THE BEARD IS OUT THERE

I bought this CD at a low price and in order to avoid buying the more expensive debut album, for this recording contains all of the first SB offering plus Thoughts and Waste away from the second studio album.

So, the live version of The Light, cannot stand up in the light of the studio version. Especially the vocals are a drag. The second track is too simple and too boring for me; the lyrics are cottoning up. The record therefore starts for me with Thoughts, a blatant Gentle Giant rip-off, but very well executed. Without further ado: The Water is IMHO Spock's best epic: 23 minutes and not one of it is boring. Well done, lads. On the Edge is not the most interesting composition on the planet but again suberbly performed. The bonustrack is the encore: a blend of Jimi Hendrix' song Fire and Waste away. Fire is very lively and rocky, Waste away is as controlled as most of Spock's music is.

All in all, this is a good release, but certainly not essential. 3 stars.

Favourite Tracks: Thoughts, The Water, On the Edge