Spock's Beard
- Thread starter Powers
- Start date
Hey Powers:
Spock's Beard is a godly band. They blend the complexity of Gentle Giant with killer Beatles harmonies, utilising excellent synth work by Ryo Okumoto with fantastic arrangements. Neal Morse is a unique singer in prog. Even though he left the band to go solo, his albums are still worth checking out if you're not bothered by Christian lyrics. I'm not Christian yet his lyrical messages don't bother me in the least. I'd start with One and then go with Testimony. His first one is very poppy but still great.
As regards Spock's Beard, their first album The Light is among the greatest prog debuts of the 90's. Very long songs that don't bore at all with unmatchable vocal melodies, perhaps only rivaled by Steven Wilson in prog rock.
If you haven't heard any music from the 70's band Gentle Giant, seek them out. They've influenced Spock's Beard a great deal, but it's not a cloning case.
Day for Night may be a good starting point for Spock's although V is considered their heaviest. Their last one features a different singer since Morse had left the band.
Hope this helps a bit.
Spock's Beard is a godly band. They blend the complexity of Gentle Giant with killer Beatles harmonies, utilising excellent synth work by Ryo Okumoto with fantastic arrangements. Neal Morse is a unique singer in prog. Even though he left the band to go solo, his albums are still worth checking out if you're not bothered by Christian lyrics. I'm not Christian yet his lyrical messages don't bother me in the least. I'd start with One and then go with Testimony. His first one is very poppy but still great.
As regards Spock's Beard, their first album The Light is among the greatest prog debuts of the 90's. Very long songs that don't bore at all with unmatchable vocal melodies, perhaps only rivaled by Steven Wilson in prog rock.
If you haven't heard any music from the 70's band Gentle Giant, seek them out. They've influenced Spock's Beard a great deal, but it's not a cloning case.
Day for Night may be a good starting point for Spock's although V is considered their heaviest. Their last one features a different singer since Morse had left the band.
Hope this helps a bit.
Thankyou, that really helps. I haven't really listened to anything by them other than Octane, which kicks. I've been told I need to buy Snow, and I probably will as the concept to just sounds too ridiculous to be bad.
Morse' Christian lyrics probably won't bother me, infact a lot of christian lyrics don't bother me, as most of the time rather then being totally Christian they tend to simply be about hope, faith and justice. A lot of Christin music, or rather music that happens to be written by Christians, I find to be quite powerful.
As for Spock's beard, the band takes it's name from the Star Trek (TOS) episode "Mirror, Mirror" wherein Spock, Kirk and the rest of the Enterprise crew were transported to a mirror universe wherein Spock was diferentiated by a beard, and the United Fedaration Planets was The Terran Empire. Trekie and proud!
Morse' Christian lyrics probably won't bother me, infact a lot of christian lyrics don't bother me, as most of the time rather then being totally Christian they tend to simply be about hope, faith and justice. A lot of Christin music, or rather music that happens to be written by Christians, I find to be quite powerful.
As for Spock's beard, the band takes it's name from the Star Trek (TOS) episode "Mirror, Mirror" wherein Spock, Kirk and the rest of the Enterprise crew were transported to a mirror universe wherein Spock was diferentiated by a beard, and the United Fedaration Planets was The Terran Empire. Trekie and proud!
Hey bro, just for your information, Morse does not sing on Octane, which was considered a huge let-down for the die-hard Beard fans. It has the original drummer taking the role of vocalist (sort of like Collins dropping the drums and taking the mic after Gabriel).
But to be fair, Octane is nowhere near as big a disappointment as some claim. It is more linear and less complex than the Morse material. But then, it is also chock full of killer harmonies and melodies, and important in that it proved they could carry on without their "leader".
I think Snow would be an excellent choice. You seem to be going in reverse order which is the right thing to do in your case. Snow is lighter, but the concept is strong and the lyrics thought-provoking. You'll need several listens to grasp it fully, however. And then, by the time you get to V, you'll be blown away.
So far, I'd suggest you leave their first three discs (all with lots of 20-plus-material) for the future.
You are about to discover one of the most rewarding bands in prog. Enjoy.
But to be fair, Octane is nowhere near as big a disappointment as some claim. It is more linear and less complex than the Morse material. But then, it is also chock full of killer harmonies and melodies, and important in that it proved they could carry on without their "leader".
I think Snow would be an excellent choice. You seem to be going in reverse order which is the right thing to do in your case. Snow is lighter, but the concept is strong and the lyrics thought-provoking. You'll need several listens to grasp it fully, however. And then, by the time you get to V, you'll be blown away.
So far, I'd suggest you leave their first three discs (all with lots of 20-plus-material) for the future.
You are about to discover one of the most rewarding bands in prog. Enjoy.
wankerness
Member
Yeah, the concept is really strong and original too, it definitely doesn't resemble the movie Powder in any way! In that one, a bald guy named powder is the hero, he has psychic powers, people abuse his powers, his life goes down the tubes, eventual redemption. In Snow his name is Snow!
If you're going to do a ridiculously cheesy concept like that you might as well not directly rip it directly from a recent major studio movie. I like that Neal Morse's only comeback to questions was "well, it MIGHT have influenced me SLIGHTLY!"
Man Snow is lame. As I said before, some of my friends that like Spock's Beard think it's their worst album besides "The Light" (which had some hilarious song in which Neal starts swearing like a sailor), and it's the only one I find largely intolerable. The attempts at being tough, especially, like "Devil's Got My Throat," "I'm the Guy," and "Freak Boy." Bleccccch! The drummer is a much better singer, I must admit (he is the singer on their last two albums, and two songs on Snow).
If you're going to do a ridiculously cheesy concept like that you might as well not directly rip it directly from a recent major studio movie. I like that Neal Morse's only comeback to questions was "well, it MIGHT have influenced me SLIGHTLY!"
Man Snow is lame. As I said before, some of my friends that like Spock's Beard think it's their worst album besides "The Light" (which had some hilarious song in which Neal starts swearing like a sailor), and it's the only one I find largely intolerable. The attempts at being tough, especially, like "Devil's Got My Throat," "I'm the Guy," and "Freak Boy." Bleccccch! The drummer is a much better singer, I must admit (he is the singer on their last two albums, and two songs on Snow).
I laugh when people criticizes Spock's Beard for not being original while Opeth 's Deliverance (the whole album) is basically a Morbid Angel tribute.
I was getting into Spock's Beard a while ago, but I also dl'd Gentle Giant - Octopus. That changed everything. I might look into them again, but I think I will be disappointed.
My favorite from the Beard was "Beware of Darkness".
My favorite from the Beard was "Beware of Darkness".
wankerness
Member
affinityband
Member
Death_To_False_Metal said:
Except for the start of master apprenctices, pretty much sounds nothing like any morbid angel album on the face of this earth.
all_sins_undone
New Metal Member
- Oct 5, 2005
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good fucking god... deliverance is a MA tribute? ftlog the only riff that slightly resembles anything MA have done is the intro of Masters Apprentices.
NFU
I like pie.
all_sins_undone
New Metal Member
- Oct 5, 2005
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Kenneth R.
Cináed
NFU
I like pie.
metal_wrath
I dip my forefinger...
NFU
I like pie.
metal_wrath said:hey, turn on the news, one of your heroes has died...
who? the news isnt telling me anything.
