Spock's Beard Discography thread

[DTA]

But even Feel Euphoria isn't bad, its just not as good as others.

It's not very good in general.

Snow 2nd last!?!   

I've never gotten into Snow either. It's never connected with me at all and while the other SB albums probably have 50+ plays, I think I've only listened to Snow in full about 10 times since 2002.

My ranking:

1. V
2. Day For Night (Healing Colors is the best Beard epic IMO)
3. X
4. The Oblivion Particle
5. Beware Of Darkness
6. The Light
7. Brief Nocturnes & Dreamless Sleep
8. The Kindness Of Strangers
9. Feel Euphoria
10. Spock's Beard
11. Octane
12. Snow

[KevShmev]

Aside from Disc 2 being a bit too long and padded with reprises, I love most of Snow.  That said, it is so damn long that it only gets like one full listen from me a year.  But there are 6-7 songs from it that are in my regular SB playlist rotation.

[Kwyjibo]

Snow was the first record to come out after I became a fan with V. And then Snow was such a huge letdown for me.

I just can't connect with Snow, and I've tried many many times. Some of the songs are good, some are boring, the whole thing is too long and I don't care about the theme and other than it being a concept album it's not really progressive (but that in itself isn't the reason why I don't like it as much as others).

It isn't bad in the sense of it being a shit record, I just happen to like most of the other SB discs better.

[devieira73]

First review (yes there’s some singing by Nick):
https://progreport.com/spocks-beard-noise-floor-album-review/

[RoeDent]

I definitely agree with the point in that review about Alan Morse being one of the most under-recognized lead guitarists in prog. He's played some incredible solos over the years.

[ProfessorPeart]

I definitely agree with the point in that review about Alan Morse being one of the most under-recognized lead guitarists in prog. He's played some incredible solos over the years.

His solo in She Is Everything is quite possibly my all-time favorite. The emotion in that solo is heart-wrenching. Practically brings me to tears every time.

[Mindflux]

His solo in She Is Everything is quite possibly my all-time favorite. The emotion in that solo is heart-wrenching. Practically brings me to tears every time.

YUP.

[RoeDent]

Yeah, agreed on She Is Everything. My personal favourite is Waiting for Me. Starts in that quiet middle section, then builds to a glorious climax before the fast music comes back in and Ryo goes nuts on the keys.

[KevShmev]

Alan Morse is a fantastic soloist, and She Is Everything and Waiting for Me are two of his best.  There is a certain lack of (for lack of a better term) refinement in the rest of his game, but when it comes to soloing, he almost always does a great job.

[King Postwhore]

She Is Everything's solo it a top 10 solo of all time for me.

[Mladen]

The outro solo in Flow is the one that always comes to my mind first.

[KevShmev]

The outro solo in Flow is the one that always comes to my mind first.

Took the words right out of my mouth!

Throw in Solitary Soul and Ghosts of Autumn and that would probably complete my top 5 solos by him (although I fear I am forgetting one, off the top of my head ).

[RoeDent]

The outro solo in Flow is the one that always comes to my mind first.

Oh, I forgot about that one! Another awesome solo on the song that got me into The Kindness of Strangers.

There's a couple of solos in The Water which I also enjoy, from When It All Goes To Hell and Runnin' the Race.

[Mladen]

There are plenty of fantastic solos on the X album, most notably Jaws of life, From the darkness and The Man behind the curtain.

[The Letter M]

There are plenty of fantastic solos on the X album, most notably Jaws of Heaven, From the darkness and The Man behind the curtain.

FTFY

And also, agreed. X has some great solos!

I'm not a guitarist, so I can't really recall a lot of Al's solos, but in general, he is a highly underrated soloist in the world of prog and guitarists in general.

-Marc.

[KevShmev]

Jaws of Heaven and From the Darkness are two of my favorite Spock's songs (the former top 5, the latter top 10), and I had to think for a minute about where the guitar solos were in those songs.

[Mladen]

There are plenty of fantastic solos on the X album, most notably Jaws of Heaven, From the darkness and The Man behind the curtain.

FTFY

-Marc.

How did this happen? 

[RoeDent]

The band have started posting short documentary videos ahead of the Noise Floor release. Interviews with Rich Mouser, John Boegehold and Ryo Okumoto, and studio footage. Very interesting if you're into this sort of thing.

