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SPOCK'S BEARD

Symphonic Prog • United States


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Spock's Beard biography
Formed in Los Angeles, California, USA in 1992 - Still active as of 2018

SPOCK'S BEARD was formed by Neal MORSE, who wrote all the band's material and contributed lead vocals, piano, synth and guitars. This is a superb Progressive rock in the Seventies' spirit, full of contrated climates, breaks and complex compositions based on tortuous, audacious and elaborated instrumental developments. They combine strong melodies with intricate arrangements and superb musicianship. SPOCK'S BEARD should appeal to fans of the FLOWER KINGS and UK.

This adventurous band has built a solid and loyal following with their first two releases. "The Light" received rave reviews across the globe and "Beware of Darkness" was by far the best progressive rock album of the decade. The next releases ("The Kindness...", "Day For Night" & "V") were issued to insatiable fans world wide. The next album, "Snow", was the band's double CD concept album in the vein of GENESIS' "The Lamb...".

With Neal MORSE's departure in 2002, "Feel Euphoria" marked a fresh new beginning for the band. The album fueled a new creative period in the band's career. The album was followed up by "Octane" in 2005 and the band-titled release in 2006. SPOCK'S BEARD ended the decade with another discography highlight with the release of "X" in 2010. Jimmy KEEGAN provided some additional vocals on the release and later followed the band on the promotional tour for the new material. The release of "X" marked another turning point for the band seeing that the Nick D'VIRGILIO finally decided to concentrate on his solo career and thus left the band in 2011.

On November 21, 2011, it was announced on the bands official website that ENCHANT vocalist Ted LEONARD and touring drummer Jimmy KEEGAN would be joining the band. SPOCK'S BEARD will be releasing their 11th studio album, "Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep" in mid 2013.

No matter what happens next one thing's for sure, The BEARD is out there and you WILL believe!

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SPOCK'S BEARD Videos (YouTube and more)


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SPOCK'S BEARD discography


Ordered by release date | Showing ratings (top albums) | Help Progarchives.com to complete the discography and add albums

SPOCK'S BEARD top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.87 | 735 ratings
The Light
1995
3.70 | 571 ratings
Beware of Darkness
1996
3.76 | 559 ratings
The Kindness of Strangers
1998
3.30 | 486 ratings
Day for Night
1999
4.18 | 909 ratings
V
2000
3.87 | 755 ratings
Snow
2002
3.26 | 429 ratings
Feel Euphoria
2003
3.13 | 436 ratings
Octane
2005
3.38 | 404 ratings
Spock's Beard
2006
3.80 | 605 ratings
X
2010
4.03 | 733 ratings
Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep
2013
3.86 | 381 ratings
The Oblivion Particle
2015
3.61 | 168 ratings
Noise Floor
2018

SPOCK'S BEARD Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.82 | 38 ratings
The Official Live Bootleg
1996
3.72 | 64 ratings
The Beard Is Out There
1998
3.44 | 40 ratings
Live at The Whisky and Nearfest
1999
3.02 | 80 ratings
Don't Try This At Home
2000
3.72 | 25 ratings
Don't Try This @ Home Either!
2000
3.94 | 32 ratings
There And Here
2001
3.99 | 84 ratings
Gluttons For Punishment - Live 05
2005
3.71 | 65 ratings
Live
2008
2.85 | 29 ratings
Live at High Voltage Festival
2011
3.67 | 52 ratings
The X Tour-Live
2012
4.02 | 29 ratings
Live at Sea
2014

SPOCK'S BEARD Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

3.98 | 15 ratings
Live At The Whiskey A Go-Go
2000
4.24 | 56 ratings
Don't Try This At Home-Live / The Making of V
2002
4.21 | 58 ratings
Live
2008
4.79 | 9 ratings
Live at Sea
2014
4.63 | 51 ratings
Snow Live
2017

SPOCK'S BEARD Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.80 | 10 ratings
Don't Try This/Feel Euphoria
2006
4.47 | 38 ratings
The First Twenty Years
2015

SPOCK'S BEARD Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

2.76 | 24 ratings
From the Vault
1998
3.18 | 11 ratings
Skin
1999
3.13 | 16 ratings
All On A Sunday
2001

SPOCK'S BEARD Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Noise Floor by SPOCK'S BEARD album cover Studio Album, 2018
3.61 | 168 ratings

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Noise Floor
Spock's Beard Symphonic Prog

Review by A Crimson Mellotron
Prog Reviewer

3 stars 'Noise Floor' from 2018 is the third Spock's Beard album featuring Ted Leonard as the lead vocalist, and thirteenth overall, once again featuring frequent post-Neal Morse collaborators John Boegehold and Stan Ausmus, responsible for the writing and production of much of the material on here. The follow-up to the excellent 'The Oblivion Particle' from 2015 is an album that is much more song-oriented and definitely less sophisticated sonically and conceptually. In fact, 'Noise Floor' almost feels like a somewhat random compilation of selected studio recordings from a pool of choices, a part of which represent the main disc and a few more selected for the four-track bonus disc titled 'Cutting Room Floor'.

