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

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by jmpatrick, Oct 30, 2014.

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  1. avnut

    avnut Forum Resident

    Location:
    cleveland, oh
    Well, you'd be missing out on a really beautifully recorded and executed document of this record --- worth noting that you can get both the audio (2 CDs) and video (2 DVDs, including bonus content) in one package for 18.99 currently at Amazon. Highly recommended -- they really did interesting things, in my opinion, pulling this whole album together for the live performance with the different players, both past and present.

    http://amzn.to/2yt9DgL
     
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  2. George Co-Stanza

    George Co-Stanza Forum Resident

    Location:
    America
    I have no doubt that it will be very well done, but I rarely watch live DVDs anymore, so I tend to be very choosey with the ones I buy now (hell, I am a huge David Gilmour fan and still haven't gotten around to getting his new one that came out last month). Plus, I already have several Neal Morse live DVDs (Morefest 2015 and Alive Again, and will be throwing them my money when Morsefest 2017 is eventually released), not to mention several Transatlantic ones, so I have my fill of Neal Morse-related live DVDs/Blu-rays. :cool:
     
  3. DrBeatle

    DrBeatle The Rock and Roll Chemist

    Location:
    Midwest via Boston
    Snow is one of my favorite albums by anyone, ever, and I'd been hoping for YEARS that Neal would someday go back and do this with the band. So I will DEFINITELY be checking this set out!
     
  4. stodgers

    stodgers Forum Resident

    Location:
    Montana
    I got a mix tape 20+ years ago with a couple of SB songs on it and really liked them, but could never find any of their albums in stores until Kindness of Strangers, and that album didn't connect with me at all. But I saw LaserCD has their vinyl reissues, so I will definitely be getting The Light since that was what introduced me to them.

    I didn't like Flying Colors at first, but it grew on me. I tried KoS a couple weeks back thinking maybe I didn't give it enough of a chance, but still couldn't dig it. I'll come back to it though.
     
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  5. DrBeatle

    DrBeatle The Rock and Roll Chemist

    Location:
    Midwest via Boston
    I'd recommend any and all of the Neal-era albums. The Light, Beware of Darkness, Snow, and V are the best but Kindness and Day for Night are very, very good, too (Kindness is worth it alone for "Flow" and "The Good Don't Last" IMO). The Nick-era is spotty, although the self-titled and X are the best (Octane is mostly good, too). I REALLY like the first Ted-era album (Brief Nocturnes & Dreamless Sleep). The newest one, Oblivion Particle, is very good but a bit weaker than its predecessor.

    I'm also a huge fan of Neal's collaborations with Mike Portnoy (Neal's solo albums & Transatlantic). Check those out if you haven't already.
     
  6. stodgers

    stodgers Forum Resident

    Location:
    Montana
    I was also planning to pick up the second Transatlantic LP, but I have no interest in his solo stuff based on what I've heard about it.
     
  7. George Co-Stanza

    George Co-Stanza Forum Resident

    Location:
    America
    Get ready to have your mind blown, then. Duel with the Devil and Stranger in Your Soul are two of the best long prog epics ever...and are on the same album!! :cool:
     
  8. utopiarun

    utopiarun "on the road to Utopia"

    Location:
    Staten Island NY
    What have you heard about it? If you like prog you will like Neal Morse. I'm not a big lyrics guy so the Jesus stuff doesn't bother me at all. The man can write prog like no other IMO so I heartily recommend One, ?, and Sola Scriptura to start.

    I just ordered the 2cd 2 DVD Snow live from Amazon. I'm not a big DVD guy but for $19 you can't go wrong.
     
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  9. ytserush

    ytserush Forum Resident

    Location:
    Northeast US

    I like this band a lot, but Snow is far and away my least favorite so I'm not going anywhere near this. I think Snow a lot less organic and more tense than what came before and after. The "making of" doc helped me to understand it a bit more, but it wasn't enough.

    I probably shouldn't go much further than that as this is an appreciation thread.

    The first two post-Neal albums were kind of tepid for me, but I think they really found their way after that transitional period.

    I'd love to see them again sometime. It's been quite a few years. Nick was still in the band then. Nothing will beat those gigs I saw with Neal though. Those were some of the best concerts I ever saw in my life.
     
  10. ytserush

    ytserush Forum Resident

    Location:
    Northeast US

    Probably my favorite Transatlantic album ever.
     
  11. ytserush

    ytserush Forum Resident

    Location:
    Northeast US

    I enjoy Alive Again, but I've only seen it a few times. Listen to the CDs a little more. The live version of Similitude should be even better.
     
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  12. mikedifr0923

    mikedifr0923 Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    Glad to see Spock's Beard discussion on here. Liked them since I saw them open for DT. Love all eras of the band. A huge fan of Ted Leonard so love the last two albums

    Those hearing Ted for the first time here need to check out that band Enchant where he started. Awesome stuff. Kind of a cross between Rush, Marillion and Kansas. Very accessible melodies over light prog music. He is one of my favorite vocalists.
     
