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General => General Music Discussion => Topic started by: KevShmev on February 01, 2010, 03:00:12 PM
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I was surprised to see there are not any threads on them since the restart of the forum, so I figured I would start one. :)
Anyway, damn good band back when Neal Morse was in the band, and they have had their moments since, too. All six CDs with Neal are essential if you are a prog rock fan, even the somewhat inconsistent Day for Night. It is hard to pick a single favorite out of the other five, as they are all really good, which is a testament to how many good songs they had on each of those albums. I would probably go with either V or Snow, but tomorrow, I might say The Light or Beware of Darkness. :p
Anyway, in this thread, we discuss all things Spock's Beard. :coolio
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I've only heard Neal Morse era Spock's Beard. Are the albums after he left the band worth checking out? Which ones should I try first or avoid?
Out of the ones I have heard though The Light is probably my favorite.
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The first one w/o Neal, Feel Euphoria, is easily the best one they have done since his departure, IMO. You can tell they had some fire and energy on that one, as I am sure they were eager to prove themselves following the sudden departure of their primary songwriter. The other two both have their moments, but both have a lot of forgettable songs, too. Feel Euphoria is rock solid from start to finish; songs like "Ghosts of Autumn," "The Bottom Line" and "East of Eden, West of Memphis" are all stellar, and the multi-track suite, "A Guy Named Sid" has some killer stuff (and some painfully forgettable lyrics, too :lol). The title track and the ballad, "Shining Star," are the only slight misses, but neither are bad or anything, just kind of okay.
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I'll look into Feel Euphoria then. Thanks!
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Morse-era SB was fucking great. In all honesty my interest in that kind of straight prog has been waning greatly in the last year or so, but they're still a great listen whenever I do throw something on. The only post-Morse album I have of theirs is the self titled, and it's pretty meh overall (though it has a few awesome songs like On a Perfect Day and Skeletons at the Feast).
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I disagree with Kev, I like Feel Euphoria but I'd say it's definitely the weakest of the three post-NM albums. Personally I think across the three albums they've got better and better, though none of them match the top two or three NM-era albums. (V, Snow, maybe The Light)
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One of the few bands I've ever had a "phase" with that I still love afterwords. I can listen to any of their Neal era albums straight through and enjoy every moment of it.
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I've only heard Snow but I though it was great. I love Neal's work both on that disk and with Transatlantic.
Taking suggestions for my next Spock's Beard album, considering I want to get into them more.
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My choice of listening to Morse-Era and Post-Morse SB waxes and wanes every now and then, but lately, I've been VERY into Morse's work, with SB, with TA, and his (prog) solo stuff.
Obviously, I think a lot of SB fans will look to the Morse-Era as the better stuff, but after awhile, you can notice he develops a LOT of Morse-isms in sound, style, technique, and composition - his use of spanish-style guitar and sounds, his thematic reprises, grandiose epic endings... after awhile, you even notice melodies he reuses/rehashes/remakes. There are bits in his first two solo albums (while with The Beard) that he uses later on in his prog-solo albums...
Anyways, I do agree with Kev - the first 6 SB albums are pretty essential. At first they may sound all the same, but you get to find what's special about each album, and appreciate each album for it!
It's hard to pick a favorite (of those six)... I've been loving The Kindness of Strangers lately, but I think Snow will always be top dog. It's so unlike the other five, for being a concept album (which I am a sucker for), but the other five albums are pretty damn good.
Of the Post-Morse era, Octane is my definite favorite, but it has to be the Special Edition with the bonus disc (which is a shame - most of those bonus songs are really good!). Feel Euphoria and the s/t Spock's Beard are pretty good too, and I'm looking forward to SBX! Still gotta pre-order it though...
-Marc.
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Great band. V is my favorite, followed by Snow. I like 'em all, though.
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Obviously, I think a lot of SB fans will look to the Morse-Era as the better stuff, but after awhile, you can notice he develops a LOT of Morse-isms in sound, style, technique, and composition - his use of spanish-style guitar and sounds, his thematic reprises, grandiose epic endings... after awhile, you even notice melodies he reuses/rehashes/remakes. There are bits in his first two solo albums (while with The Beard) that he uses later on in his prog-solo albums...
Anyways, I do agree with Kev - the first 6 SB albums are pretty essential. At first they may sound all the same, but you get to find what's special about each album, and appreciate each album for it!
Totally agreed.
I really, really, really like The Light, but after that, I have trouble getting into the Morse-era stuff. It all sounds so... samey. After The Light, I really dig their self-titled. With Your Kiss is fantastic and there's a lot of other great songs on it as well.
Haven't listened to Snow yet though..
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I just recently started to listen to SB, and I must say they are truly a great band. V and The Kindness of Strangers are my favourites, especially V.
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A great progressive rock band. I'm a fan of their early works, especially the magnificent debut. V is really good, I didn't really pay that much of attention to Snow, although I might fix that.
As for the albums after Morse left, I only listened to Feel euphoria, which was cool, but nothing really stood out. Onomatopoeia and Carry on are fun songs, but I'm not sure about the rest.
My favorite Spock's beard songs overall: Thoughts, At the end of the day, The Light, The Water, Cakewalk on easy street.
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I've only heard Neal Morse era Spock's Beard. Are the albums after he left the band worth checking out?
No. They are vastly inferior.
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Any of you guys have the "Don't Try This at Home" DVD? Its pretty phenomenal.
One of my biggest musical regrets is passing up the chance to see Spock's Beard live with Neal. They were playing a local show for the V tour, and I was going to go, but something came up last minute, and I distinctly remember saying to myself "eh... I'll catch them next time around... they're still a young band... they're probably not gonna break up any time soon."
:zeltar: :zeltar: :zeltar:
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Any of you guys have the "Don't Try This at Home" DVD? Its pretty phenomenal.
One of my biggest musical regrets is passing up the chance to see Spock's Beard live with Neal. They were playing a local show for the V tour, and I was going to go, but something came up last minute, and I distinctly remember saying to myself "eh... I'll catch them next time around... they're still a young band... they're probably not gonna break up any time soon."
:zeltar: :zeltar: :zeltar:
I have the same DVD Zep and I to missed out on seeing them. The only other regret not seeing a band live is Queen.
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Any of you guys have the "Don't Try This at Home" DVD? Its pretty phenomenal.
This is a pretty good live DVD! Great performance and you really get into it! Everyone in the band is very active and stellar, particularly Ryo, Neal and Nick. I wish they would release the show as a proper 2-CD set. As it is, the single disc show is pretty good, but wanting the whole thing, I ripped the DVD audio and made my own 2-CD set. The audio isn't THAT great, considering it's a DVD rip, but it's still the whole show!
-Marc.
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Octane imo is the best post-Morse album. The Ballad Of The Impact is a hell of an opener. :metal
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I've only heard Snow but I though it was great. I love Neal's work both on that disk and with Transatlantic.
Taking suggestions for my next Spock's Beard album, considering I want to get into them more.
V is probably your next best bet. The sound is similar (the quality of the last two SB records with Neal is vastly superior to the first four), and even though Snow was tons of short songs, and V is two long songs and four short ones, they are stylistically pretty similar (even by SB standards).
And speaking of Snow, while I think it is really good, it is so darn long, it is a major chore to listen to all of that straight through. I try to tackle that about once a year...if I am lucky. :lol
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I know you do it for all albums, but it looks funny when you go out of your way to italicize V. :lol
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I've only heard Neal Morse era Spock's Beard. Are the albums after he left the band worth checking out?
No. They are vastly inferior.
Hef is wrong - They are worth checking out, especially Octane and SB9 or the Gluttons for Punishment live album, but while they are still a great band, Hef is also right - They're not a patch on what they were with Neal.
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Kindness, V and Snow are great. Beware of Darkness is a sleeper. I don't get all the love for The Light though.
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I know you do it for all albums, but it looks funny when you go out of your way to italicize V. :lol
Well, album titles ARE supposed to be italicized; just like song titles are supposed to be put in quotes. It is not my fault that most people don't do it correctly. :lol :biggrin:
I don't get all the love for The Light though.
The title track is arguably their best song ever, although I would accept arguments for "The Doorway" or "At the End of the Day." :)
"Go the Way You Go" and "The Water" are both damn fine songs.
"On the Edge" is pretty cool, although it does seem weird to end the record with a pretty good short song after having three long epics; makes it feel a bit tacked on.
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I've only heard Neal Morse era Spock's Beard. Are the albums after he left the band worth checking out?
No. They are vastly inferior.
They aren't that much weaker. I really like Octane, although it does have some filler near the end that should have been replaced by the bonus tracks on from the special editions 2nd disc. Feel Euphoria has some of the bands best tracks and s/t was an overall solid work.
Snow is their greatest album, though.
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I've seen Spock's Beard 5 times (Twice in one night at the Bottom Line in New York) with Neal and once without Neal.
My favorite Spock's Beard CDs are the first five. I'm not much of a fan of Snow, mostly because I think that free-wheeling vibe that had mostly been a part of the first five, isn't there for much of Snow. I find much of it to be very forced (And this was before Neal publically announced he was leaving. After hearing Snow, I wasn't as upset at Neal leaving as I would have been had he left after V) I actually prefer Testimony over Snow because I think it was a more organic effort.
As far as post Neal, I like the self-titled album best because I think they have finally gotten to the point where they are comfortable with the idea of being without Neal. Feel Eurphoria and Octane are OK, but I think in general they were still finding their way and were still writing with the ghost of Neal looking over their shoulders.
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The Kindness of Strangers is my favorite SB record with "The Good Don't Last" being both my favorite song on the album and my favorite Beard track.
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the first album of theirs I got was The Kindness of Strangers, which I love. Then I got Snow, which while I realize is pretty damn solid whenever I do spin it, doesn't grab me the way that TKoS did.
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I read in a mag about the Kindness of Strangers , so I bought it, went back to buy the first 2 and then got my favorite SB cd, Day for Night. I know a lot of people dont like it as much as i do but I listen to that at least once a week at work.
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I've only heard Neal Morse era Spock's Beard. Are the albums after he left the band worth checking out?
No. They are vastly inferior.
They aren't that much weaker. I really like Octane, although it does have some filler near the end that should have been replaced by the bonus tracks on from the special editions 2nd disc. Feel Euphoria has some of the bands best tracks and s/t was an overall solid work.
Snow is their greatest album, though.
I have to agree with hef here, they are nowhere near what made them famous in the first place.
rumborak
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New SB clips on myspace. :metal :metal
https://www.myspace.com/spocksbeard
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So for the last day or two, I've been listening to Post-Morse SB, and have found that there are some great songs on FE, but I already knew that. The song-writing is pretty solid on many of the songs, but as an ALBUM, it still sounds a bit... I dunno - like they're trying to prove they can write like Neal did when he was in the band.
With Octane, there's a bit more maturity, and the Bonus Disc tracks are amazing, and it's sad that they were pushed to the Special Edition and not on the actual album. You can actually fit the 5 songs on the bonus disc onto the real album and make it fit on an 80-minute CDr (which I did!). What's nice about that is you get "Listening To The Sky" at the end of the album and then it goes back to the beginning with "A Flash Before My Eyes", like it's played on the Gluttons For Punishment live album.
Conversely, I feel like some of the tracks on the self-titled 9th album could've been pushed to a bonus disc and made for a solid 55-60 minute album, rather than putting all they had onto on 75-80 minute album. There are great moments on there (like the opening 1-2 punch and the multi-track suite), but it's more like FE than Octane was... but the production and sound are nicer and more crisp to my ears, and the writing, where it's good, is really good!
I'm hoping that their 4th album without Neal shows more growth and maturity as a band that was made famous with Neal's writing (because he was definitely the dominant writer) but I think that Nick and company may have benefited from some time apart before recording together again. I hope we get something fresh! I also wonder if there will be a multi-track suite (I mean, we got "A Guy Named Sid", "A Flash Before My Eyes" and "As Far As The Mind Can See" on the last three...)
-Marc.
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Revival.
I got The Light a few days ago. I'm on my second listen, and I'm loving it. Not a single weak moment.
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Here's a couple updates from Dave Meros via the SB website:
-The album is nearly done mixing, and will be shipped out to manufacturing in about 2 weeks from now, and pre-orders will probably ship by the end of April! There's still time to pre-order if you haven't already... I know *I* need to.
-The album will be about 77-78 minutes long and contain just 8 songs! (Note: this is for the Limited Edition that pre-orders will be... the standard, later release, will only have 7 songs)
-Nick has written a 17-minute epic titled "From The Darkness"
-Dave and John have co-written a 15-minute song titled "Jaws Of Heaven"
-"Their Names Escape Me" is the song that features all 132 fans' names in it, the ones who pre-ordered the Ultra package
-Ryo has written a song titled "Think Twice""Kamikaze" (appropriate, right?)
-Of the other four songs, two are titled "The Quiet House" and "Edge Of The In-Between"
-The album will have the same mastering-range as the previous two albums (in other words, it won't be mastered any heavier than Octane or Spock's Beard)
-Jimmy Keegan was brought in to do some vocals, his first participation in a studio album!
There are samples to all 6 of these songs on the band's myspace page! This sounds like it's going to be far better than Spock's Beard, which has grown on me since it's release, but these samples sound amazing! I can't wait to get it!
-Marc.
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Nice, it's gonna be an epic album :tup
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Cool
I really liked their self-titled so if this is even better, then awesome. :)
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Cool
I really liked their self-titled so if this is even better, then awesome. :)
I do too, well more so now than at its release... but I am VERY hopeful for SBX! I wonder, if they reach a 15th album, will they title it XV? :lol
-Marc.
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BUMP! Just an FYI to every Beard-fan here, I've started an SB Survivor in the Polls/Survivors forum, all in anticipation of the new album coming out!
-Marc.
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Cool news.
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BUMP! News from Dave - the album is finally mixed and is being shipped off to manufacturing and shipping! Pre-orders should start shipping the week of May 10th!
Also, the final two songs have samples up on their Myspace page - "The Man Behind The Curtain" and "The Emperor's Clothes" - as well as a few new YouTube videos!
-Marc.
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been meaning to check these guys out...going to start with snow
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I only have Snow, but I think it's an awesome album. However, I do agree with others who say it's a bit on the long side. The first CD is pretty close to untouchable in terms of quality, but the second CD does drag a bit. Still, a very solid piece of work.
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I'm listening back at all the samples on the band's myspace, and the ending of the sample (the last 30 seconds) to "Edge Of the In-Between" just leaves me with chills!!! Something about that build-up and the intensifying rhythms along with the Morse-esque resolve with a resounding synth line on top... it just sounds so good!
I really cannot wait for this album... This might be my 2nd most anticipated studio album of the year, next to the new Rush (assuming they release anything this year... if not, then SB might be tops for me!... unless I'm missing anything important... I don't think I am...)
-Marc.
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Live in Canada? Want Spock's Beard in your house?
Hello one and all!
As any of you who follow Spock's Beard know, our 10th CD "X" will be released soon. It has been hand delivered to the manufacturer and all of those pre-orders will be sent out very soon. We are very excited to get this music out into the world. The record turned out really well. It progs (is that a verb?...well it is now :)) it rocks and makes no apologies about it. HA HA HA! Really we had a lot of fun making this record and can't wait to play this music live, which is also coming.
Here is why I am writing this and it goes out to all of you in Montreal and Quebec.
I was thinking that it would be cool and fun to have a listening party or two. We could sit and listen through the new CD and talk about each song if you like, or listen down to the whole thing then talk. Then after that I could do a short acoustic set to finish off the night.
There are a few things about this idea though:
Some one will generously have to host this evening and needs to have a good sound system to listen to the music through. I don't not have the ability or place to do so myself here in Montreal. Also the person or persons who host the night will have to be OK with letting people into their home. I have done a bunch of "HOUSE CONCERTS" in the past and they are really fun and there have never been any problems. I think this could be a great way to get to know some of you Canadian fans and play some music as well. We can make it a pot luck where everybody who comes has to bring something to eat and drink. That way it is not all left to the host and then we can all party a bit.
We can definitely limit the number of people who can come. I have no idea how popular this idea will even be. It can be set up so something like the first 50 or 100 or however many people the host thinks they could handle would be able to come.
Here a wrench I have to put into this whole idea... As you all may or may not know I have a new gig with Cirque Du Soliel. The show I am in is called TOTEM and it is starting this week . The only night of the week I have off is Monday. A school night/work night is not ideal I know, but that is all I have.
I'd like to open this idea to both Montreal and Quebec City. Hopefully there will be enough interest to have one of these hangs in each place but lets see first.
So lets do this:
1. write to me at FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/ndvirgilio
Not on the wall. Send me a message so I can keep them all together.
Let me know if you are interested in hosting a night like this.
If I get enough interest and it looks like this could actually happen then we can work together to get the official invites out, set the date, and make it happen.
Let's take it from here. If it can happen then great. If not well then it was a nice thought.
All the best!!!
NDV
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Hey guys! So Dave has recently said that the albums are shipping from the manufacturer to Glenn (the merch guy for SB), and he'll be packing and shipping the albums out next week! Out of US orders will likely go first, so they arrive around the time US orders get to their mail boxes. If all the orders are sent out by late next week, we could have the album around May 17th/18th (or hopefully sooner)... it's so close I can taste it!
Also, I'm running my SB survivor in the Polls/Survivors forum, and would LOVE to have a few more voters in my Snow album survivor. We're in round 8 already, and down to the last 5 songs!
-Marc.
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*BUMP*
So, as of yesterday, Monday the 17th, orders for SBX have started shipping! Daily updates have been coming in from SB's merch guy, Glenn, who has shipped out all the Ultra Package orders (Non-US/International orders on Monday, US orders today), and will ship the remaining Non-US/International orders out tomorrow, and the rest of the US orders on Thurs through the weekend.
Hopefully people will start getting their albums on Friday/Saturday (outside the US), and definitely by Monday or Tuesday next week. I expect that by Tuesday the 25th, everyone who has ordered the album will have their copy! I'm so excited about this and haven't been this anxious for a pre-ordered studio album in a long time...this slightly edges the excitement I had for DT's BC&SL, although this time around, I didn't shell out the $$$ for the expensive version (i.e. like DT's fuzzy BC&SL boxset with all the extras)... somehow I kind of wish I had, though...
-Marc.
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BUMP again...
So, did anyone else who pre-ordered the album get theirs yet? I've had mine since Friday evening, and have listened to it pretty much non-stop since I opened it.
Without giving too much away, I'll say that this is definitely the great SB album since Neal left the band, and quite possibly, tops some of the songs/albums released WITH Neal on them!!! All 8 tracks are amazing, and none of them feel weak to me at all... sure there are favorites, but the ones that aren't are still above-par post-Neal SB, compared to FE, Octane and SB.
Also, if you haven't read yet, there were problems with the CD manufacturer and they were shipped defective CDs, so when they made the albums, anywhere from 10-30% of the products that were shipped to Glenn (SB's merch guy) ended up with defects.
Read the main page of SB's website for more information on what to do if your disc is defective! It happens in the last minute of the last track - it'll skip and jump or totally stop. The defect is visually jarring, too, if you look at your disc, you'll see the edge is a bit scratched away. Replacements are being made and arrangements are being done to rectify this horrible accident! Make sure you thank Glenn (and also Dave) for their hard work on getting this problem solved! They're real troopers and they've kept fans updated via the SB forums!
-Marc.
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So, if you still order the SE from their site right now for $19.99, do you still get the bonus track with all of the names and such? Many reviews I have read are saying that that song is possibly the best one on there, so I would hate to pay 20 bucks for the CD and not get that song. Either way, considering how positive pretty much all of the reviews for this have been, I might shell out 20 bucks for it.
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So, if you still order the SE from their site right now for $19.99, do you still get the bonus track with all of the names and such? Many reviews I have read are saying that that song is possibly the best one on there, so I would hate to pay 20 bucks for the CD and not get that song. Either way, considering how positive pretty much all of the reviews for this have been, I might shell out 20 bucks for it.
I would go ahead and order it RIGHT AWAY, 1- because you'll get the limited edition with the track "Their Names Escape Me" and 2- you'll known you are personally financing the band and their efforts to record and release such wonderful music!
Also, it was said by Dave that they have signed a record contact to release the album at retail and that when that happens, a digital version will become available!
-Marc.
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I assume the problems with the CDs will be fixed for the ones ordered now, correct? Assuming so, I will probably order this tomorrow. I wasn't wild about their last two CDs, but heck, it is only 20 bucks, and reviews appear to be all positive, so why not?! :)
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I just ordered it yesterday!
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Has anyone else received their copy of X yet?! I want to hear other DTF members' thoughts on this album (pun intended).
Also, my Survivor for Day For Night is well under way, so please check that out and vote! Thanks!
-Marc.
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Has anyone else received their copy of X yet?! I want to hear other DTF members' thoughts on this album (pun intended).
Also, my Survivor for Day For Night is well under way, so please check that out and vote! Thanks!
-Marc.
Not yet. :'(
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Finally ordered my copy yesterday; looking forward to hearing it!
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Has anyone else received their copy of X yet?! I want to hear other DTF members' thoughts on this album (pun intended).
Also, my Survivor for Day For Night is well under way, so please check that out and vote! Thanks!
-Marc.
Not yet. :'(
I opened my mouth before I got home!! I got it!!! :metal
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Ok, I listened to it times and this is the best SB's post Neil. I love the Production, the mix, the songwriting. What a great album and Jaws of Heaven is a home run.
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10 days after ordering it, still no CD. Color me disappointed. :tdwn :tdwn
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I haven't listened to SB in a long while. Time for V.
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10 days after ordering it, still no CD. Color me disappointed. :tdwn :tdwn
If you read the messages on the SB forums, Dave (Meros) and the merch guy, Glenn, have been updating the board members about the problems with the CDs. Glenn recently said that he's just gotten more replacement copies to replace the damaged CDs from the first few shipments about 3-4 weeks ago, and is slowly double-checking emails for sending out all the replacements.
After those initial earlier orders go through, he's going to be catching up on the newer orders, so if you only ordered 10 days ago, he's probably not going to get around to it til next week.
I understand you're disappointed, but hundreds of fans pre-ordered 6-9 months in advanced, and when their CD arrived they found that the last 40 seconds would skip on their CD... how would you feel if you spent $200 on a pre-order only to receive a damaged disc? Trust me when I say that Glenn and Dave (and the band) have done/are doing all they can to fix the problem and have been really swamped with trying to fix all the older orders.
Also trust me when I say that the wait (be it 10 days or 3 weeks) will totally be worth it when you get the CD.
-Marc.
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I understand all of that, and it sucks for them that that happened. But I don't read the SB forum anymore, so, if new orders are gonna take longer than expected, they really should put that on the Buy Stuff page, so those of us ordering know that our order might take longer than usual to arrive, instead of just assuming those ordering will be aware of the whole situation. Just my two cents. :)
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Thoughts Pt. II = :hefdaddy :hefdaddy :hefdaddy
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I guess I was lucky because I got it a week after I ordered it and I've been spinning it every day. Sorry Kev. It will be worth the wait.
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I got my copy through my brother (yay!), and I'm gonna try to give it a genuine listen this weekend. I would like it to be great really, but the late SB hasn't been too convincing to be honest.
rumborak
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I got my copy through my brother (yay!), and I'm gonna try to give it a genuine listen this weekend. I would like it to be great really, but the late SB hasn't been too convincing to be honest.
rumborak
Very true Rumbo but this one might change your mind. I think this is the best post Neil CD.
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I got my copy through my brother (yay!), and I'm gonna try to give it a genuine listen this weekend. I would like it to be great really, but the late SB hasn't been too convincing to be honest.
rumborak
Very true Rumbo but this one might change your mind. I think this is the best post Neil CD.
I definitely agree. There were some shining moments on the previous three albums ("Ghosts Of Autumn", "A Flash Before My Eyes", "As Far As The Mind Can See", and a few others), but this album shines pretty much ALL the way through from start to finish! There are some Neal-like moments on this album, and the lyrics are a return to some of the band's more obtuse and quirky lyrics, but also being a bit more real and serious, and even personal, but still very clever.
I think the band has finally settled on what they have been moving toward since Neal left the band. Feel Euphoria was the band's experiment in lending everyone a hand in writing and contributing to the album since nearly all the music they recorded was Neal's, so I think they all had something they wanted to share and prove to us (the fans), and to each other within the band. Octane was a bit more cohesive, and having the 31 minute piece was definitely a way for the band to come together and meld, but the shorter songs lacked a bit of that. Spock's Beard saw them moving into more of the direction they sound most comfortable in, but again, some of the tracks were hits, and some were misses. On this, they finally find their feet and show us they can still pump out consistently good music!
And reading tons of reviews online, I find that some people gravitate to certain tracks and label them as favorites. The opening and closing numbers, as well as Nick's epic "From The Darkness" are, as far as I've seen, almost universally loved. Many reviewers have praised "The Quiet House", and it's growing on me, but I found it repetitive at first, so it was my least enjoyed song on the album (but it was still at a B-/B+ range). The other songs are generally well liked, especially Ryo's contribution, the instrumental "Kamikaze", which many fans and reviewers have said is the band's greatest instrumental (topping "NWC" and "Skeletons At The Feast"), and I'd be inclined to agree! "Their Names Escape Me" has to be one of MY favorites, and the lyrics work incredibly well with the concept of using the executive producers' names - it also helps that Nick puts on an AMAZING vocal performance. The other two tracks, "The Emperor's Clothes" and "The Man Behind The Curtain", both sound like they could've been pulled from The Kindness Of Strangers or Day For Night, which is entirely a good thing.
With all that in mind, I hope I'm not over-hyping or over-praising the album to the point of higher expectations... I don't want anyone to listen to this album expecting a masterpiece, but to listen with open ears and minds, and enjoy what the band has worked hard on over the last year and take it all for what it is - great music by four (and more) great musicians and writers.
-Marc.
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The album is definitely growing on me. Emperor's Clothes is just awesome.
rumborak
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Here's a bit of an issue I have with late SB: They can't keep a song up. That is, a song will have a great element, but then a different section will be less than mediocre. So, as much I love for example Emperor's Clothes for its verses, the chorus is plain lame.
rumborak
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The new album is great. My 4th favorite overall. I actually like the shorter tracks more: The Man behind the curtain, Their names escape me, The Emperor's clothes, The Quiet house... Good job by the guys, I'm truly satisfied. :tup
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While I still think the new album is amazing and have listened to it fairly regularly, I've gone back and visited Snow lately and have once again fallen completely in love with it. The whole thing is just an amazing journey full of great music! I think I've listened to it everyday for the last week or more!
-Marc.
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I recently picked up the latest SB album and find it quite excellent. I think it may be the best non Neal album to date. If its not, its close. I liked the last album a lot, and I may just be liking this one more. The song where Nick reads the names of traitors to the nation gives me chills.
On a sad note, I saw the Beard in a huge Connecticut night club called The Webster in 07. The place holds about 1,500 people. The night they played I would guess there was only about 200 people in the club. I was bummed out for the band because it was one of only 2 scheduled U.S.dates. As I stood literally against the stage with elbow room, I couldn't believe this world class band had such a small following in my area. No wonder why a lot of prog bands don't bother touring the states. Sadly based on the turnout, I kind of knew I wouldn't be seeing them again anytime soon.
I'm still waiting for the return of Marillion who has not been here since Marbles tour 04.
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Kev, glad you bought the album - hope you have heard it by now. I noticed there was no SB-X thread on here, but since Im very rarely on here, figured it wasnt worth starting one.
Snow and SB-X would be my favourite 2 beard albums easily. This one does not have a track worthy of skipping.
Edge of Inbetween, Kamikaze, The Quiet House, Their Names Escape Me, Jaws of Heaven are my favourites. I know thats 5/8s of the album but so what.
I think musically, their names escapes me is amazing. I love the whole name section at the end as well, its super fun to sing along to.
Kamikaze is their best instrumental easily and almost as good as Erotomania :)
Great album, the beard never fail to deliver.
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22 days later, after I was told my order would be shipping out the next week, and still no CD. This sucks big time. I am still looking forward to hearing the CD, but you can bet I won't order from their website ever again. :tdwn :tdwn
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22 days later, after I was told my order would be shipping out the next week, and still no CD. This sucks big time. I am still looking forward to hearing the CD, but you can bet I won't order from their website ever again. :tdwn :tdwn
That sucks Kev. I know it's killing you but you'll love it when you get it.
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Actually, I hadn't thought about it all week, but then I was looking over my credit card bill this morning and was like, "Oh, I got charged on June 9th for a CD I still haven't received. Joyous." :\
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22 days later, after I was told my order would be shipping out the next week, and still no CD. This sucks big time. I am still looking forward to hearing the CD, but you can bet I won't order from their website ever again. :tdwn :tdwn
That sucks... it's just unfortunate for this album because of all the hold-ups and such because of defective products... I'm sure anything else you order at a later date won't take so long.
-Marc.
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Actually, I hadn't thought about it all week, but then I was looking over my credit card bill this morning and was like, "Oh, I got charged on June 9th for a CD I still haven't received. Joyous." :\
Yeah, that's a good reason to be pissed off.
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That sucks... it's just unfortunate for this album because of all the hold-ups and such because of defective products... I'm sure anything else you order at a later date won't take so long.
Again, I am pretty sure I will never be ordering from their site again, so I'll have to take your word for it. ;)
Actually, I hadn't thought about it all week, but then I was looking over my credit card bill this morning and was like, "Oh, I got charged on June 9th for a CD I still haven't received. Joyous." :\
Yeah, that's a good reason to be pissed off.
I honestly cannot tell if that is sarcasm or not, but either way, it is bad customer service. Regular places like amazon.com do not charge your credit card until your order has shipped. Too bad bands do not operate under the same principle when ordering directly from them.
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That sucks... it's just unfortunate for this album because of all the hold-ups and such because of defective products... I'm sure anything else you order at a later date won't take so long.
Again, I am pretty sure I will never be ordering from their site again, so I'll have to take your word for it. ;)
Actually, I hadn't thought about it all week, but then I was looking over my credit card bill this morning and was like, "Oh, I got charged on June 9th for a CD I still haven't received. Joyous." :\
Yeah, that's a good reason to be pissed off.
I honestly cannot tell if that is sarcasm or not, but either way, it is bad customer service. Regular places like amazon.com do not charge your credit card until your order has shipped. Too bad bands do not operate under the same principle when ordering directly from them.
I'm not a jerk Kev? Its not sarcasm. I hate a charge on my credit card for something I haven't received yet.
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Gotcha. :coolio
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Kev, did you try contacting Glenn at spocksmerch@gmail.com ? He replies very fast.
Here's what he what earlier:
Please send me an e-mail at spocksmerch and make the subject line URGENT REQUEST FOR INFO. I thought I was caught up on responses but obviously something is amiss. my apologies. Glenn
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That is the guy I emailed with last month, and he was the one who told me that he expected my CD to be shipping out the next week. That was 24 days ago. He seemed like a friendly guy, but this is bad customer service. I am not emailing him again. I shouldn't have to email him again for something that I paid for over a month ago. I don't want excuses, an "I'm sorry it's not there yet" email, or anything like that. I want the damn CD I paid for 34 days ago. >:(
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Naturally, the CD arrived today. :lol Better late than never, I suppose. :biggrin:
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BTW, will this CD be sold in regular stores at all? I was asking at my local store the other day, and there was a lot shoulder shrugging regarding X.
rumborak
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It is supposed to be out at the end of August.
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It is supposed to be out at the end of August.
Yes that is correct. Just so everyone knows, the current plans are for an August release through Mascot Records at both brick & mortar stores and at online retailers. The retail edition will NOT include "Their Names Escape Me" on CD, but the track by itself (with and without the "names" in it) will eventually be available at online retailers.
Also, I'd like to make sure every Beard-fan here knows I am now running my Morse-Era Survivor FINALS, so vote away from the top 14 songs til we find out what you all believe is the best SB song from Neal's tenure with the band.
-Marc.
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First listen through, it sounded good. Will listen more (obviously)... :hat
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Listened to this again during my workout earlier (my 3rd full listen)...
So far, I like these songs the most:
"Edge of the In-Between"
"The Quiet House" (this is the one I like the best right now)
"The Man Behind the Curtain"
"Jaws of Heaven"
"Their Names Escape Me" sounds pretty cool, but I suspect that long section with all of the names is gonna get old really, really fast.
"From the Darkness" is long, so that will take some work, but it has potential. "Jaws of Heaven" is long, too, but that one was an immediate grabber.
"The Emperor's Clothes" has a nice chorus, but I am not overly fond of the verses thus far.
"Kamikaze" definitely sounds like the least best song thus far. Kind of reminds me of "NWC" from Octane in that it has some cool things going on, but is rather directionless, sounding like a mix mash of melodies and riffs.
Many more listens to come, but so far, I like what I am hearing. :)
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"Jaws of Heaven" = :hefdaddy :hefdaddy :hefdaddy
Ryo's synth work, in particular, in that song is heavenly.
This CD is damn good. :tup :tup
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Worth waiting for, huh? :)
My favorite on the album turned out to be The Man Behind the Curtain, because the chorus is so damn epic, especially the ominous backing vocals. Great bass work by Dave, and some nice guitar harmonies in the middle. An excellent song all around.
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Kev, I agree about Jaws Of Heaven. I can't stop playing that song for my ride home from work.
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My favorite on the album turned out to be The Man Behind the Curtain, because the chorus is so damn epic, especially the ominous backing vocals. Great bass work by Dave, and some nice guitar harmonies in the middle. An excellent song all around.
I like that one quite a bit. Unfortunately, for it and all of the other songs, I couldn't stop listening to "Jaws of Heaven" today. In all of my driving around, I must have had that song playing for 90% of the time. So, yeah, I am right there with kingshmegland right now. :biggrin: I still can't get over how awesome Ryo's moog work in that song is. :coolio
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I can confidently say that "From the Darkness" and "Jaws of Heaven" are two of the best Spock's Beard songs ever...of any era. :coolio
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Yeah, that has to be the thing with this album - the more you listen to it, the better it sounds. It's not one of those that get old in two weeks. I would say this is my 2nd favorite SB album at the moment, right behind the magnificent The Light.
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It is one of those albums that you like at first, then you play it over and over till it's played daily.
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Yeah, it's holding up quite well so far!!
BTW, I have to admit that I got the album through email channels. I went to my local record store and they didn't have it; where can I buy it?
rumborak
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Yeah, it's holding up quite well so far!!
BTW, I have to admit that I got the album through email channels. I went to my local record store and they didn't have it; where can I buy it?
rumborak
I would buy the Limited Edition from their website now before they run out and it won't be available again.
Otherwise, you'll have to wait anywhere between 2-5 weeks as a release through Mascot Records will come sometime in August. However, the retail version will NOT have the exclusive track "Their Names Escape Me", which is only available on the Limited Edition of the album in lossless format. You can download it through iTunes, however, and Dave Meros has said they plan on releasing a version of the song without the names!
Alsol they plan on releasing X on vinyl at the same time as the retail CD version.
-Marc.
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What's the deal with Their names escape me not being on the regular CD edition? Why would they decide to do such a ridiculous thing?
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What's the deal with Their names escape me not being on the regular CD edition? Why would they decide to do such a ridiculous thing?
Because it's exclusive to the limited edition, and an incentive for fans to buy the first release of the album from the band themselves. Besides, if you REALLY wanted it, it's on iTunes (and possibly other online retailers) for download purchase. It's also a bit of an incentive for those who pre-ordered the album as early as a year ago, and waited so long for the album to be made and come out. I think it's a good idea to differentiate the retail version from the limited edition. It makes owning the limited edition that much more meaningful.
-Marc.
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Yeah, that has to be the thing with this album - the more you listen to it, the better it sounds. It's not one of those that get old in two weeks. I would say this is my 2nd favorite SB album at the moment, right behind the magnificent The Light.
I can't say it is that good, but it is definitely in my SB top 5. Not sure if it will ever break the top 3, but we'll have to see it how holds up over time. :)
It is one of those albums that you like at first, then you play it over and over till it's played daily.
Pretty much. I almost feel sorry for the majority of the songs, as the two long epics are dominating my listening time when I reach for this CD. I will say, though, that "The Man Behind the Curtain" has really grown on me to the point where it might be my 3rd favorite from it. :tup :tup
What's the deal with Their names escape me not being on the regular CD edition? Why would they decide to do such a ridiculous thing?
Because it's exclusive to the limited edition, and an incentive for fans to buy the first release of the album from the band themselves. Besides, if you REALLY wanted it, it's on iTunes (and possibly other online retailers) for download purchase. It's also a bit of an incentive for those who pre-ordered the album as early as a year ago, and waited so long for the album to be made and come out. I think it's a good idea to differentiate the retail version from the limited edition. It makes owning the limited edition that much more meaningful.
