THE LIGHT

Out of nowhere comes Spock's Beard's Debut. This is one of the finest debuts i've heard thus far. Musicianship is top notch, solid (and at times meaningful) lyrics, and an undeniable flow all come through from second one to the last note played. Neal Morse's vocals are unique (at least in my eyes) and he really sings with a passion like other famous singers (Fish and P. Hammill come to mind, but that is not saying he sings in their style). although his voice is not as "perfected" as on other albums. The rythym section is as solid as bands that have been around 20 years. And Alan's guitar playing is the last cornerstone that needs to be placed, and a very solid cornerstone it makes.

First up is the epic (although not the longest song on this album) title track, The Light. Starting off with a simple, quiet piano part, the song sprawls into many directions. There are quiet interludes, fast paced action, loud and gritty sections, and an overall cohesiveness to this song. While i feel it doesn't compare to the other epic on this record (or others in their catelogue) in terms of complexity, it still is a high quality song that many people should enjoy. Next up, is the gentler Go The Way You Go. I still feel this song is a little too long, but its nothing that takes away from the pleasure of the album. Good vocal harmonies, and cool piano riffs lead this solid song. After that comes the hard hitter of the album, the 23 minute giant The Water. This epic winds its way through many moods, including anger, regret, mysterious, and arrogance. It is also notable to mention that this is really the only vulgarity this group has produced (specfically in the FU/I'm sorry part of the song). Anyway, a catchy piano intro starts off this monster, and it grows in intensity until the first part is unleashed (also notable is the cool cello part). One thing that i like (and dislike about this song), is the fact that the music is always changing, always progessing into something eles. While a good thing, it makes the better sections too short. But this is not a major complaint by any means. There is not a weak part to this song and is, IMO, one of the best modern examples of progressive music. Finally, the album ends with the shortest song (and the only one under ten minuets), On The Edge. A nice little more agressive song, with a cool lyrics and vocal line. While there is nothing stellar about this song, there is nothing terrible about it either.

All in all, I strongly feel that if there is a Spock's Beard album to check out, it is The Light. There are only a few downsides to this album (as mentioned in my reveiw), that get totally outweighed by the positives. There is certainly a unique feel to this album, that for whatever reason, decided to adbondon for their future releases. 5/5 no question. Highly recommended.