The overall sound of the album can be described as a logical continuation of what the previous two albums had offered to the table, however, much less "attractive" as 'Noise Floor' features an array of songs that are just not very memorable, even if they are well-played and sometimes carry some very good melodies and fine playing. The contribution of Ryo Okumoto is definitely noteworthy as his keys drive many of the songs, while the guest appearance of Nick D'Virgilio could hardly be overlooked. The band seems to have had less poignant ideas this time around, which might also be the reason why they had seemingly gone on a hiatus following the release of 'Noise Floor', also leading to the formation of off-shoot band Pattern-Seeking Animals. The album is good but that might be just about it, Spock's Beard have had much stronger and more exciting material over the course of their history.

 The Oblivion Particle by SPOCK'S BEARD album cover Studio Album, 2015
3.86 | 381 ratings

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The Oblivion Particle
Spock's Beard Symphonic Prog

Review by A Crimson Mellotron
Prog Reviewer

4 stars 'The Oblivion Particle' is the twelfth studio album by Spock's Beard, the American prog rock veterans, as well as their second with former Enchant vocalist Ted Leonard, a versatile musician and a great singer who has as of now proved to be a tremendous addition to the SB lineup. Now, this 2015 offering from the band is one of the more difficult albums to review because it happens to be one of the more eclectic and unconventional releases by Spock's Beard ever - this, of course, makes perfect sense as a band who has reached thus far in their career can certainly afford to put out such an album, unpredictable and definitely diverging from what you would expect them to record, even if some key sounds are present, the overall flow of the compositions is very intricate, tightly produced and takes several listens to fully appreciate.

We must by all means, however, attribute the musical direction of 'The Oblivion Particle' to the presence of outside writers, in the face of long-time songwriting collaborators John Boegehold and Stan Ausmus, collectively credited with six of the nine album tracks. On top of that, the album has been mixed by Rich Mouser and produced by him and members of the band, which results in what could be summed up as a really strong and varied producer's album. Slightly less joyous and energetic than previous releases, 'The Oblivion Particle' has a genre-less touch to it, the songs unfold somewhat methodologically, as the bands treads on some new ground. The use of effects and a range of different instruments adds another interesting layer to the album, which is neither 'The Light', nor 'Feel Euphoria', it is an entity of its own that will probably take some time to fully understand. Enjoyable tracks like 'Minion' and 'Bennett Built a Time Machine' counteract the dense and intricate sounds of 'A Better Way to Fly' and 'To Be Free Again'. Full of fantastic vocals, stellar production and overall very strong playing, often really technical, this is an interesting album but a more difficult listen, definitely an odd entry in the SB back catalogue.

 Spock's Beard by SPOCK'S BEARD album cover Studio Album, 2006
3.38 | 404 ratings

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Spock's Beard
Spock's Beard Symphonic Prog

Review by A Crimson Mellotron
Prog Reviewer

4 stars Spock's Beard's self-titled ninth studio album shines with a renewed sense of creativity, following up on what is often seen as the weakest entry in the band's catalogue - 'Octane'. Set for a return to their progressive rock roots but not fully abandoning the more straightforward rock compositions from the preceding studio releases, the band had composed one of the longest albums in their discography, an important release that captures Spock's Beard returning to form and finally capturing once again that magical creative spark, that fine progressive edge mixed up with the humour and the adventurous playing that had captivated a particular audience in the late 90s/early 2000s. A self-titled album usually serves to be a representation of a band's identity, intention, or musical direction and this expansive and varied 2006 release does the job quite well, and even if it is not a perfect prog album per se, it is a very well-done, fun and enjoyable album packed with great music and memorable tracks.

Just look at the album opener 'On a Perfect Day', a song that has to be one of the signature recordings of the NDV-fronted era of Spock's Beard, as this song has the energy, feel and musical extravagance of the classic SB yet it does not compromise on modern production values and sounds. 'Skeletons at the Feast' is a mesmerizing instrumental, one of the band's strongest offerings in general in my humble opinion, while 'Is This Love' is an interesting and powerful short entry. 'All That's Left' is a good but more mellow song and its mood is continued on the 11-minute mini-epic 'With Your Kiss', a song that is more memorable for its rampant second half, really solid writing with fine vocals, excellently crafted melodies and masterful playing. The album then goes on to lose some of its steam as the middle part is definitely the weakest, just to be redeemed by the four-part suite 'As Far As the Mind Can See' and 'Rearranged', tremendous tracks that expand on that ecstatic and proggy sound of the album's first couple of tracks, with the final track serving as a great album closer, melodic and well-produced.