-Marc.
This. Besides, you can still get the LE at their site, which will have that song with the names and all, so if you really want it that badly, order it today! ;)
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Just for fun, I threw a SB top 25 together. I am not limiting it to just the Morse era, nor am I including any of the new songs, as they are too new for me to accurately rate. And I didn't feel like doing it countdown style, so here goes:
25. "Thoughts"
24. "Ghosts of Autumn"
23. "Crack the Big Sky"
22. "Open Wide the Flood Gates"
21. "A Guy Named Sid"
20. "Love Beyond Words"/"39th Street Blues"
19. "The Gypsy"
18. "Go the Way You Go"
17. "Devil's Got My Throat"
16. "June"
15. "The Water"
14. "I'm Dying"
13. "East of Eden, West of Memphis"
12. "Walking on the Wind"
11. "Wind at My Back"
10. "Waste Away"
09. "Solitary Soul"
08. "Flow"
07. "I Will Go"
06. "The Great Nothing"
05. "Harm's Way"
04. "Made Alive Again/Wind at My Back"
03. "The Doorway"
02. "At the End of the Day"
01. "The Light"
I'd be curious to see others' lists, using the same criteria, so, fellow SB fans, feel free to have at it. :)
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I've recently gotten into Spock's Beard, but I have no albums from the post-Morse era. Which of these albums are worth getting? The praise for the most recent effort is duly noted.
-J
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I've recently gotten into Spock's Beard, but I have no albums from the post-Morse era. Which of these albums are worth getting? The praise for the most recent effort is duly noted.
-J
The new one and Feel Euphoria. The other two both have a few really good songs, but are fairly spotty overall.
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I can confidently say that "From the Darkness" and "Jaws of Heaven" are two of the best Spock's Beard songs ever...of any era. :coolio
Well, this might be worth getting, after all.
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Oh, it's worth getting. :)
But I will say that, as enjoyable as "The Emperor's Clothes" is, I wish they hadn't done that multiple vocal bit at the beginning of the second verse. It sounds corny, and the last line of, "Magical, beautiful, that's irrefutable now," is the only cringe-worthy moment on a CD that is otherwise utterly fantastic.
Still :hefdaddy :hefdaddy to both "From the Darkness" and "Jaws of Heaven."
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Oh, it's worth getting. :)
But I will say that, as enjoyable as "The Emperor's Clothes" is, I wish they hadn't done that multiple vocal bit at the beginning of the second verse. It sounds corny, and the last line of, "Magical, beautiful, that's irrefutable now," is the only cringe-worthy moment on a CD that is otherwise utterly fantastic.
Still :hefdaddy :hefdaddy to both "From the Darkness" and "Jaws of Heaven."
Awww... I *like* that part. I guess for you, you should be lucky that they cut out the second choral-part before the last verse. If you read the booklet, there's a section of lyrics that were printed in the book but not sung in the song. One of those last minute changes made after the booklets were printed. Apparently they will fix the booklets for the regular, retail edition to exclude the missing verse...of course.
-Marc.
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I've recently gotten into Spock's Beard, but I have no albums from the post-Morse era. Which of these albums are worth getting? The praise for the most recent effort is duly noted.
-J
The new one and Feel Euphoria. The other two both have a few really good songs, but are fairly spotty overall.
Got Feel Euphoria yesterday and listened to it. Awesome album, what a pleasant surprise!
Definitely will track down X when I can. Thanks for the recs.
-J
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I've recently gotten into Spock's Beard, but I have no albums from the post-Morse era. Which of these albums are worth getting? The praise for the most recent effort is duly noted.
-J
The new one and Feel Euphoria. The other two both have a few really good songs, but are fairly spotty overall.
Got Feel Euphoria yesterday and listened to it. Awesome album, what a pleasant surprise!
Definitely will track down X when I can. Thanks for the recs.
-J
Did you get the Special Edition of Feel Euphoria? The packaging is nice, and the extra tracks are alright as well - you get "Moth Of Many Flames" sung by Alan Morse, and an Okumoto instrumental.
Also, if you plan on getting Octane, get the Special Edition with the 2nd disc of bonus tracks and the "making of" documentary "Formulation Of Octane", which is pretty hilarious! The extra tracks on the bonus disc tend to be equal or even better than the ones on the actual album! I actually enjoy Octane more than Feel Euphoria, but both are pretty good!
I would get the self-titled last. It took me awhile to get into some of the tracks, and only after I immersed myself into the world of post-Morse Spock's Beard did many of those tracks make sense. They're really good once you understand how the band has come to compose and arrange over the last 8 years.
-Marc.
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I wish the new CD would get to a normal distributor already.
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Oh, it's worth getting. :)
But I will say that, as enjoyable as "The Emperor's Clothes" is, I wish they hadn't done that multiple vocal bit at the beginning of the second verse. It sounds corny, and the last line of, "Magical, beautiful, that's irrefutable now," is the only cringe-worthy moment on a CD that is otherwise utterly fantastic.
Still :hefdaddy :hefdaddy to both "From the Darkness" and "Jaws of Heaven."
Awww... I *like* that part.
To each his own. :)
Got Feel Euphoria yesterday and listened to it. Awesome album, what a pleasant surprise!
Nice! I have listened to it a few times recently, too, and it still sounds pretty damn good to me. :tup :tup
Did you get the Special Edition of Feel Euphoria? The packaging is nice, and the extra tracks are alright as well - you get "Moth Of Many Flames" sung by Alan Morse, and an Okumoto instrumental.
Alright is probably giving those songs too much credit. Okay, the instrumental is probably alright, but "Moth of Many Flames" is dreadful. The music ain't bad, but Alan Morse singing...YIKES. He makes Mike Portnoy sound like Freddie Mercury. :lol
I wish the new CD would get to a normal distributor already.
Or you could just order it from the band's website and throw a few extra bucks their way. :biggrin:
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Did you get the Special Edition of Feel Euphoria? The packaging is nice, and the extra tracks are alright as well - you get "Moth Of Many Flames" sung by Alan Morse, and an Okumoto instrumental.
Also, if you plan on getting Octane, get the Special Edition with the 2nd disc of bonus tracks and the "making of" documentary "Formulation Of Octane", which is pretty hilarious! The extra tracks on the bonus disc tend to be equal or even better than the ones on the actual album! I actually enjoy Octane more than Feel Euphoria, but both are pretty good!
I would get the self-titled last. It took me awhile to get into some of the tracks, and only after I immersed myself into the world of post-Morse Spock's Beard did many of those tracks make sense. They're really good once you understand how the band has come to compose and arrange over the last 8 years.
-Marc.
Nah, all I saw was the regular version. I will definitely look for the special edition of Octane though, if/when I do decide to pick it up. And I'll save the s/t for last, as you suggested. Looks like I'm gonna have to get X through their website.
-J
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@Kev, I'm all for buying direct and supporting the band, I do it on a regular basis, but the prices they are asking are ridiculous.
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Eh? It is only like 23 or 24 bucks. The $200 thing was for those who ordered it last year way ahead of time and got a bunch of swag and their names in that one song. The way I see it, paying a few extra dollars (it will probably be around 14 or 15 bucks at amazon or iTunes in a month) to support the band doesn't bother me at all. Granted, who knows how long it will take them to get it to you :p :lol, but I still think that current price is not ridiculous.
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Eh? It is only like 23 or 24 bucks. The $200 thing was for those who ordered it last year way ahead of time and got a bunch of swag and their names in that one song. The way I see it, paying a few extra dollars (it will probably be around 14 or 15 bucks at amazon or iTunes in a month) to support the band doesn't bother me at all. Granted, who knows how long it will take them to get it to you :p :lol, but I still think that current price is not ridiculous.
Glenn (SB's merch guy) has recently posted on the SB Boards that he is ALL caught up with old and back-up orders, so ordering from him now shouldn't take much longer than it did for me or anyone else who ordered in the last few months. If you order this week, it'll likely be there in 2-3 weeks but if you are that curious as to how long it'll take, you could always ask him when you order it.
-Marc.
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If you check out the Polls/Survivors forum, I'm on Round 8 of my SB Survivor, and down to the final five songs - "The Light", "The Water", "The Good Don't Last", "Crack The Big Sky" and "At The End Of The Day". I'm saddened that "The Doorway" did not make the top as it would've been nice to see one song per album from the first five albums in the top five, but alas, such is not the case.
After these Finals are over, I will begin my Post-Morse Era Survivor (on approximately August 8th), starting with Feel Euphoria of course.
-Marc.
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I am voting now, but I would like to see something like this with more voters. What happened to all of the SB fans? A survivor with four or five people voting per round doesn't really say much, but you have gone this far, so might as well see it out till the end. :)
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I am voting now, but I would like to see something like this with more voters. What happened to all of the SB fans? A survivor with four or five people voting per round doesn't really say much, but you have gone this far, so might as well see it out till the end. :)
True! I do plan on doing a 2011 SB Survivor, however, so hopefully there are more SB fans here by that time! Also, this is only for the Morse-Era albums right now and I do plan on continuing on with the four Post-Morse/Nick-Era albums in a week or so once these finals are over with! Hopefully I get more than 4-5 committed voters!
-Marc.
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I am voting now, but I would like to see something like this with more voters. What happened to all of the SB fans? A survivor with four or five people voting per round doesn't really say much, but you have gone this far, so might as well see it out till the end. :)
True! I do plan on doing a 2011 SB Survivor, however, so hopefully there are more SB fans here by that time! Also, this is only for the Morse-Era albums right now and I do plan on continuing on with the four Post-Morse/Nick-Era albums in a week or so once these finals are over with! Hopefully I get more than 4-5 committed voters!
-Marc.
Bump for SB fans who don't often voyage to the Polls/Survivor forum. I just finished my Morse-Era Survivor and, expectedly, "The Light" came out on top, beating "At The End Of The Day" in the final round. Thanks to everyone to voted over the last few months for the Morse-Era survivor! Now on to the Nick-Era survivor...
I am now running the survivor for Feel Euphoria, which will run for four days to allow as many voters to participate as possible.
-Marc.
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Resurrection!!! Also, I believe the Mascot Records release of X should be coming out soon for retail shops. As noted because, it won't have the exclusive limited edition-only track "Their Names Escape Me", but apparently, the track listing is a BIT different ("Kamikaze" and "The Emperor's Clothes" have switched places) and the track times are a bit longer ("From The Darkness" is a bit longer, presumably the ending is) because the CD with the exclusive track was packed tot he brim, so without it the edits are now "restored".
Also... just want to plug my SB Survivor, going on now in the Polls/Survivors forum... I have 3-4 regular voters, but I just *KNOW* there are more fans here than that! Right now, I'm in the middle of the Spock's Beard album survivor, in the final four. After that, I'll be doing a quick "Bonus Tracks" survivor, using the 2 bonus tracks from Feel Euphoria and the 5 from Octane... then I will move on to the survivor for X.
-Marc.
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I haven't listened to any post-Morse SB yet, sorry. :-\
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I haven't listened to any post-Morse SB yet, sorry. :-\
Get X!!! Either the limited edition or the retail release (and get the exclusive track single on iTunes)... you won't regret it! :tup
-Marc.
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Resurrection!!! Also, I believe the Mascot Records release of X should be coming out soon for retail shops. As noted because, it won't have the exclusive limited edition-only track "Their Names Escape Me", but apparently, the track listing is a BIT different ("Kamikaze" and "The Emperor's Clothes" have switched places) and the track times are a bit longer ("From The Darkness" is a bit longer, presumably the ending is) because the CD with the exclusive track was packed tot he brim, so without it the edits are now "restored".
Say what? Tell me that is a joke, and that those of us who bought the CD from their site didn't get edited down versions of any of the songs.
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Resurrection!!! Also, I believe the Mascot Records release of X should be coming out soon for retail shops. As noted because, it won't have the exclusive limited edition-only track "Their Names Escape Me", but apparently, the track listing is a BIT different ("Kamikaze" and "The Emperor's Clothes" have switched places) and the track times are a bit longer ("From The Darkness" is a bit longer, presumably the ending is) because the CD with the exclusive track was packed tot he brim, so without it the edits are now "restored".
Say what? Tell me that is a joke, and that those of us who bought the CD from their site didn't get edited down versions of any of the songs.
Just telling you what I read on the SB message boards. Someone with a copy of the retail version of the album had noticed "From The Darkness" was 17 seconds longer. Here's Dave Meros' quote on it, as well as the re-ordered track list:
The flow from song to song works better in this new sequence. After the Limited Edition CD was mastered and sent off to the manufacturer we realized that going from "Emperor's Clothes" to "From The Darkness" might have worked better sonically than going from "Kamikaze" to "From The Darkness", so we changed the order around when we remastered it for the Mascot release.
And you are correct, we had to fade a couple of songs out sooner on the Limited Edition because we needed to make room for Their Names Escape Me. When we remastered the CD for the Mascot release we restored the longer fades at the end of the songs.
https://spocksbeard.yuku.com/topic/4853
-Marc.
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Not a huge difference. I don't mind...
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Fade outs usually end songs weakly, anyways, so shortening them sounds good to me. They work really well on the occasional song, but are employed all over the place.
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Fade outs usually end songs weakly, anyways, so shortening them sounds good to me. They work really well on the occasional song, but are employed all over the place.
I think you're confused about the "fade-outs" on the record. It's usually just the last chord that's fading out, think SDOIT (the song)... not a fade-out groove like "Learning To Live" or "Scarred" or "The Ministry Of Lost Souls". "From The Darkness" has a real ending and an ending chord, but the final ringing chord goes on for a bit, but I suppose it goes on longer on the Mascot Records version.
-Marc.
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I struggled with X. Sure, it's good, but it's not great. SB9 was a great record, with a great guitar-driven, modern sound, but X just seems a bit retro and old fashioned somehow. Best track by far is From the Darkness (for no other reason than the guitars are up front) but much of the rest of it feels like Al Morse wasn't present for the writing and recording, and added his guitar parts later. Edge of the Inbetween has a 70s feel to it and wouldn't sound out of place on Octane (that's not meant as a compliment), Quiet House goes on too long, and the two Al Morse songs are just.. not good. There's nothing on the album that really blows me away.
I love the Beard, but this one was a bit of a disapointment for me.
In terms of the Special Editions, go for Octane, the extra tracks are brilliant and worth every penny. Moth of Many Flames on Feel Euphoria SE is a nice oddity, but not worth spending serious money on.
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I haven't been impressed with any of the post-NM Beard output. However, I haven't yet heard X, which I have seen good reviews for.
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The only post-NM album i've really gotten into. Im in love with this album :heart
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Oh btw: my pics from last Friday: https://entertainment.webshots.com/album/578596204AzuMAA?navtype=search
Great gig! The band was enjoying theirselves a lot. I LOVED seeing the old songs like "The Doorway" or "June" again. Nick is a great frontman, Al is partying all night long, Jimmy is a real 5th member by now, Ryo is Ryo, and Dave is still awesome. They seemed to enjoy playing live again a LOOOOOT.
Hope it doesn't last more than 3 years again to see them live...
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Good stuff. :tup :tup
What was the set list? I am curious as to which new songs they played...
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Good stuff. :tup :tup
What was the set list? I am curious as to which new songs they played...
They played all the songs from X except "Their Names Escape Me", which is being played over the PA before they enter the stage - but technically, it's the whole retail version of the album.
-Marc.
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Bump...speaking of X, I will be starting my Survivor for the album sometime tomorrow night between 9-11pm EST.
First round will run 3 days, so make sure you guys get your listenings in before voting! :tup I hope to see more than 4-5 voters for this album, especially since it's fairly new and fresh!
-Marc.
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Bump...speaking of X, I will be starting my Survivor for the album sometime tomorrow night between 9-11pm EST.
First round will run 3 days, so make sure you guys get your listenings in before voting! :tup I hope to see more than 4-5 voters for this album, especially since it's fairly new and fresh!
-Marc.
Fans of SBX, vote now! Please? ;D
-Marc.
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Got this album from Amazon for $5.99 and got the limited edition track from itunes. Hands down my favorite post Neal album. Amazing amazing album.
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Good to have another SB fan aboard. You might be interested in Spock's beard survivor going on in Polls and survivors forum, so join the fun.
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Thanks I'll join in. Just finding my way around here as you can tell I'm a noob.
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Aah! :D I've just discovered 'On A Perfect Day'. It's an absolute STUNNER of a song! :hefdaddy
FTR, I've put together a playlist of the songs that are in the SB Survivor finals, so I can make an informed decision when I vote. I'm pretty sure it won't, but I want On A Perfect Day to win at the moment.
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Now I've said that, everyone will come on and say that it's one of SB's worst songs, like what happened with tracks 2-4 and 6 of Octavarium... :\
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Nah, that song is awesome. Probably my favourite post-NM song.
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Aah! :D I've just discovered 'On A Perfect Day'. It's an absolute STUNNER of a song! :hefdaddy
FTR, I've put together a playlist of the songs that are in the SB Survivor finals, so I can make an informed decision when I vote. I'm pretty sure it won't, but I want On A Perfect Day to win at the moment.
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Now I've said that, everyone will come on and say that it's one of SB's worst songs, like what happened with tracks 2-4 and 6 of Octavarium... :\
Actually, I really quite enjoy "On A Perfect Day" and I think it it's one of the band's best openers, with and without Neal. When I first heard the self-titled album, that opening track got me excited! Then came the blazing instrumental "Skeletons At The Feast", but then the wild rocker "Is This Love?" came on and I was stunned, and not in a great way. For a VERY long time, I saw half of the album as filler and questioned why they went with a full CD instead of 50-60 minutes like they did with their prior album, which ironically should not have had it's 2nd Disc songs relegated to the 2nd disc...
Either way, since then, I've come to have a growing love for most of those formerly-found-as-filler tracks, and even appreciate "Is This Love?" to some extent, but I still feel it drags a bit in the middle of the album. I love the last 3 songs though (counting "As Far As The Mind Can See" as one song). "Hereafter" is the perfect precursor to the 4-part epic, and "Rearranged" is a great closer.
-Marc.
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Hey... so I'm bumping this because I think fans of Neal-era Beard will want to vote in my SB Final Finals Survivor!
https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=18274.0
Take part, vote, and if you're a fan of Neal-era, then by all means, please vote! We have the top 5 Neal-era songs up against the top 5 Nick-era songs!
-Marc.
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I was thinking, Neal Morse is pretty much the Kevin Moore of Spock's Beard. After Snow was completed, he just up and left. What is the general sentiment toward Morse from SB fans?
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I was thinking, Neal Morse is pretty much the Kevin Moore of Spock's Beard. After Snow was completed, he just up and left.
That is the only similarity, and each left for completely different reasons, so calling that a similarity is even a bit of a stretch. Kevin Moore and Neal Morse are probably about as different as two musicians can get, and as such, saying, "Neal Morse is pretty much the Kevin Moore of Spock's Beard," doesn't really make any sense.
What is the general sentiment toward Morse from SB fans?
I would say that pretty much the entire fan base would still acknowledge what a great songwriter he was and is, but a fair amount simply don't like the direction he went in following his departure from the band.
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It was just pointed out to me that I was singing in the lab, and had been singing for over 12 minutes - something I've never really done. What was I singing? The Doorway. Spock's Beard just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
I've been on the biggest Spock's Beard kick of my life the last 4 months.
*appriciates SB*
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It was just pointed out to me that I was singing in the lab, and had been singing for over 12 minutes - something I've never really done. What was I singing? The Doorway. Spock's Beard just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
I've been on the biggest Spock's Beard kick of my life the last 4 months.
*appriciates SB*
Awesome. :tup :tup
Favorite songs? Albums?
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I woke up with "Go The Way You Go" in my head this morning followed by "The Light."
Can never figure out why stuff like this happens.
Yesterday, it was the album version of Queensryche's "Someone Else."
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From SB's Facebook:
"Whether it's Chanukah, Christmas, Ramadan or just life itself you celebrate, if you're a Spock's Beard fan, it's X-MAS time for everyone! So, stay tuned for an eXciting announcement that is sure to bring some eXtremely eXuberant holiday cheer to one very lucky SB fan. And, no. It's not a private gig at your house. Ho Ho Ho SPrOCK! \m/...\m"
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Later they said it was nothing as big as a DVD or tour...probably a one off show or a festival.
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Ok guys, which one should I get: V or Snow?
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From SB's Facebook:
"Whether it's Chanukah, Christmas, Ramadan or just life itself you celebrate, if you're a Spock's Beard fan, it's X-MAS time for everyone! So, stay tuned for an eXciting announcement that is sure to bring some eXtremely eXuberant holiday cheer to one very lucky SB fan. And, no. It's not a private gig at your house. Ho Ho Ho SPrOCK! \m/...\m"
Well, whether or not it's related to that, Dave has recently posted on the SB Forums that they plan on releasing the Downey Show from the X Tour they did last fall on DVD and CD sometime this Spring. So that's definitely something to look forward to!
Ok guys, which one should I get: V or Snow?
It's really a matter of preference - do you like concept albums/rock operas? Does the idea of a narrative plot based on a singular protagonist intrigue you? If so, definitely get Snow - 2 CDs of great music, varying feels and sounds and styles, and you get some awesome solos, grooves, songs, ballads, and amazing performances from the WHOLE band!
V has some great moments as well, from the longer epics, to the four shorter songs in the middle (I looooove "Thoughts Part II"). Eventually, just get BOTH and never look back. You won't regret it.
-Marc.
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Starting to get into Spock's Beard because of TA and NM...
First Impressions of albums...
Loving "The Light" but the two nonepics are eh
"Beware of Darkness" is forgettable except for "Time Has Come"
"The Kindness of Strangers" is consistently strong throughout
So far I love the epics, but I am disappointed with the fact that so many songs feel filler. I guess I have been spoiled by DT.
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Ok guys, which one should I get: V or Snow?
V is my favorite Spock's Beard album. Snow might be 6th on a good day. I say V hands down. "At the End of the Day" and "The Great Nothing" are amazing epics, and "Thoughts, Pt. II" and "All On a Sunday" are two of my favorite shorter SB songs.
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Hard to go wrong with either V or Snow; both are tremendous.
BrotherH, I think you need to give "The Doorway" another whirl or two. That is undoubtedly one of their best songs, and if you like epics, it seems strange not to love that one to death, while liking the vastly inferior "Time Has Come" so much. Not that "Time Has Come" isn't good. It is. But it can't touch most of their best epics, and I think most SB fans would agree with that.
Honestly, I don't think there is any "filler"/average songs on the first three SB albums. Day for Night is probably the only Neal-era SB record with multiple throwaway tracks.
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Will do because you are probably right. Although, the album I have been spinning quite a bit is The Light. In my opinion, while The Light and The Water are pretty much masterpieces, Go the Way You Go is just ok, and On the Edge is really kind of a typical boring rock song. So I would say those songs qualify for me as "filler." But I'll listen to Beware of Darkness again tonight, and I'll be paying attention to The Doorway.
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"Go the Way You Go" took a while to really grow on me, but it eventually did, and I love it now. Not as much as those other two, but nonetheless. "The Light" is their best song ever, IMO. "The Water" has that silly FU section, which is like a slight stain in the middle of an otherwise stellar song. The final sections of that song are just amazing; what a climax!
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The final sections of that song are just amazing; what a climax!
The part called "Reach For The Sky" is one of the greatest moments of a song I've ever heard. Up there with DT's "Another World."
After we've gone
After the moon rises
And the red flags fly
Gonna reach for the sky
Gonna hold my head up high <--------------This part forces my body into a marvelous shudder
Gonna reach for the sky
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Spock's Beard's member's solo albums - what are your favorites?
While in Spock's Beard, every member except Dave has released at LEAST one solo album. Nick/NDV has Karma, Alan Morse has 4 O'Clock & Hysteria, Ryo Okumoto has Coming Through, and Neal made his self-titled debut and It's Not Too Late. Of course, as one might suspect, many of them played on each other's albums, so there's a lot of cross-pollination between these guys, but each album is definitely different and really shows the strengths (and sometimes weaknesses) of each member (even though while in the band, they contribute to a greater whole).
For those of you guys who have these albums, what's your take on them? I actually quite enjoy NDV's album, and it's a great pre-cursor for what would become Spock's Beard's current sound. It's got some great songs on it, and some things that are very different for Nick, or at least wouldn't be expect (like his cover of "Come What May", which I really love).
I also quite enjoy Alan's album, which I am currently listening to right now! He REALLY shines on this release, and it is for him as to John Petrucci's Suspended Animation - both great guitar-driven albums that show a bit of a different side than what you'd hear from their parent-band. It's a great jazzy-fusiony adventure, but it can feel a bit same-y if you aren't really into every song on the album.
I'm probably going to spin Ryo's album next, then probably Neal's two solo albums, but I just wanted to see if anyone else had thoughts on these albums!
-Marc.
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I only have NDV's Karma, and I quite enjoy it.
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Spock's Beard's member's solo albums - what are your favorites?
While in Spock's Beard, every member except Dave has released at LEAST one solo album. Nick/NDV has Karma, Alan Morse has 4 O'Clock & Hysteria, Ryo Okumoto has Coming Through, and Neal made his self-titled debut and It's Not Too Late. Of course, as one might suspect, many of them played on each other's albums, so there's a lot of cross-pollination between these guys, but each album is definitely different and really shows the strengths (and sometimes weaknesses) of each member (even though while in the band, they contribute to a greater whole).
For those of you guys who have these albums, what's your take on them? I actually quite enjoy NDV's album, and it's a great pre-cursor for what would become Spock's Beard's current sound. It's got some great songs on it, and some things that are very different for Nick, or at least wouldn't be expect (like his cover of "Come What May", which I really love).
I also quite enjoy Alan's album, which I am currently listening to right now! He REALLY shines on this release, and it is for him as to John Petrucci's Suspended Animation - both great guitar-driven albums that show a bit of a different side than what you'd hear from their parent-band. It's a great jazzy-fusiony adventure, but it can feel a bit same-y if you aren't really into every song on the album.
I'm probably going to spin Ryo's album next, then probably Neal's two solo albums, but I just wanted to see if anyone else had thoughts on these albums!
-Marc.
I'm going to eliminate Neal's solo albums from this partly because there are more than one and partly because I don't really think I have a favorite.
So with that in mind:
Alan (I really love this one.)
Ryo (He can really play)
Nick (I still like this but it's not as special in a post Neal Spock's Beard world)
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"Go the Way You Go" took a while to really grow on me, but it eventually did, and I love it now. Not as much as those other two, but nonetheless. "The Light" is their best song ever, IMO. "The Water" has that silly FU section, which is like a slight stain in the middle of an otherwise stellar song. The final sections of that song are just amazing; what a climax!
Go The Way You Go is an awesome song.
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so alan's solo album is instrumental?! i should check it out. what about the other solo album you mentioned...any instrumental?
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In my Grade 11 computers class on Friday, we had to do presentations on ourself. One girl had her favourite bands in the presentation. The first one was Spock's Beard. :)
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"Thoughts, Pt. II"
My favorite SB song, although I don't know their whole discog very well.
Also, Wind At My Back FTW
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Wind At My Back FTW
Yeah, no doubt. I absolutely love that song, and I'm determined to find a way to work it into a set some time before I die lol.
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I feel a bit interested in these guys, can you guys recommend me any specific album? Not sure where to start
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"Go the Way You Go" took a while to really grow on me, but it eventually did, and I love it now. Not as much as those other two, but nonetheless. "The Light" is their best song ever, IMO. "The Water" has that silly FU section, which is like a slight stain in the middle of an otherwise stellar song. The final sections of that song are just amazing; what a climax!
The FU/I'm Sorry bit is the best part of the song. :omg:
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I feel a bit interested in these guys, can you guys recommend me any specific album? Not sure where to start
I'd say go with either their debut album, The Light, or V, their aptly titled fifth album. Both are usually ranked highest in many lists of SB albums. However, most people usually suggest only albums from their Neal-Era, which only covers their first 6 albums. I would be so bold as to also suggest the band's latest offering, their aptly titled tenth album X, which was released in 2010, and made many Prog Fans' and Critics' Top 10 lists of 2010. It's easily their best effort since V and Snow, the last two albums the band made with Neal Morse.
I'd say, if you like X, don't be afraid to check out their prior 3 albums of the Nick-Era, which are all pretty good. I prefer Octane (Special Edition) over the other two, but some fans would say otherwise. They're all a bit of mixed-bags, to be honest, so it just depends on what you like.
-Marc.
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so alan's solo album is instrumental?! i should check it out. what about the other solo album you mentioned...any instrumental?
no help!? s'pose i can be less lazy and wiki or google it.
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so alan's solo album is instrumental?! i should check it out. what about the other solo album you mentioned...any instrumental?
no help!? s'pose i can be less lazy and wiki or google it.
Yes, Alan Morse's solo album is all instrumental. Ryo's album has instrumental bits, but there are songs with vocals on it. NDV's album has vocals, as does Neal's, so if you're looking for a non-vocal album, Alan's is the one to get.
-Marc.
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"Go the Way You Go" took a while to really grow on me, but it eventually did, and I love it now. Not as much as those other two, but nonetheless. "The Light" is their best song ever, IMO. "The Water" has that silly FU section, which is like a slight stain in the middle of an otherwise stellar song. The final sections of that song are just amazing; what a climax!
The FU/I'm Sorry bit is the best part of the song. :omg:
Seriously.... The song doesn't make any sense to me without it.
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After seeing Yellow Matter Custard I have started looking into them and I gave V a listen. AMAZING! I don't like Neal's Vocals that much.
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After seeing Yellow Matter Custard I have started looking into them and I gave V a listen. AMAZING! I don't like Neal's Vocals that much.
Yes, I find it amazing you don't like Neal's vocals much either. :biggrin:
Try Nick era SB then. Start with the new album X, or Octane. Make sure its the special edition of Octane though, Follow Me To Sleep is awesome and worth the extra buck.
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Okay, a year later, "Jaws of Heaven" is still magnificent in every way possible. It'd definitely be in my SB top 10. And maybe even top 5. Yes, it is that great. :coolio
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Yeah, it aged incredibly for me as well. I still love the album so much. :heart :heart :heart
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Gotta agree. I found myself listening to X the other day after a couple weeks of nothing but Neal Morse stuff (SB, TA and solo), so it was a nice change-but-not-quite-change in my listening. It's still very fresh and new to my ears, and every track is amazing.
I have the Special/Limited Edition from the website, as well as the regular edition, which has a few tracks that are longer on it than the LE (due to time constraints including the "Their Names Escape Me"). Because of this, my iPod version of X includes the longest versions of each track possible, as well as the LE-only track. I need to burn this to CD but it's about 10-15 seconds over 80 minutes, which is okay, I just don't have a program that overburns (I used to have Nero, but that was on an older computer).
-Marc.
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Okay, a year later, "Jaws of Heaven" is still magnificent in every way possible. It'd definitely be in my SB top 10. And maybe even top 5. Yes, it is that great. :coolio
It's a song that I love to play over and over. You know how a song obsession goes.
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Okay, a year later, "Jaws of Heaven" is still magnificent in every way possible. It'd definitely be in my SB top 10. And maybe even top 5. Yes, it is that great. :coolio
Man it's weird that you posted this today. Just yesterday I finally got around to listening to X for the first time and REALLY enjoyed that song. Easily the standout track of the album, and yeah, one of the best SB tunes ever.
-J
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X is my second favourite Spock's album behind Snow. Phenomenal album, just brilliant. Can't wait to meet them :metal
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Good to see others are still digging this great song, too! "From the Darkness" is pretty stellar, too. And yes, the album as a whole is really, really good, and while it sounds like a cliche to say that the two longest songs are the best ones, in this case, they are undoubtedly are. :hat
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Wind At My Back FTW
Yeah, no doubt. I absolutely love that song, and I'm determined to find a way to work it into a set some time before I die lol.
Very late response, but yeah, I was thinking that it would be great in a Christian setting. It definitely has that vibe that Christians who only listen to CCM and other Christian music would like.
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How do you rank the albums? Feel free to put breaks to group albums you like a lot.
V - Two great epics and two of my favorite shorter SB songs (Thoughts Pt 2 & All on a Sunday)
X - As Kev just said, this album is aging very well
The Light
Octane
The Kindness of Strangers
Spock's Beard
Feel Euphoria
Day For Night
Snow - Has some great parts, but drags on too much for me. I'm ready to move on by disc 2.
Beware of Darkness - not bad, but The Doorway is the only song that draws me to the album
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V
Snow
The Light
X
Beware of Darkness
Feel Euphoria
The Kindness of Strangers
Day for Night
Octane
Spock's Beard
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Snow
V
X
Beware Of Darkness
The Kindness Of Strangers
The Light
Octane
Feel Euphoria
Day For Night
Spock's Beard
-Marc.
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X
Octane
V
Spock's Beard
Day For Night
Snow
I've heard all the rest aside from Feel Euphoria, but I've not listened to them enough to rank. That will all change soon since I just finally ordered actual copies of all of them.
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X
Octane
V
Spock's Beard
Day For Night
Snow
I've heard all the rest aside from Feel Euphoria, but I've not listened to them enough to rank. That will all change soon since I just finally ordered actual copies of all of them.
Feel Euphoria is a good effort, considering their main song-writer just left the band, but there are some great tunes on there like "Ghosts of Autumn", the title track, and the multi-part epic "A Guy Named Sid".
As for the first three albums, while they're all a bit different from each other, there's something similar to me about all three of them. Maybe it's because they were all re-released at the same time from InsideOut (with bonus tracks) and that's how I got them, so I became familiar with all three albums at the same time.
A couple years ago I would have ranked Octane above one or two of them, but in the last couple years I have grown to love and appreciate the early Beard a bit more than the Nick-Era sophomore effort, which to be fair, is still highly ranked in my book and is far better than their next album and Day For Night.
-Marc.
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V, Snow - my two fav's
Day for Night, The Light - both solid but not ultimate favs
Kindness of Strangers, Beware of Darkness - still great, but my least favorite of the Neal era albums
Octane, Feel Euporia, X, S/T - like it enough to keep buying them, but don't like them as much as the Neal era albums
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At this point, I'd put both long songs from the last album in my SB top 10:
The Light
The Doorway
At the End of the Day
Jaws of Heaven
Made Alive Again/Wind at My Back
Harm's Way
The Great Nothing
From the Darkness
Flow
Solitary Soul
Pretty stellar top 10, eh?
Also, Marc, you left out the best song from FE: East of Eden, West of Memphis! :D
Oh, and Goodbye to Yesterday is the best Beard song that doesn't get talked about enough.
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At this point, I'd put both long songs from the last album in my SB top 10:
The Light
The Doorway
At the End of the Day
Jaws of Heaven
Made Alive Again/Wind at My Back
Harm's Way
The Great Nothing
From the Darkness
Flow
Solitary Soul
Pretty stellar top 10, eh?
Also, Marc, you left out the best song from FE: East of Eden, West of Memphis! :D
Oh, and Goodbye to Yesterday is the best Beard song that doesn't get talked about enough.
GREAT top 10, Kev!
And yes, yes, EOEWOM is pretty fantastic :rollin
"Goodbye To Yesterday" can actually bring me to tears if in the right mood. It's very touching and one of my favorites on V...well, with only 6 songs, the whole album pretty much ends up being favorites.
-Marc.
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I think I'd rank the albums like this:
The Light
X
V
Snow
Octane
The Kindness of Strangers
Beware Of Darkness
Day for night
Spock's beard
Feel Euphoria
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I guess I'd go with this ranking:
The Light/ Beware Of Darkness/The Kindness Of Stangers/Day For Night/V
Spock's Beard
X
Octane
Feel Euphoria
Snow
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Okay, I have now listened a good number of times to all but one album and...
Octane > X > V > Beware of Darkness > The Kindness of Strangers > Spock's Beard > Day For Night > Snow > The Light
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Okay, I have now listened a good number of times to all but one album and...
Octane > X > V > Beware of Darkness > The Kindness of Strangers > Spock's Beard > Day For Night > Snow > The Light
Question for you - did you listen to the Special Edition of Octane? There are some GREAT tracks on the 2nd disc that should have been on the main album but for some reason or another, they got cut and replaced with a couple more mediocre tracks on the main album.
-Marc.
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No kidding. Octane with some of those songs swapped would have been the best Spock's Beard album. As it is, it is very good but short of being great. I used to love it regardless, but those extra tracks really just weigh it down more and more.
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Octane bonus track, ftw!
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I've never heard them, but from this kind of feedback I'm sure at some point I'll sell off the regular edition and buy the 2-disc.
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I've never heard them, but from this kind of feedback I'm sure at some point I'll sell off the regular edition and buy the 2-disc.
