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What's going on with Spock's Beard?
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rushfan4 View Drop Down
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    Posted: January 27 2025 at 10:38
Does anyone know what is going on with Spock's Beard?  Their last album was Noise Floor from 2018.  Since then, the majority of the band has released 5 albums as Pattern-Seeking Animals (ok 4, with a new one coming out next month). 

Ryo released The Myth of Mostrophus in 2022, but he is not involved with P-SA. 

Has Alan Morse retired?

It does not appear that the band has disbanded.  Are they on some sort of indefinite hiatus? 
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It's a question I had started to wonder myself Scott... I can't throw any light on the subject, but I will watch this thread with interest....
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I went to their website and saw that they did a small tour of Europe in 2024, so apparently they are still active. 
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They are old, everything hurts now....
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Originally posted by Catcher10 Catcher10 wrote:

They are old, everything hurts now....

LOL
Not that old, i mean Deep Purple are on tour and 3-4 members of DP are old enough to be SB's members parents. LOL


Edited by Cristi - January 27 2025 at 12:09
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Originally posted by Catcher10 Catcher10 wrote:

They are old, everything hurts now....
I can relate...and I'm not quite as old as them yet.  LOL
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Originally posted by Cristi Cristi wrote:

Originally posted by Catcher10 Catcher10 wrote:

They are old, everything hurts now....

LOL
Not that old, i mean Deep Purple are on tour and 3-4 members of DP are old enough to be SB's members parents. LOL

DP probably also employs massage therapists, personal chefs and baristas on the road, too...LOL
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Points: 5469 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote A Crimson Mellotron Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 27 2025 at 12:52
I have been wondering the same thing. Their last gigs are two headline shows at Alvas Showroom in San Pedro, CA (March of 2024), following that aforementioned small European tour of January-February of 2024. The Alvas Showroom gigs have been promoted as Spock's Beard with the Ryo Okumoto band (kind of like a special guest) so this definitely indicates that they are not done. But apart from this, no other news seem to circulate regarding the possibility of new music or a more extensive tour... And with the news of a fifth P-SA studio album to be released later this year, it seems like the Spock's Beard situation isn't getting anywhere. Rather unfortunate as I personally prefer the music of SB to that of P-SA, which I just cannot connect with. Disapprove

My best guess is that they are currently not interested in writing new music as SB, and knowing that the reception to 'Noise Floor' was generally less enthusiastic compared to the 2013 and 2015 releases, it makes you think that they feel like they don't have much to say as a band in the 2020s.
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Ryo Okumoto posted on July 7, 2024 on Facebook that they are making a new album. I haven't seen any follow-up posts to this.


If the link doesn't work, this is the text inside the post:
Originally posted by Ryo Okumoto Ryo Okumoto wrote:

Touring is great but nothing like coming home to my family. Am I happy? Yes, very much!
Couple shows with ASIA Featuring John Payne this month and Europe and West coast tour with ProgJect Sep-Nov and, Spock's Beard is making new album. Then, going back to Japan after for vacation (Actually working on my next solo album while I’m there). Life is good!
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Points: 66555 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rushfan4 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 27 2025 at 13:59
Excellent.  A new SB album and a new Ryo solo album.  That is great news. 

I hope that the fire at Rich Mouser's home/studio didn't/doesn't interfere with these projects.  (Such a shame what happen to Rich Mouser).  Cry
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Originally posted by rushfan4 rushfan4 wrote:

Originally posted by Catcher10 Catcher10 wrote:

They are old, everything hurts now....
I can relate...and I'm not quite as old as them yet.  LOL


I've gone from waking up with, "Man that hurts" to waking up with, "I didn't know that could hurt."
https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays
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Originally posted by rushfan4 rushfan4 wrote:

Does anyone know what is going on with Spock's Beard?  Their last album was Noise Floor from 2018.  Since then, the majority of the band has released 5 albums as Pattern-Seeking Animals (ok 4, with a new one coming out next month).
The Pattern-Seeking Animals new album 'Friend Of All Creatures' is being released on the 14th of this month. Review and album info here: https://theprogressiveaspect.net/blog/2025/01/27/pattern-seeking-animals-friend-of-all-creatures/.
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Originally posted by Cristi Cristi wrote:

Originally posted by Catcher10 Catcher10 wrote:

They are old, everything hurts now....

LOL
Not that old, i mean Deep Purple are on tour and 3-4 members of DP are old enough to be SB's members parents. LOL



Don't forget Neil Young !
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Originally posted by A Crimson Mellotron A Crimson Mellotron wrote:

And with the news of a fifth P-SA studio album to be released later this year, it seems like the Spock's Beard situation isn't getting anywhere. Rather unfortunate as I personally prefer the music of SB to that of P-SA, which I just cannot connect with.


I agree. Pattern just doesn't click with me. I wanted it to. I thought that it would but it doesn't.

The last two Beard albums were hit or miss for me so I'm a little leary of new music at this point.

Edited by Jeffro - 7 hours 8 minutes ago at 14:57
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Originally posted by Jeffro Jeffro wrote:

Originally posted by A Crimson Mellotron A Crimson Mellotron wrote:

And with the news of a fifth P-SA studio album to be released later this year, it seems like the Spock's Beard situation isn't getting anywhere. Rather unfortunate as I personally prefer the music of SB to that of P-SA, which I just cannot connect with.


I agree. Pattern just doesn't click with me. I wanted it to. I thought that it would but it doesn't.

The last two Beard albums were hit or miss for me so I'm a little leary of new music at this point.

I struggle with PSA also. They aren't horrible but maybe I would like them more if they weren't considered prog. They seem to poppy to be traditional prog imo. Not bad but considering the history of SB and what that band has done makes it a little bit of a letdown like you say.


Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - 1 hour 54 minutes ago at 20:11
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I love Pattern Seeking Animals personally. Solid music! Their style could be considered "pop", if your definition of "pop" is still stuck in the 1960s. But in today's musical landscape, I'd say a better description of that style would be "art rock". The arrangements are quite busy and complex, yet the songs are still catchy despite the fact. And even if the songwriting keeps the hooks catchy, they're far from simplistic and often extremely imaginative.

Edited by Hrychu - 3 hours 36 minutes ago at 18:29
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Hi,

Isn't it always stated that the wine gets better as it ages? 

Maybe that is the case with SB ... and I would not be asking for them to hurry up and give me another song ... it will be ready when its time is up and ready. That's art ... and many of us and them, are not Picassos that could create something in minutes and then go on to something else! Well, he did leave behind so many thousands of works that no one has ever tried to catalog all of it!
Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
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