To Breathe Another Day
Beginnings

[MinistroRaven]

From the press release I got today with promo album

Spock's Beard are a band who are in a continual state of evolution, as is always the case with genuinely creative musicians. And their new album, 'Noise Floor', fits perfectly into this process.
“We are always about evolution, not revolution. But what we have done this time is make the songs more melodic,” believes vocalist/guitarist Ted Leonard. “We still love our crazy prog, but now appreciate how important it is to grab people's attention early on.”
“A lot of our songs on the previous album (2015’s 'The Oblivion Particle') took a little time to make an impact on people,” adds keyboard player Ryo Okumoto. “You had to really listen to them. But this time around, we have crafted music that is more immediate.”
As with all Spock's Beard songs, most of the new album was written by the individual members, and then brought to the rest of the band as high quality demos.
“We all do this type of thing in our home studios,” adds Leonard. “So, by the time they reach the stage where the entire band get to judge them, they are really developed, and therefore everyone can make a reasoned judgement.”
Much of what you will listen to here is very much the product of fresh inspiration from the Californian band.
“What we do is just gradually let the compositions percolate over a period of time,” explains Okumoto. “There is one song, 'To Breathe Another Day', where we took a part from a different song, because it worked a lot better in the new arrangement. That's what we do. Nothing is rigid, and everything's flexible. We delight in finding new ways to make things work.”
One key change on this album sees the return of drummer Nick D'Virgilio, who originally left in 2011. But both Leonard and Okumoto play down D'Virgilio's long term role.
“Well, we are very happy to have Nick back with us for the album,” says Leonard. “But right now, it does not go any further.”
“We would love Nick to be able to play live with us again,” adds Okumoto. “The trouble is that he has so many other commitments with his time that I doubt he can fit us into his schedule when it comes to touring. But even if we end up finding another live drummer, then we hope Nick will still be able to go into the studio with us in the future.”
There are also two violinists, a cello player, a viola player and an English horn featured on the album, thereby giving the sound a slightly more evocative and persuasive twist.
So, what can we expect from the new album? Leonard has little doubt about the best way to describe it.
“If you enjoy what we have been doing on the past two albums, then I am sure there will be much that will appeal. Some of the material this time is very bright and melodically appealing, while on the other hand there's also a lot of dark tracks as well. There's no connecting themes between the songs; it's not a concept album. But each song is its own entity.”
Spock's Beard began recording the album in June last year, and in all it took seven months to complete. But it
wasn't an album they worked on consistently during this period.
“We had other things to do at times during the seven months,” explains Okumoto. “So, we were not in the studio
all the time. The way things work with us, a lot of the recording is done in our own home studios, and then brought
together at a later date. Everyone in the band has a hand on the production side, but I do a lot of it with (engineer)
Rich Mouser. John (Boegehold, one of the band's regular writing partners) has a keen involvement when it comes to
the production side of the material he's written, and it's similar with Alan (Morse, guitar).”
“I suppose everyone in the band has a direct hand in the production, apart from Dave (Meros, bass) and myself,”
laughs Leonard. “Mind you, I do take an active interest in what happens in the studio with my songs!
“One thing with doing demos before we select the final list of songs is that you can end up with something one
person likes and the rest don't. It happened this time around for me, because there was one track I loved. But
nobody else was keen, so it was left off. However, this is a good process, because we are able to make informed
decisions on what would work, and what would not.”
And if you believe there's an amazing story behind the choice of the album title, then think again.
“We never like to use a particular song title as the overall title for the album,” says Leonard. “Nor do we like to
take a lyric from any song and use that. A lot of the time, it's a case of coming up with disconnected words, and
then seeing what works best. Usually, it's just a random phrase that paints an overall image to us. This is where
'Noise Floor' comes from. So, if you are searching for any deep and significant meaning behind the choice, then
sorry but I am going to have to disappoint you, ha, ha!”
Long term fans of Spock's Beard will find much to commend on what is the band's 13th studio album. Both Leonard
and Okumoto feel it is a natural development.
“What we have always strived to do with every album is take a step forward,” explains Leonard. “But not a giant
leap. We know what this band are all about, and the aim is always to ensure we don't repeat ourselves.”
“If you have enjoyed what we have done up until now, then I am sure you will like 'Noise Floor',” concludes
Okumoto. “It has all the elements people have come to expect from us, but pushed just a little onwards.”
Malcolm Dome
London, February 2018

I'm on my second listen and I must say that the album it's a grower.