Totally worth it. In fact, I bought the jewel-case version of the Special Edition from FYE of all places, and then later realized there was a European Digi-Book version from InsideOut Europe. I sought it out and bought it last year on eBay for about $8.00 +shipping. Totally worth owning two copies of such a wonderful album. Also, the bonus disc has some funny video from the making of the album!
-Marc.
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They will be playing The Light at High Voltage and Sweden Rock :metal
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I've never heard them, but from this kind of feedback I'm sure at some point I'll sell off the regular edition and buy the 2-disc.
Totally worth it. In fact, I bought the jewel-case version of the Special Edition from FYE of all places, and then later realized there was a European Digi-Book version from InsideOut Europe. I sought it out and bought it last year on eBay for about $8.00 +shipping. Totally worth owning two copies of such a wonderful album. Also, the bonus disc has some funny video from the making of the album!
-Marc.
I bought a hard cardboard case double disk with a 3rd disk that was a Inside out Sampler.
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Interviewer: You're playing at High Voltage Festival this year.
Neal: Yeah, I'm really excited about it.
Interviewer: Spock's Beard are playing there too. ¿Could there be a possibility of reunion?
Neal: Well, let's wait. I'm talking about it with them. It's gonna be a great year for sure.
Oh god PLEEEASE!!! :)
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Holy shit! Gotta find a cheap ticket for London... :biggrin:
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I've never heard them, but from this kind of feedback I'm sure at some point I'll sell off the regular edition and buy the 2-disc.
Totally worth it. In fact, I bought the jewel-case version of the Special Edition from FYE of all places, and then later realized there was a European Digi-Book version from InsideOut Europe. I sought it out and bought it last year on eBay for about $8.00 +shipping. Totally worth owning two copies of such a wonderful album. Also, the bonus disc has some funny video from the making of the album!
-Marc.
I can't imagine a one disc version of this album. 2 disc is the only way to go.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrXTf02WkOs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrXTf02WkOs)
:metal :metal :metal
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Ted Leonard sounded great!!
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Yep, great stand in!!
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Ted looks real different. I'd love to hear him sing the whole set.
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Wait a minute, so Nick isn't with them this summer? I thought that was just a maybe... :-\
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Ted sounded fantastic, as I knew he would.
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Recommend me a good album from Neal Morse days please :D i just got Snow and its ok.. i need a good album .. i head beware of Darkness is awesome but i want your opinion. thanks :D
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V.
-J
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V.
-J
VJ *Giggles*
But seriously V is a great album.
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Kindness of Strangers is the best them.
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Kindness of Strangers is the best them.
Don't make my bust into The Good Don't Last. Once you hear it, you can't stop singing it.
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Kindness of Strangers is the best them.
Don't make my bust into The Good Don't Last. Once you hear it, you can't stop singing it.
Yup. I fucking love that song/album!
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Snow
X
V
The Light
Feel Euphoria
Octane
Beware Of Darkness
The Kindness Of Strangers
Spock's Beard
Day for Night
BUMP!
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So. I don't know if many of you know that Nick has play drums for Tears For Fears live and on a few albums for a while now and this is a live version with him on drums and singing harmonies (of course) for the song Call Me Mellow. Very Beatles like. Great album it's from.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHXRGfUQEpA
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I was listening to the X album while vacuuming today, and I realized that "From the darkness" is pretty damn good. I'm gonna have to get into this album some more.
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I was listening to the X album while vacuuming today, and I realized that "From the darkness" is pretty damn good. I'm gonna have to get into this album some more.
:tup The album has aged VERY well to me, much like DT's own 10th album, and the two (ironically both 4-part) epics on the album are just astounding! I love the whole album (yes, even the LE bonus track) and I hope they continue along this road of classic-sounding, yet fresh SB music! Here's hoping for SB11 in 2012! When does Nick get done with Cirque again? :lol
-Marc.
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Well, according to the website, the show he's in goes on until april 2012 or so. Don't know if that means he won't be squeezing in any Spocks' shows in between.
I'm seeing them at High Voltage in a few weeks with Ted Leonard standing in, and I'm fine with that. NDV is a genius and all, but as far as I'm concerned, nothing touches the 'old' SB with Neal. I'm so glad my cousin dragged me to a show on the "V"-tour. I had never heard of them, but let's just say that gig was an eye-opener.
I'm digging their later stuff as well, especially the latest one, but I feel like Neal-era SB had a certain... character that just isn't there anymore. X is certainly a step in the right direction, though. Best one since Snow, imo.
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Saw them live last Wednesday at a small show they did in our small town Mexicali, they put on an amazing show and were really spot on. Ted Leonard is awesome, they sounded amazing with him; Jimmy Keegan played an amazing drum solo, Ryo and Dave Meros were amazing like always, but certainly I gained a whole new appreciation for Alan Morse, he was incredible IMO, and it showed how much his guitar is elemental for their music.
Setlist:
Edge of the in Between - On a perfect day - Thoughts - The Emperor´s Clothes - Crack the Big Sky - Jimmy's drum solo (really amazing IMO) - She is Everything - Kamikaze (with a cool bluesy section added in the middle) - Ryo's keyboard solo (very impressive, with some interesting jazz leanings) - The Doorway - June - Encore: The Light (my personal favorite of the night, they were on fire in this one).
Also had a chance of meeting them after the show, really cool guys. I will try to upload some videos later :metal.
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First of all, I'm jealous.
They played Thoughts and not Thoughts Part II? Aside from the fact I think Part II is much better, it's much easier to sing, especially for a fill-in guy.
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First of all, I'm jealous.
They played Thoughts and not Thoughts Part II? Aside from the fact I think Part II is much better, it's much easier to sing, especially for a fill-in guy.
Yeah, I also thought (nuggetz ;D) that part II would've been better, but they pulled it really well (besides Ryo singing Nick's part from the studio version, no offense to the great Ryo but it sounded funny :lol).
Also obtained Alan Morse´s solo album, some really nice fusiony stuff, really recommended :metal (btw he was genuinely surprised for being asked to sign his own album in a SB show, cool stuff, shows how humble they are).
Anyway, for those who are seeing them live in High Voltage, don't worry about the vocals because Ted Leonard is doing a great job, and be prepared to enjoy the show ;D.
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I'll be interested to see a video of that performance, but I'm still not convinced they're not just accelerating the (almost) inevitable demise of SB.
rumborak
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I almost agree. I mean, touring without the guy who is now their lead singer (as well as their drummer)? I am sorry, but that is lame. What people are seeing is not really Spock's Beard. What if John Petrucci was tied up for six months and DT decided to tour with a different guitar player? I can't even imagine that.
And aside from that, wasting part of the set with two individual solos, one of which by someone who isn't even a regular member of the band (albeit a regular touring member)? Oof.
It really is too bad that they didn't see a bump following X, which is a damn fine album, but them now being relegated to touring without NDV and with a fill-in lead singer is just sad.
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Rumbo, if you belong to FB, join the Spock's Bread page and they have a video of them in Mexico performing June that was just posted today.
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Just been listening to V whilst cooking and it's a great album. I'm not a big prog fan tbh but I do like SB.
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And aside from that, wasting part of the set with two individual solos, one of which by someone who isn't even a regular member of the band (albeit a regular touring member)? Oof.
Hey, Jimmy Keegan is awesome and deserves to have a solo.
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I bought Snow months ago, but I still haven't really listened to it. Maybe I should.
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I bought Snow months ago, but I still haven't really listened to it. Maybe I should.
DO IT NOW!
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I bought Snow months ago, but I still haven't really listened to it. Maybe I should.
Do, even one of my housemates who isn't really into prog likes it...
I really like X, and the Neal Morse era stuff is epic too. Actually, I was recommended to listen to Dream Theater because I was heavily into Spock's Beard.
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I mean, touring without the guy who is now their lead singer (as well as their drummer)? I am sorry, but that is lame. What people are seeing is not really Spock's Beard.
Not only that, but it also, at least to me, indicates that SB is not Nick's priority anymore. And I just watched one of the Mexicali videos with the new singer, and he also plays guitar and keyboard on tracks. Indicating that they must have spent a good amount of time with Ted to get everything in order. I would say that it's not going to take long until Nick announces he's no longer with SB.
rumborak
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Wow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czuRE6W4LS8&NR=1&feature=fvwp
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So, their set at High Voltage was bloody brilliant!
Ted Leonard did a really excellent job. Not quite the same as having Nick up there, but he was a more than adequate substitute. And frankly, it was MORE than made up for by the appearance of Neal for the last song and a half! :D
They played through most of the Light, and I was starting to think they weren't going to get Neal up, but he came out and sang the last few minutes of it, and then they played June with him, and once he was on stage Ted went and did some backing vocals. Bloody marvellous, and even before Neal came out the crowd were really into them, so I don't believe the band is in demise at all, at least not here in the UK.
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It was incredible! I was so excited when Neal got up and did the end of The Light with them! Then he did June and just WOW. Incredible stuff! It was really nice of Alan to give me a name call and got everyone in the audience to say thank you Jon. :) I was meant to meet him and the guys for a couple of beers but I was stuck at the front for Dream Theater, I rang him after but he has gone to get some food with his family. He said sorry for not being able to meet him as he would have liked to have thanked me in person and said he saw me during his set and could tell I loved it. He was going to meet me straight after his set but he had to go and do a signing. He also said he's going to sign some stuff for me and send it over and hopefully meet him during the next shows they do over here. I'd like to say a massive thanks to Alan and Spock's as they are amazing people! Thank you so much! :)
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Yeah that was really awesome of him, as soon as he said I shouted "FUCK YEAH JON" as loud as I could, dunno if you heard it. :lol
Some photos:
(https://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/216860_822782956132_193103036_43331405_6680466_n.jpg)
(https://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/183870_822782986072_193103036_43331407_1310929_n.jpg)
(https://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/228873_822783130782_193103036_43331412_5640166_n.jpg)
(https://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/183887_822783365312_193103036_43331417_4032857_n.jpg)
(https://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/226106_822783455132_193103036_43331420_3289195_n.jpg)
(https://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/268750_822783779482_193103036_43331431_3184360_n.jpg)
(https://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/284002_822784019002_193103036_43331437_1867060_n.jpg)
(https://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/253354_822784233572_193103036_43331444_806983_n.jpg)
(My full High Voltage collection is here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.822779777502.2377399.193103036&l=ddef8208f2&type=1)
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Outstanding pics Rich!!! :hefdaddy
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Thanks Joe! :D I was right at the front for Spock's, pretty much just one person in front of me.
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Anyone taking video?
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I did get a short vid of The Light after Neal came on stage if you want me to upload it?
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DO ET
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I almost agree. I mean, touring without the guy who is now their lead singer (as well as their drummer)? I am sorry, but that is lame. What people are seeing is not really Spock's Beard. What if John Petrucci was tied up for six months and DT decided to tour with a different guitar player? I can't even imagine that.
And aside from that, wasting part of the set with two individual solos, one of which by someone who isn't even a regular member of the band (albeit a regular touring member)? Oof.
It really is too bad that they didn't see a bump following X, which is a damn fine album, but them now being relegated to touring without NDV and with a fill-in lead singer is just sad.
I'd agree, except that Nick has a full time gig that is generating income for him AND I wouldn't be surprised if it was Nick who suggested the idea in the first place (I'm sorry I just don't remember how this went down when it did) but he understands that the rest of the band could use the touring money AND possibly even more than that just want to be able to play for people. They are all friends and I really can't see this situation deteriorating due to the personalities involved.
I really don't see Spock's Beard hitting the road often enough that Nick would have to make a decision like that to leave. I just don't think you turn down a festival gig like that due to exposure. It wouldn't surprise me if they doubled their fanbase with that one performance.
If they somehow get offered more lucrative gigging opportunities in the future, then I suppose Nick may be forced into a decision he doesn't want to make. But I don't think it's at that point yet and I don't think it will get there anytime soon.
I suppose I should offer a disclaimer that I'm an Enchant fan and that I know what Ted is capable of, but I don't really see this as anything more than a friend helping out other friends in a tight spot.
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I think if SB were getting more gigs, more often, and selling more tickets that gigs, then NDV might not have taken up the offer to tour with Cirque. I'm sure he's having fun touring with Cirque, but to be honest, it's probably because it pays a lot more than doing shows for 300 people with SB. It's a sad truth that many prog bands just can't pack houses or tour very much, especially in the US, the Beard's very own home country, just because the costs of touring end up putting bands behind instead of ahead due to a lack of ticket sales.
I know many fans "say" they would see them, but when ticket prices come up and many of us fans don't have the money for them, it's a downer for the bands who take the time and money to tour. It's easier in Europe since a lot of the traveling is by bus, but here in the US, much of it is by plane since distances are much greater between gigs, so it gets costly.
I'm sure if SB could tour the US and make a profit, they would, but when the opportunity came for NDV to tour with Cirque, I'm sure he saw it as a chance to make more money, especially since it may have seemed that SB weren't likely to tour any time soon. Unfortunately, the chance for SB to tour this summer came up and NDV was tied down, so through a series of unfortunate circumstances, NDV couldn't make the shows and a replacement had to be made, and I'm sure Alan/Ryo/Dave/Jimmy thanked Nick for letting them go on with Ted so they could tour. I know it sucks, it would have been like if Genesis just released Duke and Phil Collins couldn't tour with them, so they got another guy. You get a good album out after a couple not-so-great ones, and you can't even tour the new music as much as you'd like, but shows come up, so you deal with it. It's win-win for everyone, really.
I really hope NDV's stint with Cirque ends next year, so they can finally tour for the X album, properly. However, if it's not in the financial cards to do so, then I'd rather see them record SB11!
-Marc.
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Oh very nice photos Rich!
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Oh very nice photos Rich!
Thanks! :D
And as promised, the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqZYLG-yRZU
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Yes.
Those pictures and video are awesome.
Brings back some memories.
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Yeah, those are some awesome photos, thanks for sharing :D
BTW, here's Jimmy Keegan´s solo at the Mexicali concert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTVjMzOoO8g&feature=relmfu
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Gotta say that X is still amazing over a year after it's release!
-Marc.
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My favorite track on X is The Quiet House. What a killer bassline.
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Guys, Wind at My Back is amazing...it would be a perfect song if it weren't for the wee bit of offness in the vocal harmonies. But yeah, it's so good.
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I thought they did a good job at High Voltage, and the bit with Neal was magic. I do agree, though, with Rumborak, in that they might be delaying the inevitable. If NDV's interest is fading, and if they can't make money from touring OR selling records, then there's not much pushing them forward. When Neal left, I was sceptical of their future, but with the latest cd I think they're in a good place. Take NDV out of that equation and, yeah... Not much left. Of course, the remaining guys have lots of music left in them, and perhaps it would be cool to bring in some more guys and start something new. I don't know.
All I know, HV was very enjoyable (if if there were noticeable sound issues and some pretty obvious mess-ups from the band), but that was very much thanks to Ted Leonard and, even more, Neal's appearance. I'll definitley stick around for SB11, though.
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I thought they did a good job at High Voltage, and the bit with Neal was magic. I do agree, though, with Rumborak, in that they might be delaying the inevitable. If NDV's interest is fading, and if they can't make money from touring OR selling records, then there's not much pushing them forward. When Neal left, I was sceptical of their future, but with the latest cd I think they're in a good place. Take NDV out of that equation and, yeah... Not much left. Of course, the remaining guys have lots of music left in them, and perhaps it would be cool to bring in some more guys and start something new. I don't know.
All I know, HV was very enjoyable (if if there were noticeable sound issues and some pretty obvious mess-ups from the band), but that was very much thanks to Ted Leonard and, even more, Neal's appearance. I'll definitley stick around for SB11, though.
Did I miss the part where Nick said his interest was fading?
I'm not on the Spock's Beard list anymore so maybe it was mentioned there?
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Nowhere, people are just speculating because he couldn't make the HV show. I've seen no sign of his interest waning at all.
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Nowhere, people are just speculating because he couldn't make the HV show. I've seen no sign of his interest waning at all.
I haven't noticed a lack of interest either, which was why I was confused.
He didn't do High voltage because he's got a steady paying gig with Cirque. If not for that, I'm sure he would have been there in a heartbeat.
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It wasn't just that he had a steady gig, I think it was more that he couldn't get out of the commitment with Cirque whether he wanted to or not.
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It wasn't just that he had a steady gig, I think it was more that he couldn't get out of the commitment with Cirque whether he wanted to or not.
Exactly, and he has said as much.
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I don't think NDV's attitude is really the issue, I think everybody understands that he can't just skip his Cirque gig for some random SB show. The question here is the implicit message people get when the main guy in the band gets replaced. Keep also in mind that this isn't a quick call "hey, you got time tonight? Drop by and sing for us". This will have been preceded by several rehearsals, all without Nick.
I dunno. I think everybody feels that SB is struggling right now; this move just seemed to exacerbate it.
rumborak
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I don't think NDV's attitude is really the issue, I think everybody understands that he can't just skip his Cirque gig for some random SB show. The question here is the implicit message people get when the main guy in the band gets replaced. Keep also in mind that this isn't a quick call "hey, you got time tonight? Drop by and sing for us". This will have been preceded by several rehearsals, all without Nick.
I dunno. I think everybody feels that SB is struggling right now; this move just seemed to exacerbate it.
rumborak
I can't speak for anyone else, but I don't feel Spock's Beard is stuggling (creatively) at all. I think they finally found their comfort zone with the self-titled album (Which I still think is my favorite post Neal album) and many people seem to really dig X (I like it, but not nearly as much as the self-titled).
I don't see Nick as the main guy in the band anyway. I think that the other guys in the band are just as important to the band as Nick and if anyone decided to leave that it might be the final nail.
What the band needs to do is tour and that isn't going to happen for the simple reason that they all do other things that pay more and they need to support their families, so it's a catch 22. Forgetting for the moment that touring the US even for a week at this point is probably a losing proposition these days anyway.
Sure it's a band, but it's also a group of great guys who enjoy making music together on their own terms.
So, unless they've said anything to the contrary that I might have missed, I think they are still going to make music on their own terms until they can't for whatever reason.
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Bump - because the latest SB live set just came out this week! I've had a chance to watch most of the live DVD and it's pretty fantastic! Nick and the boys have a fun time on stage playing 7 of the songs from X (with exception of the limited edition bonus track "Their Names Escape Me"), as well as some earlier classics, and a fun drum duel between Jimmy and Nick.
Great set list, nice packaging, and it's a great "send-off" for Nick, being the last NA show he did with the band. This will definitely please fans of SBv2, and for those eagerly awaiting SBv3 (like me), this will hold me over until SB11 comes out sometime this year! I really can't wait to hear what Ted and Jimmy have to offer the band, and hope to hear some more from Jimmy's backing vocals and that Ted does some playing (he plays acoustic guitar, right? I'm not familiar with him at all).
-Marc.
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I bought the DVD two days ago, and I'm digging it like crazy. :metal
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I need to pick it up.
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I need to pick it up.
AFAIK, the DVD will only come with the Special Edition, which I think is still readily available on most websites. It comes in a nice digipak with the 2 CDs and the DVD on the inside, and the booklet on the panel behind the DVD.
-Marc.
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As if I need something else to look for....
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and that Ted does some playing (he plays acoustic guitar, right? I'm not familiar with him at all).
Get this one: https://www.amazon.com/Enchant-Live-at-Last/dp/B000639XT0/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1329686243&sr=1-1
Will make you buy some Enchant stuff, too. Great band!! :tup
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Got the DVD in the mail today. It's an amazing performance and so much fun to watch. The video quality thought is something left to be desired. Looks very odd. Audio is excellent and so is the video so that was what mattered to me most.
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Guys, Wind at My Back is amazing...it would be a perfect song if it weren't for the wee bit of offness in the vocal harmonies. But yeah, it's so good.
Yeah, I had it playing as the recessional at my wedding.
I had a thought. What if Neal Morse joined Spock's Beard again, and Portnoy took over the drums... could probably do wonders for growing the fan base.
And when I say join, I mean participate in a Transatlantic/Flying Colors kind of way; not quit everything else (epecially Flying Colors. I wouldn't mind them being a full time band actually)
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Just got the DVD/CD. Sounds great in the car.
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It's streaming at https://www.progstreaming.com/
will be listening this afternoon.
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According to recent posts (and responses to my queries) from Sonya on SB's FB page, SB11 should see a fourth quarter release, sometime between October-December. She said they had originally projected a Summer/June release, which would have been awesome to get SB's 11th album AND The Flower Kings' 11th album in the SAME month, but I guess we'll have to wait awhile longer for SB11 - and I'm sure the wait will be worth it!
-Marc.
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I can wait. I'm still getting into the discography. X was amazing (Jaws Of Heaven is still in regular rotation.)
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I can wait. I'm still getting into the discography. X was amazing (Jaws Of Heaven is still in regular rotation.)
I agree, X was pretty good and I still listen to it pretty regularly!
-Marc.
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According to recent posts (and responses to my queries) from Sonya on SB's FB page, SB11 should see a fourth quarter release, sometime between October-December. She said they had originally projected a Summer/June release, which would have been awesome to get SB's 11th album AND The Flower Kings' 11th album in the SAME month, but I guess we'll have to wait awhile longer for SB11 - and I'm sure the wait will be worth it!
-Marc.
I think it was a good move for them to put it off and not release around the same time as TFK. It's also good for me since I need Ryo to write some keyboard parts for me this summer :lol
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I forgot how much I enjoy this band, particularly the Neal era. After listening to The Whirlwind today, I was inclined to throw on some Spock's Beard, after months of Flower Kings and related bands. I threw on The Kindness of Strangers, and I'm almost done with it. Such a great album, with the first track and last 3 tracks being some of the best prog rock Ive ever heard. Such hard hitting tracks and catchy melodies. Neal writes some of the best melodies in all of music. Just wanted to express my enjoyment of TKOS, and album that seems to be a bit underrated in the SB catalog.
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I'd still say both Harm's Way and Flow are two of their best songs ever, and the rest is very solid, even if In the Mouth of Madness is a bit too quirky and silly. Very good overall record. Not their best, but very good. :tup :tup
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In the latest Inner Circle newsletter, Neal revealed that he and his brother Alan (who got together to do some writing last fall for SB11), wrote a piece that would become SB's "Thoughts Part 3". Back in January, Randy George's studio diary revealed that Neal wrote a piece that was tentatively titled "Thoughts Part 3", but upon finding out that SB would be using the Morse Bros' writing, Neal's decided to re-title his piece for Momentum, so it looks like SB11 will have "Thoughts Part 3" on it! :metal
I really cannot wait to hear what Ted and Jimmy can do with Ryo, Al and Dave! The studio footage that popped up a month or two ago was really promising and I think I will enjoy Ted as their new front man!
-Marc.
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Is Neal playing on the new Spock's Beard? or did he just contribute to writing like he did on X? Either way, I'm more interested to hear this than I was when X came out, due to there being more Neal influence than the last one (Nick-era SB doesn't excite me very much, X only had a few stand out tracks.)
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Is Neal playing on the new Spock's Beard? or did he just contribute to writing like he did on X? Either way, I'm more interested to hear this than I was when X came out, due to there being more Neal influence than the last one (Nick-era SB doesn't excite me very much, X only had a few stand out tracks.)
Not playing, but contributing some (co-)writing credits on the album.
-Marc.
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My excitement for this band without Neal or NDV is about the same as it is for a Thoughts Part 3: nil.
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I can't wait to hear the new album. I like NDV (listening to X right now) but Ted's singing with Enchant is excellent. I hope Thoughts Part 3 is as good as the first 2.
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I forgot how much I enjoy this band, particularly the Neal era. After listening to The Whirlwind today, I was inclined to throw on some Spock's Beard, after months of Flower Kings and related bands. I threw on The Kindness of Strangers, and I'm almost done with it. Such a great album, with the first track and last 3 tracks being some of the best prog rock Ive ever heard. Such hard hitting tracks and catchy melodies. Neal writes some of the best melodies in all of music. Just wanted to express my enjoyment of TKOS, and album that seems to be a bit underrated in the SB catalog.
Yeah, The Kindness of Strangers is my favorite SB album. The Good Don't Last and Harm's Way are phenomenal.
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Neal-Era:
Snow
The Kindness Of Strangers
Beware Of Darkness
V
The Light
Day For Night
Nick-Era:
X
Octane (Special Edition)
SB
Feel Euphoria
All 10:
Snow
X / The Kindness Of Strangers
Beware Of Darkness
V / Octane (Special Edition)
The Light
SB
Day For Night
Feel Euphoria
-Marc.
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I'll have to get myself a copy of Beware of Darkness, it seems to be well liked here and at Prog Archives.
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There are 10 albums right now, so that's a good, even number. I'm curious how people rank them, especially since the Morse-era albums can be very close in quality.
I've included a short blurb on why I rank the albums the way I do. None of the blurbs are insightful, but I felt like I needed to justify my rankins, because, again, they can be very close in quality.
Top Tier
V- There isn't a bad song on this one, and I feel like it has the most unique style of all the albums. Their influences are evident, but their own sound shines through. I don't even think Morse's solo career sounded quite like this. The highlights are At the End of the Day, The Great Nothing, and Revalation (in that order), but the other three songs are a lot of fun to listen to.
X- This is the first post-Morse album I heard, and I still think it's the most focused and coherent. It's proggy enough, but it really rocks as well with some tight compositions. Most of the songs do a good job of developing on limited musical themes, playing a small number of motifs in different ways. Like V, this doesn't have a single weak track. I don't like Their Names Escape Me very much, but that's not part of the "official" release so I'm not counting it (thankfully, or it might be knocked down a notch). Highlights are Jaws of Heaven, The Quiet House, and The Edge of the In-Between.
Snow- I'm going to say right off the bat that this is my favorite Spock's Beard album, I just don't think it's their best. The concept is derivative and isn't evident enough in the lyrics of the songs, but I do like how the different moods are successfully conveyed through the music (The second half of disc 2 is particularly effective). I originally liked this album just for disc 1, but after several listens, love disc 2 as well. Carrie and Looking for Answers are great songs, but they feel a little out of place and I wish they'd at least dropped Looking for Answers.
The Light- Of course this is one of their best. It lacks the refinement of their future albums, but in a way the rawer sound helps. The Light is the obvious highlight here, but all of the songs are good. Of all the Spock's Beard albums, I feel like this one boasts the most variety, but that may be in part because of the abrupt transitions between parts of songs.
The Kindness of Strangers- Like the four albums above, I don't think there's a weak track on this one. The Good Don't Last is my favorite of the "epics," with Harm's Way and Flow also being quite memorable if not as instantly likeable. I also think this is their catchiest and most accessible album, with the middle four songs almost having a power-pop vibe to them. Strange World is one of my most-listened to Spock's Beard songs and, along with All on a Sunday, probably my favorite pop song from the Morse era of the band. June is my favorite Spock's Beard ballad. The problem is, apart from my favorite songs on this album (The Good Don't Last, June, Strange World), I don't think the other good tracks are as good as some of the best from the other albums.
Middle Tier
Octane- The epic here is very, very strong. I like every individual track (yes, even Surfing Down the Avalanche), and it has a powerful, emotional atmosphere that's like nothing I've ever heard from the Morse era. It's strong enough to elevate the whole album. After that, the only track I regularly listen to is There Was a Time, which is my favorite post-Morse ballad. NWC and The Planet's Hum are okay.
Beware of Darkness- This has The Doorway, Thoughts, and Walking on the Wind. Fantastic. It also has Time Has Come, which sounds like a rehash of some of my favorite ideas from the first album. I could take or leave the rest. Waste Away has some of the worst lyrics I've ever heard in a song.
Spock's Beard- This album suffers from overload. I don't know if I've ever listened to the whole thing in one sitting--it just can't hold my attention. A Perfect Day is a classic Beard track, as is As Far As The Mind Can See (a worthy epic which would have been right at home on X, actually). Skeletons at the Feast is my favorite Beard instrumental track, and Rearranged and All that's left are good enough. The Slow Crash Landing Man and (I know this isn't popular opinion) Sometimes They Stay, Sometimes They Go are fun. I don't like the rest. With Your Kiss might be one of the blandest epics in this band's catalog. There's a good 52 minutes of music I like on this album, which is more than I can say for the other two albums on this list, so it's a close call.
Bottom Tier
Feel Euphoria- Onomatopoeia is awesome. East of Eden, West of Memphis is almost as awesome, and would be perfect is not for the last pointless minute. Ghosts of Autumn and Shining Star are beautiful. The Bottom Line is okay. The rest is meh.
Day For Night- I really want to like this album, as it has two of my favorite Spock's Beard songs--Day for Night and Crack the Big Sky, the latter of which reminds me just a bit of At the End of the Day. The problem is the rest of the album is so uneven. None of the short songs except Skin stand out that much, The Gypsy seems to go nowhere, and the resident epic is uneven at best. I love Lay it Down and The Healing Colors of Sound, Pt. 2, but, aside from occasional interest in Mommy Comes Back, generally skip the rest. I have such a love/hate relationship with this epic that I actually used Audacity to cut it down to 13 minutes. I wouldn't think of doing that with any other Spock's Beard song.
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1. Snow
2. The Light
3. V
4. X
5. The Kindness of Strangers
6. Beware of Darkness
7. Feel Euphoria
8. Day for Night
9. Octane
10. Spock's Beard
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Rankings are somewhat fluid in the middle, but:
1. V
2. X
3. The Kindness of Strangers
4. The Light
5. Octane (2 disc ed)
6. Day For Night
7. Spock's Beard
8. Beware of Darkness
9. Snow
10. Feel Euphoria
-
I made a thread about rankings...I've seen it happen with other bands, so I figured it would be okay for Spock's Beard.
Maybe not, though.
-
To expand more on your comments and rankings from above...
-I think Goodbye to Yesterday is the hidden gem on V, and definitely one of the most underrated songs of the Neal era.
-I think both Thoughts (I and II) are good, but vastly overrated by the fanbase as a whole.
-I like the lyrics to Waste Away. And the music has that classic upbeat, catchy prog sound that Neal Morse is so good at.
-I still think Jaws of Heaven and From the Darkness are two of their best songs ever.
-I still hate Surfing Down the Avalanche. It is hard to believe that a band with so many beautiful vocal passages wrote a song with such ugly vocal melodies. On the flip side, NWC and The Planet's Hum are definitely my two favorites from an otherwise mostly average record, and those were the two you didn't care for. Funny how that works out, eh? ;)
-
The Light
X
V
Snow
Octane
The Kindness of Strangers
Beware Of Darkness
Day for night
Spock's beard
Feel Euphoria
-
1. Snow
2. The Light
3. V
4. X
5. The Kindness of Strangers
6. Beware of Darkness
7. Day for Night
8. Feel Euphoria
9. Spock's Beard
10. Octane
Changed the bottom 4 a little bit but basically Kev is about right.
-
Yeah, same here. It's pretty close to what I would come up with. Quite a bummer that all post-Neal save X end up in the bottom quarter.
rumborak
-
Neal-Era:
Snow
The Kindness Of Strangers
Beware Of Darkness
V
The Light
Day For Night
Nick-Era:
X
Octane (Special Edition)
SB
Feel Euphoria
All 10:
5/5:
Snow
X / The Kindness Of Strangers
4.5/5:
Beware Of Darkness
V / Octane (Special Edition)
4/5
The Light
SB
3/5
Day For Night
Feel Euphoria
-Marc.
-
I like the newer stuff because I find Neal Morse's voice so very boring it aches.
-
I made a thread about rankings...I've seen it happen with other bands, so I figured it would be okay for Spock's Beard.
Maybe not, though.
It got merged with this one. Really no need for two separate threads TBH.
-I still think Jaws of Heaven and From the Darkness are two of their best songs ever.
I agree with you on From the Darkness. I've listened to that song more than any other song on that album, and would put it in my top 3 SB songs. Jaws of Heaven is just a little too samey and repetative for me. I prefer Edge of the In-Between and The Emperor's Clothes, and probably Kamikaze as well.
-
1. V
2. X
3. The Light
4. Snow
5. The Kindness of Strangers
6. Day For Night (very underrated, imo)
7. Beware of Darkness
8. Spock's Beard
9. Octane
6&7 were pretty much a tie.
I still need to get Feel Euphoria. I've been holding off since most fans consider it their worst.
-
I made a thread about rankings...I've seen it happen with other bands, so I figured it would be okay for Spock's Beard.
Maybe not, though.
It got merged with this one. Really no need for two separate threads TBH.
I don't really understand why. I've seen multiple threads for a number of bands. I think I remember making an Iron Maiden ranking thread that wasn't moved. There are two Rush threads on page 1 of this forum. I assumed as a matter of consistency a ranking thread was permitted. What's the special case here? Are multiple Spock's Beard threads disallowed, or are ranking threads disallowed? Or are Rush and Iron Maiden the exceptions?
I put a good amount of thought and time into my post, too, so it's frustrating to see it buried.
Not trying to challenge the mods' decision, I'm just genuinely curious so I don't duplicate my mistake. I've moderated before and tend to be a bit peeved when I do things incorrectly, because I try to take special precautions to ensure I don't.
-
1. V
2. X
3. The Light
4. Snow
5. The Kindness of Strangers
6. Day For Night (very underrated, imo)
7. Beware of Darkness
8. Spock's Beard
9. Octane
6&7 were pretty much as tie.
I still need to get Feel Euphoria. I've been holding off since most fans consider it their worst.
It was my first SB album and I still can't really get into it. "Shining Star" is a great song though.
-
I wouldn't take it personally. Album ranking within a band is generally reserved for general band discussion threads, and if you look in this thread people have posted their SB lists in this thread, and the same holds true for other bands. The reason Rush has multiple threads is because Rush generates a lot more discussion than Spock's Beard - aside from the current Rush thread there are old locked and deleted Rush threads that got long - and Kev wanted to start an individual song discussion thread so that there wouldn't be two different discussions going on in the same thread.
-
Top Tier:
The Light/The Kindness Of Strangers/V
Middle Tier:
Beware Of Darkness/Day For Night/Spock's Beard/X
Bottom Tier:
Feel Euphoria/Octane/Snow
-
I still need to get Feel Euphoria. I've been holding off since most fans consider it their worst.
I sure don't. It is definitely better than the two records that came after it. And not that prog archives rankings are the end-all be-all, but Feel Euphoria does rate higher than two SB albums over there (Day for Night and Octane), so the prog fans there do not consider in the worst. ;)
I don't really understand why. I've seen multiple threads for a number of bands. I think I remember making an Iron Maiden ranking thread that wasn't moved. There are two Rush threads on page 1 of this forum. I assumed as a matter of consistency a ranking thread was permitted. What's the special case here? Are multiple Spock's Beard threads disallowed, or are ranking threads disallowed? Or are Rush and Iron Maiden the exceptions?
I put a good amount of thought and time into my post, too, so it's frustrating to see it buried.
Not trying to challenge the mods' decision, I'm just genuinely curious so I don't duplicate my mistake. I've moderated before and tend to be a bit peeved when I do things incorrectly, because I try to take special precautions to ensure I don't.
I understand your frustration, but album rankings like that are almost always confined to the bands' major threads, as opposed to having a separate thread for them. :)
This also sums it up well:
I wouldn't take it personally. Album ranking within a band is generally reserved for general band discussion threads, and if you look in this thread people have posted their SB lists in this thread, and the same holds true for other bands. The reason Rush has multiple threads is because Rush generates a lot more discussion than Spock's Beard - aside from the current Rush thread there are old locked and deleted Rush threads that got long - and Kev wanted to start an individual song discussion thread so that there wouldn't be two different discussions going on in the same thread.
-
Cool. I didn't take it personally but I regret my post cuz it came off that way. Thanks.
-
I was looking at your list Hanyou, and other than Snow they are very similar. Snow just has too much filler and loses my interest not long into the second disc, and because of that I just don't listen to it often. The thing I love about SB's is even what I would consider my least favorite albums are still pretty darn enjoyable, a statement I can't even make about my favorite band, Dream Theater.
-
Snow does meander a bit too much near the end of Disc 2 (the three or four tracks before I Will Go), but the rest of it is still great enough for me to call it their best.
-
Snow does meander a bit too much near the end of Disc 2 (the three or four tracks before I Will Go), but the rest of it is still great enough for me to call it their best.
:tup
-
Top tier: Snow, V
2nd tier: Kindness of Strangers, The Light, Beware of Darkness
3rd Tier: Day For Night, X, Octane
4th tier: SB, Feel Euphoria
I'm looking forward to the new disc. For some reason I could never get into NDV's vocals much. Top two tiers above I listen to regularly. 3rd tier once in a great while. 4th tier on very rare occasion.
