Can't understand the allure of Spock's Beard....
- Thread starter StocktontoMalone
- Start date
*shrug* Snow is a staple of my cd collection. Of course...it doesn't hurt that the box it came in was signed by the 4 remaining members 
I have to say that anyone who can listen to "Long Time Suffering" without rocking out couldn't possibly be human.
I have to say that anyone who can listen to "Long Time Suffering" without rocking out couldn't possibly be human.
ProgMetalFan
In the attic
Stockton and ProgMetalFan - I agree. I have seen SB live twice and heard several albums, but they simply fail to move me. Same as Transatlantic or Flower Kings.
Porcupine Tree also fail to move me, but with PT I hear things I don't hear elsewhere and they don't bore me as SB and TA and FK, just don't move me.
No offense - I probably have loads of CDs some of you might find very boring. Some names out of the ordinary vein of prog: Nash The Slash, Tom Waits, Van Der Graaf Generator (probably the most progressive band ever, ask Bruce Dickinson! ;-) ), Nektar, Peter Hammill, Satriani, Netherworld, Nick Drake?
Jerry
Porcupine Tree also fail to move me, but with PT I hear things I don't hear elsewhere and they don't bore me as SB and TA and FK, just don't move me.
No offense - I probably have loads of CDs some of you might find very boring. Some names out of the ordinary vein of prog: Nash The Slash, Tom Waits, Van Der Graaf Generator (probably the most progressive band ever, ask Bruce Dickinson! ;-) ), Nektar, Peter Hammill, Satriani, Netherworld, Nick Drake?
Jerry
Demonspell
cheating the polygraph
Add me to the list of those unmoved by Spock's Beard...and there is some great music in that list, particularly Nektar and VDG...
Demonspell - have you seen Nektar on their reunion tour earlier this year? Their forum is at http://pub15.bravenet.com/forum/show.php?usernum=1242837668 - band members post there as well.
Slightly OT, sorry...
Jerry
Slightly OT, sorry...
Jerry
The only parts of spock's beard that move me are the beatleske ballads ... all that 70's prog doesnt do mutch for me
Tangerine Dreamer
Art Of Vision
Jerry said:
I've heard some Spock Beard, but I didn't enjoy it either.
I'm glad to see another fan of VDGG/Peter Hammill. VDGG is one of my favorite bands and Hammill is my favourite musician. Back in 1970 when VDGG released "H To He Who Am The Only One", their music was truly something unique and shocking in it's extreme lyrical/musical nature. Yes, they probably were the most progressive band ever.
I'm a HUGE fan of Spock's Beard and The Flower Kings! I think that style of music you just have to listen repeatedly until you understand everything that's going on and you get used to some of the more abstract and weird sounds they use. Listening to Yes really prepared me for getting into these bands and now I think they're incredible. Both have so much worthwhile material, you just have to listen closely and go in with an open mind. The Flower Kings song Stardust We Are is a testament to Roine Stolt's brilliance as a composer...he's in my opinion, the best songwriter out right now. Give both bands a chance, they're SO worth it.
ich bin besser
Guy with no opinion
Another huge SB fan here.
But as I always say: to each his own.
SB or TFK are not as song orientated as Enchant, and that makes a big difference for some people.
But as I always say: to each his own.
SB or TFK are not as song orientated as Enchant, and that makes a big difference for some people.
IBB says it well - to each his own.
I don't think, however, that the more song-oriented approach makes a difference to me. VDGG didn't exactly take the song-oriented route to an album.
DTArtStar's argument of finding out what's going on is probably more to the core of what I don't like. For SB and FK, but especially for a band like Transatlanic, I found such few things worth to find out - too predictable or corny.
I'll say it again - this applies to my ears, to my taste of prog.
Jerry
I don't think, however, that the more song-oriented approach makes a difference to me. VDGG didn't exactly take the song-oriented route to an album.
DTArtStar's argument of finding out what's going on is probably more to the core of what I don't like. For SB and FK, but especially for a band like Transatlanic, I found such few things worth to find out - too predictable or corny.
I'll say it again - this applies to my ears, to my taste of prog.
Jerry
Is it possible to lose one's keys, if one never had them to begin with? Food for thought....DiscoDave said:
ebass
Bottom Line
Hey everyone has there own taste and will enjoy somehting differant. And we all will also dislike certain types of music. I myself will never understand the allure of the Greatful Dead, I have tried? I don,t get it and never will? But I try and keep it to myself. There are many other bands that I really don,t like as well. Hey to be really honest there is material of ours I really don,t care for? You can,t like everything right?StocktontoMalone said:Sorry......
