Kaleidoscope Deluxe Edition

As to be expected from a group of technically proficient musicians, Transatlantic’s Kaleidoscope shoots for the ends of the galaxy and achieves a monstrous, epic sound. Even the folk-pop AOR single “Shine” clocks in at seven and a half minutes, while the official album is bookended by two tracks that total nearly an hour and feature so many diverse parts that they feel more like vacations to imaginary worlds than songs. This is music that’s determined to take you somewhere. Of the smaller bites, “Beyond the Sun” is a dramatic piano-and-strings ballad, while “Black As the Sky” settles into a more conventional rock track, with drummer Mike Portnoy playing it relatively straight. The deluxe edition features the group having fun with an eclectic list of covers. The Moody Blues’ “Nights in White Satin” and Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” are the best-known songs, but Procol Harum’s “Conquistador,” Focus’ “Sylvia,” Yes’ “And You and I," and King Crimson’s “Indiscipline” lend themselves to natural interpretations. The Small Faces’ “Tin Soldier” is the greatest stretch, but there’s almost nothing these virtuosos can’t play.