-
snowsnowsnowsnowsnow! :heart
-
1: Beware, Kindness, V, Octane, X
2: Day, Spock's
3. Snow, Feel
4. The Light
-
Since we're ranking the Spock's Beard albums here, I guess right now my list would look something like this:
01. The Light
02. X
03. The Kindness of Strangers
04. Beware of Darkness
05. V
06. Snow
07. Day for Night
08. Feel Euphoria
09. Octane
10. Spock's Beard
I'm not sure about Spock's Beard with Ted Leonard as lead vocalist. I really, really struggle with the band Enchant largely because I find the vocals a little too wimpy sounding, but I'm going to try going into SB XI with an open mind.
-
Just re-watched the February studio rehearsal video from SB's facebook page, and the tracking-Jimmy's-drums video as well. Everyone sounds amazing and in top form. The music bits sound VERY Beard-y, and I wonder how much of the new album will have Neal/Al's stuff on it? Hopefully a lot, but I can tell the guys can still write very well on their own. Seriously cannot wait for this album.
-Marc.
-
1: Beware, Kindness, V, Octane, X
2: Day, Spock's
3. Snow, Feel
4. The Light
This is why people say you fail, Nick.
-
1: Beware, Kindness, V, Octane, X
2: Day, Spock's
3. Snow, Feel
5. The Light
This is why people say you fail, Nick.
You're right, I've fixed it for you.
-
DAMMIT NICK
V
Spock's Beard
Snow
Octane
The Light
X
The Kindness of Strangers
Feel Euphoria
Beware of Darkness
Day for Night
-
Calling The Light the worst/your least favorite Spock's Beard album is like saying the same about Rush's Hemispheres or Yes' Relayer. Sure, we all have the right to our personal opinions, but the words "epic fail" definitely come to mind.
-
I love the first two tracks on The Light, but after that...eh. It might be my least favorite SB album.
-
Not a lot of songs in the entire SB catalog can beat the epicness of The Water and hooks in On the edge. Prog rarely gets more perfect than that. :hefdaddy
-
The Water is indeed a great song!!! Probably my favorite "epic" song by SB.
-
The Light is okay. I liked it well enough the first time I heard it, but other than listening to NM sing at people to eff off (at that point, I'd only known his Transatlantic stuff and that his solo career was mainly Christian based, so hearing that for the first time was pretty shocking :lol), there's nothing on it that really makes me go back to it.
-
Despite listing it above DFN, SB and FE, I really did not listen to The Light very often in recent years after I first got into the band. Their 2nd and 3rd albums got a LOT more attention from me, and they are much better than their debut, but I will say they did put out one hell of a debut album, but it's only SO good, but they definitely improved in the following years with tracks like "The Doorway" and "The Good Don't Last" and "Harm's Way".
I think The Light definitely laid the foundation of SB's sound quite well - two multi-parted pieces, a single long song, and the quirky short piece. From there on out, it was a format they would toy with as every album since then (with the exception of Beware Of Darkness) has had a sort of long piece, a multi-parted epic (or two), and many quirky short pieces.
I never gave their debut the credit it deserved due to my lack of attention to it, but I do not think it deserves "omg it's da best evarrrrr" praise. The band did better, and they did worse, but they started off right and continued in the right direction.
-Marc.
-
The FU section of The Water is definitely a bit odd, but the rest of the song is absolute money. For one, Reach for the Sky is an incredible ending, and sounds very unique and not at all like so many of the endings Neal has done since.
And The Light is still the best song SB has ever done, IMO.
-
Nick, have you even HEARD The Light?
The FU section in The Water, while a bit shocking to virgin ears, completely belongs there in context and evelates the song to greater heights.
Top Tier:
The Light/The Kindness Of Strangers/V
Middle Tier:
Beware Of Darkness/Day For Night/Spock's Beard/X
Bottom Tier:
Feel Euphoria/Octane/Snow
-
I really enjoy the FU section in The Water, especially because of what follows. Very honest and very real, it's just as emotional as the rest of the song. I have no idea what Neal was going through, but I recall I read somewhere that he regrets writing these lyrics. Which is no wonder, considering the lyrics he's been writing in the past ten years.
-
Yeah, that section of the song is really very jarring. Here you have Neal literally screaming "FUUUUCCK YOU!!" over and over again, then they follow it with that nice, mellow, finger-picking 4 part harmony section of "I'm so sorry..."
The contrast is wild. The idea was sheer brilliance. I get why he says he regrets it now, but I think it's one of the most clever things he's ever written.
-
If the truth were told, I'd really hate myself
SO FUCK YOU!
-
:lol :metal :lol
-
I need to listen to The Light again. The title track is the best Spock's Beard song. I did go back to V and TKOS recently, and I forgot how much I like SB/Neal Morse.
X was an album I listened to a few times, thought it was good, but haven't gone back to it in months. I'll probably make my way towards it sooner or later.
-
X is worth it just for Jaws of Heaven and From the Darkness, and then other tunes like Edge of the In-Between, The Quiet House and The Man Behind the Curtain just make it that much better. I usually skip over both The Emperor's Clothes and Kamikaze, but neither are bad songs or anything.
-
I still think every song on that album is at least really good. My favorites kinda changed, though, I used to think The Man behind the curtain was the indisputable champion on the album, then From the darkness became my number one. Now my absolute favorite is Jaws of heaven. Edge of the in-between is close behind, though - damn, it took me a looooooooong time to get into that song. ;D
-
I still think every song on that album is at least really good. My favorites kinda changed, though, I used to think The Man behind the curtain was the indisputable champion on the album, then From the darkness became my number one. Now my absolute favorite is Jaws of heaven. Edge of the in-between is close behind, though - damn, it took me a looooooooong time to get into that song. ;D
I think the only song I didn't like at first was "The Quiet House", seemed more repetitive to me than "Jaws Of Heaven", but I've grown to like it. Every song on the album is at least a 4/5, while the opening and closing tracks are 4.5/5 and the epic "From The Darkness" is a 5/5 song.
-Marc.
-
Ive been on a little Spock's Beard kick lately, and after listening to The Light again (great album), I decided to go back to the only post-Neal album I have, "X", and my opinion of it is much better than when I bought it a few months ago. It's a solid album, with some great moments throughout. It still doesn't make me want to get more post-Neal albums just yet, but I like X by itself.
I'm looking to get Beware of Darkness next.
-
I've been really getting into them, they're somewhat more mellow than DT and it's something I've been looking for :D
-
Ive been on a little Spock's Beard kick lately, and after listening to The Light again (great album), I decided to go back to the only post-Neal album I have, "X", and my opinion of it is much better than when I bought it a few months ago. It's a solid album, with some great moments throughout. It still doesn't make me want to get more post-Neal albums just yet, but I like X by itself.
I'm looking to get Beware of Darkness next.
If you like X, definitely look into getting the 2-disc edition of Octane, what I feel is the 2nd best Nick-Era album. After that, if you like what you hear, definitely get the other two. Each have a couple great songs each, but there's also a couple less-than-stellar songs as well, but the multi-part epics are pretty amazing.
-Marc.
-
I've been on a bit of a kick too, lately. Which reminds me that I need to finish listening to Octane. I combined the epic into a single track when I ripped the CD, and I've only listened to that 31 minute(?) song. That was months ago now.
-
I've been on a bit of a kick too, lately. Which reminds me that I need to finish listening to Octane. I combined the epic into a single track when I ripped the CD, and I've only listened to that 31 minute(?) song. That was months ago now.
"A Flash Before My Eyes" is pretty genius, and every part is exciting! It's a wonderful suite and I love the final part. It's very haunting at times.
-Marc.
-
Ive been on a little Spock's Beard kick lately, and after listening to The Light again (great album), I decided to go back to the only post-Neal album I have, "X", and my opinion of it is much better than when I bought it a few months ago. It's a solid album, with some great moments throughout. It still doesn't make me want to get more post-Neal albums just yet, but I like X by itself.
I'm looking to get Beware of Darkness next.
If you like X, definitely look into getting the 2-disc edition of Octane, what I feel is the 2nd best Nick-Era album. After that, if you like what you hear, definitely get the other two. Each have a couple great songs each, but there's also a couple less-than-stellar songs as well, but the multi-part epics are pretty amazing.
-Marc.
I'll look into it. I do want to complete my Neal-era collection first. I have The Light, TKOS, and V. Beware of Darkness sounds like the one to get next.
-
Ya know, There Was a Time is such a great song. Tightly arranged, melodic, fun, and extremely catchy. That song and On a Perfect Day are my two favorite Nick-era tracks.
-
I've been on a bit of a kick too, lately. Which reminds me that I need to finish listening to Octane. I combined the epic into a single track when I ripped the CD, and I've only listened to that 31 minute(?) song. That was months ago now.
"A Flash Before My Eyes" is pretty genius, and every part is exciting! It's a wonderful suite and I love the final part. It's very haunting at times.
-Marc.
Just listened to it for the second time ever thanks two this post. Now that I was actually paying attention to the lyrics, two things:
>That was depressing as hell. Still great though.
>The woman suddenly talking ("wake up" part). I thought someone was actually behind me and freaked the fuck out. Nearly rocketed out of my chair. That was stupid on my end. :lol
Wasn't in the mood to really continue on with the album though. Maybe later tonight.
-
I do want to complete my Neal-era collection first. I have The Light, TKOS, and V. Beware of Darkness sounds like the one to get next.
I'd definitely get all of the Neal-era CDs before getting any of the other post-Neal ones.
-
I'll look into it. I do want to complete my Neal-era collection first. I have The Light, TKOS, and V. Beware of Darkness sounds like the one to get next.
You don't have Beware Of Darkness yet?! Get ON that! Also, definitely get Snow as well. That album is one of my absolute all-time favorites!
Get ALL of the SB albums before SB11 comes around, though!
-Marc.
-
I do want to complete my Neal-era collection first. I have The Light, TKOS, and V. Beware of Darkness sounds like the one to get next.
I'd definitely get all of the Neal-era CDs before getting any of the other post-Neal ones.
-
Ive actually listened to Snow a couple of times, and never made it to the end. It's not that I thought it was bad, but it didn't excite me like his albums usually do. And I have his solo double albums, so it's not the length. I'll probably revisit it eventually. I had checked it out after already getting Neal's 6 solo albums and the those 3 Neal SB albums, so it may have been overload at that point, too. Hopefully sometime this week I'll pick up BOD.
-
Snow is an album I really have to be in the mood for. First off, it's very somber and a little bit ballad-heavy. It's also kind of bloated. I think it was a mistake to make it two CDs because the second disc really have quite a bit of filler (Carrie and Looking for Answers come to mind here).
But with that said it's also got some of the most beautiful and moving music that Neal has ever written on it.
I think his creative zenith with Spock's Beard was probably "V"
-
Ive actually listened to Snow a couple of times, and never made it to the end. It's not that I thought it was bad, but it didn't excite me like his albums usually do. And I have his solo double albums, so it's not the length. I'll probably revisit it eventually. I had checked it out after already getting Neal's 6 solo albums and the those 3 Neal SB albums, so it may have been overload at that point, too. Hopefully sometime this week I'll pick up BOD.
It took me a while to get to the end of Snow too, it's pretty long and as much as I love it I agree with Kirk that there is a bit of filler in there.
-
Okay, time to generate some discussion... Every SB album, with the exceptions of Beware Of Darkness and Snow, have at least one song/suite on it that is made up of numbered movements, sometimes they're tracked at their movements, sometimes they're tracked together. Anyways, here's the list of the songs...
The Light
The Water
The Good Don't Last
Flow
The Healing Colors Of Sound
The Great Nothing
A Guy Named Sid
A Flash Before My Eyes
As Far As The Mind Can See
From The Darkness
Jaws Of Heaven
...now, rank them! I know it's a *bit* arbitrary, but I figured it'd be some fun to talk about these songs. I will have to give it a day or so til I can rank them as I've been diving back into SB's catalog for the last week or so, re-acquainting myself with all the albums.
-Marc.
-
The Water
The Light
Jaws Of Heaven
Flow
From The Darkness
The Good Don't Last
A Flash Before My Eyes
A Guy Named Sid
The Great Nothing
The Healing Colors Of Sound
As Far As The Mind Can See
In tiers. The last four really don't do anything for me, unfortunately.
-
1. The Light - Hands down, the best song the band has ever done, of any length.
2. Jaws of Heaven - A top 5 SB song; possibly top 3. It is that great.
3. Flow - Everything about this song is just awesome. Definitely Alan Morse's best guitar song ever.
4. From the Darkness - I love the ebb and flow of this tune; memorable melodies from start to finish.
5. The Water - As much as people say that Neal's epics sounds samey, this one is unique and very different than what we are used to hearing from him (and not cause of the FU section).
6. The Great Nothing - Has some spectacular sections, but isn't quite the masterpiece that many make it out to be. Still pretty great, though.
7. A Guy Named Sid - Totally underrated suite; the You Don't Know part might be the best section of the entire Feel Euphoria album.
8. The Healing Colors of Sound - The My Shoes reprisal at the end was completely unncessary - the suite should have ended with HCOS Part 2 - but is still pretty enjoyable.
9. The Good Don't Last - I've never thought this song was that great or anything, but I do like it.
10. A Flash Before My Eyes - This sounds more like a bunch of songs stitched together for no reason, rather than a real song or suite; Surfing Down the Avalanche is laughably bad thanks to the atrocious vocal melodies.
11. As Far as the Mind Can See - I haven't heard this in years, but I don't remember much about it. That is a bad sign.
-
Snow is an album I really have to be in the mood for. First off, it's very somber and a little bit ballad-heavy. It's also kind of bloated. I think it was a mistake to make it two CDs because the second disc really have quite a bit of filler (Carrie and Looking for Answers come to mind here).
But with that said it's also got some of the most beautiful and moving music that Neal has ever written on it.
I think his creative zenith with Spock's Beard was probably "V"
I'd agree with V being the top of the mountain. I've always thought Snow was contrived, tense and less "fun" than anything that came before it and in hindsight it easy to see why it played out that way. At least it seems that way for me.
I had a bad feeling about it when it Neal said he wanted to do a concept record instead of letting things happen naturally like they seemed to in the past. I hear tension all over the record, but maybe I'm just hearing things that aren't there.
As far as ranking for these go:
Tier I
The Light
Flow
The Healing Colors Of Sound
The Great Nothing
Tier II
The Water
A Guy Named Sid
Jaws Of Heaven
Tier III
As Far As The Mind Can See
From The Darkness
A Flash Before My Eyes
-
Top albums:
1.V
2.X
3.The Light
Those and Beware of Darkness are the only SB albums I've bought so far. I got Beware of darkness yesterday and haven't listened to it yet.
Top multi-part epics from those albums:
1.Jaws of heaven
2.From The Darkness
3.The Great Nothing
4.The Water
5.The Light
Numbers 2-5. were very hard to rank. They all have so many good moments.
-
Okay, I think I can finally rank the multi-movement songs...
5/5
The Light
The Water
The Great Nothing
From The Darkness
4.5/5
Jaws Of Heaven
The Good Don't Last
The Healing Colors Of Sound
4/5
Flow
A Guy Named Sid
A Flash Before My Eyes
3/5
As Far As The Mind Can See
-Marc.
-
From The Darkness
The Light
The Great Nothing
Flow
The Water
The Good Don't Last
The Healing Colors Of Sound
Jaws Of Heaven
As Far As The Mind Can See
A Guy Named Sid
A Flash Before My Eyes
-
How can you guys rank As Far As The Mind Can See that low?
-
I gave it so many listens and still I don't remember any of it. It's just meh.
-
1. The Good Don't Last
2. The Light
3. The Great Nothing
4. Flow
5. The Healing Colors of Sound
6. A Flash Before My Eyes
7. As Far As the Mind Can See
8. From the Darkness
9. A Guy Named Sid
10. Jaws of Heaven
11. The Water
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How can you guys rank As Far As The Mind Can See that low?
I'm pretty shocked as well, as it's one of my favorites.
Tier I
The Great Nothing
Jaws of Heaven
The Light
Tier II
The Good Don't Last
As Far As the Mind Can See
The Water
Tier III
A Flash Before My Eyes
The Healing Colors of Sound
Flow
From the Darkness
Tier IV
A Guy Named Sid
I think I've only made it through A Guy Named Sid once.
-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzedpxWxb4I&feature=share
Preview of SB11!
-Marc.
-
I listened to X yesterday, and my opinion on it has gone up dramatically. I now consider it one of the better symphonic prog albums of the 2000s/2010s. I think every track is excellent.
-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzedpxWxb4I&feature=share
Preview of SB11!
-Marc.
Sounds good. I just might get this when it comes out.
Is there an official release date?
-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzedpxWxb4I&feature=share
Preview of SB11!
-Marc.
Sounds good. I just might get this when it comes out.
Is there an official release date?
Not yet, tentatively Fall of this year, but it could be Fall or Winter, so we'll see. It'd be exciting if they had this out in September, so we'd have new Neal Morse AND new SB in the same month!
-Marc.
-
The second snippet is a cover version of Ted Leonard's "Submerged" from "Way Home"!
-
The second snippet is a cover version of Ted Leonard's "Submerged" from "Way Home"!
Really? That's more of a re-hash then a cover then, I hope that isn't a sign of lack of creativity on SB's part...
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The second snippet is a cover version of Ted Leonard's "Submerged" from "Way Home"!
Really? That's more of a re-hash then a cover then, I hope that isn't a sign of lack of creativity on SB's part...
Well considering both Stan and John have probably written with the band again, and Al wrote stuff with Neal, I think we can expect a very mixed-bag on this album, at least in terms of who-wrote-what. We'll have music from up to 7 different people, so it'll be interesting to hear how the whole album comes together with so many writers involved.
-Marc.
-
Some of these snippets sound very promising, there are obviously some beautiful prog melodies on the way. I'm really looking forward to hearing all of it. :smiley:
-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzedpxWxb4I&feature=share
Preview of SB11!
-Marc.
Man. I would love SB to be big again. But there was nothing in those 8 minutes that even remotely piqued my interest.
rumborak
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I'm waiting until I have it in my hand to listen to it, whenever that may be.
It's a shame they can't seem to find promoters who want to book them, however.
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The samples were OK. The 1st one sounded really good and the rest were average. I'm still looking forward to the new album but I hope its better than the samples.
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The part with the vocals at the end of the last sample is nice.
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Lack of creativity? Well, considering they have heavily used outside writers since Neal left the band, I think it goes without saying that the band knows that they can't do it all by themselves without Neal, and it will likely be even worse without NDV.
Listening to that clip, no thanks. It doesn't even sound like the same band. Oof.
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So considering the Genesis similarities, will this be Calling All Stations 2? :\
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No, Nick D'Virgilio was on Calling All Stations. :biggrin:
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It doesn't even sound like the same band. Oof.
I disagree, I clearly hear Ryo's keyboard contributions that have been pretty consistent since Neal left, and Al's solo in the final clip just sounds epic, like usual. And his tones and effects are all there. It also helps that Rich is still mixing their albums. And while Jimmy isn't EXACTLY Nick, his style is very similar, and having covered Nick's drum parts for nearly a decade, he's got the sound and style down, so his drumming is very similar.
Ted's voice, for me, is somewhere between Nick's and Neal's, and I cannot wait to hear him cover a wide variety of SB tunes, from BOTH the Nick and Neal eras.
-Marc.
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Well, nothing that blows my mind in there but I still think some of the stuff is interesting. I'm interested in hearing the rest
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The only thing that concerns me here (as I suspected it would) is the lead vocals. Hopefully they'll grow on me. The instrumentation sounds great.
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I disagree, I clearly hear Ryo's keyboard contributions that have been pretty consistent since Neal left, and Al's solo in the final clip just sounds epic, like usual. And his tones and effects are all there.
This. What made me fall in love with Spock's beard in the first place is still going to be present on the new album, at least judging by that clip.
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The only thing that concerns me here (as I suspected it would) is the lead vocals. Hopefully they'll grow on me. The instrumentation sounds great.
This pretty much. I already miss Nick's vocals.
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I thought musically the samples sounded like they could have come from the "X" album. I mean that in a good way, not in a non-original way. The samples definately made me more interested in the new album.
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I really like the vocals. D'Virgilio fit in well with the band but I think Leonard will do a good job. I doubt he'll be as good as Morse though.
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The only thing that concerns me here (as I suspected it would) is the lead vocals. Hopefully they'll grow on me. The instrumentation sounds great.
I'm sure I'll dig it, but I'm with you there Barry. Ted Leonard is just kinda 'meh' for me. Music was ok, but I wasn't :o or anything. Didn't expect to with just tidbits here and there.
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So I got Beware of Darkness last week and listened to it at least 4-5 times by now.
A lot of people said this is one of their best albums, and while I think it's good, and maybe I haven't had the record for long enough; I don't think it's as good as The Light, TKOS, or V; and definitely not as good as most of Neal's solo albums. Hell, I think X is even better than BOD.
But
It's still a great record. The closing epic doesn't seem as grand as other SB/Neal epics. But The Doorway is one of the best Neal/SB songs Ive ever heard. I like the rest of the album, but nothing really grabbed me like other albums.
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I'M JUST AN OLD MAN NOW, I EAT YOUR TRASH!!
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So I got Beware of Darkness last week and listened to it at least 4-5 times by now.
A lot of people said this is one of their best albums, and while I think it's good, and maybe I haven't had the record for long enough; I don't think it's as good as The Light, TKOS, or V; and definitely not as good as most of Neal's solo albums. Hell, I think X is even better than BOD.
But
It's still a great record. The closing epic doesn't seem as grand as other SB/Neal epics. But The Doorway is one of the best Neal/SB songs Ive ever heard. I like the rest of the album, but nothing really grabbed me like other albums.
I agree with everything you said here. Its still a very good album and I love Thoughts and The Doorway but its not one of my favorite SB albums.
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Thoughts is my personal favorite on that album, it just rules. :hefdaddy
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BOD is one of my favorites - the longer songs just scream classic SB/Neal, and the shorter songs are more memorable. I used to rank TKOS over it, but having had BOD for a few years, I've grown to like it more than TKOS. It's also my girlfriend's favorite SB album! :tup
-Marc.
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Walking on the Wind is a classic.
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BOD is alright. Nothing jumps out and grabs me except Thoughts, which is an awesome song.
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BoD is the "worst" of the Neal albums for me, with the exception of Day for Night. Both albums are good, but they're also uneven. Of the Nick albums, I'd take Octane (maybe) and X (definitely) after Beware of Darkness.
I do like the album's sound--it's very similar to The Light sonically, which gives it a sort of nostalgic tone.
The title track is nothing special, and it doesn't help that it's a cover. Why did they do that? It just seems an awkward way to start off your sophomore effort.
Thoughts is fantastic, but not as good as Thoughts pt. 2 would end up being.
The Doorway is a classic, easily one of the best albums ever penned by the band. It's actually the song that got me into them, and the reason that Beware of Darkness (along with V) was my first SB album.
Chataqua is wonderful.
Walking on the Wind is a great song, and this is what I mean when I say that Beware of Darkness carries a similar tone to "The Light." This song sounds like it could have fit just as well on that album. I enjoy it, but it's still only a mid-level song for the Neal era.
Waste Away has a decent melody, but it also has some of the most painfully awkward lyrics I've ever heard from Spock's Beard (that's saying something). Awful lyrics ruin what could have been a good shorter song.
I can't point out anything wrong with Time Has Come, but I've always felt it lacks the immediacy of some of Neal's epics. It almost feels like they were dialing it in after, once again, similar-sounding songs on The Light. That said, it has some beautiful moments and does a good job capturing the quirkiness of the band, so it is a very good song. It has genuinely made me laugh on more than one occasion, at all the right parts. After about 10 listens, I was able to fully enjoy it.
Beware of Darkness is good, but two tracks are throwaways and the others, while good, simply aren't as exceptional as a lot of the other stuff in the band's catalog. V is my favorite Spock's Beard album because it is the most consistent; BoD's inconsistency makes the listening experience just a little less pleasant than it could be. That said, it's still very, very good.
I actually think it's The Kindness of Strangers which ends up a bit underrated. The albums you hear the most about (understandably) are The Light, V, and Snow, but The Kindness of Strangers seems to be the one where their sound really became comfortable. I also think it captures the full range of Neal-era SB's sound. Also, June is one of my favorite ballads. Ever.
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The Kindness of Strangers is my favorite Spock's Beard album. It's so good all the way through, with a lot of really good ideas. Maybe the most fun SB album.
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Why do people rate Day for Night so low? I think it's great...
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Why do people rate Day for Night so low? I think it's great...
I'm with ya. I love that album. Put it higher than most people here do.
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Why do people rate Day for Night so low? I think it's great...
I'm with ya. I love that album. Put it higher than most people here do.
I love it as well.
I was just listening to The Kindness of Strangers earlier and it gets better after every listen. June and The Good Don't Last are 2 of my favorite songs by them.
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Day for Night is really good. It was my first SB album (at the time it was their most recent) and I didn't like it at first, but over time I began to appreciate it. The title track, Gibberish, The Distance to the Sun, My Shoes (Revisited)...that's some great stuff.
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Why do people rate Day for Night so low? I think it's great...
I'm with ya. I love that album. Put it higher than most people here do.
I love it as well.
I was just listening to The Kindness of Strangers earlier and it gets better after every listen. June and The Good Don't Last are 2 of my favorite songs by them.
I'm with you on that. I really like Harm's Way too, especially when it kicks in halfway through with that big keyboard riff in cut time.
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Why do people rate Day for Night so low? I think it's great...
The Gypsy doesn't seem to go anywhere. As shorter songs go, Can't Get it Wrong and Distance to the Sun are comparatively emotionless when stacked up to other similar SB songs (Distace to the Sun really makes me want to listen to June, Goodbye to Yesterday, and Solitary Soul). Skin is a decent pop song, but The Kindness of Strangers outdid it twice over with Cakewalk on Easy Street and Strange World. Gibberish is okay, but Thoughts and Thoughts pt. 2 are more entertaining Gentle Giant-type songs. I consider it the prototype for Thoughts pt. 2.
In short, most of these songs just remind me of better Spock's Beard songs. If Day for Night had been my first SB album, I still don't think I'd be too excited about any of them. Especially Can't Get it Wrong, which is just a mess.
The Healing Colors of Sound is another SB epic that took a looooong time to grow on me. I finally "got it" when listening to Lay it Down and The Healing Colors of Sound, pt. 2 in isolation. Lay it Down is beautiful and The Healing Colors of Sound is a melodic wonder that reminds me of older rock classics. I like it, but as the "big" epic, it's lacking something. Maybe it's too eclectic. Maybe the different parts are too abrupt--they seem to run into each other. Not sure what it is, but it's still good.
I listen to Day for Night for the title track, Crack the Big Sky (not only my favorite on the album, but one of my favorite SB songs ever), and The Healing Colors of Sound. Sometimes I listen to The Gypsy, but it's mediocre so I usually skip it. That's more than half the album I listen to, but I still skip way too many songs to recommend it.
I love it as well.
I was just listening to The Kindness of Strangers earlier and it gets better after every listen. June and The Good Don't Last are 2 of my favorite songs by them.
I always thought it'd be a good starting point for SB. It showcases their melodic side--sometimes I listen to the album when I'm specifically NOT in the mood for prog (the same is true of Snow, for obvious reasons). It's one of the reason I like it. That's not to say it doesn't have some great prog, but melody is so prominent that it doesn't always sound like it.
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My problem with Day for night is that The Healing colors of sound does nothing for me. It's a shame when the epic on the album is actually the album's weakness. I'm also not too crazy about The Gypsy and Can't get it wrong. The first five songs on the album, however, are classic Spock's beard and just a lot of fun - especially Gibberish and Skin.
I had to think about which one I'd rank higher - Beware of darkness or The Kindness of strangers. I decided to go with the latter. Flow is one of their best songs, The Good don't last has a few incredible ideas, and some of the shorter tracks like Cakewalk and In the mouth of madness are very cool. I still don't get June, though, it's just an average ballad to me, and hearing it live didn't help either...
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I still don't get June, though, it's just an average ballad to me, and hearing it live didn't help either...
(https://www.kirksnosehair.com/Portals/0/images/smilies/scratchhead.gif) Does not compute
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I was gonna make a post comparing BOD and TKOS, but I found it hard to come up with proper matches for the shorter tunes. All I had was the following 3:
"The Doorway" VS "Harm's Way"
"Walking On The Wind" VS "The Good Don't Last"
"Time Has Come" VS "Flow"
And in that case, I'd have to give all 3 matches to the BOD tracks. I really do enjoy HW and TGDL, but the other tracks are just slightly better, and in the case of the third match up, it's almost a tie, but I gave the edge to THC.
As for the 4 shorter tracks on each album, I'd say "Thoughts" and "Waste Away" are both better than 3/4ths of the TKOS shorter tracks, with "June" being the one out. I'd take "June" over "Waste Away", and I'd say it's just as good as "Thoughts".
I do agree that opening their sophomore effort with a cover is strange, but I had no idea it was a George Harrison song until a year or two after owning the album (despite it being noted in the liner notes). It's such a good cover, though, and they really take the song in a new direction with the added bits.
To me, the shorter tracks on BOD have more individuality and character than the ones of TKOS. The epics really stand out to me, but the shorter tracks are a bit same-y, although I will give props to their choruses, as they're pretty good. "Cakewalk" and "Strange World" are great pop-prog tunes with hooky choruses, and "Madness" is just crazy!
On BOD, though, I do enjoy how different each of the 4 shorter tracks are - you have a unique cover, the crazy Gentle-Giant-inspired piece, the acoustic guitar solo effort (in the vein of Steve Howe), and a solid rock tune.
I don't know...maybe I'm just over-analyzing things. Both albums are great collections of 7 great songs, and they're BOTH steps up from their debut (which was already amazing as it was!), so both albums pretty much win.
DFN, on the other hand, is a different story. They brought in another side-long epic (which hadn't been done since their first album), and it's good, but it doesn't feel as smooth as "The Water". I think if it had been released as ONE track, rather than indexed into 7, it may have been better received AS an epic, and not viewed as a suite of 6 songs, 2 of which are just repeats/reprises of earlier songs, so really, there's only 4 unique ideas/songs in the epic!
As for the other tracks on DFN, "The Gypsy" and "Crack The Big Sky" stand out to me, as does the title track, but the four shorter songs (again with the four shorter songs!) are a bit hit-or-miss for me. It's almost as if Neal/SB were getting better at the epics but just phoning in the shorter pieces to fill out the album. "Skin" is alright, and "Gibberish" brings back more of that GG-feel, but the other two are just OK in my ears.
I think they found the perfect balance on V, crafting 2 wonderful epics, and 4 well-thought-out shorter songs (again, four!). V is one of their best albums, and probably the one I would recommend to new fans the most. There's pop, prog, rock, epics, ballads, everything! And, for me, each track is familiar after many listens. I don't go "How'd that song go again?" because each one has character and stands out among it's fellow album-mates.
-Marc.
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I always think of Healing Colors of Sound as more a suite than an epic. Not just because it's tracked that way, but also because it feels like "here's a song, here's a song, here's a song". :P
By the way, I love Neal's goofy food references. Gravy, Pizza Pockets, Mello Yello, Mustard... and so forth.
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He drinks his milk with Tabasco.
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Yes. Yes he does. :coolio
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Speaking of Spock's Beard, I'm really excited about the upcoming album. I bought a couple of Enchant albums, and really like Ted's vocals. Enchant is a little harder to really get into, I'm not sure the song writing is as strong as with SB.... So pretty much high expectations for SB + Ted Leonard, an automatic buy (as would any SB album, but especially this one!). I'm probably in the minority, but I wasn't a big fan of Nick's vocals... and that plays into my excitement of a change.
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I really liked Nick's vocals. Ted's talented, but I'm not really a fan of his voice. I'll give him a chance, though.
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Any updates for SB11? Like album title or whatnot?
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Update from today (via their Facebook page) - they are preparing for their gig in Germany:
Day#3 of Spock's rehearsals begin in just a few hours. No video .. (yet). However, I've done a little asking on and, let's see if everyone's wishes can come true (hopefully). No promises. Although, I can tell you this: Rehearsals are going extremely well! Ted is just as amazing as ever. No! He's even more amazing and, the perfect fit for The Beard in every way! As for Jimmy .. (well) .. If you don't know Mr. Keegan by now, all I can say is look out!! NO one else could have been so .. (well) .. Perfect, as well! So, stay tuned, stay SpROCKed and, Alan, Dave, Ryo, Ted and Jimmy SO look forward to seeing all of you who will be at the "Night of the Prog" Festival in Sankt Goarshausen, Germany this coming Saturday (07•07). That's it for now. Have a great day! Cheers, ~Sonya ♬
https://www.facebook.com/spocksbeard/posts/10150986927033168?notif_t=feed_comment_reply
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Not a much of a fan of Snow myself, but this might interest anyone in the New England area on VERY short notice.
https://www.genesystheater.com/
Genesys Theater is dedicated to producing extraordinary theatrical productions with an edge. Our musicals push the envelope in terms of content, themes, and are definitely not the norm. You won't see anything else like this in the area.
Contact us at rick@genesystheater.com or info@genesystheater.com
Tickets are now on sale for SNOW: the modern opera. Go to https://www.vendini.com/ticket-software.html?e=52c8b35f2de18edf5d01a1450d03bc9b&t=tix to reserve your tickets!
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Gotta say, I was actually tempted since I like the album quite a bit. But, Nashua NH is an hour drive away for me, and driving that long for essentially a giant allusion to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ with the good stuff (the music) most likely just being played over the speakers between scenes, I have to skip.
rumborak
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Damn. I'm 30 minutes away from Nashua.
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From their website:
"Look for a new live Spock’s Beard DVD and extensive European tour in early 2012, followed by our 11th studio release sometime in the summer!"
Hey guys, sorry to tell you this, but one festival in German does not an "extensive European tour" make. Ho hum. >:(
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Give them a break, it's gonna happen at some point.
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Saturday at Night of the Prog they played two new songs, titled 'Submerged' and 'Something Very Strange', very good stuff!
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Saturday at Night of the Prog they played two new songs, titled 'Submerged' and 'Something Very Strange', very good stuff!
Awesome! :tup "Something Very Strange" was heard in the preview clip they posted from in-the-studio way back in February or March, when they were writing/recording the new album! Can't wait for it.
-Marc.
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Isn't "Submerged" part of "The Great Nothing"?
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Yes, it is, but Ted explicitly said it was a new song they played as a special thing for the show. He said they would do two and also said the song was called Submerged, but now you made me think, I might have heard it wrong.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTWfaEX5G8A (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTWfaEX5G8A) - Submerged
Aceee, it was my favourite clip from the teaser and it's great!
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That's where I was! :)
Holy shit, the guy that filmed that must have been almost right in front of me, that looks so much as where I stood.
Also, The setlist from that show (https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/spocks-beard/2012/freilichtbuhne-loreley-st-goarshausen-germany-73df5229.html)
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTWfaEX5G8A (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTWfaEX5G8A) - Submerged
Aceee, it was my favourite clip from the teaser and it's great!
That sounds pretty awesome! Although I am saddened that Ted says the new album won't come out until early NEXT year. I was hoping it would be out before the end of the year. A shame...oh well. At least I'll have new Marillion and Neal Morse this fall to tide me over until the New Year!
-Marc.
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WHAT? Why is the release date being pushed back to 2013? I thought they said it would be out in the fall. Oh well, yea, at least there will be a new Neal Morse in September (maybe that's why it was pushed back?).
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Submerged sounds great. I think I read somewhere that it was originally a Ted Leonard solo song.
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WHAT? Why is the release date being pushed back to 2013? I thought they said it would be out in the fall. Oh well, yea, at least there will be a new Neal Morse in September (maybe that's why it was pushed back?).
The new Neal Morse album could be a factor. It's a crowded market, and less and less people are buying albums these days. You need a good, solid 6 months of pre-release promotion to get the word out and build, um, Momentum :P
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I can't believe they played a show and sang it all in German, that's whack man... :p
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An update from Dave Meros on the SB message boards:
As far as I know the CD will be offered two ways: as a regular edition containing a single CD and also as a Special Edition with a second CD containing bonus tracks.
When we finally get around to offering our preorder Limited Edition on spocksbeard.com, we will be offering the two CD version with an extra bonus track that won't be on the worldwide label release Special Edition. In other words, if you order from us directly once our preorder goes live you'll get the CD a month earlier than everybody else in the world AND you'll get an extra track as well. There will also be a few extra pages in the booklet of our Limited Edition, and those pages will be explained once our preorder gets posted to our website.
Right now we're looking at the end of January for our preordered Limited Editions to be shipped, and the end of February for the label release.