The first song I ever heard was "The Good Don,t Last from the Kindness of Strangers in 99 when I went to visit my good freinds Thomas Waber & Michael Schmidt who own Inside Out records. They gave me a bunch of stuff from Inside Out to check out which I just loved, Including Jon Mitchells band the Urbane, Vandenplas and a bunch of Other stuff. I was floored by SB talent and songwriting and played the disc over and over the remainder of the trip and then got into the rest of the SB material when I got home. Doug and the others were already huge fans especially after touring with them in 98 when I had left the band for a few years. After rejoining the band in 2000 and doing J9 or D10 we went to see the Beard in San Fransico one night after a Giants game. I have to say they impressed my as much as Dream Theater did, in a totally differant way! and I have sat sidestage watching them for 7 straight nights at the very top of there game in 97 when we toured with them. SB was simply amazing, especailly from a musicians view. It was like there was nothing they could not play and live I was blown away. I thought to myslef this is the most incredible band I have ever seen live? And I have seen them all! Just about
I could not belive how talented they were and the vocal harmonies were just amazing! It was an inspiration to me. All of the members of the band were unbelievable to me! I am even more impressed now with the loss of Neil with Feel Euphoria, I think it is awesome!
Can you imagine how hard that was to do! Imagine us losing Ted and continiung on? I have nothing but respect and admiration for these guys and look very much forward to this tour with them, I can not wait to see them every night after we play sidestage like 97 with DT! Lucky me! I think people are going to be surprised
Hey everyone likes something differant for sure and we can not all get into everything but for me this band is amazing and moves me very much with not only the talent and musicians but the songwriting.
Bottom line as you stated "to each his own!" which is great, we all like something differant and thats OK? I see the differering opinions of our own material from disc to disc some people like the older stuff better still while most of us like the newer material? We all have our favorites.
Listen to more of the SB catalog and see them live and if you still don,t see the allure then hey "what can you do!"
I for one an a huge fan and feel very fortunate to be touring with such amazing and talented individuals, and totally cool people as well. They are just the best!
I like Spock's Beard very much as well. However, The Flower Kings and (partly) Transatlantic don´t do it for me, they just lack that special charisma SB have.
Yet another huge Spock's Beard, Flower Kings and Transatlantic fan here. DTArtstar and Ed said it all!
keeper of the flame
Member
I like some SB albums very much, but Snow didn't impress me much, neither did the new CD. I've seen them live as well . They were kind of goofy. They had dressed funny and they moved in a strange manner. Especially Neil and Alan. But after a while I got used to it and the show was great. They played solid. Neil and Alan even performed a piece together on one guitar. Awesome!
This time I bought tickets to their show because of Enchant. I need to see them live. I'm really exited about this.
This time I bought tickets to their show because of Enchant. I need to see them live. I'm really exited about this.
mgirishfan
Member
I got into SB from my friend Dave (yes, Dave, you get this one, LOL!!)...he gave me a CD with a PILE of songs on it and one of them was The Doorway...I was fascinated, and hooked! I now have all of SB's discs (except, for some reason, #3 - Kindness of Strangers - from which Ed's tune above, "The Good Don't Last" originates) and I think they are a very talented group of musicians, although I definitely think that the "whole is more than the sum of the parts" - a LOT more. For example, while almost every (if not ALL) quality band is indeed better as a band than the individual members are on their own, the members of DT, for one, are incredible musicians in their own right, and could carry solo shows/albums. I know Neal and Ryo had solo albums, but I just don't think they were anywhere near the caliber of SB as a whole. I don't think that is really a trait of SB -- except maybe for Neal...but in a way, SB was Neal's solo project.
He was the writer, the producer, the vocalist, the keyboardist, the guitarist, and even the drummer. Of course there were other band members who had these roles full time, but if you see a live show fom the Neal era, you'll see him all over the place, literally. If you watch the DVD of "Don't Try This At Home/The Making of V" you will DEFINITELY see what I mean. All of this isn't to say I didn't like it - au contraire, I loved it....up until Snow...
That disc is definitely different...I listened to it dozens of times, and really couldn't get into it the way I did their previous material. And it was 2 CD's worth of stuff! I tried, but no luck - it just didn't click for me....then Dave tells me Neal left the band....wow, so what now? No one knew for sure, for a while anyway....