[Fritzinger]

I'm on my second listen and I must say that the album it's a grower.

This is not enough information, give us more 

[MinistroRaven]

I'm on my second listen and I must say that the album it's a grower.

This is not enough information, give us more 

If you could write a review (that I could post on our online magazine) I could give you a promo copy of the album.

[Fritzinger]

I'm on my second listen and I must say that the album it's a grower.

This is not enough information, give us more 

If you could write a review (that I could post on our online magazine) I could give you a promo copy of the album.

I would love to, but English is not my first language and I'm afraid people will notice that

[Nick]

New review: https://www.sonicperspectives.com/album-reviews/spocks-beard-noise-floor/

[The Letter M]

I'm on my second listen and I must say that the album it's a grower.

This is not enough information, give us more 

If you could write a review (that I could post on our online magazine) I could give you a promo copy of the album.

I'll write a review   

I really just want to listen to the album. The behind-the-scenes stuff the band have been posting has really gotten me wanting to listen to this new album ASAP. This is going to be a long month to wait, but I'm glad the reviews that are out there have proven to be fairly positive. I hope it's the best of the three Leonard-Era albums, though beating BNADS might be tough (whose non-album tracks are as good as anything on the main album as well).

-Marc.

[Fritzinger]

Sorry M job’s already taken :O I’ll try my best with the language

[RoeDent]

That review talked about "the deluxe version" with the EP. Umm...isn't that the *only* version available? I haven't seen a "standard version" for sale without the 2nd disc.

[Nick]

That review talked about "the deluxe version" with the EP. Umm...isn't that the *only* version available? I haven't seen a "standard version" for sale without the 2nd disc.

That a good and fair catch, I'll see what I can do about having that edited.

Edited: Done, thank you.

[MinistroRaven]

I'm on my second listen and I must say that the album it's a grower.

Sadly it isn’t growing on me.

NOTE: I will send you the promo tomorrow for your review.

[Nick]

We had a really nice discussion with Ted last night for our Talking Perspectives series, and I can't wait for you guys to hear it as he went into a lot of insights about the songwriting and dynamics within the band. That said we have a second half to record and it won't be out till a week from now, but it will be worth the wait.

[kaos2900]

With the new album coming I went back and listened to The Oblivion Particle. It was a little better than I remember but it's still one of the weakest Beard albums. Not nearly enough melody for my liking. I did listen to the new song and LOVED it so I'm hoping the new album is more in the vein of Brief Nocturne and not Oblivion Particle.

[Fritzinger]

With the new album coming I went back and listened to The Oblivion Particle. It was a little better than I remember but it's still one of the weakest Beard albums. Not nearly enough melody for my liking. I did listen to the new song and LOVED it so I'm hoping the new album is more in the vein of Brief Nocturne and not Oblivion Particle.

I did exactly the same thing

I liked Oblivion a bit more than most SB fans, and last time I checked, I even liked it better than Brief Nocturnes. A Better Way To Fly is one of the best SB songs ever for me, NM-/NDV- or TL-era.
One of the few things I could complain about is that most of the album was indeed written by John Boegehold, which I don't understand since the band has proven that they're very competent to write their own (damn good!) songs on X and Brief Nocturnes. The three albums before had some amazing songs as well, such as On A Perfect Day or She Is Everything.
Back to Oblivion: There are some small things you could criticize (like the drum beat in the instrumental part of The Center Line), but overall I think it's an underrated album.

I'm looking forward to hearing what Nick (our Nick, not NDV) talked about with Ted. Since they talked about the songwriting, and the promotional posts on FB etc implied that they all contributed stuff to the album, I'm guessing that maybe this one was composed mostly by the band (?).

[Nick]

With the new album coming I went back and listened to The Oblivion Particle. It was a little better than I remember but it's still one of the weakest Beard albums. Not nearly enough melody for my liking. I did listen to the new song and LOVED it so I'm hoping the new album is more in the vein of Brief Nocturne and not Oblivion Particle.