We are also beginning to organize a Europe tour in April.
To answer your songwriting question, yes, Neal co-wrote two songs with Al.
End of January for a shipment... soooo Pre-orders in the next two weeks?! Please?!
A 2-CD set?! SWEET! Will this be like Octane, with the main album being about 50-55 minutes long, or will it be another full-fledged 80-minute full album, and THEN a bonus disc with more music?!
I cannot wait to see what the track list/track-times will be for this album! Hoping more info comes our way in the coming days/weeks!!!
-Marc.
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So I was looking at iPod two nights ago, going through my album playlists for Spock's Beard and noticed all the studio albums had at least 100 full plays except two - The Light and Feel Euphoria, so in an effort to get reacquainted with the debut album, I've been listening to it a lot lately, as well as their first live album The Beard Is Out There (which features all four tracks from their debut).
It's amazing how well formulated the music is on their debut, thanks to Neal (and Al), but it's such a STRONG debut, too. I was pleasantly surprised how fresh the music still is to my ears and I am glad to be listening to it again.
-Marc.
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The only downside to "The Light" is it kinda sounds like a home demo production-wise. But yeah, the music is definitely stellar
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The only downside to "The Light" is it kinda sounds like a home demo production-wise. But yeah, the music is definitely stellar
It doesn't sound THAT bad to my ears... do you have the reissue from InsideOut (with the cardboard slip-case)? I wonder if anything was done to remaster that version compared to the original releases. When I first got into SB, the first three albums had been repackaged/reissued by InsideOut, so those are the only ones I've ever had. DFN/V/Snow hadn't been repackaged with bonus tracks/demos/edits quite yet, so I owned the originals of those until the reissues came out (then I gave the originals to my girlfriend).
-Marc.
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I just heard the song "The Light" during my roulette and it was epic.
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The Light is one of their best songs, and Go the Way You Go is also really good. The other two tracks on the album have their moments but are weaker overall. The band was still kind of finding their way.
I feel that The Kindness of Strangers is the album where the SB sound really clicked.
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The Morse part of Spocks discography is spotless, in my opinion. Not a weak moment. Favorite epic is "The Great Nothing", it blows me away every time. Morse is the ultimate epic-master, really.
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I just heard the song "The Light" during my roulette and it was epic.
Yes, yes it is! :tup
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The only downside to "The Light" is it kinda sounds like a home demo production-wise. But yeah, the music is definitely stellar
It doesn't sound THAT bad to my ears... do you have the reissue from InsideOut (with the cardboard slip-case)? I wonder if anything was done to remaster that version compared to the original releases. When I first got into SB, the first three albums had been repackaged/reissued by InsideOut, so those are the only ones I've ever had. DFN/V/Snow hadn't been repackaged with bonus tracks/demos/edits quite yet, so I owned the originals of those until the reissues came out (then I gave the originals to my girlfriend).
-Marc.
They did remaster the reissues of that one as well as "Beware of Darkness" and "The Kindness of Strangers." I think the remasters sound better, but the improvement is marginal at best. They essentially added some bass and treble and got rid of some noise.
Great music on all of those early albums, just not stuff that was being supported with gigantic record label budgets and so it is what it is.
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The only downside to "The Light" is it kinda sounds like a home demo production-wise. But yeah, the music is definitely stellar
It doesn't sound THAT bad to my ears... do you have the reissue from InsideOut (with the cardboard slip-case)? I wonder if anything was done to remaster that version compared to the original releases. When I first got into SB, the first three albums had been repackaged/reissued by InsideOut, so those are the only ones I've ever had. DFN/V/Snow hadn't been repackaged with bonus tracks/demos/edits quite yet, so I owned the originals of those until the reissues came out (then I gave the originals to my girlfriend).
-Marc.
The did remaster the reissues of that one as well as "Beware of Darkness" and "The Kindness of Strangers." I think the remasters sound better, but the improvement is marginal at best. They essentially added some bass and treble and got rid of some noise.
Great music on all of those early albums, just not stuff that was being supported with gigantic record label budgets and so it is what it is.
Ah okay. I've always wanted to get the original versions of the first three albums to A/B them with the remasters...and just to be completist about their Discography :lol
Either way, I'm glad they remastered them, even if the results were, as you say, marginal at best. To me, the remaster/reissue of The Light sounds pretty solid to me, and as good as any debut album from a fledgling prog band in the early 90's.
-Marc.
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Maybe I'm insane, but I always thought The Light sounded awesome.
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I like the sound of The Light. Sure, it sounds a little raw, but it sounds very clear and it is easy to hear all of the instruments. This is a contrast to the next two albums, both of which sound a bit noisy at times, especially The Kindness of Strangers during the more rocking parts. V is when their sound got really good from a mixing and engineering standpoint.
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The only downside to "The Light" is it kinda sounds like a home demo production-wise. But yeah, the music is definitely stellar
It doesn't sound THAT bad to my ears... do you have the reissue from InsideOut (with the cardboard slip-case)? I wonder if anything was done to remaster that version compared to the original releases. When I first got into SB, the first three albums had been repackaged/reissued by InsideOut, so those are the only ones I've ever had. DFN/V/Snow hadn't been repackaged with bonus tracks/demos/edits quite yet, so I owned the originals of those until the reissues came out (then I gave the originals to my girlfriend).
-Marc.
The did remaster the reissues of that one as well as "Beware of Darkness" and "The Kindness of Strangers." I think the remasters sound better, but the improvement is marginal at best. They essentially added some bass and treble and got rid of some noise.
Great music on all of those early albums, just not stuff that was being supported with gigantic record label budgets and so it is what it is.
Ah okay. I've always wanted to get the original versions of the first three albums to A/B them with the remasters...and just to be completist about their Discography :lol
Either way, I'm glad they remastered them, even if the results were, as you say, marginal at best. To me, the remaster/reissue of The Light sounds pretty solid to me, and as good as any debut album from a fledgling prog band in the early 90's.
-Marc.
There are definitely worse sounding debut albums - WDADU comes to mind :|
When you consider the budget and the fact that (if I remember correctly) most of the tracks were recorded on a 4 or 8 track DAT in Neal's bedroom, it's a pretty remarkable accomplishment :hat
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The Light sounds decent, but it's still their worst sounding album. I've never heard the remaster.
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I actually prefer the original to the remaster of The Light.
Generally, I prefer the warmer tones that the remaster has, but The Light is such a punk record that I prefer the edge of the original.
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I enjoy the rawness of The Light. If the music is so oldschool, let the sound itself get some of that vibe. :smiley:
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Here's something I like to do that sparks up conversation regarding a band's whole studio discography.
EVENS vs ODDS
This works very well with discographies with even-numbered studio albums. So here it is with SB...
ODDS:
The Light
The Kindness Of Strangers
V
Feel Euphoria
Spock's Beard
EVENS:
Beware Of Darkness
Day For Night
Snow
Octane
X
Now for me, this is almost a no-brainer - the Evens. BOD, Snow, Octane and X are four of my favorite SB albums, and DFN is pretty good too. The ODDS, for me, suffer a bit from having FE and the s/t album, and the not-as-great-as-what-would-come debut, but having V and TKOS make it so the Odds at least stand a bit of a chance.
Unfortunately, I love Snow waaaaaaaaaaaay too much, as well as Octane, and their last album was just stellar.
-Marc.
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Odds, just barely. It's got my two favorite SB albums, TKOS and V, and my favorite Nick era album, the self-titled.
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I'm with ya Marc. FE and s/t are (for me) their weakest two. Meanwhile, Snow and DfN are my two favorite.
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What's wrong with the s/t? I really like it. Then again, I'm not a fan of Day for Night at all. I think I'll have to go with the ODDS, but it's very close.
If I had to rank all of the albums, it would be something like this;
1. V
2. X
3. The Light
4. Spock's Beard
5. Beware of Darkness
6. Octane
7. Snow
8. The Kindness of Strangers
9. Feel Euphoria
10. Day for Night
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I'm familiar with all the albums except for FE and I like them all but I'm going with odds. V and The Kindness of Strangers are my 2 favorite SB albums, followed very closely by The Light and X, so this one was easy for me.
-
ODDS:
The Light = 2nd favorite
The Kindness Of Strangers = 5th favorite
V = 3rd favorite
Feel Euphoria = 7th favorite
Spock's Beard = 10th favorite
EVENS:
Beware Of Darkness = 6th favorite
Day For Night = 8th favorite
Snow = 1st favorite
Octane = 9th favorite
X = 4th favorite
Looks like the Odds takes it for me. :corn
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From Facebook:
OK, Spock's Beard Fans!! You know that moment you have all been waiting for?? Well, time has come! Yep, that's right! The long anticipated, brand new 11th studio album by SPOCK'S BEARD is nearing its completion and the Limited Edition is scheduled for a March 01, 2013 shipping date. We will begin taking pre-orders for the Limited Edition beginning TOMORROW ~ FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012!!
Complete details will be posted tomorrow when the pre-sale actually begins on the band's official website at SpocksBeard.com. Also, stay tuned to the band's official Facebook page as-well-as Twitter where we will be posting the details there, too.
Meanwhile, get those credit cards ready, clean out your piggy bank or take out a loan! 'Cause you're going to LOVE what we've got for you this time around!! So, see ya tomorrow and, thank you all in advance!! ~s
They also posted the clips that were released in the Spring. One of the comments notes that the sample at 2:16 sounds like it may be Thoughts Part 3.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DzedpxWxb4I
I hope more samples are released soon.
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This will be the best birthday present ever, March 1st! Cannot wait to pre-order this tomorrow! :metal :metal :metal
-Marc.
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No pre-orders up yet, but it's pretty early.
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/a little off topic
Ted Leonard looks so much like Breakfast Club era Judd Nelson...
(https://s017.radikal.ru/i424/1211/4f/7b8e4cf3990e.jpg)
(https://s019.radikal.ru/i636/1211/99/b5ab4d754988.jpg)
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No pre-orders up yet, but it's pretty early.
Pre-orders are now up! Check out the band's home page for links to more info. There's tons of options, ranging from $10 to $20,000!!! (Yes, seriously - CHECK IT OUT!)
-Marc.
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So, who's getting the drumkit?
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Preorders just started, the album will be called Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep, and here are some samples:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rcnpG6Yx1E&feature=share
Loving the title. The samples sound great and different in some places to what I'm used to hear from Spock's beard, but that probably has to do with the fact the band has a new vocalist and it sounds like a different band all of a sudden. I'm looking forward to it nevertheless and I'm extremely curious and excited to hear what they came up with.
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Yeah, just ordered my special edition
:hat
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/a little off topic
Ted Leonard looks so much like Breakfast Club era Judd Nelson...
(https://s017.radikal.ru/i424/1211/4f/7b8e4cf3990e.jpg)
(https://s019.radikal.ru/i636/1211/99/b5ab4d754988.jpg)
:lol totally!
Also, someone needs to hip Al Morse to how to make a proper band pic face. Also, what's with the shirt? It's like everyone else got the memo that it was a band pic but Al thought they were shooting for their Christmas card or something.
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Also, someone needs to hip Al Morse to how to make a proper band pic face. Also, what's with the shirt? It's like everyone else got the memo that it was a band pic but Al thought they were shooting for their Christmas card or something.
I'm more concerned about the drummer. I bet he's a great guy, but he's disturbingly non-photogenic.
And back to the music - samples sound great.
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Nah Jimmy's cool, he's just a bald Hobbit.
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Pre-ordered signed copy w/T-Shirt
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wow, I'm refreshingly surprised by how good those samples sound! Even though, in a way it almost sounds like Enchant.
This may be premature, but if this new album even ends up being decent, if not addictive, this could one of if not the biggest comeback story of 2013. I really almost never expected to love Spock's again, but my love of Enchant might totally lift that idea.
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Preordered the CD!! WOOT!
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I went with the Digital Download (so I can get the album ASAP, and in high quality, no less!) and the Signed CD + T-Shirt option as well. I *thought* about getting the $150 package with the picture/name in the booklet, but considering the number of high-priority purchases I'll be making in the first 3-5 months of 2013 alone, I'll need to budget my money!
-Marc.
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Dang, I'll have to be careful with these samples, I'm listening to them way too much. I'm just speechless, way to go Spocks! This sounds really, REALLY good. :hefdaddy
2013 is going to be quite a prog year. :smiley:
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I have a feeling that someone from this forum will buy the drumset. :lol
Anyway, what's up with the band, selling out all their instruments? Is this their last album or are they just in need of some money?
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I have a feeling that someone from this forum will buy the drumset. :lol
Anyway, what's up with the band, selling out all their instruments? Is this their last album or are they just in need of some money?
Well, they need the money to pay off their studio time required to finish the album, so I guess trying to sell some instruments was a good way to try and entice fans to help them finish their quota. And less than 2 days into the campaign, they've raised over half of the required cost of $25,000!
-Marc.
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Damn, if only I had the cash for that Ric.
-
As an update to the Fundraising for SB11, someone has bought 1 of 3 Cymbals, and others have bought the Korg CX-3 from Ryo and the Rickenbacker from Dave!!! Still waiting for someone to bite on Jimmy's drums...
Also, SB's debut album The Light will soon be available on VINYL for the FIRST TIME EVER:
https://www.radiantrecords.com/products/430-spocks-beard-the-light-black-2lp.aspx
There's also a special limited edition RED vinyl, only 10 copies will be made, priced at $100 each, so get one NOW if you want one!!!
-Marc.
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Got me the digital download.
Props to the band for properly adjusting to the social media age and fan-funding.
-
(https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/542045_10151302683253168_880555223_n.jpg)
I hope the music is as good as the cover!
-
Cool !!!
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AWESOME cover for BNADS (or BN&DS...or BNDS). I kind of like BNADS for an abbreviation, though.
Anyways, love the feel of the cover, and the use of their SB logo!
-Marc.
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Cover is amazing. I like muchly.
-
Great stuff, can't wait!
-
Man, everything about this album so far is promising, even the album cover. It's great to see a nice colorful cover after the simplicity of their previous two covers. Spock's Beard, to me, is the band with the best album covers ever, right next to yes. The Light, Feel euforia, V, Snow, Day for night, Octane, and now this - awesome stuff indeed.
-
My excitement and anticipation continues to build.
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Reminds me a bit of the Feel Euphoria album cover
(https://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ1av8TBNa8csUIy42GkIMVuYjllKEM_PHN6t7kkXcCm9GtQr25hFVq-qHZXw)
-
Now that cover is nice (FE)
-
Agreed - Blue is a good color for Spock's Beard! :tup
-Marc.
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I need to get back in the SB groove.
Although I have heard bits and pieces, I pretty much stopped listening when NM left. All the NM-era albums are brilliant, IMO. I broke out "V" this morning for the drive to work and was just singing along all the way in...love it.
I love Ted in Enchant, so I need to check this out.
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Just realized that the new album's artwork is by the same guy who did SB's Snow. Neal Morse's Sola Scriptura and Enchant's Juggling 9 Or Dropping 10! Awesome!
-Marc.
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I need to get back in the SB groove.
Although I have heard bits and pieces, I pretty much stopped listening when NM left. All the NM-era albums are brilliant, IMO. I broke out "V" this morning for the drive to work and was just singing along all the way in...love it.
I love Ted in Enchant, so I need to check this out.
X is fantastic, and I actually like it more than some of the Morse-era albums. Jaws of Heaven alone is worth the price of admission, but The Edge of the In-Between and The Quiet House are also among their best. Every other song on the album is good, too.
I like all their albums, but X's quality surprised me. It was so good that I won't be too disappointed if I don't like this next one as much.
It might be a good place to start.
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I need to get back in the SB groove.
Although I have heard bits and pieces, I pretty much stopped listening when NM left. All the NM-era albums are brilliant, IMO. I broke out "V" this morning for the drive to work and was just singing along all the way in...love it.
I love Ted in Enchant, so I need to check this out.
X is fantastic, and I actually like it more than some of the Morse-era albums. Jaws of Heaven alone is worth the price of admission, but The Edge of the In-Between and The Quiet House are also among their best. Every other song on the album is good, too.
I like all their albums, but X's quality surprised me. It was so good that I won't be too disappointed if I don't like this next one as much.
It might be a good place to start.
X is certainly amazing, and a great way for Nick to close out his career with SB! I'm just happy that I'll be able to hear Nick drum with Big Big Train from now til the foreseeable future!
And I predict BNADS will be as great as X or maybe even better, considering that of the 8 songs released on X, only ONE was credited to Nick ("From The Darkness"), while the rest of the 7 songs were written by the rest of the band (and their fellow song-writing friends). Also, Al got some brotherly love from Neal for this album, so I expect to hear a bit more of Neal's touch on the BNADS.
I have pretty high hopes for the album, especially after the various samples that they have released, I'm sure they will release an album that will be a huge contender for AOTY for 2013!!!
-Marc.
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From FB:
Disc One
1. Hiding Out (T. Leonard) - 7:13
2. I Know Your Secret (D. Meros, J. Boegehold) - 7:40
3. A Treasure Abandoned (J. Boegehold, A. Morse) - 8:53
4. Submerged (T. Leonard) - 4:57
5. Afterthoughts (A. Morse, N. Morse, T. Leonard) - 6:08
6. Something Very Strange (J. Boegehold) - 8:23
7. Waiting For Me (A. Morse, N. Morse) - 12:36
Disc Two (special edition only)
1. The Man You’re Afraid You Are (A. Morse, S. Ausmus) - 7:11
2. Down A Burning Road (J. Boegehold, A. Morse) - 6:51
3. Wish I Were Here (A. Morse) - 6:33
4. Something Very Strange / Sanctified Remix - 5:09
limited edition bonus track:
5. Postcards From Perdition (J. Boegehold) - 4:27
-
Why even buy the one-disc edition? I'm not missing out on 5 songs.
-
From FB:
Disc One
1. Hiding Out (T. Leonard) - 7:13
2. I Know Your Secret (D. Meros, J. Boegehold) - 7:40
3. A Treasure Abandoned (J. Boegehold, A. Morse) - 8:53
4. Submerged (T. Leonard) - 4:57
5. Afterthoughts (A. Morse, N. Morse, T. Leonard) - 6:08
6. Something Very Strange (J. Boegehold) - 8:23
7. Waiting For Me (A. Morse, N. Morse) - 12:36
Disc Two (special edition only)
1. The Man You’re Afraid You Are (A. Morse, S. Ausmus) - 7:11
2. Down A Burning Road (J. Boegehold, A. Morse) - 6:51
3. Wish I Were Here (A. Morse) - 6:33
4. Something Very Strange / Sanctified Remix - 5:09
limited edition bonus track:
5. Postcards From Perdition (J. Boegehold) - 4:27
Just saw this earlier. Interesting to note:
There's a REMIX of a song on the bonus disc, something that is new for SB!
The song "Afterthoughts" might be the next installment in the "Thoughts" series of songs! Clever titling!
None of the songs (so far) don't have any listed movements, so this might be the first album since Snow to have a song without movements (the only other one having been Beware Of Darkness).
Speaking of the songs, they're all relatively long, 8 songs in the 6-9 minute range, but only one over 10, and only 2 in the 5-minute area.
All the music, total, is 85:58 long, and without the remix, 80:52. Just a LITTLE over a CD-R's length. Might have to over-burn a CD-R to get it all on to ONE disc, unless that remix is a good remix!
Anyways, great track list, and I cannot wait to get this even more, now! I wonder if there will be a vinyl?
Side 1 - 14:53
1. Hiding Out - 7:13
2. I Know Your Secret - 7:40
Side 2 - 19:58
3. A Treasure Abandoned - 8:53
4. Submerged - 4:57
5. Afterthoughts - 6:08
Side 3 - 20:59
6. Something Very Strange - 8:23
7. Waiting For Me - 12:36
Side 4 - 25:44
8. The Man You’re Afraid You Are - 7:11
9. Down A Burning Road - 6:51
10. Wish I Were Here - 6:33
11. Something Very Strange / Sanctified Remix - 5:09
-Marc.
-
From FB:
Disc One
1. Hiding Out (T. Leonard) - 7:13
2. I Know Your Secret (D. Meros, J. Boegehold) - 7:40
3. A Treasure Abandoned (J. Boegehold, A. Morse) - 8:53
4. Submerged (T. Leonard) - 4:57
5. Afterthoughts (A. Morse, N. Morse, T. Leonard) - 6:08
6. Something Very Strange (J. Boegehold) - 8:23
7. Waiting For Me (A. Morse, N. Morse) - 12:36
Disc Two (special edition only)
1. The Man You’re Afraid You Are (A. Morse, S. Ausmus) - 7:11
2. Down A Burning Road (J. Boegehold, A. Morse) - 6:51
3. Wish I Were Here (A. Morse) - 6:33
4. Something Very Strange / Sanctified Remix - 5:09
limited edition bonus track:
5. Postcards From Perdition (J. Boegehold) - 4:27
I was very pleased to see Neal's name attached to a couple of these songs. I admittedly have not listen to a new Spock's Beard CD since Feel Euphoria, but I am thinking about picking up everything after that just to see what I have been missing.
-
"X" is the best. I think it stands head and shoulders above the rest of the post-Neal material. The self-titled album was a bit dull I thought. "Octane" was decent and "Feel Euphoria" had its moments, but every track on "X" is either good or great.
-
Here's my dark secret...X is my least favorite post-Neal album. Partly because it doesn't have a song that wows me like Ghosts of Autumn, There Was a Time, and On a Perfect Day do. Self-titled is my favorite Nick album.
EDIT: Oh, that new album track listing is interesting. Only one song with a Meros writing credit is unusual, plus a couple songs written entirely by Boegehold.
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Here's my dark secret...X is my least favorite post-Neal album. Partly because it doesn't have a song that wows me like Ghosts of Autumn, There Was a Time, and On a Perfect Day do. Self-titled is my favorite Nick album.
EDIT: Oh, that new album track listing is interesting. Only one song with a Meros writing credit is unusual, plus a couple songs written entirely by Boegehold.
Self-titled is my favorite Nick album, by a long range. I never really got into X, no matter how hard I tried. Octane was pretty cool, and I seem to be a rarity around these parts in that I find Feel Euphoria to be a bloody disaster of an album.
-
I dunno, I think I'm in the minority because I like Feel Euphoria. The only song I don't like is the title track. The album is kind of brazen and shows a band trying to find their way again, but it's endearing in a way.
-
EDIT: Oh, that new album track listing is interesting. Only one song with a Meros writing credit is unusual, plus a couple songs written entirely by Boegehold.
Also what's weird is that there's no writing credits for Ryo Okumoto, who has had at least one on every album since Neal left. He had 2 on FE, 3 on Octane, and 1 each on SB and X.
As for Meros, he had 1 on FE, 6 on Octane, 5 on SB, and 4 on X.
And while I'm at it, Al had 4 on FE, 5 on Octane, 1 on SB, and 3 on X. So it seems like at one point or another, Ryo, Al and Dave all had only 1 writing credit on an album, although it still boggles my mind that Ryo doesn't have one on BNADS! I was hoping for another killer instrumental or maybe a touching piano ballad, but we'll see...
I am glad to see Ted having 3 writing credits on this album, though, although I believe "Submerged" was a tune he had written and recorded before joining SB, but I suppose they liked it enough to include on this new album?
And I might as well finish my tallies:
Boegehold: 4 on FE, 11 on Octane, 6 on SB, 4 on X, and 5 on BNADS
Ausmus: 2 on FE, 1 on Octane, 2 on SB, 1 on X, and only 1 on BNADS
-Marc.
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"X" is the best. I think it stands head and shoulders above the rest of the post-Neal material. The self-titled album was a bit dull I thought. "Octane" was decent and "Feel Euphoria" had its moments, but every track on "X" is either good or great.
This man...he is very wise.
The posts that followed almost gave me an aneurysm.
-
Wow, quite a lot of credits went to Boegehold and Leonard. Yet the samples sound unmistakeably like Spock's beard. We'll see how this works out, I'm liking the track lengths and titles.
-
I do very much like X and FE out of the post Neal stuff (including the FE title track. It's so different), but yeah, I'm looking forward to this.
-
https://www.burningshed.com/store/progressive/multiproduct/99/3513/
Looks like Burning Shed is selling the vinyl version of SB's new album! :tup
Side 1:
1. Hiding Out (7:13)
2. I Know Your Secret (7:40)
3. A Treasure Abandoned (8:53)
Side 2:
1. Submerged (4:57)
2. Afterthoughts (6:08)
3. Something Very Strange (8:23)
Side 3:
1. Waiting For Me (12:36)
2. The Man You're Afraid You Are (7:11)
Side 4:
1. Down A Burning Road (6:51)
2. Wish I Were Here (6:33)
3. Something Very Strange / Sanctified (Remix) (5:09)
Plus the entire album in CD format (in a transparent plastic sleeve) as a bonus.
Also, they note the following:
Spock's Beard's first album in three years sees Ted Leonard and Jimmy Keegan make their studio debuts for the band and Neal Morse making a welcome return (as co-writer on two of the album's key tracks).
A typically complex marriage of old and new Prog, Brief Nocturnes offers the Gentle Giant influenced Afterthoughts, the Rock anthem Submerged and the sprawling Waiting For Me.
The album is available as a limited mediabook edition double cd and double vinyl (featuring the two cd discs in a transparent plastic sleeve)
Pre-order for March 25th release.
Now I am even MORE convinced that "Afterthoughts" is really "Thoughts Part 3" in disguise.
-Marc.
-
Damn having paid a grand of tax last week in a big lump. I want that right now.
-
Still working on weaving my way through the SB discography... Love the first 3.
and since I should stop ranting and raving to Blob in the chat thread I will rant about it here... saw Ryo playing with a sort of "local legends" bar band last night... they played a variety of classic rock and funk covers... Ryo is a crazy sonofabitch! Totally made my night too... my buddy's band kinda opened for the main band and played during their break... and Ryo jumped in at the last mninute and they played Walking on the Wind.
Fuck me I am slowly getting more and more hooked on SB
-
Still working on weaving my way through the SB discography... Love the first 3.
:tup Enjoy it, man. IMO, they have one of the most consistent discographies out there.
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Still working on weaving my way through the SB discography... Love the first 3.
:tup Enjoy it, man. IMO, they have one of the most consistent discographies out there.
I wholeheartedly agree with this. They're really great, even after Neal left the band!
Also, someone from ProgressiveEars posted on Ted's FB asking about "Afterthoughts" and Ted pretty much revealed that it really is "Thoughts Part 3", so I'm glad they kept the song and a relatively clever title on the new album! Now... the question remains - who will release "Thoughts Part 4"???
-Marc.
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Now... the question remains - who will release "Thoughts Part 4"???
Transatlantic maybe?
-
Now... the question remains - who will release "Thoughts Part 4"???
Transatlantic maybe?
Don't even joke... :lol
That would be pretty epic, mostly because Neal would arrange ALL FOUR of them to do vocals, and it would be awesome. Also, TA *are* set to record an album this year, so... that would be cool, but I highly doubt he'd do another "Thoughts" so soon after 3 and 5 have been released.
-Marc.
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Somebody please explain "Thoughts" to me. I know of parts 1 and 2... and obviously Afterthoughts is part of it... but 3 & 5? I'm so lost ???
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Somebody please explain "Thoughts" to me. I know of parts 1 and 2... and obviously Afterthoughts is part of it... but 3 & 5? I'm so lost ???
Part 1 is on Beware of Darkness, Part 2 on V, Part 3 is on the upcoming SB album as Afterthoughts, there is no Part 4 yet, and Part 5 is on Neal Morse's Momentum.
-
Thank you
I'm still confused on why 5 before 3 and 4 but whatevs. It's prog. :lol
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Thank you
I'm still confused on why 5 before 3 and 4 but whatevs. It's prog. :lol
When Neal was writing his last album Momentum early last year, he started writing a song with Randy that ended up having a "Thoughts"-like feel to it, and so he decided to use it on his album. After putting the album together, he remembered he had helped his brother in the fall/winter of 2011, Alan Morse (of Spock's Beard), to write a couple new songs for THEIR upcoming album - and there was a "Thoughts"-like song among those sessions.
So with THAT in mind, Neal decided he was going to call his song "Thoughts Part 4", but later changed it to "Part 5", just in case SB wanted to do one more "Thoughts" song in the coming years/albums... or if HE wanted to do it. And that's why Neal has "Thoughts Part 5" on HIS album, and we get "Part 3" in "Afterthoughts" on the upcoming SB album.
-Marc.
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Why not just call it part 3 and let SB use 4, 5 and so on?
It doesn't really matter in the end honestly. I'm all about hearing all the parts of songs like that... and was thrown off. So 1, 2, and 3 are SB and 5 is Neal...
Okay I'll stop over analyzing it. :JayOctavarium:
-
UK tour in May - tickets go on sale tomorrow (8 Feb) :yarr
-
Just got my tickets to see them at The Garage in London. Anyone else going?
-
Yes - me!
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Yes - me!
Sweet! Have you preordered the new album? I just pledged the $53 dollars for the signed ltd ed CD and Tshirt :D pretty happy
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Someone explain Indiegogo to me so I can get the damn album already? Please? I pledge $15 for the cd, add a 5 to cover shipping and handling, and $20 total will cover it, yes?
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Someone explain Indiegogo to me so I can get the damn album already? Please? I pledge $15 for the cd, add a 5 to cover shipping and handling, and $20 total will cover it, yes?
I'm pretty all the instructions are on there, and pretty clear. There have been several posts by Dave (Meros) about how it should work, and to double-check your purchase and self-add shipping to the total.
Also, I confirmed that the digital version will be sent to those who pre-ordered it on MARCH FIRST, via a download code, so if you ordered that version, you'll be able to get the album digitally on the release date.
With only ELEVEN days to go til then, they're hurrying things along and will soon be shipping (I hope!) to meet or beat the release date!
-Marc.
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Alright, it didn't even ask me to log into my paypal, so I'm just going to assume it's paid for, and if it doesn't show up, so be it. No confirmation email or anything.
I'm only doing it this way for the exclusive bonus track. I really hate these kickstarter-type things.
-
There's a delay with the confirmation emails - I think they're sent out manually rather than automatically - mine took about a week to arrive!
-
I'm just waiting on it then, I guess. I got an email from indigogo telling me I encountered a technical problem trying to do it, yet when I clicked "pay with paypal" it immediately went to the "Thank you for contributing" page. And on Facebook, SB themselves thanked me for contributing, so I'm just going to assume it went through. I'm not going to risk donating another $20. :lol Shit.
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Did anyone here get the Tshirt option? When do you get the email for that? Cause I haven't yet. I know I'm in the UK and the USA is like 5, 6, 7 hours ahead and I have no idea what time zone SB are in, I'm just getting worried they'll send me a generic M shirt when I'm really not a medium*...
* - Not a psychic, I mean shirt size.
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I got an email for the shirt on January 2nd. The email was from spocksmerch@gmail.com.
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I got an email for the shirt on January 2nd. The email was from spocksmerch@gmail.com.
Ditto - I got my email the same day from Glenn.
-Marc.
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Thanks guys, I emailed him anyway and he changed my details for me. I didn't know how quickly I'd get the shirt email, he didn't seem too bothered (although it's hard to see angry-ness through a computer screen).
Can't wait to give this album a listen :)
-
Just popping in to say The Light is awesome. Carry on.
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Just popping in to say The Light is awesome. Carry on.
Their debut album is one of my favorite debuts of any 'recent' prog rock band. Them and Kansas had amazing debuts and early albums.
Also, "Go The Way You Go" is a great song as well.
-Marc.
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The band's website has been updated today, and includes a page for the new album, with LYRICS!
https://www.spocksbeard.com/discography/bnads.html
It also notes that Neal is not only credited for writing songs, but also plays on one as well! He plays additional guitar on "Waiting For Me", the albums 'epic' closer, and longest song at 12:36.
Less than 4 days away from this album! I CANNOT WAIT :metal It's gonna be a GREAT birthday!
-Marc.
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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
regarding the Indiegogo pre-order!!
If you have placed any type of pre-order for "Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep" through Indiegogo, please keep an eye on your email inbox beginning March 01. We will be sending an IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT to the email address that you placed your pre-order with, so please make sure you check that email address as-well-as your spam folder just in case.
We are working very hard to overcome a few production and logistics problems concerning the new CD that will delay shipping of the pre-order items. We have good news and bad news to give you regarding this situation:
• The BAD News ~ We can't give you an exact date when the pre-orders will be shipped because we're still waiting for the printer and CD manufacturer to get their acts together. But, we don't think the delay will be more than a week or two.
• The GOOD News ~ We said that we would do our best to ship on March 01, so we have arranged for everyone who have pre-ordered any item to receive a download code that will be sent to you on March 01 that will allow you to download a digital copy of the full CD complete with all bonus tracks and an e-booklet.
You can choose from various audio formats, including a couple MP3 qualities and FLAC lossless.
We sincerely apologize for the delay in shipping your CDs and t-shirts, and hope that this will keep you satisfied until your package arrives in the mail.
Thank you for your patience and understanding!!
Sincerely yours,
~Spock's Beard
I'm not upset over this at all since I'll be able to hear the mp3 download (and a week isn't that long of a wait), but this whole preorder/funding thing has been a huge mess with the shipping cost issues, not sending t-shirt emails, and now this.
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Agreed. I still have no idea if my donation ever went through. I understand they're busy, but there has to be a faster way to get confirmation emails out.
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So, is this album coming out tomorrow or...
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So, is this album coming out tomorrow or...
Yes (kind of). You'll get the email with the download code tomorrow. The physical CD will take a little longer to arrive.
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I'm asking because I've been finding all kind of different information about the release date on the web, some sites say April, some say March with no specific date, some say March 1st. I won't be getting the album any times soon, though, but I'm looking forward to your reviews and stuff. :smiley:
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Well I just blew through my downloads with a javascript problem. The code is only good to download a couple times and unsuccessful downloads still count toward the total. :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm:
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Holy shit, I just got mine! :metal
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:squee:
I cannot contain my excitement, this first listen is awesome.
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Yeah, just downloaded mine, will listen in the car on the way home from work tonight
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No code for me, so I can only assume my money never went through. Frack you, Indiegogo.
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Got my code, and my download. It's on my iPod and now I am listening. GREAT stuff so far, I'm on track 3! I LOVE it, and the songs are just so good so far! Cannot wait to get through the whole thing soon!
-Marc.
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Currently on the last track of the regular album. Holy shit, this final track (Waiting for Me) is absolutely amazing. On to the bonus tracks after this.
This Friday night has become awesome with this news and new stuff :D
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Currently on the last track of the regular album. Holy shit, this final track (Waiting for Me) is absolutely amazing. On to the bonus tracks after this.
This Friday night has become awesome with this news and new stuff :D
Just started Waiting for Me.
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First impression of the bonus tracks is that they're not nearly as good as the actual album tracks, but I suppose that's why they're bonus tracks. I'll give them another chance in the future, but my main focus will be on the album tracks for the coming weeks. :)
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Downloading now!
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Just put the album on right now!
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I'm on my second listen; it's great! Ted Leonard does a great job on vocals and Jimmy Keegan is excellent on drums. The whole band is impressive and the songwriting is very strong. Not sure why my favorite is yet, but I really like Submerged (haven't heard Ted's original version). Something Very Strange is outstanding as well!
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After a couple of listens, I'd have to say tracks 4-7 are just back-to-back-to-back-to-back AWESOME. "Submerged" is strong, and then "Afterthoughts" marks the return of the "Thoughts" series as Part 3 in disguise, with amazing GG-inspired vocals! Very Classic Beard and having Neal help write it really sold it!
The last two tracks are two of the best closing tracks the band has done, next to "Harm's Way"/"Flow", at least, in terms of epicness. The closing epic is one of the band's best, and has a definite early-Beard feel, once again, in thanks to Neal's writing. But the whole record sounds like another step in the right direction for the band, a logical step after X (which also featured a partially Neal-penned piece), so even with NDV out of the band, this group managed to continue it's writing style without missing a step. Granted, most of the writing came from Dave, Alan, Stan and John as Ryo's and Nick's contributions had lessened over the years/albums, but it's nice to see that they've decided to keep on going in this direction!
Also - Ted's vocals are astounding! I've never heard a full album with him on it, and this is great stuff! I really REALLY hope this line-up lasts for at least a few more albums. I can see them getting SO good at what they're doing now to last until 2020!
-Marc.
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Although I'm a bit skeptical in giving my verdict already after having only heard the new album twice in less than a day, I think I can agree with most of you said. Waiting for Me is indeed epic and gave me the feeling as being the 'best' on the new album, but to compare the two final tracks to Harm's Way and Flow already, is something I can't do yet. Those two are some of the Beard's absolute best in my opinion, so I'll have to let the new album sink in.