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  13. George Co-Stanza

    George Co-Stanza Forum Resident

    Location:
    America
    Me neither, but I get it if someone doesn't want to listen to solo Neal material because of the lyrics.

    I think the 3rd with Nick (self-titled) was the only weak one, although it has a few great tunes. I like both Feel Euphoria and Octane quite a bit, and X is in the conversation for best Spock's record of any era. :)

    I can say that 1 day out of every 3. Ask me today, it is SMPTe. Ask me tomorrow, it is Bridge Across Forever. Ask me Tuesday, it is The Whirlwind. Ask me Wednesday, it is SMPTe again. etc. :p

    Getting the live version of Similitude will be awesome, because I was there at Morsefest for it. Can't wait. :cool:
     
  14. ytserush

    ytserush Forum Resident

    Location:
    Northeast US

    Got into Enchant when Rothery produced their first album (another favorite of mine.) Need to see them again too. Great live band.
     
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  15. ytserush

    ytserush Forum Resident

    Location:
    Northeast US
    The lyrics are getting to the point where they might bother me, but I still try to focus on the music. With Spock's Beard the lyrics were very spiritual and open to interpretation. With most of Neal's lyrics, they kind of aren't.

    The Whirlwind grew on me. Didn't like it at first but when I saw it live it clicked. Don't know if it will ever reach the heights of its predecessor but I think its a damn fine album.
    Nothing memorable about Kaleidoscope for me. Every time I put it on it's like I'm hearing it for the first time. (Which admittedly isn't very often.)

    Never bought into Morsefest. Probably not my scene.
     
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  16. Veech

    Veech Space In Sounds

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    I'm in!!

    SPOCKS BEARD SNOW LIVE PROMO
     
  17. walrus

    walrus Staring into nothing

    Location:
    Nashville
    Some of Neal's solo stuff is easier to stomach than others. It's when the lyrics get too direct/literal that I can't ignore them, and I have to put on something else. It's prog...for me the singing is just another instrument. Great lyrics are a nice bonus, but really at minimum I just want lyrics that aren't distracting. I'm not sure I ever made it through Testimony all the way through, because I was constantly being jolted out of the music to go "wait, did he really just sing that in a song?" Or like that "King Jesus" bonus track on one of his records...I love the music, but I wish the song was about...literally anything else.

    I thought Similtude and Grand Experiment were really strong, and much better lyrically than some of the earlier ones.

    The self-titeld Spock's record IMO is the strongest one with Nick on vocals. I remember not being into it when it first came out (It was barely a year after Octane, it definitely seemed rushed at the time), but in the years since I've really grown to love it. I think "As Far As The Mind Can See" was the one attempt at a 15+ minute prog suite that post-Neal Beard really nailed. "Rearranged" is also a total jam.
     
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  18. walrus

    walrus Staring into nothing

    Location:
    Nashville
    Is the tracklisting for the vinyl version of Snow Live posted anywhere? I'm interested, but not sure about dropping money on it unless it also includes the encores. (Having Snow and Snow Live on vinyl seems cool, but a bit redundant)
     
  19. mikedifr0923

    mikedifr0923 Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    Never got to see them unfortunately. My only "favorite" I haven't had the chance to see.

    I just saw that the first album is available on LP, have you (or anyone here) heard that by any chance?
     
  20. walrus

    walrus Staring into nothing

    Location:
    Nashville
    This is the key. Like, two of my favorite bands are U2 and Over the Rhine, both artists who've straddled that fence occasionally over the years...but virtually every song can be interpreted and enjoyed regardless of perspective. I'm sure "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" is about god or something, but i mean, it could just as easily be about my keys, y'know? :laugh:
     
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  21. mikedifr0923

    mikedifr0923 Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    Same thoughts on Whirlwind and Kaleidoscope.

    I have a hard time with Morse solo stuff though. Love the music.
     
  22. ytserush

    ytserush Forum Resident

    Location:
    Northeast US
    I've always been a lyric guy to the point that if they are bad it matters to me.

    Believe it or not, I really like Testimony. I thought it was honest, organic, unforced (everything that Snow wasn't) even though there really isn't much wiggle room in the lyrical interpretation department, I think it worked. I've never had a problem with Testimony at all. It was original and from the heart. It was his story.

    I agree with you about the Nick-fronted Spock's Beard. I think the self-titled is the best of that era. Wish I'd caught them live for that tour. (can't recall if there even was a US tour for that.) I don't think there's a weak track on that record. I'm always going back to it rather than the two before it.
     
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  23. ytserush

    ytserush Forum Resident

    Location:
    Northeast US

    Didn't know about it. Need to do some research I guess.
     
  24. mikedifr0923

    mikedifr0923 Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    I think it's on the label's site.
     
  25. Wounded Land

    Wounded Land Forum Resident

    Word.
     
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