All-purpose Spock's Beard love-fest thread...

I don't really understand the story of Snow, but it's not any better or worse than Tommy or The Lamb as far as cohesiveness goes. The lyrics don't really get in the way of the music. (Although concept album formats going from double-LP's to double-CD's means that about half of Snow disc 2 is total filler or recycled themes, but I remember Testimony being even worse in that regard). But "not much wiggle room" is sort of like taking a novel or short story and just literally narrating it over music. And it's also a story so specific that only a certain subset of the population can in any way relate to it. But really, if I can't have good lyrics, then I just want lyrics that sound good that I can ignore and just rock out. (translation: I'm also a Kiss fan )

 

Don't forget "Suite Charlotte Pike." If the Beatles were a 70s prog band, that's what they would have sounded like.

 

Bridge Across Forever is an amazing album. One of my favorites beyond a doubt.

 

From what I've seen (posted below), no encores. Pity because the version of June is definitive and Falling For Forever is a great song. Need the visuals to get the full impact of the drum solo mind........

A1 Made Alive / Overture
A2 Stranger In A Strange Land
A3 Long Time Suffering
B1 Welcome To Nyc
B2 Love Beyond Words
B3 The 39th Street Blues (I'm Sick)
B4 Devil's Got My Throat
C1 Open Wide The Flood Gates
C2 Open The Gates Part 2
C3 Solitary Soul
C4 Wind At My Back
D1 Second Overture
D2 4th Of July
D3 I'm The Guy
D4 Reflection
E1 Carie
E2 Looking For Answers
E3 Freak Boy
E4 All Is Vanity
E5 I'm Dying
E6 Freak Boy Part 2
F1 Devil's Got My Throat Reprise
F2 Snow's Night Out
F3 Ladies And Gentlemen, Mister Ryo Okumoto On The Keyboards
F4 I Will Go
F5 Made Alive Again / Wind At My Back

 

I'm a total "prog guy" who owns everything by SB and Transatlantic and all the connections,

Except....

I don't own the Neal Morse solo stuff from after he left SB cos the relentless religion drives me bananas. I hate it.

I love Yes. Jon Anderson has a way of waffling about spirituality that is general and open to all.

Morse, who used to write about lots of things, now does nothing except preach. It's like a sermon set to music. The prog music behind him may be the best prog ever ever ever, and I still wouldn't listen to it. I have no need for your Bible-bashing, Neal.

SB have gone on to great things without him anyway. Though I do miss the old, angry, cynical Neal. Prog's greatest loss is the day Mr Morse got religion.

This is all my opinion. That's all.

 

They definitely could've edited out the drum solo in the audio versions. It was very much like a Phil/Chester thing, but not the kind of thing you really want to listen to in the middle of a song. I do always like that Genesis made the drum duet it's own thing, rather than shoehorning it into the middle of a piece.

 

Yep, I love that one, too. Such a fun little medley of sorts.

I understand not listening because of the lyrics. but they are not preachy, IMO. At least the official releases (the worship CDs he releases only online might be, I avoid those) are not.

 

Agreed. I'm a pretty devout Christian myself, but I can't stand listening to Christian music...and I don't find Neal's solo albums preachy or enough to make me cringe the way Christian music does (his online worship CDs, I steer clear of for those reasons, as do you apparently! ).

 

There are times where Neal goes a little over the top with the God/Jesus stuff, but he has really toned it down on the last few albums to where it comes off, to me, as no more spiritual than the Transatlantic albums.