Regardless, it has left an amazing impression on me already and I will be listening to this one a lot over the coming weeks.
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Although I'm a bit skeptical in giving my verdict already after having only heard the new album twice in less than a day, I think I can agree with most of you said. Waiting for Me is indeed epic and gave me the feeling as being the 'best' on the new album, but to compare the two final tracks to Harm's Way and Flow already, is something I can't do yet. Those two are some of the Beard's absolute best in my opinion, so I'll have to let the new album sink in.
Regardless, it has left an amazing impression on me already and I will be listening to this one a lot over the coming weeks.
I think my comparison was only in that, the closing tracks close the album in an epic fashion similar to HW/F, not that they quite exactly measure up or equally compare. It'll take awhile before I can 'grade' the songs on the album (regular and bonus disc because, while only bonus, some of the 2nd disc tracks are really good!).
I mean, their first album closes with an epic and a short tune, while their second does the opposite. TKOS closes with 2 pretty good epics and their 4th and 5th albums close with side-long pieces. Since then, it's been like The Light on FE and SB9, while Octane ends with short pieces. X sort of came close, but I don't consider "The Man Behind The Curtain" to be really epic, although it is good, I feel like "Something Very Strange" a bit more to it that pushes it to the epic-level.
-Marc.
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So far, this album is turning out to be everything I had wanted in a Spock's Beard album, done considerably better than I had hoped it would be done. I am enjoying this a lot.
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No code for me, so I can only assume my money never went through. Frack you, Indiegogo.
The confirmation email should have been sent from indiegogo I'm afraid, I've donated to a couple of projects and both times I've had confirmation emails.
Sorry to hear that though man
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No code for me, so I can only assume my money never went through. Frack you, Indiegogo.
The confirmation email should have been sent from indiegogo I'm afraid, I've donated to a couple of projects and both times I've had confirmation emails.
Sorry to hear that though man
S'all good. I mainly just wanted that exclusive bonus track for donating, but I wasn't willing to risk donating twice ($40) just to make sure I got it. I'll still just pick up the 2-disc edition once it's released. I checked my bank account and it was $20 over what I had thought, meaning the money just never went. At the very least, I didn't lose anything. :lol
Glad to hear all the positive feedback, though. I really liked X and it's always good when you can help contribute to something that genuinely turns out great. (Really, wouldn't it suck if we all donated and the album turned out terrible?) I can't wait to hear it. :metal
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Got to admit, I only own 5 SB albums (X, V, Octane, Day for Night and Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep) X was my former favourite, however I think Brief Nocturnes takes that now. It's super awesome.
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^ You're missing out on some awesome stuff from the albums you don't have.
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Got to admit, I only own 5 SB albums (X, V, Octane, Day for Night and Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep) X was my former favourite, however I think Brief Nocturnes takes that now. It's super awesome.
^ You're missing out on some awesome stuff from the albums you don't have.
What he said - you HAVE to get the first three albums - absolutely essential SB listening! After that, get Snow and Feel Euphoria. Lastly, for completion's sake, get their self-titled 9th album Spock's Beard.
-Marc.
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Lastly, for completion's sake, get their self-titled 9th album Spock's Beard.
And also because it's fucking awesome and - probable controversial opinion incoming - one of their best.
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Lastly, for completion's sake, get their self-titled 9th album Spock's Beard.
And also because it's fucking awesome and - probable controversial opinion incoming - one of their best.
I actually think it's with Feel Euphoria and Day for Night as one of their weakest.
There are some great moments (love the opener, Skeletons at the Feast, as well as the four-part suite--don't remember the name), but it's so damn inconsistent. There aren't many weak tracks, but there aren't as many strong ones as I'd expect from a Beard album. The album just seems to lack direction and a cohesive vision. It meanders.
Octane and X are both more consistent. Octane is a fun rock album, and I don't think it tries to be much more, while X is every bit the prog album I'd expect from the band.
I haven't picked up their latest, but I think I will today, given the positive reception it has here.
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Thanks for the tips guys, I think I'll get some of them in a few weeks when I have the cash to blow on Music (just put a mass order in for some stuff... Comic Books if I'm honest, my other big cash burner :P)
I shall definitely get round to it next week or the week after ;)
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New album is kicking my ass sideways :eek :hefdaddy
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New album is kicking my ass sideways :eek :hefdaddy
:tup
Ditto - I keep finding myself switching back and forth between SB's new album and BBT's new album. LOVE BNADS so much right now, and every song is a gem (on the main album). Still gotta let it sink in a bit more, probably for another week or so, but it's promising to equal (or surpass) the likes of Neal-Era SB, and X.
-Marc.
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I listened to the new album just one time and it was enough for me to love. I need to give it a couple more spins but I'm already considering ranking this album in the top 3.
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The melody for the chorus of "Something Very Strange" has been stuck in my head since the first time I heard it :biggrin:
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I am really digging this album. Between the Steven Wilson and this, That's all I've been playing on my 160gb I-Pod. :lol
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I love it so far. I'm not too sure about the first two songs and the closer yet, but I absolutely adore the middle four at the moment, they just clicked instantly, which was unbelievable. Hopefully the rest will grow on me, that would be epic. :smiley:
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Being the biggest Enchant fan here, I'm not going to surprise anyone by saying I love this album. But it's not just Ted...they all brought their A game. Every spin it is something new catching my ear, which means I'll have reason to keep visiting it. Well done SB, well done.
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Love it even more on 2nd spin. I guess Afterthoughts is Thoughts part 4? or the final thoughts part? Either way I love the music on this album a lot! I do have to say having never heard Enchant, didn't know what to expect from the new vocalists. As much as I love his singing on this album I find there is that missing component almost always found in a spock's album that is the fun goofy voice. Nick continued it once Neal left but this new guy as great as his vocals are sounds a bit serious for Spock's. Not a bad thing at all, just an observation.
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You guys are getting me excited about the new album. Now I wish I pre-ordered it. Whatever, it'll just be that much better in April, and you'll all be tired of the album bwaaahahahaha
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Love it even more on 2nd spin. I guess Afterthoughts is Thoughts part 4? or the final thoughts part?
"Afterthoughts" is apparently "Thoughts (Part 3)". Parts 1 and 2 were released on Beware Of Darkness and V respectively, while Neal Morse's "Thoughts (Part 5)" was released on last year's Momentum album. Neal titled his Thoughts-song "Part 5" because he wanted to leave room for SB to do "Part 4" in the future (or if they decided not to, then Neal himself could do "Part 4").
-Marc.
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Being the biggest Enchant fan here, I'm not going to surprise anyone by saying I love this album. But it's not just Ted...they all brought their A game. Every spin it is something new catching my ear, which means I'll have reason to keep visiting it. Well done SB, well done.
Amen brotha, amen.
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When I heard that Ted was going to become their lead singer I was actually a bit worried about it since I'm not the biggest fan of Enchant.
But now that I've heard this new Spock's Beard album a few times my opinion of Ted's vocal abilities has changed quite a bit. Dude does an awesome job here. :hat
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Finally getting around to listening to this album over and over... It's really good. For me, it easily surpasses the last several albums and is right up there with some of the Neal albums (not sure it can top V or Snow, but definately as good as the others).
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This album greatly exceeded my expectations. They can definitely still make great music and I will gladly support them with future funding efforts if they go that route again. Kudos to them for making the lossless audio available in spite of the logistical issues getting the physical media out.
Something Very Strange just slays me every time. :hefdaddy
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^So far I think that's my favorite track
Melody (https://www.kirksnosehair.com/Portals/0/images/smilies/banghead.gif) Stuck (https://www.kirksnosehair.com/Portals/0/images/smilies/banghead.gif) In (https://www.kirksnosehair.com/Portals/0/images/smilies/banghead.gif) My (https://www.kirksnosehair.com/Portals/0/images/smilies/banghead.gif) Head! (https://www.kirksnosehair.com/Portals/0/images/smilies/banghead.gif)
:lol
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Maybe I have been spoiled by Porcupine Tree and Steven Wilson, but somehow I expected more of this album, especially production-wise. Also, some parts (or even some whole songs) seemed to be a fan-pleasing rehash of old times without really adding something new. But still it's actually really enjoyable, I think it might be my favorite of the post-Neal era.
I wrote a review of the album on my blog here (to which some might disagree with me from what I gathered here):
https://wp.me/p36iAh-D
It is a rather strong albums for them, but I hope that the next one will better and different!
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I keep finding myself singing along to "Submerged" and "Something Very Strange". They are sooooo melodically catchy! I love "Afterthoughts" more and more with each listen, and "Waiting For Me" is continuing to grow on me as my favorite piece of the album.
The first three tracks are good, but they haven't demolished me like the last four, but "In Hiding" is the best of the first 3, IMO, followed by "I Know Your Secret". "A Treasure Abandoned" is the one track on the album that hasn't stuck to me as much as the rest, but I'm sure it will get there.
-Marc.
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I guess I might just be a fanboy, but I love every track so far. Haven't felt an urge for one moment to press the skip button, not even the second disc tracks.
I absolutely LOVE the part of "The Man You're Afraid You Are" that begins at 2:33 :lol
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Well, to my surprise, one of the two people I know in real life pre-ordered the CD, and when he offered to burn me a copy this week, I wasn't gonna say no, so.....I've been listening to it the last two days.
To reiterate, I went in with extremely low expectations. And much to my delight, they have been exceeded by a wide margin.
The first two songs aren't doing much for me so far, but A Treasure Abandoned, Something Very Strange and Waiting for Me are all sounding really good, and of the bonus tracks, Down a Burning Road is the clear standout thus far. The Thoughts-like tracks often take a bit of time to grow on me, so Afterthoughts isn't doing a lot for me yet, but time will tell. Submerged is pretty solid.
BTW, that melody that is dominant during the long intro of Something Very Strange is very The Good Don't Last-ish.
Regarding Ted Leonard, he does a really good job here, although his voice doesn't have the character of Neal's or NDV's, but he does a good enough job. His range, which is far better than the other two, does allow them to stretch out with the vocals a bit more (like the last several choruses of Something Very Strange), which is good. There are times where I still think, "This just doesn't sound like the Spock's Beard I am used to," but change can be a good thing.
Overall, even if my opinion never changes much, this has already far surpassed my admittedly low expectations. I would definitely say it is better than the two least best NDV-led albums (Octane and s/t) and possibly Day for Night.
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So I was blasting the album, and my housemate walks in and asks when the hell the physicals are turning up as something this good must have some damn good art.
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Does anyone here like Ted Leonard's vocals more than Neal's or Nick's? Not to diminish their vocal abilities, but I think I'm going to end up liking Ted more in the long run. While I still love his music, I don't really like Neal's vocals as much as I used to (I used to love his vocals; maybe I've been overplaying his material?) and Nick, while a good singer, has never really been a favorite of mine.
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So I was blasting the album, and my housemate walks in and asks when the hell the physicals are turning up as something this good must have some damn good art.
If you bought the album and downloaded it through their bandcamp site, you SHOULD have the artwork (in PDF format) to view...
-Marc.
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Does anyone here like Ted Leonard's vocals more than Neal's or Nick's? Not to diminish their vocal abilities, but I think I'm going to end up liking Ted more in the long run. While I still love his music, I don't really like Neal's vocals as much as I used to (I used to love his vocals; maybe I've been overplaying his material?) and Nick, while a good singer, has never really been a favorite of mine.
There is no way he will surpass Neal, for me anyway. NDV, not sure. NDV often struck me as a great background singer doing lead vocals for now, but his voice had a certain charm to it. Again, Leonard more range, but, again, lacks the character of the other two, IMO. But it's still early, so his voice could certainly grow on me.
Oh, and, yes, I will be buying the album, so anyone thinking of cursing me cause I am listening to a copy I didn't pay for can preemptively shut it. :biggrin:
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Ted's voice works great on the album. I honestly thought I would have to get used to hearing a different singer in the band, but no, he fits so naturally.
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Just listened to The Edge of the In-Between for the first time in a long time. That is amazing, best Spock's Beard song.
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Ted's voice works great on the album. I honestly thought I would have to get used to hearing a different singer in the band, but no, he fits so naturally.
This.
Ted's the star of the album, IMO. He does a great job. I guess it helps that I was never a big fan of either Neal or Nick's vocals. I never had any complaints about either but rarely was I... excitedly impressed by either.
As for the album, I really like it. I liked X better after a similar amount of listens and I continue to like it more, but I still think this is a really good album.
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I really love this album and it's taking a lot of effort to not over-play it. I wasn't sure how Ted's voice was going to sound, but I think he did a fine job. I don't know if he'll surpass NDV as my favorite SB vocalist or not, but time will tell.
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I really love this album and it's taking a lot of effort to not over-play it. I wasn't sure how Ted's voice was going to sound, but I think he did a fine job. I don't know if he'll surpass NDV as my favorite SB vocalist or not, but time will tell.
THIS... I've been playing it at home on my iPod, in my car on CD-r (the main album/first disc), and at work on my computer. It's sooooo damn good and catchy and just stupendous - it's going to get SO over-played it's not even funny, but I do not care. It's as every bit strong as X was, and maybe not in all the same ways, but still strong. There's a lot of classic SB moments, and in some songs Alan Morse pulls out his best Steve Howe impression, giving some of the songs a very-Yes feel here and there.
I have to say, the songs on the main album that didn't stick out at first have begun to grow on me. "A Treasure Abandoned" is a great slow-tempo rocker with a big chorus - something SB is very good at. The opening and closing sections are some of the most majestic parts of the whole album and of recent Beard history! Again, Alan rips out some awesome guitar parts in this song.
"I Know Your Secret" still isn't wow'ing me as much as the other songs on the album, and in fact I could trade it with any of the first 3 tracks on the 2nd disc!
And speaking of the 2nd disc - "Down A Burning Road" is classic SB, and I'm saddened it wasn't included on the main album! It's really good, as is the whacky "Wish I Were Here" - the repeating line of "TV with Dave" makes me wonder... is Alan speaking about Dave Meros? If so, hilarious. another 'quirky' SB song, something that is missing on the main album ("Afterthoughts" not included).
The whole album (both discs) capture a lot of SB feelings and moments, both Neal and Nick era, so it covers a WIDE range of sounds and styles that are really the ESSENCE of Spock's Beard music. I'd almost go to say that this is going to be one of THE best SB albums, and at least ranks in my TOP half of SB albums. It already surpasses Day For Night, Feel Euphoria and Spock's Beard. It may even top Octane, The Kindness Of Strangers and The Light, but is definitely on par with the likes of V, Beware Of Darkness and X.
I cannot wait to run my Spock's Beard Survivor again just to see how every feels about this album in a few months!
-Marc.
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I cannot wait to run my Spock's Beard Survivor again
Because the previous one was such as success? :biggrin:
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Marc, I agree with you on everything you said there :)
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I cannot wait to run my Spock's Beard Survivor again
Because the previous one was such as success? :biggrin:
Oooh ho ho... I see what you did there.
I'm hoping that this new album will draw fans, old and new, here, to my Survivor when I start it! If I get at LEAST 5 regular voters, I'll be a happy man.
-Marc.
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Well, you know, I'll be there.
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Me too, obviously, but I'm hoping for a few more voters this time around.
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Alrighty folks...here's my first ranking of the main album's tracks:
Waiting For Me
Something Very Strange
Afterthoughts
A Treasure Abandoned
Submerged
Hiding Out
I Know Your Secret
And with the 4 bonus tracks included...
Waiting For Me
Something Very Strange
Afterthoughts
A Treasure Abandoned
Down A Burning Road
Submerged
The Man You're Afraid You Are
Hiding Out
Wish I Were Here
I Know Your Secret
Postcards From Perdition
Solid album, all across. The instrumental, however, is not as great as previous instrumentals - it's equal to "NWC", but not as great as "Skeletons At The Feast" or "Kamikaze".
-Marc.
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Let me try it:
A Treasure abandoned
Afterthoughts
Submerged
Something very strange
Waiting for me
Hiding out
I know your secret
The first four are great, the other three are damn good. What an album. :hefdaddy
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Let me try it:
A Treasure abandoned
Afterthoughts
Submerged
Something very strange
Waiting for me
Hiding out
I know your secret
The first four are great, the other three are damn good. What an album. :hefdaddy
I'm glad our lists are slightly different, although we seem to enjoy "Afterthoughts", "Submerged" and "Something Very Strange" about the same. I'll have to say, "A Treasure Abandoned" has REALLY grown on me as I've listened to this album nearly non-stop since last week. It might climb past "Afterthoughts" into my Top 3 of the album, but I just really enjoy the whole "Thoughts" series, and it's a worthy successor to the first two parts by SB.
Interesting, also, to see that we both place "I Know Your Secret" at the bottom - it's good, but still not as great as the other six songs.
-Marc.
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And another observation I have made about the new album - other than Snow, it is the only other SB album (other than Beware Of Darkness) to not have a song with movements/a suite of songs, that is, there's not multi-part epic or song with Roman Numeral'd movements within it.
Interestingly enough, it's also similar to BOD and TKOS in that they're 7-song albums that last under an hour. That seems to be a good formula for SB! :tup]
-Marc.
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A Treasure abandoned stood out as a Spock's beard classic immediately. It has been my favorite on the album from the start, we have yet to see if that might change at some point.
As for the three I ranked behind them, I like them almost the same, each one is very amusing in its own way, they're quite different songs. Afterthoughts is a worthy successor to the Thoughts tracks indeed, Something very strange is filled with prog rock goodness and craziness, and Submerged is a very much needed breather and a brief tune. It has such a catchy chorus, I wish I could sing along but Ted's voice is so damn high. :lol
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1. Something Very Strange
2. A Treasure Abandoned
3. Afterthoughts
4. Submerged
5. Waiting For Me
6. Hiding Out
7. I Know Your Secret
Submerged was closer to the top at first but the other tracks, especially Afterthoughts, are really growing on me.
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The first two songs are growing on me, while Afterthoughts definitely stands out to me as the weakest link. The multi-part harmony sections are nearly cringe-worthy this time around. Having no or little musical accompaniment doesn't help their cause. They should have left that off the regular CD and put Down a Burning Road on instead.
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1. Something Very Strange
2. A Treasure Abandoned
3. Afterthoughts
4. Submerged
5. Waiting For Me
6. Hiding Out
7. I Know Your Secret
Submerged was closer to the top at first but the other tracks, especially Afterthoughts, are really growing on me.
Once again, here's another list with "Hiding Out" and "I Know Your Secret" at the bottom... I guess you can say the album gets better after the first two tracks - not sure if that's a GOOD thing or not, but I really do like the opener. It's a great successor in a long-line of perfect SB opening tracks!
-Marc.
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I like every song on the main album. Except Waiting For Me. I don't know what it is, I just can't get into it. Still need to listen to the bonus tracks. As an album, it's the strongest I've heard by Spock's Beard, though nothing on it touches the best parts of X.
I bought a used copy of Snow yesterday, though, so let's see if that changes.
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Waiting for Me is good, but I wouldn't call it a great song. I can only imagine how epic the solo in the middle would have been in the hands of a true guitar master. Not that Alan Morse's solo is bad..far from it...but considering the build-up to it and the supporting music, it just isn't as awesome as it could have been.
To me, A Treasure Abandoned and Something Very Strange are the standout songs on the main album.
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1. Something Very Strange
2. A Treasure Abandoned
3. Afterthoughts
4. Submerged
5. Waiting For Me
6. Hiding Out
7. I Know Your Secret
Submerged was closer to the top at first but the other tracks, especially Afterthoughts, are really growing on me.
Once again, here's another list with "Hiding Out" and "I Know Your Secret" at the bottom... I guess you can say the album gets better after the first two tracks - not sure if that's a GOOD thing or not, but I really do like the opener. It's a great successor in a long-line of perfect SB opening tracks!
-Marc.
Despite placing them on the bottom of my list I do like first two songs. It took me a few listens to get into I Know Your Secret, but I loved Hiding Out from the start and I think it's a great opener.
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I'm actually quite liking the Sanctified Remix version of Something Very Strange more than the original. This is awesome. :hat
EDIT: Postcards From Perdition is a pretty sweet closer too.
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I'm still having some trouble with Waiting for me. I like it, but it's way too ordinary - it just screams ''a typical Neal Morse song'' that sounds like a whole bunch of other Spock's beard or Transatlantic songs. It actually reminds me of Infinite fire in so many ways. They closed the previous album with Jaws of heaven, which was one of their most original songs as far as I'm concerned. This one sounds like I've heard it a dozen times already, which I wouldn't mind if it were an improvement or really damn good.
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After a good dozen spins the only track I haven't really warmed to is the instrumental, which has a little bit of a phoned in feel. Too early to rank the rest of the tracks just yet. I think Something Very Strange stands out quite a bit.
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Did anyone get their CD yet or get confirmation that they were being shipped out? I remember getting the initial email but I haven't heard anything since and it's been a few weeks.
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I'm actually quite liking the Sanctified Remix version of Something Very Strange more than the original. This is awesome. :hat
I might agree with this. Maybe it's because the remix doesn't have that Good Don't Last-like melody (which makes it sound a bit derivative of themselves), or maybe it's cause it sounds more compacted and cohesive, but I am finding myself listening to the remix more. :hat
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https://getreadytorock.me.uk/blog/2013/03/interview-10qs-with-dave-meros-spocks-beard/
Fans of "A Treasure Abandoned" will enjoy knowing the following:
It started with a theme that Al had written many years ago. . .late 90s (I remember playing bass on an early version of that back in maybe ’97 or ’98). . ..and John filled in the rest. I love the way this one turned out, it’s one of my favorites on the CD
That a MORE on the new album and it's songs in the interview linked above!! No wonder ATA has that classic-Beard sound! It stems all the way back from the TKOS-era! LOVE IT! :tup
-Marc.
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Well, that's why it's so awesome. ;D Great interview as well, it's a shame they're having all these problems with the new album, hopefully Dave will get some rest once they hit the road. I'll give my best to catch them, I'm still figuring it out.
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In about TWO WEEKS, I will once again begin my Annual Spock's Beard Survivor! 2013 Edition! This will be a WHOLE Survivor, covering songs from ALL 11 studio albums, as well as some B-sides. And for Special Editions, bonus tracks will be included in that album's survivor (Which really only applies to FE, Octane, X and BNADS).
A proper Results & Discussion Thread will be happening shortly...
-Marc.
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https://www.rocking.gr/interviews/en/Spock%5C%5Cs_Beard_interview/15685/
Another great interview, this time with Alan and Ted.
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I'm still having some trouble with Waiting for me. I like it, but it's way too ordinary - it just screams ''a typical Neal Morse song'' that sounds like a whole bunch of other Spock's beard or Transatlantic songs.
My problem with Waiting For Me is that it's essentially a Day For Night ripoff.
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I'm still having some trouble with Waiting for me. I like it, but it's way too ordinary - it just screams ''a typical Neal Morse song'' that sounds like a whole bunch of other Spock's beard or Transatlantic songs.
My problem with Waiting For Me is that it's essentially a Day For Night ripoff.
Maybe I'm just a slave to anything with Neal's name on it (if prog-related), but I am *loving* "Waiting For Me". Sure, it's a BIT derivative of older SB songs, but what did you expect with the writing team of The Morse Brothers? Al and Neal have a unique chemistry between them, and it's clearly evident that with BOTH involved in "Waiting For Me" and "Afterthoughts" that they really do exemplify the classic SB sound.
"Waiting For Me" is the perfect closer to the main album, and definitely along the vein of songs like "The Light", "At The End Of The Day", "Day For Night", "Walking On The Wind", "The Doorway", "Harm's Way"...okay, so pretty much every songs over 10-minutes from the Neal-Era of SB.
For me, it's an instant classic, and a favorite.
-Marc.
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It might be in the same vein of those songs, but it ain't in the same league as most of them, IMO. Good song, yes, but great? Nah. I can't go that far.
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Loving every second of it except for I Know Your Secret :/
couldn't rank them yet....
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It's always interesting how opinions on the same piece of music differ. I love Waiting For Me
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I finished my third listen today of the album. My judgment at this point is, I'm happy to have supported the effort by buying the album, but I think it'll quickly drop into the "never feel like listening to it" list. I dunno, SB just doesn't grab me anymore these days. Especially the solos don't do it for me.
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I am enjoying the album thoroughly beginning to end, Waiting for Me is just brilliant.
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Still enjoying it massively, though I'm trying hard not to overplay it.
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Still enjoying it massively, though I'm trying hard not to overplay it.
Same. I could listen to it everyday but I've been trying to limit myself.
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I finished my third listen today of the album. My judgment at this point is, I'm happy to have supported the effort by buying the album, but I think it'll quickly drop into the "never feel like listening to it" list. I dunno, SB just doesn't grab me anymore these days. Especially the solos don't do it for me.
I fear that is what it will become for me, too. The new album has put me in a Spock's Beard mood the last few weeks, but I spent almost all of that Spock's listening time listening to almost everything but the new album. Usually when I get a new CD I really love, I bludgeon myself over the head with it for at least a few weeks :lol, but the shelf life of this one in that regard was less than a week. Like you, I like it, but not sure I will love it.
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Reminds me of Feel Euphoria- they're trying to fall back on their previous successes rather than forging a new sound. It took the NDV-led band a few albums to find their own identity without Neal, and this does rather feel like a step backwards after X. There's some great stuff on there, sure, but it's not a great SB album. I'll be interested to hear the next one, though...
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I don't know whether SB has enough left to go on yet another "sound searching" mission. It already took them way too long after Neal left.
SB always had a ton of parallels to Genesis, sound and career-wise. I'm wondering whether this isn't their Calling All Stations.
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Except that Calling All Station is unlistenable.
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I don't know whether SB has enough left to go on yet another "sound searching" mission. It already took them way too long after Neal left.
SB always had a ton of parallels to Genesis, sound and career-wise. I'm wondering whether this isn't their Calling All Stations.
Considering many fans are hailing BNADS to be as good as X, if not better in some cases (or at least better than the pre-X Nick-Era albums), I think SBv3.0 will last and thrive a lot longer than CAS-era Genesis did. There was a LOT running on CAS, and it just didn't live up to the expectations. Sure, it's got some great tracks, some good tracks, but there's a lot of flaws on that album (constant fade-outs, some mediocre song-writing, having two different drummers, etc.), and it just wasn't going to take-off from Day 1.
This version of SB has a lot going for it - Jimmy has been with the live band for nearly a decade now, so he's got their sound and style DOWN to a TEE, and his playing on the new album is equaled to anything Nick has done on SB's first ten albums. And Ted - well, he's different than Neal or Nick, but his voice still captures a certain power and essence that is vital to the SB sound.
I don't think BNADS will fail like CAS did - this is the start of a new era and I believe the band will flourish because of this album! If it wasn't for the HUGE success that X was, you can bet this album may not have been as well received. Then again, with Genesis, We Can't Dance was a huge success, but we're speaking relatively. Genesis were a huge, world-wide success when WCD came out - they filled stadiums and large venues to capacity. They were pop-prog/rock icons, and dominated. SB hasn't quite done that, and they barely tour, so while their success is only relative, their latest album is still a success nonetheless.
-Marc.
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I think BNADS stands really close to X at the moment. The only thing it's lacking is its Jaws of heaven. And the reviews seem to be very positive at the moment, which is great to see.
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I actually like this album more than "X" :lol
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New albums always have that "this is so great, it's better than this album and that album" talk, but time will tell how good the fans really think it is and how well it ages. I mean, we haven't even reached the official release date yet. :lol
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They don't always have that talk. Some albums can be disappointing at first, then with the time you can realize that it's better than you initially thoughts. I am a bit worried about where I will rank this album when some time passes, I'm still in shock that most of it clicked pretty much instantly. That might be the reason I'm trying not to overplay it.
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New albums always have that "this is so great, it's better than this album and that album" talk, but time will tell how good the fans really think it is and how well it ages. I mean, we haven't even reached the official release date yet. :lol
True, but I did get my package in the mail today!!!
(https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/579343_10100124940051311_1227902124_n.jpg)
(Please excuse the poor phone-camera quality!)
SO happy to have the physical copy, and they included TWO booklets, one signed and one in the sealed CD case! AWESOME!
-Marc.
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They don't always have that talk. Some albums can be disappointing at first, then with the time you can realize that it's better than you initially thoughts. I am a bit worried about where I will rank this album when some time passes, I'm still in shock that most of it clicked pretty much instantly. That might be the reason I'm trying not to overplay it.
True. I meant, "New albums that are well-received..." Bad working on my part.
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Finally heard this. Not bad. It was wise to include some old SB throwbacks like Afterthoughts and Waiting for Me (big At the End of the Day vibes there). Hiding Out and A Treasure Abandoned are also great.
But what I really wanted to say was that Rich Mouser is one of the best mixers/engineers around! Impeccable sound quality once again.
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Argh! Gotta go on some 3 day work thing and may have to canx the SB gig! Argh!
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Finally heard this. Not bad. It was wise to include some old SB throwbacks like Afterthoughts and Waiting for Me (big At the End of the Day vibes there). Hiding Out and A Treasure Abandoned are also great.
But what I really wanted to say was that Rich Mouser is one of the best mixers/engineers around! Impeccable sound quality once again.
The last few albums from Spock's Beard have sounded awesome. It kinda blows my mind that a band with way more financial resources like Dream Theater can't make albums that sound this good.
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Let's be honest Barry, look at Rush. Most of us would say they've had way better sounding album then the 2000's. I think DT like Rush are trying to have a more modern sound where SB isn't and for us old farts like you and I, we like the older, less in your face, separation of instrument sound. It isn't about money but style.
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Let's be honest Barry, look at Rush. Most of us would say they've had way better sounding album then the 2000's. I think DT like Rush are trying to have a more modern sound where SB isn't and for us old farts like you and I, we like the older, less in your face, separation of instrument sound. It isn't about money but style.
I don't know....I really like "A Dramatic Turn of Events" musically, but while Dream Theater is certainly not the same genre as Spock's Beard, they are definitely in the same age bracket and definitely appealing to a similar audience, yet, I can sit here and say that to me, objectively speaking, the overall production values on Spock's Beard's latest album are vastly superior in just about every possible way to the overall production values of "A Dramatic Turn of Events" and I don't think it's just a difference in "style" at all. I think it's a difference in quality. In craftsmanship. Which is why it boggles my mind that a band with Dream Theater's financial resources (which are certainly more substantial than Spock's Beard's) can't produce an album that sounds anywhere even remotely close to how good Spock's Beard's album's have sounded over the last few releases. I mean, what gives?
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In other words, Dream Theater should hire Rich Mouser! :lol :metal :corn
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I think the difference is that a niche band like Spock's Beard, a band that has zero hope of ever getting played on the radio, only cares about their stuff sounding good, so they mix it to the best of their ability without worrying about how it will sound compared to other current music and whatnot, while Rush and Dream Theater are "handicapped" by being known enough to where radio airplay is very possible, so Roadrunner makes sure that their music is produced and mixed to where it would blend it well on someone's iPod with other current mainstream music. Hence, both A Dramatic Turn of Events and Clockwork Angels not sounding as good as they could have from a "sound" standpoint.
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Very true Kev, as much as I love my I-pod, music today is recorded for the on the go people. Not the audiophiles.
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Random thought: Putting Someday I'll Be Found (the isolated strings of I Wouldn't Let it Go on the bonus disc of Octane) in front of A Flash Before My Eyes gives it a cool Transatlantic feel.
Another random thought: Down a Burning Road is good and could have made the main disc of Brief Nocturnes.
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Random thought: Putting Someday I'll Be Found (the isolated strings of I Wouldn't Let it Go on the bonus disc of Octane) in front of A Flash Before My Eyes gives it a cool Transatlantic feel.
Interesting... I will have to try that some time this weekend and give it a listen!
Another random thought: Down a Burning Road is good and could have made the main disc of Brief Nocturnes.
I have said the same thing! It's very good and sort of reminds me of the same vibe as "Ghosts of Autumn" gives me. It's a classic SB song and I hope they bring it out on tour!
-Marc.
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Currently listening to the new album for the first time. Although Rich Mouser albums always sound great, I have to say that I've gotten kind of tired of his sound. He certainly has a very recognizable style. The musc itself is very enjoyable though!
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So, which song does everyone like more: Waiting for Me or Infinite Fire from Flying Colors? I just felt like comparing the two. I'll pick Infinite Fire.
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So, which song does everyone like more: Waiting for Me or Infinite Fire from Flying Colors? I just felt like comparing the two. I'll pick Infinite Fire.
After I first heard "Waiting For Me", I instantly thought of Flying Colors' "Infinite Fire". There are some interesting parallels, but they are still quite a bit different. I guess it doesn't help that they are both of near similar-length and are both recent Neal Morse epics co-written with other bands, although they both contain very recognizable Neal-isms.
-Marc.
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So, which song does everyone like more: Waiting for Me or Infinite Fire from Flying Colors? I just felt like comparing the two. I'll pick Infinite Fire.
After I first heard "Waiting For Me", I instantly thought of Flying Colors' "Infinite Fire". There are some interesting parallels, but they are still quite a bit different. I guess it doesn't help that they are both of near similar-length and are both recent Neal Morse epics co-written with other bands, although they both contain very recognizable Neal-isms.
-Marc.
Yes, but which one do you like more? ;)
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That's tough... I like both equally. They have great moments each, and some parts that are VERY Yes-ish (for IF, it's the keyboard/organ sounds near the end, and for WFM, it's the Al's guitar parts near the end).
I'd say they're loved the same to me, but WFM is newer, so it's got that shiny luster of being great for me, but given time, they will be both loved the same.
-Marc.
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I prefer Infinite fire. It's much more original.
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So, I've now been listening to this album for a solid couple of weeks.
Not quite ready to call it "the best" album from the post-Neal era, but I think it easily eclipses Feel Euphoria, Octane and S/T
Gonna give X a few spins next then see what I think....I keep going back and forth in my head about it
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So, which song does everyone like more: Waiting for Me or Infinite Fire from Flying Colors? I just felt like comparing the two. I'll pick Infinite Fire.
Infinite Fire, easily. Catchier and better vocal melodies, better instrumental section, better main riff/lead, etc. Just a better overall song.
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Yeah, I'd take Infinite Fire too. And I don't even like the FC album barring IF and Everything Changes.
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https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=36483.0
The results & discussion thread for my soon-to-start Spock's Beard Survivor!
-Marc.
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Noticed I have 12 voters so far in the Survivor! Just wanted to let everyone know that the first round for the first album is going to close tomorrow morning! Hope everyone who wants to participate has gotten their votes in!
-Marc.
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So here's something that I've found being discussed over at ProgressiveEars - if the band's self-titled 9th album was released as a 55-60 minute album with a bonus disc (such as Octane and BNADS), which tracks would you include in your slimmed-down version of SB9?
On A Perfect Day
Skeletons At The Feast
With Your Kiss
Hereafter
As Far The Mind Can See
Rearranged
The rest of the tracks would be on the bonus disc, totaling about 24 minutes, although I had considered putting "Is This Love?" in between "With Your Kiss" and "Hereafter" for diversity and a change of pace.
Either way, those 6 tracks above are, IMO, the strongest on the album, and would have made for a more solid 55-60 minute album than the near 80 minute album we got. The remaining tracks are GOOD, but not as great as those above, although I do enjoy "All That's Left" quite a bit. However, tracks like "The Slow Crash-Landing Man" and "Sometimes They Stay, Sometimes They Go" kind of bog down the album with their lower tempos. There's not a lot of up-tempo pieces. SB9 almost ends up being the opposite of an album like Day For Night, which has a LOT of up-tempo and happier moments. I'm also slightly indifferent to "Wherever You Stand".
-Marc.
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Are you saying you want the album to be rearranged? :neverusethis:
I like the album the way it is, dagnabit. Is This Love? and Wherever You Stand are weaker, but cutting them would take away two of the peppier tracks, so I dunno. One weird thing about the album is Alan Morse didn't write much. Maybe he was busy with his solo album.
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On a different note, is Nick doing anything these days outside of Cirque?
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Rumbo he played drums on this French Canadian prog bands album. They are called Mystery. The singer was on one Yes Album and Tour. It's a great listen. This site has the full album (and many more!) free to stream. Enjoy.
https://www.progstreaming.com/_wb/index.php
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On a different note, is Nick doing anything these days outside of Cirque?
He's a member of Big Big Train, who released English Electric Part One last year and Part Two this year. In addition to playing on the last Mystery album, he played on Balloon Astronomy's debut that came out in 2011/early 2012.
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Oh yeah! That too! Which Part II is streaming free as well on that site!
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Oh yeah! That too! Which Part II is streaming free as well on that site!
