Steve Morse
Split Decision
Review by Gary Hill
According to the liner notes, this album is named "Split Decision" because Morse had in mind two different albums, one a hard rocking collection and the other a sedate set of pieces. He said that Magna Carta allowed him to make one album with two sides, incorporating both ideas. While I feel that the decision to include both sides of the coin was a wise one, I question the way it was done. It seems that rearranging the tracks into a couple of mellower followed by a couple of harder, then back to the more sedate might have given more of a dynamic and contrasting feel to the album. As it is, with all the hard cuts first followed by the more gentle compositions, it feels a bit redundant at times. Still, all of the performances by Morse and his band (Van Romaine on drums and Dave Larue on bass) are top-notch, and for three guys they really make a lot of music. The album should certainly please fans of Morse and instrumental prog in general, but somehow it feels like a little advantageous arranging might have made for an even stronger release.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2002 Year Book Volume 1 at garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2001-and-2002.
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