I did exactly the same thing

I liked Oblivion a bit more than most SB fans, and last time I checked, I even liked it better than Brief Nocturnes. A Better Way To Fly is one of the best SB songs ever for me, NM-/NDV- or TL-era.
One of the few things I could complain about is that most of the album was indeed written by John Boegehold, which I don't understand since the band has proven that they're very competent to write their own (damn good!) songs on X and Brief Nocturnes. The three albums before had some amazing songs as well, such as On A Perfect Day or She Is Everything.
Back to Oblivion: There are some small things you could criticize (like the drum beat in the instrumental part of The Center Line), but overall I think it's an underrated album.

I'm looking forward to hearing what Nick (our Nick, not NDV) talked about with Ted. Since they talked about the songwriting, and the promotional posts on FB etc implied that they all contributed stuff to the album, I'm guessing that maybe this one was composed mostly by the band (?).

Ted will go over who did what, but generally speaking they tuned the songs as a band, but the songs were all essentially written by one or two people. John on a track, Ryo and Alan on a track, Ted on a track, etc.

[ytserush]

Snow was the first record to come out after I became a fan with V. And then Snow was such a huge letdown for me.

I just can't connect with Snow, and I've tried many many times. Some of the songs are good, some are boring, the whole thing is too long and I don't care about the theme and other than it being a concept album it's not really progressive (but that in itself isn't the reason why I don't like it as much as others).

It isn't bad in the sense of it being a shit record, I just happen to like most of the other SB discs better.

It's my least favorite Spock's Beard album by far.  It seems like the spirit that drove the music from V and before left for that album and resurfaced again on Testimony.

[The Letter M]

One of the few things I could complain about is that most of the album was indeed written by John Boegehold, which I don't understand since the band has proven that they're very competent to write their own (damn good!) songs on X and Brief Nocturnes. The three albums before had some amazing songs as well, such as On A Perfect Day or She Is Everything.
Back to Oblivion: There are some small things you could criticize (like the drum beat in the instrumental part of The Center Line), but overall I think it's an underrated album.

I'm looking forward to hearing what Nick (our Nick, not NDV) talked about with Ted. Since they talked about the songwriting, and the promotional posts on FB etc implied that they all contributed stuff to the album, I'm guessing that maybe this one was composed mostly by the band (?).

I think a lot of the songs from the NDV-era were NDV's. Just looking at SB9, 5 of the 11 songs were penned by him or him and others in the band. Going backwards to Octane, other than the Flash suite (which was written by the whole band and Boegehold), the other 5 songs on the main album had 4 with NDV credits, and 3 of the 5 bonus tracks had him credited as well. And further back, 5 of the 8 main album tracks for Feel Euphoria have NDV credits as well.

It wasn't until X that NDV didn't compose or write (nearly) half of the music for an album. X was half Meros, a quarter Alan, and one each by Ryo and NDV, with Stan and John peppered throughout for music and lyrics.

Interestingly, it wasn't until BNADS that John Boegehold had a non-partnered writing credit for music: "Something Very Strange" and "Postcards From Perdition". Up until that album, most of Boegehold's songs were co-written mostly with Dave Meros, though he has written with Al, Ryo, Nick, and Stan. So I also do wonder what prompted the band to receive FIVE songs solely by Boegehold and use them for TOP, rather than write WITH him as they had done in the past. Maybe he had songs already done that they were happy to play, so not much writing or re-writing had to be done? Not that I am complaining because I think the Boegehold songs TOP are pretty great (especially "To Be Free Again" and "Disappear").

I'll be interested in seeing all the writing credits for NF, though if the music is good, it won't matter who wrote what to me. At the end of the day (har har), whether or not the PERFORMERS in SB wrote the music isn't very important - it's the performance itself that matters more, eh? Even is Ausmus and/or Boegehold wrote a song, that's still Al ripping out a guitar solo, or Ryo doing some crazy Hammond riff, or Dave doing an amazing bass groove. It's still Spock's Beard, through and through. That's just my thoughts.

-Marc.

[Nick]

Here you are folks: https://www.sonicperspectives.com/features/talking-perspectives-episode-four/

Really enjoyed talking with Ted again, and hopefully you enjoy the sections past that as well.