Most of their albums are available on Bandcamp to stream:
https://bigbigtrain.bandcamp.com/
Progstreaming is a great site, and I've discovered quite a few bands thanks to them.
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he played on Balloon Astronomy's debut that came out in 2011/early 2012.
Pretty cool album, too.
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Are you saying you want the album to be rearranged? :neverusethis:
I like the album the way it is, dagnabit. Is This Love? and Wherever You Stand are weaker, but cutting them would take away two of the peppier tracks, so I dunno. One weird thing about the album is Alan Morse didn't write much. Maybe he was busy with his solo album.
True about "Is This Love?" and "Wherever You Stand", but I think if you take those two away along with "The Slow Crash Landing Man" and "Sometimes They Stay, Sometimes They Go", you take away equal amounts of PEP and PLOD from the album, so I think it's a fair and equal drop. :tup
As for Alan, I think you might be right, and it's worth it, I thoroughly enjoy his solo album! It's funny how different but equally interesting each of the band members solo albums were - Ryo's Coming Through was an ELP-infused keyboard-rock-fest, NDV's Karma was well-crafted singer-songwriter pop-prog, and Alan's 4 O'Clock And Hysteria was modern jazz-fusion at it's finest! It's a shame Dave Meros hasn't come out with a solo album, especially considering his writing over the last 5 SB albums has been someone of the strongest on those albums! Maybe he just saves all of his great creativity for SB?
-Marc.
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I just picked up Spock's Beard's X album, and I'm really diggin it. :metal
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A few days back, I received the Neal-era albums I didn't own in the mail. I've got to say, I am loving Beware Of Darkness. I also have a bigger appreciation for "Afterthoughts" now that I know where it came from. Loved "Thoughts" so much that I immediately listened to part 2 before continuing on with the album. Went and listened to Neal's part 5 as well. All fantastic songs. When I have time I'm hoping to give Kindness of Strangers, Day For Night, and V a proper listen. And get around to the second disc of Snow. I listened to the first disc when I bought it some weeks back and couldn't really get into it.
Only one I'm missing from the studio albums now is the self-titled.
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I just picked up Spock's Beard's X album, and I'm really diggin it. :metal
X is truly a great masterpiece! Every song is at least good, while many are 5-star pieces! It was hard for me to believe they could move forward and make an album that would equal or top it, but they did with BNADS! :metal
A few days back, I received the Neal-era albums I didn't own in the mail. I've got to say, I am loving Beware Of Darkness. I also have a bigger appreciation for "Afterthoughts" now that I know where it came from. Loved "Thoughts" so much that I immediately listened to part 2 before continuing on with the album. Went and listened to Neal's part 5 as well. All fantastic songs. When I have time I'm hoping to give Kindness of Strangers, Day For Night, and V a proper listen. And get around to the second disc of Snow. I listened to the first disc when I bought it some weeks back and couldn't really get into it.
Only one I'm missing from the studio albums now is the self-titled.
Glad to hear you're enjoying BOD. It's one of my favorite SB albums, and it's quite a good collection of various songs in different, I guess, styles. It's very YES-like in terms of variety. You have the transformed cover song, a vocal-exercise (and Gentle Giant-inspired) song, the well-known epic, a soothing acoustic guitar solo, another rousing epic, a rocking pop-like short piece, and the really long closing epic! BOD had a good balance of new-era Prog with tinges of Yes, Genesis, Gentle Giant, and many more, while still sounding unique and cohesive.
I have a playlist on my phone of "Thoughts", "Thoughts (Part 2)", "Afterthoughts", and "Thoughts (Part 5)" - it's fun to listen to all four back-to-back! I hope SB makes "Thoughts (Part 4)" sometime soon! :lol
If you love BOD, I'm hoping you'll love TKOS - they're similar yet different. Well, only similar in that they're both 7 songs, there are 3 epics, and it's Spock's Beard. Otherwise, the songs can be quite a bit different, but I've always felt BOD and TKOS were sister albums.
And I'll forgive you for not immediately loving Snow - concept albums, especially double ones, can be a bit tough to get in to at first, but after a couple years of listening to it, it became my favorite, and it has been for the last 7-8 years now. I must have listened to Snow at least a thousand times by now, and it NEVER gets old for me!
-Marc.
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Yeah, even though I often refer to Neal Morse's style as catchy prog, Snow took a bit of time to grow on me, probably because it is so damn long and there is a lot to get a grip on (that's what she said :lol).
As for the new album, it is good, but no way can I say it is as good as X. It is better than Day for Night and the two middle NDV-led albums, but I can't say it is better than any of the other seven Spock's Beard albums.
Also, Afterthoughts is pretty much that for me: an afterthought. It is that album's Gibberish: an attempt at doing a Gentle Giant-like song gone horribly wrong. Neal really is hit or miss when it comes to those type of songs.
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I've been listening to Brief Nocturnes once every two weeks or so for the past couple of months and every single time I like it a little more. Normally I would listen to an album like this a lot more often but I'm trying not to over listen to it and so far it's working fantastically, to the point that I dare say this might be Spock's best album.
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I've been listening to Brief Nocturnes once every two weeks or so for the past couple of months and every single time I like it a little more. Normally I would listen to an album like this a lot more often but I'm trying not to over listen to it and so far it's working fantastically, to the point that I dare say this might be Spock's best album.
Up until my roulette started I was spinning it once a week. I went back and gave "X" a listen as well. For me, I think the new one is a slight notch below "X" only because there is no song on the new one that is as incredible as "Jaws of Heaven"
I guess I'd rank the post-Neal Morse albums like this:
X
Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep
Feel Euphoria
Octane
*deep bottomless chasm*
Spock's Beard
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Where would guys suggest that a Spock's Beard n00b start? I only have X so far.
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I usually go from start to finish when getting into a new band. I like to see how they evolve. But to answer to your question, for post Neal era you should listen to Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep. For Neal's era go for "V" or Snow
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I usually go from start to finish when getting into a new band. I like to see how they evolve. But to answer to your question, for post Neal era you should listen to Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep. For Neal's era go for "V" or Snow
I agree with everything Nekov just suggested, the only thing I would add is to suggest for the Neal era that "The Kindness of Strangers" may be a slightly less dense starting point than "Snow" which is a double-CD and a little bit on the bloated side with a couple of tracks wedged into the second disc that feel a little bit out of place. It's the only full-on "Concept" album that Spock's Beard released, which is pretty interesting since as a solo artist Neal Morse went on to release a whole bunch of concept albums.
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Agreed. Snow is great, but would be a huge mountain to climb for a noob. I'd get most of the other Neal-era discs first (minus Day for Night).
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Thanks, guys. I'll check 'em out. :tup
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(https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/215381_10151628877505797_2109913833_n.jpg)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/945949_10151628877455797_1320645604_n.jpg)
:D
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Setlist from the London show last night -
Something Very Strange
I Know Your Secret
Crack the Big Sky
Hiding Out
Walking on the Wind
Submerged
Cakewalk on Easy Street
Afterthoughts
The Distance to the Sun
Waiting for Me
~~~~~
Go The Way You Go
The new stuff was the highlight of the night, especially "Submerged" and "Hiding Out". The selection of older material was a little uninspired, with nothing later than "Day for Night" (I'd have put money on "Jaws of Heaven"). They did seem to be having some technical problems and came on late - perhaps they truncated their setlist?
The band were on top form, and Ted Leonard is very good, but he doesn't have the charisma or energy that NDV brought to the band (Sorry, Ted fans). All in all, a great night, but this was the fourth time I've seen them, and the weakest of the four.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAw9vChdqc4
Here's a great clip from a show in Budapest last night, and the guy recorded a couple more. I wanted to attend the concert so badly, but I had an important exam on the same day so I couldn't pull it off. I'll catch them next time...
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Agreed. Snow is great, but would be a huge mountain to climb for a noob. I'd get most of the other Neal-era discs first (minus Day for Night).
Bucking conventional wisdom, Snow was my first Spock's Beard album, and I turned out all right in regards to them. :lol
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Agreed. Snow is great, but would be a huge mountain to climb for a noob. I'd get most of the other Neal-era discs first (minus Day for Night).
Bucking conventional wisdom, Snow was my first Spock's Beard album, and I turned out all right in regards to them. :lol
Bah, you only loved it because it had a song called Carie on it. :biggrin: :P :hat
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Well played Kev. Well played. :rollin
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Too easy. :lol :lol :biggrin:
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Speaking of Snow - some places title the last track as "Made Alive/Wind At My Back" while others say "Made Alive Again/Wind At My Back"...so which is it? With or without 'Again'?
-Marc.
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Snow was also my first SB album - I loved it straight off the bat, it's my favourite SB album, and one of thr best albums I've ever heard, up there with Tommy and The Wall.
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Diggin the new album! :tup
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAw9vChdqc4
Here's a great clip from a show in Budapest last night, and the guy recorded a couple more. I wanted to attend the concert so badly, but I had an important exam on the same day so I couldn't pull it off. I'll catch them next time...
That's what I said when they played in 2008 in Lowell, MA, thinking they would come by closer next time. They haven't come to Massachusetts since :(
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Speaking of Snow - some places title the last track as "Made Alive/Wind At My Back" while others say "Made Alive Again/Wind At My Back"...so which is it? With or without 'Again'?
-Marc.
Their official website lists it as Made Alive/ Wind at my back as well as the album. I think there was a special edition with a 3rd cd where it is listed as Made Alive Again so I'm not sure.
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Speaking of Snow - some places title the last track as "Made Alive/Wind At My Back" while others say "Made Alive Again/Wind At My Back"...so which is it? With or without 'Again'?
-Marc.
Their official website lists it as Made Alive/ Wind at my back as well as the album. I think there was a special edition with a 3rd cd where it is listed as Made Alive Again so I'm not sure.
Actually, I checked all 3 copies of Snow that I own and the last track has it as "Made Alive Again" in the booklet, so I'm inclined to use that as the track title.
-Marc.
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So I just had a sudden realization... Spock's Beard's eras of albums follow the Star Trek series' eras of films...
1-6
Star Trek's Original Series Films (i.e. Captain Kirk and crew)
Spock's Beard's Neal-Era Albums
7-10
Star Trek's TNG Series Films (i.e. Captain Picard and crew)
Spock's Beard's Nick-Era Albums
11-present
Star Trek's JJ Abrams Films
Spock's Beard's Ted-Era Albums
Granted, Star Trek is a film ahead of SB's albums, but the similarities are eerie...
-Marc.
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Also - fans of Nick-era SB should swing on by the Polls/Survivors forum for the Feel Euphoria survivor that I just started as part of my ongoing SB survivor!
-Marc.
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So I just had a sudden realization... Spock's Beard's eras of albums follow the Star Trek series' eras of films...
1-6
Star Trek's Original Series Films (i.e. Captain Kirk and crew)
Spock's Beard's Neal-Era Albums
7-10
Star Trek's TNG Series Films (i.e. Captain Picard and crew)
Spock's Beard's Nick-Era Albums
11-present
Star Trek's JJ Abrams Films
Spock's Beard's Ted-Era Albums
Granted, Star Trek is a film ahead of SB's albums, but the similarities are eerie...
-Marc.
:clap:
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So I just had a sudden realization... Spock's Beard's eras of albums follow the Star Trek series' eras of films...
1-6
Star Trek's Original Series Films (i.e. Captain Kirk and crew)
Spock's Beard's Neal-Era Albums
7-10
Star Trek's TNG Series Films (i.e. Captain Picard and crew)
Spock's Beard's Nick-Era Albums
11-present
Star Trek's JJ Abrams Films
Spock's Beard's Ted-Era Albums
Granted, Star Trek is a film ahead of SB's albums, but the similarities are eerie...
-Marc.
So which member of SB would be Deanna Troi? :mehlin :mehlin :mehlin :rollin :rollin
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I've always found it weird how some songs get you for whatever reasons after a couple of years. I gave a listen to the Snow a couple of days ago, and suddenly Open wide the flood gates stood out. I mean, I've always fairly liked it, but it became absolutely awesome all of a sudden. It will stay in the playlist for a while...
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Also, just saw this for the first time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my_xQ67q_mY
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I've always found it weird how some songs get you for whatever reasons after a couple of years. I gave a listen to the Snow a couple of days ago, and suddenly Open wide the flood gates stood out. I mean, I've always fairly liked it, but it became absolutely awesome all of a sudden. It will stay in the playlist for a while...
Funny thing about that song: I was so used to Neal going for those crazy dramatic choruses at that point (I had been listening to SB and TA for 2+ years when Snow came out) that the chorus to Open Wide the Flood Gates was a little disappointing to me at first, because I expected it to have more dramatic oomph, but once I got used to the way it really is, I realized how awesome it is. Definitely one of my favorite songs from Snow; I love the piano breakdown near the end. :coolio
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Oh yeah, awesome stuff. And that theme at the end of the song that actually repeats throughout the album is one of the best SB melodies ever. :heart
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I haven't gotten the new album, I was not at all in a prog mood when it came out. Since you guys have had time to digest it, how does it stack up against previous albums? I have X, so I know some post-Neal stuff.
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I bought Brief Nocturnes & Dreamless Sleep 2 days ago. Absolutely love it! Ted Leonard is a great addition to the group. My favourite songs on first listen are I Know Your Secret and Afterthoughts. I also love the transition from Afterthoughts into Something Very Strange, and the robotic, Ayreon-like vocals in the intro to that song.
I've also ordered X. Should be here this week. :)
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Fans of the band's 10th album X should come to the Polls/Survivors forum and check out my SB Survivor as we are starting on the first round of X, which ends tomorrow morning!
Also, how does everyone rank the tracks from X?
From The Darkness
Jaws Of Heaven
Edge Of The In-Between
Their Names Escape Me
The Man Behind The Curtain
The Quiet House
The Emperor's Clothes
Kamikaze
-Marc.
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I haven't gotten the new album, I was not at all in a prog mood when it came out. Since you guys have had time to digest it, how does it stack up against previous albums? I have X, so I know some post-Neal stuff.
It's okay. I have to say it doesn't really feel like Spock's Beard, probably because now both Nick and Neal (the two strongest members imo) are gone. That said, for what it was, it's at least enjoyable. Though I can't really recall specific song names, there were some really strong tunes. I think the biggest issue is that it's missing the big prog epic. Every other Spock's album has at least one, Waiting For Me is long and all but it doesn't have the same power as say, Jaws of Heaven or At The End Of The Day.
Overall I'd say it's not better than X but maybe on par with Feel Euphoria (Which are the best post Neal albums imo).
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Agreed, Mosh. It is a very good CD, but it really doesn't sound like Spock's Beard to me. Of course, the argument can be made that this now IS Spock's Beard, and this is what they sound like now, but I mean the classic Beard sound is mostly gone. Even the playing of Meros and Alan Morse has changed enough to sound different than normal. I recently put a bunch of SB songs in a playlist (including songs from all 11 albums) and let them randomly play, and the new songs really stood out as sounding different from everything else. But again, it is a very good CD, and it should be judged on its own merit, but I am just saying, the classic Beard sound is missing, and for a longtime fan like me, that is a bit of a bummer.
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Also, how does everyone rank the tracks from X?
Jaws of Heaven
Edge of the In-Between
The Emperor's Clothes
The Quiet House
From The Darkness
Kamikaze
The Man Behind The Curtain
Their Names Escape Me
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Ranking the X tracks:
Jaws of heaven
Edge of the in-between
From The Darkness
The Quiet House
The Man Behind The Curtain
Kamikaze
The Emperor's Clothes
Probably like this.
As for the new album, I find that some of the songs do sound like the classic SB. A couple are a bit different but for the most part it's that familiar SB that I grew to love years ago. It's a mystery to me how they accomplished that, considering Joe Boegehold being credited on the tracks that sound the most reminiscent of their old sound, and he certainly wasn't around back then. That's an interesting point, whoever writes the song, the band members grab their instrument and suddenly make it a SB classic. They managed to put out a great album, which is at the moment one of my very favorites.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPVttmX9d2g&feature=youtu.be
Submerged video.
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loved it.. great ideas all around...
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Nicely done. That song is catchy enough to where if were by a "name" band, it would probably be a hit.
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I didn't really get the video, maybe the pretty girls were distracting me from what was actually going on. :lol
It would be nice if Spock's beard finally had a ''hit''. There's a slightly more commercial song on pretty much every album of theirs, but for some reason, none of those tracks took off. Hopefully, they'll make it with Submerged, it's truly a gorgeously catchy song with a solid video. Fingers crossed for some mainstream success.
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Just listened to "A Flash Before My Eyes" for the first time. It surprised me, it was good. Expected a boring mess like many of those types of songs can be but this was not bad at all.
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That video was very surprising. Not what I was expecting from SB at all! Hopefully it'll give them some exposure, even if it's not a mainstream hit.
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Now that the new album has sunk in, I got around to making what is, for me, the perfect Spock's Beard mp3 CD for my car (699.9 MB..could not have cut it any closer!):
I Know Your Secret
A Treasure Abandoned
Submerged
Something Very Strange (Sanctified Remix)
Waiting for Me
Down a Burning Road
The Light
The Water
Thoughts
The Doorway
Walking on the Wind
Waste Away
Time Has Come
The Good Don't Last
June
Harm's Way
Flow
The Gypsy
At the End of the Day
Thoughts II
Goodbye to Yesterday
The Great Nothing
Stranger in a Strange Land
Long Time Suffering
Love Beyond Words/39th Street Blues (combined as one track)
Devil's Got My Throat
Open Wide the Flood Gates/Open the Gates Part 2 (combined as one track)
Solitary Soul
Wind at My Back
4th of July
I'm the Guy
Reflection/Carie (combined as one track)
All Is Vanity
I'm Dying
I Will Go
Made Alive Again/Wind at My Back
The Bottom Line
East of Eden, West of Memphis
Ghosts of Autumn
She Is Everything
With Your Kiss
Edge of the In-Between
From the Darkness
The Quiet House
Jaws of Heaven
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It misses On a perfect day, Crack the big sky and a whole bunch of tracks from Octane, but it's really good otherwise. :tup
Also,
Love Beyond Words/39th Street Blues (combined as one track)
Open Wide the Flood Gates/Open the Gates Part 2 (combined as one track)
Great idea.
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Crack the Big Sky and A Guy Named Sid were the last two to go. It came down to either A Guy Named Sid or The Water, and the latter won out. I tried like hell to keep Crack the Big Sky, but there just wasn't enough room.
Ultimately, given the room I had, I had no choice but to go with just one song each from what I consider far and away their three least best efforts, hence Day for Night, Octane and S/T all only getting one song each. It would be easy to say, "Give each album about the same amount," but every album is not created equal, so the best albums got the most time/songs.
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I must be one of the only people who love everything on Day For Night. :lol Never understood why people rank it lower.
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I must be one of the only people who love everything on Day For Night. :lol Never understood why people rank it lower.
No, you're not. It's my favorite SB album.
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I like most of Day for Night (minus three songs). It's just that most of those songs are just good; nothing really stands out as being great enough to call one of their best.
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I like Day For Night. It's not one of my favorites, but it's consistently solid and I enjoy it all the way through.
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Day for Night's OK, but I skip some of it. The self-titled album is the weakest one in the entire catalog as far as I am concerned. But it still has some great stuff on it.
That's a pretty fine list, Kev :tup
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I love it. Like I said before, SB has enough for two full CDs, but this way, I am getting rid of the songs that I don't necessarily always want to hear. I have had it going in my car all week, and it is pretty much one great song after another. :coolio
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Just started the Consolation Rounds of my Spock's Beard Survivor!
https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=37812.0
In just a week or so, the FINALS will begin, so if you were present for the Neal-Era and/or the Nick-Era and haven't voted much lately, or just want to participate in the finals, be sure to keep an eye out!
-Marc.
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Updated album ranking:
1. V
2. The Light
3. Beware of Darkness
4. Snow
5. The Kindness of Strangers
6. X
7. Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep
8. Feel Euphoria
9. Day for Night
10. Octane
11. Spock's Beard
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I must be one of the only people who love everything on Day For Night. :lol Never understood why people rank it lower.
My least favorite Neal Spock album other than Snow, but I still like it quite a bit; unlike Snow.
The tears flowed when I heard Healing Colors of Sound live. It's just amazing.
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So they're playing two shows in California with Sound of Contact. However, Ryo won't be playing with them do to "personal reasons and schedule conflicts". We all know what happened last time they had a live substitute. Let's hope the same thing doesn't happen again. :|
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So they're playing two shows in California with Sound of Contact. However, Ryo won't be playing with them do to "personal reasons and schedule conflicts". We all know what happened last time they had a live substitute. Let's hope the same thing doesn't happen again. :|
What are the odds of them getting NEAL to cover for Ryo?!? :tup
-Marc.
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So they're playing two shows in California with Sound of Contact. However, Ryo won't be playing with them do to "personal reasons and schedule conflicts". We all know what happened last time they had a live substitute. Let's hope the same thing doesn't happen again. :|
What are the odds of them getting NEAL to cover for Ryo?!? :tup
-Marc.
I should have included this in my post, but the substitute is Mychael Pollard. Neal would have been great!!
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So they're playing two shows in California with Sound of Contact. However, Ryo won't be playing with them do to "personal reasons and schedule conflicts". We all know what happened last time they had a live substitute. Let's hope the same thing doesn't happen again. :|
What are the odds of them getting NEAL to cover for Ryo?!? :tup
-Marc.
I should have included this in my post, but the substitute is Mychael Pollard. Neal would have been great!!
Ahh okay - Yeah Neal would have been AWESOME, especially since the band isn't covering any Nick-Era material, Neal would just have to learn BNADS songs! It would've been MORE awesome considering two of the songs on the new album have writing credits to Neal himself!
Ah well, that would have been a GOLDEN opportunity and a great way to sell tickets!
-Marc.
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I have a feeling that Ryo is gone... permanently....
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Wait a minute, what? I'm out of the loop. Ryo's leaving?
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I have a feeling that Ryo is gone... permanently....
You can't post things like that without some backing. That's like telling someone their dad MAY be dead.
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I backed it up already doc... with my hunch :)
other than that.. I've got nothing...
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Ryo's my favorite member of SB and they'd lose a lot if he left. I wasn't too upset about NDV leaving but I'm not sure I'd bother with them any more without Ryo. :-\
The person who updates the SB Facebook page hasn't responded to any of the comments speculating if Ryo is leaving, but they've responded to others. Maybe I'm being to cynical and reading into this too much, but I'd think they would assure people that this was just temporary...
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Ryo's pretty busy. He goes where the money is and honors his commitments. Spock's Beard is a cash cow for him. I'd be pretty surprised if he gave them up. With that said, Sonya (the person who replies to posts on FB) is very discreet and if something were going on, you'd never get her to comment on it anyway. So I guess we just have to wait and see.
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
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Ryo's pretty busy. He goes where the money is and honors his commitments. Spock's Beard is a cash cow for him. I'd be pretty surprised if he gave them up. With that said, Sonya (the person who replies to posts on FB) is very discreet and if something were going on, you'd never get her to comment on it anyway. So I guess we just have to wait and see.
I don't see SB being a cash cow, period. Their last few albums have been more or less funded by preorders because they can't afford to record.
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Ryo's pretty busy. He goes where the money is and honors his commitments. Spock's Beard is a cash cow for him. I'd be pretty surprised if he gave them up. With that said, Sonya (the person who replies to posts on FB) is very discreet and if something were going on, you'd never get her to comment on it anyway. So I guess we just have to wait and see.
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
I can say with some authority that SB is definitely not a cash cow for anyone involved haha.
I wouldn't necessarily read too much into the current situation. It's not easy for band members to turn down other well-paying gigs or personal commitments when they come along. Needless to say, it's a major deal trying to find a sub who can play this kind of music, but with a limited number of opportunities for the band to play live and promote the album, sometimes it just has to be done to keep the momentum going.
I don't know if anyone remembers, but there was a sub for Dave on one tour and (I think) for Al on another during the Neal era. There was also a sub for Ryo when SB played a short set before Nick's Rewiring Genesis show a few years back, so this isn't unprecedented. True, Ted subbed for Nick and eventually replaced him, but that was a different situation.
JB
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Ryo's pretty busy. He goes where the money is and honors his commitments. Spock's Beard is a cash cow for him. I'd be pretty surprised if he gave them up. With that said, Sonya (the person who replies to posts on FB) is very discreet and if something were going on, you'd never get her to comment on it anyway. So I guess we just have to wait and see.
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
I can say with some authority that SB is definitely not a cash cow for anyone involved haha.
I wouldn't necessarily read too much into the current situation. It's not easy for band members to turn down other well-paying gigs or personal commitments when they come along. Needless to say, it's a major deal trying to find a sub who can play this kind of music, but with a limited number of opportunities for the band to play live and promote the album, sometimes it just has to be done to keep the momentum going.
I don't know if anyone remembers, but there was a sub for Dave on one tour and (I think) for Al on another during the Neal era. There was also a sub for Ryo when SB played a short set before Nick's Rewiring Genesis show a few years back, so this isn't unprecedented. True, Ted subbed for Nick and eventually replaced him, but that was a different situation.
JB
Thanks for the insight. I became a fan less than a year before NDV left, so I wasn't around when the other members had subs. I do have a tendency to over-analyze and and read too far into certain things. :lol
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This is DTF, after all.
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This is DTF, after all.
:lol
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On another note, how's BNADS holding up for everyone? I'm listening to it for the first time in over two months and I still consider it one of their best, up there with The Kindness of Strangers, V, and X.
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I guess that I assume when I band sells 30 or 40 thousand copies of a CD they're making at least a little bit of scratch. And where the recording process is basically fan-funded by pre-orders, they're not having to lay much out to get it tracked, mixed, mastered and replicated. Let's assume that even if after all the expenses they only net $3.00 per unit on each disc - if they sell 30,000 copies that's $90,000 gross. $18,000 each if split evenly across all 5 of them. (I know there are others involved, I'm just spitballing some basic numbers based on a whole bunch of assumption.) Yeah, no one's gonna get rich on it, but that's what I mean by "cash cow" here. No money to lay out up front, just rake it in on the back side. Of course, my numbers could be and likely are way off.
Anyway, I think Mr. Brainforest is right. And it goes back to my original point that Ryo goes where the money is. Having worked with the guy I know this is definitely true. Dude makes his living with music. Sometimes you just gotta take the gig that pays the best. And when you're doing stuff with multiple groups, scheduling conflicts do happen.
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[
I don't know if anyone remembers, but there was a sub for Dave on one tour and (I think) for Al on another during the Neal era. There was also a sub for Ryo when SB played a short set before Nick's Rewiring Genesis show a few years back, so this isn't unprecedented. True, Ted subbed for Nick and eventually replaced him, but that was a different situation.
JB
Exactly.
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Will be interviewing Ted on Thursday, and while I will be talking primarily about his project Thought Chamber's upcoming 2nd release, I will like hit a question or three about Spock's Beard, so is there anything in particular you would like to know?
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I didn't really get the video, maybe the pretty girls were distracting me from what was actually going on. :lol
I actually thought it was a really cool video. To explain what's going on, the bearded guy likes the girl in the skirt, who likes the counter girl, who likes the motorcycle guy, who likes the leather jeans girl ... who likes the bearded guy.
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Will be interviewing Ted on Thursday, and while I will be talking primarily about his project Thought Chamber's upcoming 2nd release, I will like hit a question or three about Spock's Beard, so is there anything in particular you would like to know?
I'd be interested to know why they are ignoring the NDV-led albums live nowadays. Considering how well-received X was, and the fact that it is their 2nd most recent album, it seems odd that the band would already be playing nothing from it.
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I actually thought it was a really cool video. To explain what's going on, the bearded guy likes the girl in the skirt, who likes the counter girl, who likes the motorcycle guy, who likes the leather jeans girl ... who likes the bearded guy.
I thought it was cool as well, but I didn't understand why the hell was going on. So thanks for explaining, nice idea for a video indeed.
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Jimmy Keegan... like you've never seen before....
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-kid-whos-playing-pinball-in-the-1987-Stallone-film-Over-The-Top/110343708995493
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That was a cool scene, I've never watched the movie, though. It would be funny if someone's known the film for years and had just figured out the kid is Jimmy. And, by the way, his face looks exactly the same. ;D
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Jimmy Keegan... like you've never seen before....
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-kid-whos-playing-pinball-in-the-1987-Stallone-film-Over-The-Top/110343708995493
Holy crap!! I saw that movies years ago. :lol
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I just want to say that I love Spock’s Beard. In fact, after nearly 20 years of Dream Theater being my favorite band, at some point over the past couple years, The Beard has replaced them. I first got X, then proceeded to buy their entire collection. Each and every album has at least a few songs that I absolutely love. I put together a Spock’s Best playlist which I have to force myself not to listen to so much.
I think they are criminally underrated and I don’t get why. To me, much of their music sounds quite accessible, maybe even more so than DT since it’s not as heavy. If it was not for DTF, I would have never heard of them.
My favorite song is probably “The Great Nothing”, a 27 minute epic that is the best piece of music I’ve ever heard. It details Neil’s struggles with the music industry. Ironically, I missed it when I first made my playlist, perhaps because it’s so long. But it was playing in the car one day and during the guitar melody at the end it suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks. I literally said “This is majestic”. ;)
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I've been listening to SB a lot recently, I'm really getting into this band! Any recommendations, or albums to stay away from? So far I've listened to X, BNADS and TKOS. So far I think I like X best, or maybe TKOS.
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Definitely V.
I personally have never heard anything post-Snow. Spock's Beard without Neal is like Porcupine Tree without Steven Wilson. I'm sure the other guys in PT could make amazing music...but it would feel really wrong to call it Porcupine Tree.
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Almost all of them are, at worst, really good, but since you already have the two best post-Neal ones, I'd say get the rest of the ones with Neal Morse (The Light, Beware of Darkness, V, and Snow), but just save Day for Night for last.
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Thanks guys, will check that out!
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Almost all of them are, at worst, really good, but since you already have the two best post-Neal ones, I'd say get the rest of the ones with Neal Morse (The Light, Beware of Darkness, V, and Snow), but just save Day for Night for last.
DFN gets a lot of bad heat. Like Kev said, there is no bad SB album. Personally, DFN is my favorite, and the title track is dynamite. S/T and Fell Euphoria are also on the lower end of good.
Skim back a few pages, and I'm sure there's a bunch of people ranking.
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Get all the Morse albums first. There are a lot of people who like the stuff after but I think it gets really inconsistent, most fans seem divided on that stuff. The Morse albums are going to be your best bet, they're all good so check out every one.
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Almost all of them are, at worst, really good, but since you already have the two best post-Neal ones, I'd say get the rest of the ones with Neal Morse (The Light, Beware of Darkness, V, and Snow), but just save Day for Night for last.
Pretty much this recommendation, but definitely push V and Snow to the front of the line - two of my favorite albums, although BOD is a favorite as well. Honestly, all of the band's first six albums are some of my favorite albums of all time. even DFN.
As for the Nick-Era stuff, sure it's not AS consistent as the Neal-Era stuff, but there are some rocking tunes in the first three albums. Honestly, if I could do a compilation of FE/Octane/SB, I'd like them a bit more. Oddly enough, though, Octane would've been better with some of the bonus tracks thrown on the album in place of the ones that made the cut. On the other hand, the self-titled ninth album could've gone with some cutting down itself, and been a better 50-60 minute album with 7 or so songs.
-Marc.
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Sorry guys, I don't know if I'll ever go back and read through 21 pages (actually only 16, since when I clicked on "New" it took me to page 5), but I felt the need to comment here.
I picked up Day for Night blind when it came out in 1999, because a band called "Spock's Beard" just had to be awesome. Just had to be. And they were. I also grabbed V and Snow when they came out, and along the way I filled out the back catalogue. I think every one of their albums (up to that point) is at least very good, and some are great. Then I heard that Neal Morse had heard the calling and was heading out on his own. Hey, it happens. The lead singer from our band back in the 80's, my college roommate and one of the best musicians I know, quit the band when we were just on the verge of breaking big, because he heard the calling. He is now ordained and the director of music ministry at a church in Michigan. I've sat in with his band a few times; very cool stuff. Anyway, when Neal left Spock's Beard, I guess I wasn't as stunned as most people, having been through something kinda similar.
Feel Euphoria, not surprisingly, was a bit uneven. A band trying to find its feet again. Octane was perhaps a bit better. The 2006 self-titled may have been better yet, it's kinduv hard to say, but basically I gave up on them at that point. They weren't horrible, but I had other prog to check out. Also, I had a new job and life was getting more complicated again.
Based on recommendations in the TransAtlantic thread, I checked out X and Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep recently. WOW! It turns out that I wrote them off one album too soon. I think X is great. I read up on it a little bit before listening, and it has an interesting history, which I mostly forgot about once I started listening. As with most of my "serious" listening, it was done in the car during my commute. I can crank the volume, but sometimes I actually do have to lower it and pay more attention to the road. At some point I heard the name "Alex Exposito" sung, and I remembered the deal with the song "Their Names Escape Me" and apparently I was listening to the Special Edition. It caught my attention because Alex Exposito was the name a of really hot girl I knew in school. Her true name is Alessandra, but she went by Alex. (Yes, an anecdote involving a hot female in an Orbert post. Don't tell me you're surprised.)
When I finished X, I had to make a decision; listen to it again, to grok it more fully, or move on to Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep, which has Ted Leonard, who I knew from Enchant. I like Enchant. I'm over halfway through Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep, and it's pretty amazing.
So apparently I'm just finding out what many have known for a while. The Beard are back!
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Glad we won you back, Bob.
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Glad we won you back, Bob.
I'll echo this sentiment as well - welcome back into the Beard! SB have been on an upward rise since their self-titled, which, for me, had some STRONG songs on it, but it had too much slow-slump in the middle. Had they relegated some of those tracks to a "Bonus Disc" (a la Octane) and made the album 6-8 songs and about 50-60 minutes long, it would've been better for it. A more concise record with their best material, much like Octane and BNADS.
Now, on the other hand, everything on X was just fantastic, and I'm glad the album reached 80 minutes. All 8 songs are the best that version of the band had ever done, many of them beating my favorites from their previous 3 albums. It was a bit of a shock when Nick announced he was leaving the band, and not knowing anything about Ted Leonard or Enchant, I was a bit worried about the future of SB, but when BNADS came out, I was blown away. Did having Neal co-write some songs help? Sure! But in reality, it was all still SB, and having the fresh blood of Ted and Jimmy in the band, as well as having Stan and John write with the band again, really brought in a power-house of musical ideas performed by the core SB members with their two new cohorts.
Supposedly, the Beard are/will be working on a new album and material, so hopefully SB12 is not too far around the corner!
-Marc.
-Marc.
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Yeah, I saw that too about the new album. So cool, now knowing that they're awesome again.
Yeah, X was great, and I really wanted to spin it again, but the new(er) one was calling me. I'm looking forward to getting into both of these albums more. They rock, they prog, they sing and dance.
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It caught my attention because Alex Exposito was the name a of really hot girl I knew in school. Her true name is Alessandra, but she went by Alex. (Yes, an anecdote involving a hot female in an Orbert post. Don't tell me you're surprised.)
GIMMICK INFRINGEMENT :P :rollin
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Sorry dude, but I was dropping the hot babe anecdotes long, long before you joined up.
I will say that some of yours are better, but let's not forget who was first.
:-*
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Curse the seniority clause. :rollin
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Yeah, I get kinda desperate sometimes and have to whip it out. It's super effective! :biggrin:
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The last two SB albums are two of their best releases overall. I'm a bigger SB fan now than I was before X was released.
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Yeah, my interest in the band was waning prior to X, so much that when they did the offer to pay extra ahead of time for the CD in order to have your name mentioned in Their Names Escape Me, I never even considered it, but X was so damn great, that it renewed my love for the band. And then Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep was almost as good. I still wish the band would write all of their own music instead of relying on so many outside writers post-Neal era, but whatever. :lol
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I love BNADS, but I'm apparently the only one who wasn't overjoyed with X and thought it was a step down from the previous two albums.
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I love BNADS, but I'm apparently the only one who wasn't overjoyed with X and thought it was a step down from the previous two albums.
Yes, you are.
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i'd say about two thirds of both the s/t and Octane are fantastic. love me some that stuff.
every 5th SB release is epic and strong as fuck front to back. so, :tup X.
for some reason, I haven't really given the latest one much of a chance. im still not sure what to think of Ted as their frontman.
but giving it a chance is probs about to change. my best bud who lives in china was looking for a new band recently, and I guess since I was slow on making a suggestion, he somehow stumbled upon Spock's latest all on his own and apparently loves it(!?). he starts sending me messages about the band, asking what I think of them n what not. anyway, im tripping out, cuz they aren't anything close to what this guy finds "palatablllllllllllle". there's hundreds of bands I woulda considered showing him before spock's. so ya, his "new favorite album" has me re-intrigued.
