Best Spock’s Beard album?

Ty1020 wrote: MikeEnRegalia wrote: eugene wrote: Think you should start with "Light" to be followed by "V". These two are the best. "Light is their debut, - hence this parcticular order. Enjoy. Also "Testimony" by Neal Morse solo is terrific (one of the very best albums last year, and definitely the best double album) The Light is very good, but considering that he currently only knows Transatlantic, it may be too much. But if he already knows some 70s prog records, it should be no problem ... Oh, yeah, I've been into prog for quite a while, I've just never got around to listening to Morse's work for some reason. So The Light is similar to 70's prog? Any bands in particular that it sounds like?

The reviews sum it up pretty well. SB have a number of influences, namely Gentle Giant, Yes and Genesis, also a little Kansas at times. They mix it with american rock and pop music, and that influence is growing stronger with each album. I like that  mixture very much, but it annoys prog "purists". But if you like Transatlantic, I'm pretty sure that you won't have any problem with those influences.

The Light

And then

The Kindness Of Strangers

And then

Snow

My first contact to SPOCK'S BEARD music was through the TRANSATLANTIC, that I've buyed because of Roine Stolt and Pete Trewavas (I'm a fan of FLOWER KINGS & MARILLION). When I perceived that the mind behind TRANSATLANTIC was Neal Morse, then I decided to buy the live DVD "Don't Try This at Home". Well, SPOCK'S BEARD is very very very better than TRANSATLANTIC. The problem with the supergroup I think is the abscense of a major contact between the musicians. They come from different schools in Prog Rock and the chemistry didn't flow perfectly. But in SPOCK'S BEARD the sound goes naturally and they can make fantastic songs...

I will indicate for you "The Light" and "V" (each one with two suites, like Transatlantic albuns...), but if you like conceptual albuns, with short songs that complete one to another, like PF "The Wall" or GEN "Lamb Lies..." then try the fantastic "Snow"

MikeEnRegalia wrote: King of Loss wrote: Well,I still like Octane and FE but I agree, its nothing special now.... And I have to buy both Neal Morse and SB albums... Well, I really DON'T like FE. It has some good moments, but the epic in particular seems absolutely lifeless to me. Octane is quite good. You just have to accept that it's not prog anymore. If you look at it objectively and imagine that this was a debut of a band, without the history that they have ... you would consider it to be a nice pop album with progressive tendencies. I like such albums a lot, and I love Ryo's solo album, but it does no longer posess the magic of the previous albums.

I beg to differ. I think that FE is a weak album, but understandably, as they had to live without Neal Morse then. All in all it is quite listenable. But "octane" IMO is a complete fiasco, and if one had not known this is SB, he would not recognise it. Looking at it objectively and imagining this was a debut of an unknown band, I can imagine that I would never follow this band, as it falls into my category of "nice pop band not deserving my time". Solo album by Ryo Okumoto is to the contary very good one, in line with Spock's Beard previous works.

their debut album...the light.

King of Loss wrote: MikeEnRegalia wrote: Snow Dog wrote: MikeEnRegalia wrote: The one situation where he goes over the top is on the DVD: The story about his daughter being miraculously healed. It just sounds too good to be true. But that has nothing to do with his albums, and if it really happened that way, there's no reason not to tell the story.   Well he actually says that God spoke to him while he was out running (Neal Morse not God) and told him to leave Spocks Beard. I guess thats why he has to tell his story via music. Great Composer, but you have to wonder! I read that too ... but a few months later, I read a more in depth interview, and there he said that it wasn't like a voice was telling him to leave the band. It was more like he felt the need to sing about God, and that was something the other members of the band won't do. That happened while Snow was being written, and in fact a lot of the problems he was facing can be read between the lines in the Snow lyrics. And that is also what makes Snow such an exceptional album. The story's odd, but it being that way suddenly makes sense when you look at it that way. Snow (the character) is Neal Morse, but Neal didn't write it obvious enough for the other members (or the fans) to realise that ... until he announced that he would leave the band. Hence the track "I will go" ...   Yea, that is why Snow is my favorite Spock's Beard album and because its such an exceptional album. I love the album very much, even though there are parts where I don't really like. About that poll, I think I'm going to create one in the Polls area.

The obvious part that doesn't fit in is "Looking For Answers" ... Nick D'Virgilio wrote it. It really shows that the band wanted to evolve in a different direction than where Morse was headed. That would be proven later by FE and Octane. Brilliant albums, but they lack the essential parts of SB: The Gentle Giant influences are gone, the counterpoint brilliance, the vocal arrangements ... it's a completely different beast now.

MikeEnRegalia wrote: Snow Dog wrote: MikeEnRegalia wrote: The one situation where he goes over the top is on the DVD: The story about his daughter being miraculously healed. It just sounds too good to be true. But that has nothing to do with his albums, and if it really happened that way, there's no reason not to tell the story.   Well he actually says that God spoke to him while he was out running (Neal Morse not God) and told him to leave Spocks Beard. I guess thats why he has to tell his story via music. Great Composer, but you have to wonder! I read that too ... but a few months later, I read a more in depth interview, and there he said that it wasn't like a voice was telling him to leave the band. It was more like he felt the need to sing about God, and that was something the other members of the band won't do. That happened while Snow was being written, and in fact a lot of the problems he was facing can be read between the lines in the Snow lyrics. And that is also what makes Snow such an exceptional album. The story's odd, but it being that way suddenly makes sense when you look at it that way. Snow (the character) is Neal Morse, but Neal didn't write it obvious enough for the other members (or the fans) to realise that ... until he announced that he would leave the band. Hence the track "I will go" ...

He modified his story then, because its not exactly what he said when  he posted a letter to the fans on the SB website. Its nice that he finished Snow before he left though!

MikeEnRegalia wrote: Snow Dog wrote: fandango wrote: King of Loss wrote: I believe there is another thread like this in the "Polls section", but whatever. Buy Snow and V, both are great, and also Kindness of Strangers is great too. At times Neal Morse does get a bit on the "preachy" side. I'd agree with every word.  It would be rather interesting if someone did a poll about Neal Morse's solo lyrics and how people felt about them, and then had an opportunity to say whether they had a christian upbringing or not! I don't think he's preachy. He just sings about his own experience (as weird as that might be!) The one situation where he goes over the top is on the DVD: The story about his daughter being miraculously healed. It just sounds too good to be true. But that has nothing to do with his albums, and if it really happened that way, there's no reason not to tell the story.

Well he actually says that God spoke to him while he was out running (Neal Morse not God) and told him to leave Spocks Beard. I guess thats why he has to tell his story via music. Great Composer, but you have to wonder!