Then the announcement - the Beard lives! Nick will take over lead vox! (And whooooosh! The Genesis comparisons, previously fleeting, came on in a rush, to no one's surprise!) And so we waited to see what would happen....what would SB sound like without Neal? Should they even still call themselves Spock's Beard?
Alas, Feel Euphoria came out...and it too is very different, of course. I like the disc a lot - more than I thought I would, for sure, and more, honestly, than I like Snow - and it is cool to hear the different songwriting - and performance - abilities of Nick and Al. It doesn't, however, hit me the way Beware of Darkness, V, The Light, and Day for Night (how I rank the others I have) did. Those discs are GREAT. Feel Euphoria is very good. There's a difference.
HOWEVER, I have to say that it is 100% better that what I thought it would be. The songwriting is very good, the 'group dynamics' are very good...there are even a couple moments of greatness --- one being "Ghosts of Autumn" and the other being "Carry On", and I enjoy hearing Al on "Moth of Many Flames" - when he starts to laugh and catches himself it is priceless! It is definitely a keeper. I'm also really looking forward to seeing them live in a couple of weeks. I just wish I had been able to see them live with Neal. Ah well. That's what videos and DVD's are for, right?
All in all, I am still a Beard fan, no question. It will be cool to see them, and the more I listen to Feel Euphoria, the more I like it. There are, though, a lot of people who have said some derivative of 'Lookout, Beard, watch your back - you're touring with Enchant' --- and I agree with that! Song for song, from front to back, much less when taken as that 'whole', Tug of War is in another league (higher) from Feel Euphoria. So bring on this tour!!!!! May BOTH bands excell!!!
He was the writer, the producer, the vocalist, the keyboardist, the guitarist, and even the drummer. Of course there were other band members who had these roles full time, but if you see a live show fom the Neal era, you'll see him all over the place, literally. If you watch the DVD of "Don't Try This At Home/The Making of V" you will DEFINITELY see what I mean. All of this isn't to say I didn't like it - au contraire, I loved it....up until Snow...
That disc is definitely different...I listened to it dozens of times, and really couldn't get into it the way I did their previous material. And it was 2 CD's worth of stuff! I tried, but no luck - it just didn't click for me....then Dave tells me Neal left the band....wow, so what now? No one knew for sure, for a while anyway....
Then the announcement - the Beard lives! Nick will take over lead vox! (And whooooosh! The Genesis comparisons, previously fleeting, came on in a rush, to no one's surprise!) And so we waited to see what would happen....what would SB sound like without Neal? Should they even still call themselves Spock's Beard?
Alas, Feel Euphoria came out...and it too is very different, of course. I like the disc a lot - more than I thought I would, for sure, and more, honestly, than I like Snow - and it is cool to hear the different songwriting - and performance - abilities of Nick and Al. It doesn't, however, hit me the way Beware of Darkness, V, The Light, and Day for Night (how I rank the others I have) did. Those discs are GREAT. Feel Euphoria is very good. There's a difference.
HOWEVER, I have to say that it is 100% better that what I thought it would be. The songwriting is very good, the 'group dynamics' are very good...there are even a couple moments of greatness --- one being "Ghosts of Autumn" and the other being "Carry On", and I enjoy hearing Al on "Moth of Many Flames" - when he starts to laugh and catches himself it is priceless! It is definitely a keeper. I'm also really looking forward to seeing them live in a couple of weeks. I just wish I had been able to see them live with Neal. Ah well. That's what videos and DVD's are for, right?
All in all, I am still a Beard fan, no question. It will be cool to see them, and the more I listen to Feel Euphoria, the more I like it. There are, though, a lot of people who have said some derivative of 'Lookout, Beard, watch your back - you're touring with Enchant' --- and I agree with that! Song for song, from front to back, much less when taken as that 'whole', Tug of War is in another league (higher) from Feel Euphoria. So bring on this tour!!!!! May BOTH bands excell!!!
PLease don't get me wrong....I'm not sayiing that SB sucks, or is not a talented band - but I just can't get into them. In other words, I just don't 'get it'...
And as far as DT is concerned, again - a very talented band. However, they are SOOO self-indulgent, it takes away from the songs.....I used to think that RUSH was this way...and then came DT.
And as far as DT is concerned, again - a very talented band. However, they are SOOO self-indulgent, it takes away from the songs.....I used to think that RUSH was this way...and then came DT.
ProgMetalFan
In the attic
70's Rush might be self-indulgent at times... but I don't think 80's Rush is self-indulgent in the least bit
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