'Spock's Beard' has to be a much underrated and overlooked album from the band's catalogue, perhaps because of the time of its release, perhaps because of its length, but this album carries that early SB spirit and "rearranges" it in a very modern and compelling way, definitely a big improvement over 'Feel Euphoria' and 'Octane'.

 Octane by SPOCK'S BEARD album cover Studio Album, 2005
3.13 | 436 ratings

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Octane
Spock's Beard Symphonic Prog

Review by A Crimson Mellotron
Prog Reviewer

3 stars 'Octane' comes to be the eighth studio album by Spock's Beard, released in 2005, an album that much more than its predecessor presents a more streamlined rock sound and tunes down the progginess. This is, of course, also the second album by the Nick D'Virgilio-fronted version of the band, and with a sound that focuses on a more straightforward and groovier tones, it fails to satiate that need for the unpredictable that was ever so present in previous SB releases. Perhaps the absence of Neal Morse is felt the most on 'Octane', as the album features a collection of twelve tracks whose style ranges from hard rock to acoustic or alternative rock with some great instrumental passages. 'Octane' also comes off as having a much darker undertone, which is definitely in contrast with the usual uplifting mood of the band's music, but again, this release should be taken as a rock album and not so much as a prog one. Some nice moments on here include the opening track as well as 'Surfing Down the Avalanche', 'Of the Beauty of It All' and 'NWC', while some of the more mellow tracks might come off as forgettable and mediocre.
 Snow by SPOCK'S BEARD album cover Studio Album, 2002
3.87 | 755 ratings

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Snow
Spock's Beard Symphonic Prog

Review by A Crimson Mellotron
Prog Reviewer

4 stars Perhaps the boldest album in Spock's Beard's discography is the famed double album 'Snow', which also happens to be the band's last with Neal Morse before his well-documented departure and dedication to a solo career. Written almost entirely by Morse, the album follows the life story of the main character who is an albino with mystical powers, in a very symbolic journey of spiritual awakening that goes through various events and occurrences. If we would like to look for a possible blueprint or for the creative inspiration behind 'Snow', one shall probably look no further than Genesis' 'The Lamb?' or even Kevin Gilbert's 'The Shaming of the True', yet in reality 'Snow' has a very recognizable identity of its own and is a daring and often challenging presentation of the various sides of the band's music, which is why we might also see the album as Spock's Beard's most eclectic and experimental one as well.

An introspective rock opera, 'Snow' contains a tremendous number of SB classics, definitely some of the band's most memorable episodes from the entire back catalogue, together with preserving all the signature aspects of the band's sound - the flamboyant instrumental pyrotechnics, the humour, the catchiness and the beautiful vocal harmonies, the prominent and jarring rhythm section as well as Neal Morse's excellent writing. Perhaps a logical step forward from 'V', one can see the double album 'Snow' as a mandatory but difficult exercise for every self-respecting prog act, and the Beard's entry is nothing short of excellent, playful, lush and inspired, a fancy journey through some of the band's boldest musical decisions and experiments, with an array of glorious sounds. The wide list of highlights from this album should include the album overture, 'Long Time Suffering', 'Welcome to NYC', 'Devil's Got My Throat', 'Open Wide the Flood Gates', 'Wind at My Back', '4th of July', 'Reflection', and 'Freak Boy'. An immense album that is at least a fabulous exit for Neal Morse, the mastermind behind 'Snow'.

 V by SPOCK'S BEARD album cover Studio Album, 2000
4.18 | 909 ratings

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V
Spock's Beard Symphonic Prog

Review by A Crimson Mellotron
Prog Reviewer

5 stars The perfect Spock's Beard album! Or rather, the grand marriage between the band's compositional intricacies and the delightfully joyful and accessible songwriting, production, and arrangements, this is in a word the band's fifth studio release properly titled 'V', the true masterwork in the band's discography and the album that is deservedly often seen as the strongest, most innovative and most daringly adventurous album of the Beard. After a successful exploration of a variety of sounds and ways of writing music over the course of their first four studio albums, SB were finally ready for a grandiose piece of work that combines the experience and expertise of all band members, as the final result is a tremendous prog rock opus that is so pristinely executed and so carefully conceived, a work of great inspiration that sounds as good still to that day.

