exorcist - Live at Morsefest 2018
Character:Self
Release Date:04/12/2020
Transatlantic: Live At Sweden Rock 2014
Character:Self
Release Date:01/11/2020
Flying Colors : Third Stage - Live in London
Character:Self
Release Date:18/09/2020
Neal Morse: The Making of Sola Gratia
Character:Self
Release Date:11/09/2020
Neal Morse: A Whole Nother Trip - Neal's RV Adventure
Character:Self
Release Date:01/09/2020
Neal Morse and Friends: A Year in Neal's Life at Morsefest 2019
Character:Self
Release Date:01/05/2020
The Neal Morse Band : The Great Adventour - Live in BRNO 2019
Character:Self
Release Date:06/03/2020
Spock's Beard: The Early Years Part One
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/2020
Neal Morse and Friends: Voices of the Beard Storytellers
Character:Self
Release Date:01/07/2019
The Neal Morse Band: The Great Adventure Commentary
Character:Self
Release Date:01/03/2019
The Neal Morse Band: The Adventure Begins (The Making Of The Great Adventure)
Character:Self
Release Date:25/01/2019
The Neal Morse Band – Live In Limbourg
Character:Self
Release Date:15/01/2019
Morsefest 2017 - Testimony of a Dream
Character:Self
Release Date:23/11/2018
Neal Morse - Life and Times Live
Character:Self
Release Date:02/11/2018
The Neal Morse Band : The Similitude of A Dream - Live in Tilburg 2017
Character:Self
Release Date:15/06/2018
Neal Morse: Morsefest 2016 Storytellers
Character:Self
Release Date:01/03/2018
Spock's Beard: Snow Live
Character:Self
Release Date:10/11/2017
Spock’s Beard – Morsefest 2016 Inner Cicle Jam
Character:Self
Release Date:01/11/2017
Neal Morse and Friends: Live and Acoustic at Morsefest 2015
Character:Self
Release Date:01/07/2017
Morsefest 2015: Question Mark
Character:Self
Release Date:24/03/2017
Morsefest 2015: Sola Scriptura
Character:Self
Release Date:24/03/2017
Neal Morse: Question Mark and Sola Scriptura Live
Character:Self - Vocals, Guitar, Keyboard
Release Date:02/03/2017
Neal Morse: Commentary on a Dream
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/2017
The Neal Morse Band: The Making of a Dream
Character:Self
Release Date:11/11/2016
Neal Morse: A Day in the Life
Character:Self
Release Date:01/09/2016
The Neal Morse Band: Alive Again
Character:Self
Release Date:05/08/2016
The Neal Morse Band: Cruise to the Edge
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/2016
Spock's Beard - Don't Try This Anywhere!
Character:Self
Release Date:20/11/2015
Flying Colors : Second Flight - Live at The Z7
Character:Self
Release Date:13/11/2015
Neal Morse: The Sola Scriptura Sessions
Character:Self
Release Date:01/09/2015
Morsefest 2014: Testimony
Character:Self
Release Date:21/08/2015
Morsefest 2014: One
Character:Self
Release Date:21/08/2015
The Neal Morse Band: Live in Athens
Character:Self
Release Date:01/05/2015
The Neal Morse Band: The Making of The Grand Experiment
Character:Self
Release Date:10/02/2015
Neal Morse: The Making of ?
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/2015
Transatlantic: KaLIVEoscope
Character:Self - Keyboards
Release Date:27/10/2014
Flying Colors: Second Nature Video Anthology
Character:Self
Release Date:29/09/2014
Neal Morse: Morsefest - Testimony & One feat. Mike Portnoy Live
Character:Self
Release Date:25/09/2014
Spock's Beard Live At Sea
Character:Self
Release Date:06/09/2014
The Neal Morse Band - Live In India
Character:Self
Release Date:01/07/2014
Transatlantic: The Making of Kaleidoscope
Character:Self
Release Date:28/01/2014
Flying Colors: Live in Europe
Character:Self - Keyboards, Vocals
Release Date:14/10/2013
The Neal Morse Band/The Flower Kings: 19 Days in Europe
Character:Self
Release Date:01/07/2013
Neal Morse: Live Momentum
Character:Self
Release Date:19/02/2013
Neal Morse: Acoustic – Live In Mexico City
Character:
Release Date:01/01/2013
Neal Morse: The Making of Momentum
Character:Self
Release Date:11/09/2012
Neal Morse: Iso Soitto Festival, Finland 2012
Character:
Release Date:01/09/2012
Morse Portnoy George: The Making of Cover 2 Cover
Character:Self
Release Date:20/05/2012
The Making of Flying Colors
Character:Self
Release Date:26/03/2012
Neal Morse: One Under Construction
Character:Self
Release Date:01/03/2012
Transatlantic: More Never Is Enough
Character:Self
Release Date:25/10/2011
Neal Morse: Testimony Two - Live in Los Angeles
Character:Self
Release Date:12/09/2011
Neal Morse: Testimony 2...For You.
Character:
Release Date:01/07/2011
Neal Morse: The Making of Testimony Two
Character:Self
Release Date:23/05/2011
Transatlantic: The Official Bootleg DVD
Character:Self
Release Date:01/03/2011
Yellow Matter Custard: One More Night in New York City
Character:Self - Keyboards
Release Date:28/02/2011
Spock's Beard: Progfest '97 Raw & Uncut
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/2011
Transatlantic: Whirld Tour 2010: Live from Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London
Character:Self
Release Date:24/10/2010
Neal Morse: Live in Seattle with Ajalon
Character:Self
Release Date:01/09/2010
Neal Morse: Live and Acoustic 2010
Character:
Release Date:01/05/2010
Neal Morse: Xnoizz Flevo Fest 2009
Character:
Release Date:01/11/2009
Transatlantic: The Making of the Whirlwind
Character:Self
Release Date:23/10/2009
Neal Morse: Lifeline Tour
Character:Self
Release Date:01/05/2009
Neal Morse: Live at 3RP
Character:Self
Release Date:01/09/2008
Neal Morse: Sola Scriptura and Beyond
Character:Self
Release Date:24/06/2008
Neal Morse: From the Video Vault
Character:Self
Release Date:01/05/2008
Neal Morse: The Making of Testimony
Character:Self
Release Date:01/09/2007
Neal Morse: ? and Beyond Tour
Character:Self
Release Date:01/09/2006
Transatlantic - Building the Bridge / Live in America
Character:Self
Release Date:02/05/2006
Neal Morse: Inner Circle DVD #1 – Jul 2005
Character:
Release Date:01/07/2005
Neal Morse: Testimony Live
Character:Self
Release Date:27/07/2004
Spock's Beard: The Making of Snow
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/2004
Yellow Matter Custard: One Night in New York City
Character:Self - Keyboards
Release Date:18/05/2003
Modern Drummer Festival Weekend 2003
Character:Self
Release Date:05/03/2003
Transatlantic - Live in Europe
Character:Self - Lead Vocals, Keyboards, Guitar
Release Date:08/01/2003
Spock's Beard: Don't Try This at Home
Character:Self - Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards
Release Date:19/11/2002
Spock's Beard: The Making of V
Character:Self
Release Date:01/05/2001
Transatlantic: The Making of SMPTe
Character:Self
Release Date:21/03/2000
Spock's Beard: Live At The Whisky
Character:Self
Release Date:01/07/1999
Eric Burdon & The New Animals: Live at the Coach House
Character:Self - Keyboards, Guitar, Vocals
Release Date:01/01/1999
Eric Burdon & The New Animals: Live at the Coach House
Character:Keyboards
Release Date:18/10/1998
Images