Opening up the album is the great epic 'At the End of the Day', a melodramatic and symphonic piece that sweeps through passages of orchestrated bliss, to parts that approach the heavier end of the rock spectrum, to some purely experimental and fusion-oriented jabs, a tremendous way to set a tone for an album that is above all, celebratory, expansive, engaging and at times challenging enough to keep you intrigued. Another hard-hitting and suspenseful track follows in the face of 'Revelation', which is followed by the second part of the cross-album suite titled 'Thoughts'. This entry is much more unhinged and aggressive than the first part, of course, with very proggy instrumentation and gorgeous vocal harmonies. The accessible sound of 'All on a Sunday' is a lovely nod at 'Day for Night' or even parts of 'The Kindness of Strangers', while 'Goodbye to Yesterday' is a beautiful and more acoustic piece. Closing off this perfect album is the grand 27-minute autobiographical epic of Neal Morse - 'The Great Nothing', an intricate and delightfully symphonic piece that perhaps surprisingly, stays away from the overall heavier sounds of 'V' and presents the earlier symphonic sound of Spock's Beard in a very coherent and accessible manner. The entire album is gorgeous, although the listener should expect to hear a slightly more unhinged side of the band, full of incredible music and thoughtful lyrics, 'V' is framed in masterful arrangements.

 Day for Night by SPOCK'S BEARD album cover Studio Album, 1999
3.30 | 486 ratings

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Day for Night
Spock's Beard Symphonic Prog

Review by A Crimson Mellotron
Prog Reviewer

4 stars After exploring some more straightforward arrangements on 'The Kindness of Strangers', Spock's Beard had decided to go full-on pop-prog on their 1999 release 'Day for Night', a delightful little treasure in the band's catalogue that focuses on generally shorter and more "radio-friendly" compositions as well as serving as a peculiar example of what a Neal Morse solo album could sound like, since his presence and compositional force is significantly more pronounced here than on many other albums by SB. Capturing in a beautiful way the sounds of the late 90s alternative rock and pop scene, 'Day for Night' is an album that might not appeal as much to more traditional prog fans, which is why it might often end up neglected by fans and critics alike, but the truth is that this is another very solid release by the Beard that impresses with the array of styles that are tackled on this album.

Opening up with the catchy title track, one could not be bothered by the slightly cheesy instrumental intro, or the tongue-in-cheek lyrics, as the joyous music sweeps you in and carries you throughout the entire album. Certainly, we have less intricate arrangements and a stronger affinity for hooks and melodies, which serves the band well as the album is packed with memorable and sing-along SB classics - just lend an ear to 'Gibberish', 'Skin', or 'The Gypsy'. The band preserve their signature sound and present the centerpiece of the album, the 20-minite suite 'The Healing Colors of Sound', made up of several shorter tracks, each of which kind of keeps the album spirit up and serves as a short piece that has its own character and significant sound. Each little track that makes up the big piece is fantastic and catchy, and the 'Day for Night' album is overall really solid, even if it is a much more lighthearted version of Spock's Beard.

 The Kindness of Strangers by SPOCK'S BEARD album cover Studio Album, 1998
3.76 | 559 ratings

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The Kindness of Strangers
Spock's Beard Symphonic Prog

Review by A Crimson Mellotron
Prog Reviewer

4 stars Written and recorded in just four hours, the third studio album by Spock's Beard is a great continuation of their symphonic style of progressive rock, this time around, however, with a slightly more prevalent pop inclination that can be heard in the more easy-going melodies and the somewhat more straightforward writing. 'The Kindness of Strangers' nevertheless remains the very excellent and "forgotten" album by the great American band, full of signature songs and incredibly catchy hooks, structured in a way similar to 'Beware of Darkness', yet exhibiting a stronger tendency for more user-friendly arrangements and perhaps less experimentation, relying a tad bit more on what could now be seen as a band formula.

With a bag of great ideas, Neal Morse & Co. exercise their songwriting and produce incredible compositions like the 10-minute opening track 'The Good Don't Last', a beautiful mini-epic with some gorgeous playing and great vocal harmonies. This one is followed by several shorter tracks, each one of which has a character and a feel of its own, always staying true to that lighthearted and occasionally humorous Spock's Beard aesthetic that never backs down on grand arrangements over a pop structure - just go through 'June' or 'Strange World', which are definitely two very different but essential sides of the great Beard! And while 'Harm's Way' might feel a little forced in some parts, it is the 15-minute opus 'Flow' that is the big highlight of the record, whether it be for the melodic middle section or the frantic final one, this is a signature track for the band, and one that finishes off a flamboyant, beautiful and well-conceived album. An excellent piece of music in the band's catalogue that showcases just how strong the Neal Morse-era of Spock's Beard is.

 Beware of Darkness by SPOCK'S BEARD album cover Studio Album, 1996
3.70 | 571 ratings

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Beware of Darkness
Spock's Beard Symphonic Prog

Review by A Crimson Mellotron
Prog Reviewer

4 stars When following the fantastic development of early Spock's Beard, one could hardly ever dismiss their grandiose second album titled 'Beware of Darkness', the follow-up to the band's iconic debut album 'The Light'. Titled after a George Harrison song, the second studio LP from the Beard is a lovely collection of seven tracks that run for a little less than an hour of playtime, and these amazing compositions comprise all different corners of the band's universe. With Neal Morse at the top of his creative vision, ripe with grand ideas, the band also sees the recruitment of keyboard wizard Ryo Okumoto, handling some additional Hammond organs and Mellotron duties, all in a great celebration of the 90s retro prog revival.

Moving away from writing long pieces developed from Neal Morse ideas and cementing themselves as a band even further, Spock's Beard instead opted for a mixture of both longer and shorter songs, on an album that more than any other one in their catalogue displays the true identity of the American prog giants - beautiful and memorable melodies, intricate and often very playful vocal harmonies, a very prominent and upfront rhythm section, with great and sophisticated instrumental passages that are often inspired by 70s progressive rock, acoustic rock, or downright classical music, with all of these ingredients making up the fantastic sound of the band. Opening up the album with the fantastic title track, this is a song that Neal Morse saw as the prog version of the original, which he only famously heard whilst recording 'Beware of Darkness'. The lovely interplay between quirky and melodic passages is immediately discernible here, and this is enhanced by the introduction of the second track, the majestic 'Thoughts', part of a cross-album suite that extends to the solo work of Neal Morse. Featuring Kevin Gilbert as a producer on this track as well as two other ones, we have some interesting additional effects and influences on the album, which only elevates it more. Needless to say, the longer tracks on here as incredible as well, all three of them can be considered SB classics, featuring some of the band's most memorable riffs and melodies. Then there is 'Waste Away', which is quite energetic and hard-hitting as well as the instrumental 'Chatauqua', which certainly echoes something like 'Clap' from 'The Yes Album'.

The album is a definite improvement over 'The Light' in terms of songwriting and production, ripe with beautiful ideas and gorgeous melodies, we may often see this sometimes overlooked follow-up even as more important than its predecessor, excellent all throughout and above all, tremendously enjoyable.

 Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep by SPOCK'S BEARD album cover Studio Album, 2013
4.03 | 733 ratings

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Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep
Spock's Beard Symphonic Prog

Review by A Crimson Mellotron
Prog Reviewer

4 stars Ted Leonard breathes new life into the musical powerhouse that is Spock's Beard on the band's eleventh studio album titled 'Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep', released in 2013 on Inside Out Music. One could say with certainty that this is the band's strongest release since 2002's 'Snow', as it brings together everything that makes the Beard special and recognizable in the first place, as we also see a feature from Neal Morse on one track. With a solid lineup of Alan Morse who exhibits majestically his guitar acrobatics throughout the whole album, Ryo Okumoto who serves as the engine of many of the compositions on here, the stunning bass player Dave Meros, and the band's speedy drummer Jimmy Keegan, it is Ted Leonard's tremendous contribution to the album that really elevates this release to a classic status, full of memorable moments and unbelievable playing, this album is all killer and even comes with a bonus disc of nearly half an hour of additional material.

In line with the band's classic sound and their manner of interpreting in a very playful and contemporary way (often with tons of humor, which I do love) the sonic palettes of classic 70s prog, 'Brief Nocturnes' combines lush and masterful instrumentation with lovely melodies and memorable hooks, as the album represents a virtually immaculate amalgamation of all the best traits of Spock's Beard's music. Not a single bit short of technically pristine, this release bolsters both some very intricate and impressive instrumental stunts as well as several more pastoral and eclectic passages. The songwriting is ridiculously good, as the Beard once again display their strong pop sensibilities as they successfully integrate them into the intricate compositions, and all of a sudden, chorus after chorus, the listener finds himself singing along to this great album. It would feel like a betrayal to the entirety of this release to point out any highlights, since virtually every track is a highlight of its own. However, some of the truly magical Beard moments are to be heard on 'Hiding Out', 'Submerged' and 'Something Very Strange'. Incredibly rich and sonically enticing album, this is an SB classic by all standards.

Thanks to ProgLucky for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates

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