-
Well I hope with the next one they don't have to crowdsource their way to funding it.
-
every 5th SB release is epic and strong as fuck front to back. so, :tup X.
I have high hopes and expectations for Spock's Beard's 15th album, XV. :lol :lol :lol
-Marc.
-
I've been listening to Snow a lot lately. It's a masterpiece album. It might be the strongest album as far as melody goes I've ever heard. Especially the vocal melodies. Every word wants to be sang along to.
Now, I just recently listened to BNADS for the first time. I think the album is great. The only problem with it for me is that the first track "Hiding Out" is so fucking good that it makes the rest of the album seem weak to me. Like seriously, "Hiding Out" is an incredible song.
-
I've been listening to Snow a lot lately. It's a masterpiece album. It might be the strongest album as far as melody goes I've ever heard. Especially the vocal melodies. Every word wants to be sang along to.
Now, I just recently listened to BNADS for the first time. I think the album is great. The only problem with it for me is that the first track "Hiding Out" is so fucking good that it makes the rest of the album seem weak to me. Like seriously, "Hiding Out" is an incredible song.
The opening track is pretty strong, but so is the closing epic and the "Thoughts" sequel, "Afterthoughts". "Something Very Strange" is pretty epic too.
-Marc.
-
I still think Afterthought is pretty dreadful, but the rest of the album is really strong. Hiding Out is definitely a good one! :coolio
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I still think Afterthought is pretty dreadful, but the rest of the album is really strong. Hiding Out is definitely a good one! :coolio
SVS is probably my favorite. Such a fun tune.
-
It really is. I still prefer the shorter version on the bonus disc. When I listen to the song, that is my go-to version of it.
-
Am I the only one hoping that, if principal writing for SB12 isn't already done, that Ted's time with Transatlantic and Neal will somewhat influence his contributions towards the next album? Supposedly, the boys are already gearing up for a new album either this year or next, so I'll be happy if Ted picks any proggy-ideas from his touring with the proggiest prog rock supergroup of the century.
-Marc.
-
As posted by Neal on twitter, taken at the TA show last night, three generations of Spock's:
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BfZ2biNCEAIB9cC.jpg:large)
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As posted by Neal on twitter, taken at the TA show last night, three generations of Spock's:
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BfZ2biNCEAIB9cC.jpg:large)
This is amazing. Al with SB's 3 front-men. I'm glad Nick and Al were there and I hope they enjoyed supporting their fellow Beardsmen!
-Marc.
-
Yeah, those photos on Facebook really made my day. :azn:
-
Nobody posted this yet?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZX2PsAKETc&feature=youtu.be
Drums only version of Hiding Out. Pretty cool.
So as the title says, this is a drums only track of the song Hiding Out from Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep. Rich Mouser engineered the track. The drums are a Yamaha PHX kit (you'll see it in the images). The heads were Aquarian Texture Coated on top of the toms and and Classic Clear underneath. The Snare (a 14x5.5 Starclassic brass) has a Texture Coated w/Dot Underneath. Paiste Cymbals consisting of a 20" Giant Beat, 18" Dark Energy Crash, 16" Twenty Thin Crash, 20" Twenty Ride, 13" Signature Dark Crisp Hi Hats, 10" Signature Splash and an 18" Traditional China.
Rich uses a lot of mics. Close and distant. 20 in all for this track. We tried an AT 4047 in front of the kick and wow, it was awesome.
We tracked to Pro Tools and as this is digital, we did many passes and made a composite track of all the pieces we liked. Generally I like to do full takes so there were full versions we could've used but with the advantages of digital editing, we did this. Funny, there are still things that pop out when you remove the other instruments and voices. Some funny edits occur in the beginning and end but with everything in, you don't notice them.
The most important thing that Rich and I wanted to capture was dynamic depth. I wanted it very clear that I was using dynamics. The drums are loud and in your face without intruding on the other instruments and you can really hear when I lay into the kick and snare. Thanks Rich!!!
Musically, the eighth note reigns supreme. Ted had already created a pretty solid drum part. I just flattened it out a bit. I wanted something to keep consistency between the 4/4 sections and the 6/8. Plus it had to work with the odd bars of ⅝ that sneak in. Lots of snare and lots of flourishes. The melodic instruments play some interesting syncopation so I also wanted the song to groove. I tried to sort of straighten out the odd feel. This is one of my favorite songs on the record and what were Ted and I thinking when we added the background vocals? Oh, they sound great but playing and singing this one live is not easy. Thanks for writing a very cool song Ted!
Cheers! Oh and feel free to ask any questions.
Jimmy
-
Spock's is doing a kickstarter for their full PNAS 14 performance:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spocksbeard/progressive-nation-at-sea-dvd
-
Beard fans where you go?
-
I'm still here!
Actually, I went through a phase a few weeks ago where I listened to the Beard non-stop, and almost bumped this thread, but didn't for whatever reason.
I still can't believe how good and consistent the newest album is. If you factor in the bonus songs, this might very well be a top 5 Beard disc. It really is that good.
-
Even without the bonus disc, it's still an utterly brilliant album! Ted Leonard fits the band perfectly. They did well there. Something Very Strange has one of my favourite intros in all of prog. The wind from Afterthoughts, then that cool vocoder bit, and a long instrumental section mean it's well over 3 minutes before the first proper verse. In an 8 minute song, that's a pretty long intro!
-
Spock's is doing a kickstarter for their full PNAS 14 performance:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spocksbeard/progressive-nation-at-sea-dvd
Seeing as how I have my own personal recording of the Neal morse songs from this set, not too interested in paying $40 or so for a one hour DVD that I already have half of.
-
I still can't believe how good and consistent the newest album is. If you factor in the bonus songs, this might very well be a top 5 Beard disc. It really is that good.
Yeah I spun the new disk this morning after I bumped the thread. Really great stuff on it.
-
Seeing as how I have my own personal recording of the Neal morse songs from this set, not too interested in paying $40 or so for a one hour DVD that I already have half of.
So instead you spent $2K for half the video. Makes sense. :loser:
-
Tracking for the next album starts tomorrow!
-Marc.
-
Seeing as how I have my own personal recording of the Neal morse songs from this set, not too interested in paying $40 or so for a one hour DVD that I already have half of.
So instead you spent $2K for half the video. Makes sense. :loser:
Yeah, that's all I got for $2k... 30 mins of SB. ::) What's with the 'loser' emote?
:lolpalm:
-
Yeah, that's all I got for $2k... 30 mins of SB. ::) What's with the 'loser' emote?
:lolpalm:
It was a joke, brah.
:chill
-
I'm chilled. Wasn't bent out of shape over it, just didn't seem like the appropriate emote. No worries.
-
People's use of emotes can sometimes be confounding. :hefdaddy :yarr
-
I still can't believe how good and consistent the newest album is. If you factor in the bonus songs, this might very well be a top 5 Beard disc. It really is that good.
Yeah I spun the new disk this morning after I bumped the thread. Really great stuff on it.
I did an alternate track listing for it, by incorporating the bonus tracks, dropping Afterthoughts (which I do not like), and using the shorter version of Something Very Stranger (which I prefer, largely because that keyboard melody that dominates the long intro sounds just like The Good Don't Last, and if I want to hear it, I'll listen to that song):
1. Hiding Out
2. I Know You Secret
3. A Treasure Abandoned
4. Submerged
5. The Man You're Afraid You Are
6. Down a Burning Road
7. Wish I Were Here
8. Something Very Strange
9. Postcards from Perdition
10. Waiting for Me
-
Tracking for the next album starts tomorrow!
-Marc.
Is this a joke? And if it isn't, are we talking about the next studio album?
-
Tracking for the next album starts tomorrow!
-Marc.
Is this a joke? And if it isn't, are we talking about the next studio album?
No and yes! Updates from Stan on Facebook recently have pointed to the next album, including some clips of his demos for the next album. Tracking for Jimmy's drum parts begins tomorrow, and the funds from the current DVD Kickstarter will be going to help produce the next album!
And speaking of the PN14 performance with Neal, SB are also giving out free MP3/FLAC downloads of the audio version of the performance with every DVD donation. They're also gauging the fanbase about a possible Blu-Ray release of the show since it was recorded in HD.
I'm excited for SB12 next year (since I'm pretty sure it's going to come out then and not this year, seems too late in the year for a 2014 release at this point).
-Marc.
-
I still can't believe how good and consistent the newest album is. If you factor in the bonus songs, this might very well be a top 5 Beard disc. It really is that good.
Yeah I spun the new disk this morning after I bumped the thread. Really great stuff on it.
I did an alternate track listing for it, by incorporating the bonus tracks, dropping Afterthoughts (which I do not like), and using the shorter version of Something Very Stranger (which I prefer, largely because that keyboard melody that dominates the long intro sounds just like The Good Don't Last, and if I want to hear it, I'll listen to that song):
1. Hiding Out
2. I Know You Secret
3. A Treasure Abandoned
4. Submerged
5. The Man You're Afraid You Are
6. Down a Burning Road
7. Wish I Were Here
8. Something Very Strange
9. Postcards from Perdition
10. Waiting for Me
I had been putting off a personal alternate track list for this album, but seeing your post prompted me to revisit the album and see what I could come up with. My fascination of creating tracklists that conform to vinyl sides of 18-25 minutes in length led me to creating a tracklist that portions the songs in a way that each side has a good feel or sound while still keeping the original albums' songs order (with the bonus songs in between):
Side 1:
Hiding Out
I Know Your Secret
Postcards From Perdition
Side 2:
A Treasure Abandoned
Submerged
Wish I Were Here
Side 3:
The Man You're Afraid You Are
Afterthoughts
Down A Burning Road
Side 4:
Something Very Strange
Waiting For Me
Who knows, though, I may change my order in a week or a month or a year, but these are all good songs, no matter what!
-Marc.
-
https://www.eventim.de/spocks-beard-Tickets.html?affiliate=GMD&doc=artistPages%2Ftickets&fun=artist&action=tickets&erid=500582&xtcr=1&xtmc=spocks&xtnp=1
Now that was a surprise. :eek :tup
-
Fingers crossed for a longer fall tour, I still can't get over not attending the gig in Budapest last year because of a stupid exam.
-
There's talk about a BluRay version of the PN14 show (and maybe extras) on the SB Facebook page. :metal
-
No and yes! Updates from Stan on Facebook recently have pointed to the next album, including some clips of his demos for the next album. Tracking for Jimmy's drum parts begins tomorrow, and the funds from the current DVD Kickstarter will be going to help produce the next album!
And speaking of the PN14 performance with Neal, SB are also giving out free MP3/FLAC downloads of the audio version of the performance with every DVD donation. They're also gauging the fanbase about a possible Blu-Ray release of the show since it was recorded in HD.
I'm excited for SB12 next year (since I'm pretty sure it's going to come out then and not this year, seems too late in the year for a 2014 release at this point).
-Marc.
:omg: YAAAY! :o ;D :metal
-
What other bonus tracks does Brief Nocturnes have?
I got the 2CD edition from their campaign. Am I missing tracks?
-
What other bonus tracks does Brief Nocturnes have?
I got the 2CD edition from their campaign. Am I missing tracks?
How would we know unless you post which ones are on yours? :lol :biggrin:
The bonus disc has five songs:
The Man You're Afraid You Are
Down a Burning Road
Wish I Were Here
Something Very Strange (Sanctified Remix)
Postcards from Perdition
-
What other bonus tracks does Brief Nocturnes have?
I got the 2CD edition from their campaign. Am I missing tracks?
How would we know unless you post which ones are on yours? :lol :biggrin:
The bonus disc has five songs:
The Man You're Afraid You Are
Down a Burning Road
Wish I Were Here
Something Very Strange (Sanctified Remix)
Postcards from Perdition
LOL
Yeah, those are the bonus tracks I have. was there supposed to be a bonus track on the vinyl edition? or on the Itunes edition? I do recall being a bit pissed off about it, but then I forgot...hence my question
-
What other bonus tracks does Brief Nocturnes have?
I got the 2CD edition from their campaign. Am I missing tracks?
How would we know unless you post which ones are on yours? :lol :biggrin:
The bonus disc has five songs:
The Man You're Afraid You Are
Down a Burning Road
Wish I Were Here
Something Very Strange (Sanctified Remix)
Postcards from Perdition
LOL
Yeah, those are the bonus tracks I have. was there supposed to be a bonus track on the vinyl edition? or on the Itunes edition? I do recall being a bit pissed off about it, but then I forgot...hence my question
IIRC, "Postcards From Perdition" was only available as part of the original run Limited Edition of the album and not on the retail version of the 2-Disc Special Edition.
-Marc.
-
Thanks Mr. M!
That sounds about right.
Sounds weird but I've played more Spock's Beard when Nick and Ted took over than when Neal was in the band. I find their songwriting way stronger than with Neal.
-
What other bonus tracks does Brief Nocturnes have?
I got the 2CD edition from their campaign. Am I missing tracks?
How would we know unless you post which ones are on yours? :lol :biggrin:
The bonus disc has five songs:
The Man You're Afraid You Are
Down a Burning Road
Wish I Were Here
Something Very Strange (Sanctified Remix)
Postcards from Perdition
LOL
Yeah, those are the bonus tracks I have. was there supposed to be a bonus track on the vinyl edition? or on the Itunes edition? I do recall being a bit pissed off about it, but then I forgot...hence my question
IIRC, "Postcards From Perdition" was only available as part of the original run Limited Edition of the album and not on the retail version of the 2-Disc Special Edition.
-Marc.
Ah, that's right. I totally forgot that. I guess that is what happens nowadays when mp3s, albeit HQ ones, are what we listen to most of the time. :facepalm: :lol
-
John Boegehold
Studio report: Final day at The Mouse House yesterday for the first round of drum sessions for SB12. Six songs down, more to come — with Ryo Okumoto and 5 others.
Initial drum-tracking sessions for the new SB album are half-way through with Jimmy completing SIX new songs! There are some videos posted on the SB Forum (https://www.facebook.com/groups/spocksbeard/) on Facebook, as well as this one from Ryo on his YouTube page:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGSdGQ9m4Xc
Sounding great so far! Jimmy's drumming is as good as it's ever been, and he definitely has Nick's style and sound down pat after playing live with SB for so many years! I mean it's been over a decade already!!
-Marc.
-
So a post from SB showed up on FB the other day, concerning their only 2014 west coast appearance opening for Jefferson Starship in Oakland. The show is part of a sci-fi convention. Tickets purchased, for both.... :metal and :blob:
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So a post from SB showed up on FB the other day, concerning their only 2014 west coast appearance opening for Jefferson Starship in Oakland. The show is part of a sci-fi convention. Tickets purchased, for both.... :metal and :blob:
This is such BS. I'll never freaking see them unless I travel to Cali or NY or some crap. :facepalm:
-
Okay, is that supposed to be ironic, funny, or just a wacky coincidence?
A Sci-Fi convention, with appearance from Jefferson Starship (the word "starship" didn't come in the vernacular until Star Trek), and Spock's Beard (a band named after a particularly memorable character anomoly from a Star Trek episode).
-
So a post from SB showed up on FB the other day, concerning their only 2014 west coast appearance opening for Jefferson Starship in Oakland. The show is part of a sci-fi convention. Tickets purchased, for both.... :metal and :blob:
Where's the masturbating nerd emote?
-
So a post from SB showed up on FB the other day, concerning their only 2014 west coast appearance opening for Jefferson Starship in Oakland. The show is part of a sci-fi convention. Tickets purchased, for both.... :metal and :blob:
Where's the masturbating nerd emote?
Please don't make me google after one of those :lol
-
IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AS OUR FORUM JESTER DAMMIT! :lol
-
Where's the masturbating nerd emote?
Here's a close second:
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-giwSuQEmyd0/UIAqfFrKu4I/AAAAAAAAEgc/ynzcQ7APAYg/s1600/fap1.gif)
-
:|
-
Where's the masturbating nerd emote?
Here's a close second:
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-giwSuQEmyd0/UIAqfFrKu4I/AAAAAAAAEgc/ynzcQ7APAYg/s1600/fap1.gif)
:|
:lol
-
:rollin
-
The word "starship" didn't come in the vernacular until Star Trek
Robert Heinlein's 1959 novel Starship Troopers begs to disagree with you.
-
There were some people who had read the book, maybe a handful more had heard of it, but it wasn't exactly a household word. Sci-fi was far from mainstream, especially back in the 50's and 60's. A prime-time television show that used the word in every episode is on a completely different level.
-
Been listening to a lot of "V" lately. At the End of the day just blows my mind. I love that slow section 1/2 way into the track too then it gets all wild and skittish again.
It's a rollercoaster of awesomesauce.
-
Yeah, that album (and that song in particular) = pretty awesome.
-
Last 7 hours to help on their PNAS14 DVD kickstarter campaign:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spocksbeard/progressive-nation-at-sea-dvd
-
Yeah, so this showed up in my feed....
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=941241225902810 (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=941241225902810)
-
:laugh:
-
Alright, lets go! :metal
-
Here's another:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152695345143945
Might be the same track just from a different angle though.
-
Ted just hinted on Facebook that they'll be doing a medley of SNOW tracks on the upcoming mini-tour in Europe, as well as some Nick-Era tracks. Looks like they'll be playing stuff they may have missed on the last tour or two.
-Marc.
-
Also, a show at B.B. Kings in NYC has been announced.
-
Ted just hinted on Facebook that they'll be doing a medley of SNOW tracks on the upcoming mini-tour in Europe, as well as some Nick-Era tracks. Looks like they'll be playing stuff they may have missed on the last tour or two.
-Marc.
I don't know much about their post-Neal setlists (or their setlists at all for that matter)..have they ever played Snow material since he left?
-
Also, a show at B.B. Kings in NYC has been announced.
Wtf, after all those years, now that I'm traveling to Germany to see them in Bochum, a month later they play in NYC!?
-
Ted just hinted on Facebook that they'll be doing a medley of SNOW tracks on the upcoming mini-tour in Europe, as well as some Nick-Era tracks. Looks like they'll be playing stuff they may have missed on the last tour or two.
-Marc.
I don't know much about their post-Neal setlists (or their setlists at all for that matter)..have they ever played Snow material since he left?
On the tour for Feel Euphoria, they played a good chunk of songs as they never got to tour on Snow for obvious reasons.
After that, though, I don't recall, but I've never been a huge investigator on their live sets outside of what they've released, and from the three live albums they put out with Nick, none of them featured Snow material.
They've done the "Snow Medley" a total of 18 times - 15 in 2003, 3 in 2006 - and the following single songs have been played:
Carie (4)
Second Overture (3)
I'm the Guy (3)
Reflection (3)
Wind at My Back (2)
Open Wide the Flood Gates (1)
Devil's Got My Throat (1)
Stranger in a Strange Land (1)
Looking for Answers (1)
Open the Gates, Part 2 (1)
Solitary Soul (1)
Other than those few performances of single songs and medleys, it's been over 8 years since SB has played any Snow-songs, but Neal has thrown in a few every now and then into his setlists. I hope we get a good medley this time around without a lot of cross-over from the last medley. As far as I am aware, these are the only songs that Spock's Beard has yet to perform from the album:
"Made Alive / Overture"
"Long Time Suffering"
"Welcome to NYC"
"Love Beyond Words"
"The 39th Street Blues (I'm Sick)"
"Wind at My Back"
"4th of July"
"Freak Boy"
"All Is Vanity"
"I'm Dying"
"I Will Go"
"Made Alive / Wind at My Back"
Over half the album has been played live, but they've been as few as one-time performances that I doubt we could hardly count them. The majority of the medley they played consists of only 8 tracks from the 2nd disc, and that's about it. I hope we get a good chunk of the 1st disc this time around.
-Marc.
-
Ted just hinted on Facebook that they'll be doing a medley of SNOW tracks on the upcoming mini-tour in Europe, as well as some Nick-Era tracks. Looks like they'll be playing stuff they may have missed on the last tour or two.
-Marc.
Good thing I got my ticket for the Budapest show. :metal
-
That is pretty crazy that they've never played Wind at My Back, although I guess that is more of an iconic Neal song than Spock's. I know Neal has played it quite a bit at his live shows over the years.
-
That is pretty crazy that they've never played Wind at My Back, although I guess that is more of an iconic Neal song than Spock's. I know Neal has played it quite a bit at his live shows over the years.
Actually, after some brainfarts and recalling their Making Of Snow DVD, they did a couple acoustic concerts before Neal left the band where they DID play "Wind At My Back", as well as "Stranger In A Strange Land", "Open Wide the Flood Gates", "Carie", "Looking For Answers", and "Solitary Soul".
-Marc.
-
Ted just hinted on Facebook that they'll be doing a medley of SNOW tracks on the upcoming mini-tour in Europe, as well as some Nick-Era tracks. Looks like they'll be playing stuff they may have missed on the last tour or two.
-Marc.
I don't know much about their post-Neal setlists (or their setlists at all for that matter)..have they ever played Snow material since he left?
On the tour for Feel Euphoria, they played a good chunk of songs as they never got to tour on Snow for obvious reasons.
After that, though, I don't recall, but I've never been a huge investigator on their live sets outside of what they've released, and from the three live albums they put out with Nick, none of them featured Snow material.
They've done the "Snow Medley" a total of 18 times - 15 in 2003, 3 in 2006 - and the following single songs have been played:
Carie (4)
Second Overture (3)
I'm the Guy (3)
Reflection (3)
Wind at My Back (2)
Open Wide the Flood Gates (1)
Devil's Got My Throat (1)
Stranger in a Strange Land (1)
Looking for Answers (1)
Open the Gates, Part 2 (1)
Solitary Soul (1)
Other than those few performances of single songs and medleys, it's been over 8 years since SB has played any Snow-songs, but Neal has thrown in a few every now and then into his setlists. I hope we get a good medley this time around without a lot of cross-over from the last medley. As far as I am aware, these are the only songs that Spock's Beard has yet to perform from the album:
"Made Alive / Overture"
"Long Time Suffering"
"Welcome to NYC"
"Love Beyond Words"
"The 39th Street Blues (I'm Sick)"
"Wind at My Back"
"4th of July"
"Freak Boy"
"All Is Vanity"
"I'm Dying"
"I Will Go"
"Made Alive / Wind at My Back"
Over half the album has been played live, but they've been as few as one-time performances that I doubt we could hardly count them. The majority of the medley they played consists of only 8 tracks from the 2nd disc, and that's about it. I hope we get a good chunk of the 1st disc this time around.
-Marc.
Ah thanks! That's really interesting. A shame this album has never been played in its entirety. Neal should reunite with them to do it as a one off or something. Maybe get NDV in too.
-
Ted just hinted on Facebook that they'll be doing a medley of SNOW tracks on the upcoming mini-tour in Europe, as well as some Nick-Era tracks. Looks like they'll be playing stuff they may have missed on the last tour or two.
-Marc.
I don't know much about their post-Neal setlists (or their setlists at all for that matter)..have they ever played Snow material since he left?
On the tour for Feel Euphoria, they played a good chunk of songs as they never got to tour on Snow for obvious reasons.
After that, though, I don't recall, but I've never been a huge investigator on their live sets outside of what they've released, and from the three live albums they put out with Nick, none of them featured Snow material.
They've done the "Snow Medley" a total of 18 times - 15 in 2003, 3 in 2006 - and the following single songs have been played:
Carie (4)
Second Overture (3)
I'm the Guy (3)
Reflection (3)
Wind at My Back (2)
Open Wide the Flood Gates (1)
Devil's Got My Throat (1)
Stranger in a Strange Land (1)
Looking for Answers (1)
Open the Gates, Part 2 (1)
Solitary Soul (1)
Other than those few performances of single songs and medleys, it's been over 8 years since SB has played any Snow-songs, but Neal has thrown in a few every now and then into his setlists. I hope we get a good medley this time around without a lot of cross-over from the last medley. As far as I am aware, these are the only songs that Spock's Beard has yet to perform from the album:
"Made Alive / Overture"
"Long Time Suffering"
"Welcome to NYC"
"Love Beyond Words"
"The 39th Street Blues (I'm Sick)"
"Wind at My Back"
"4th of July"
"Freak Boy"
"All Is Vanity"
"I'm Dying"
"I Will Go"
"Made Alive / Wind at My Back"
Over half the album has been played live, but they've been as few as one-time performances that I doubt we could hardly count them. The majority of the medley they played consists of only 8 tracks from the 2nd disc, and that's about it. I hope we get a good chunk of the 1st disc this time around.
-Marc.
Ah thanks! That's really interesting. A shame this album has never been played in its entirety. Neal should reunite with them to do it as a one off or something. Maybe get NDV in too.
Given enough time and notice, I would save up months' worth of paychecks to fly out to Nashville or LA or drive up to NYC for a show involving Neal, Nick, Ted, Ryo, Dave, Al, and Jimmy playing all of Snow, plus a few encore songs (yes, even if they were "The Light" and "June"). It would be a dream come true and I would love to see them play it live. Honestly, though, I'm not sure if Neal would have time to relearn the WHOLE album just for one show, same with the band. It's a long and complex piece, and if they took the time to (re)learn the whole album, they should just go for a mini-tour, if not a full-blown 2-5 month tour. They could really make bank if they advertise well. Do a dozen shows in NA, a couple dozen in Europe, and make prog rock history. Do what Genesis hasn't and reunite with a 7-piece band to tour on the unplayed double album masterpiece. Give it some stunning stage visuals and videos and you've got a winner. Fans who haven't even really checked out Post-Neal SB or Post-SB Neal will probably come out of the woodwork for a reunion tour.
...But, I guess all we can do is dream, right?
-Marc.
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I think the biggest reason that this won't happen is the fact that Alan named Snow as his least favorite Spock's beard album, and the rest of the guys probably don't like it that much. I recall reading in an interview that they have too many bad memories of that time. If they ever do a reunion to perform an album in its entirety, they'd probably go with V.
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I think you are really overestimating the potential crowd draw for such a tour.
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I think the biggest reason that this won't happen is the fact that Alan named Snow as his least favorite Spock's beard album, and the rest of the guys probably don't like it that much. I recall reading in an interview that they have too many bad memories of that time. If they ever do a reunion to perform an album in its entirety, they'd probably go with V.
Really? It's my least favorite too and I still maintain that you can hear the contrived vibe and strain on that album.
As for NYC, have fun Nick. Monday night, BB Kings and Ticketbastard don't mix well in my world.
The Proghouse would have been a great venue for this.
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I was a little disappointed we didn't get any Nick-era songs on the last tour, so I'm excited for those. A Snow medley would melt my mind!
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I really like Snow, but it's halfway to a Neal solo album, sound and lyrics wise. It's probably the least SB sounding album.
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I really like Snow, but it's halfway to a Neal solo album, sound and lyrics wise. It's probably the least SB sounding album.
I agree. And in fact, although it has some of my favorite SB tracks, it is probably my least favorite Neal-era album. It has about one disc worth of good stuff spread over two discs with a shit ton of filler. Disappointing and unsatisfying, for my tastes.
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Yeah, there was a solid amount of mediocre to bad tracks on there. Had they whittled it down to one CD, they could have had a super-strong album. Then again, lyrics-wise it wouldn't have worked, since it was supposed to showcase the rise and fall of Jes .. err, Snow.
( I personally always interpreted Snow as Neal's answer to the question "what would a modern-day Jesus be like?")
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Could someone suggest a "Spock's Best" playlist for me? I've got all their stuff, but I've not spent much time with it and I probably should - and I'm looking to listen to some different stuff. And I like assembling playlists.
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I would suggest album by album, not a random playlist.
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I would suggest album by album, not a random playlist.
True, SB is a very album-oriented band. Sure, you COULD make a compilation/playlist of their stuff and to the uninitiated, they might sound all the same, but each album deserves a full listen to fully grasp what the band was working on and releasing at the time.
If you want something that's a collection of songs, get the Don't Try This At Home DVD. It's a great live concert with a bunch of songs from their first four albums. If you treat yourself to that, then listen to all of V and decide that you like them, go back and listen to the first four albums in their entirety, then tackle Snow.
From there, venture on to the Nick-Era where, you could listen to a live album (Live is a good one to start with) or just go through all four albums in order.
-Marc.
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I really like Snow, but it's halfway to a Neal solo album, sound and lyrics wise. It's probably the least SB sounding album.
I agree. And in fact, although it has some of my favorite SB tracks, it is probably my least favorite Neal-era album. It has about one disc worth of good stuff spread over two discs with a shit ton of filler. Disappointing and unsatisfying, for my tastes.
Exactly. When hearing they'd be playing a Snow medley on the upcoming tour, my first reaction was one of wishing they weren't focusing on Snow. But really, the medley will likely be of the stronger moments on the album, and so I'm actually quite psyched about it if I decide to go see them.
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Could someone suggest a "Spock's Best" playlist for me? I've got all their stuff, but I've not spent much time with it and I probably should - and I'm looking to listen to some different stuff. And I like assembling playlists.
How long do you want the playlist to be? Either way, here is a good breakdown which has a few from every album:
The Light
The Water
The Doorway
Walking on the Wind
Waste Away
June
Harm's Way
Flow
Distance to the Sun
Crack the Big Sky
At the End of the Day
The Great Nothing
Long Time Suffering
Solitary Soul
Wind at My Back
East of Eden, West of Memphis
Ghosts of Autumn
She Is Everything
The Planet's Hum
Skeletons at the Feast
With Your Kiss
Edge of the In-Between
From the Darkness
Jaws of Heaven
I Know Your Secret
A Treasure Abandoned
Something Very Strange
Start from there and you'll be in good shape. :hat
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Could someone suggest a "Spock's Best" playlist for me? I've got all their stuff, but I've not spent much time with it and I probably should - and I'm looking to listen to some different stuff. And I like assembling playlists.
How long do you want the playlist to be? Either way, here is a good breakdown which has a few from every album:
The Light
The Water
The Doorway
Walking on the Wind
Waste Away
June
Harm's Way
Flow
Distance to the Sun
Crack the Big Sky
At the End of the Day
The Great Nothing
Long Time Suffering
Solitary Soul
Wind at My Back
East of Eden, West of Memphis
Ghosts of Autumn
She Is Everything
The Planet's Hum
Skeletons at the Feast
With Your Kiss
Edge of the In-Between
From the Darkness
Jaws of Heaven
I Know Your Secret
A Treasure Abandoned
Something Very Strange
Start from there and you'll be in good shape. :hat
Cool. Thanks! That list should fit in the remaining space on my phone.
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And follow Marc's discussion on it ... if he ever starts!!!
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And follow Marc's discussion on it ... if he ever starts!!!
I'll get there, I'll get there. Life is always hectic for me between work and friends and keeping up with stupid stuff. I have some days off over the coming weeks so I'm sure I'll start my write-ups sometime soon. I will give away the rights to the SB Discography discussion, though, if someone else (perhaps more knowledgeable) wants to do it. I only offered because it seemed like no one else was willing to, and I felt like the band needed the exposure.
-Marc.
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Setlist from yesterday in Zoetermeer:
Day for Night
Hiding Out
Harm's Way
Something Very Strange
In the Mouth of Madness
Snow Medley
Submerged
Skeletons at the Feast
Waiting for Me
Encore:
The Healing Colors of Sound
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I'm slightly disappointed they went with The Healing colors of sound as the encore this time around, being that it's one of my lesser favorite SB epics. Something tells me the guys truly dig the Day for night album. The rest of the set is pretty damn cool, I predicted Harm's way making a return but Skeletons at the feast is quite a surprise. I'm really looking forward to the show next week.
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I love THCOS, especially the last bit, and having seen them play The Great Nothng a few years back, I'm stoked for this show!
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Setlist from yesterday in Zoetermeer:
Day for Night
Hiding Out
Harm's Way
Something Very Strange
In the Mouth of Madness
Snow Medley
Submerged
Skeletons at the Feast
Waiting for Me
Encore:
The Healing Colors of Sound
4 from the new one, 5 from the Neal era and only 1 from the Nick era? Not exactly career spanning. This setlist does not really excite me, but lowers the regret that I can't see them.
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That's more than five from the Neal era, depending on how many songs they are playing in the Snow medley. Interesting set list, regardless. It's both interesting and odd that the current lineup has all but ignored the NDV-led era live; X was such a great record and deserves more live love.
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The only defense I can muster for the lack of Nick-era stuff is that live albums were released after s/t and X, and they played X in its entirety on that album. Granted, that makes the choice of Skeletons at the Feast kind of odd since that was on s/t Live.
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That's more than five from the Neal era, depending on how many songs they are playing in the Snow medley. Interesting set list, regardless. It's both interesting and odd that the current lineup has all but ignored the NDV-led era live; X was such a great record and deserves more live love.
AFAIK, I've only seen "On A Perfect Day" and "Skeletons At The Feast" from them as far as the Nick-Era goes. I'd love to see them pull out some of the gems off Feel Euphoria, or the better bonus tracks from Octane.
The only defense I can muster for the lack of Nick-era stuff is that live albums were released after s/t and X, and they played X in its entirety on that album. Granted, that makes the choice of Skeletons at the Feast kind of odd since that was on s/t Live.
True. During the Nick-Era, we got THREE live albums, and all successive too. The only album we didn't get a live album following was their first after Neal left, Feel Euphoria, which is why I would love to see them pull THOSE songs out instead of songs from the self-titled album.
-Marc.
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Yeah, I'd love them to perform some stuff from X, except for The Emperor's clothes, because that song is kind of a less exciting, expected choice. However, being that I saw that album in its entirety live, these are the songs from the remaining Nick-era albums that I would like to see at some point: Ghost of autumn, Carry on, She is everything, Climb up that hill, There was a time and All that's left. Also, if they decide to bust out the entire A Guy named Sid at some point, that would be pretty awesome as well. I think everything is possible with this line up, they've actually been picking some less obvious songs.
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I think it's ironic that the last two albums are so good, but each had a song that was a bit of a clunker - The Emperor's Clothes and Afterthoughts - both of which were both clear attempts to sound like their old stuff, IMO.
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I think it's ironic that the last two albums are so good, but each had a song that was a bit of a clunker - The Emperor's Clothes and Afterthoughts - both of which were both clear attempts to sound like their old stuff, IMO.
Both of which also had Neal in the writing credits. "The Emperor's Clothes" was an old demo Neal wrote during his time in SB, and I think Al decided to bring it out for the X album, while "Afterthoughts" was birthed from a writing session Al had with Neal in the fall before the sessions for BNADS started.
-Marc.
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So they weren't really "attempts" to sound like their old stuff, they just did because Neal had a hand in writing them, and they were clunkers just because they were clunkers. (Correlation <> Causation, etc.)
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I dunno and it may just be me, but I enjoyed both "Afterthoughts" and "The Emperor's Clothes" on their respective albums. In fact, there was at least one song on each album that I like(d) less than those, especially when they came out, like "The Quiet House" and "I Know Your Secret", both of which seemed a bit repetitive, especially TQH, but they both grew on me.
I guess in contrast to their 9th album and some of the tracks from FE and Octane, their tenth and eleventh albums felt like HUGe steps up and forward for me, so I came to enjoy them a lot more, and I still do, old-sounding or not, Neal or not, they're great albums with some great writing and performing. Coming out of the gate with Ted and Jimmy with BNADS made me so excited for SB12 not even two months after BNADS came out, just knowing these guys had an awesome sound and chemistry together. Now that they're in the middle of putting SB12 together, I have high hopes for it being contender for AOTY 2015!
-Marc.
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They added Beware of darkness and She is everything at some of the shows, according to setlist.fm.
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So, yeah, I saw Spock's beard two days ago and it was amazing. :hefdaddy
Ted proved himself to be a fantastic front man, he's a great singer and such a fun guy to watch perform. It's also cool to see them embracing Jimmy as a real band member now, opposed to being just a live musician when I saw them four years ago. The set list was the same as on the first night, with Snow medley (Made alive/Overture, Devil's got my throat and Carie) and Submerged being absolute highlights. I was actually pleasantly surprised by The Healing colors of sound, it sounded really good.
The coolest part, as some of you might know, is that the guys go into the audience after the show and chat with the fans. I managed to get a photo and a signature from each band member. It was so weird but awesome to hang out with members of one of my favorite bands and just listen to them cracking jokes. :lol
At first it seemed like Alan won't be coming out, and I thought it was because he had some technical difficulties during the first couple of songs, so I figured he must be a bit bummed about it and decided to stay backstage. At the end I did meet him in front of the venue, told him not to be worried about the problems and he smiled really genuinely.
Anyway... hoping to make the trip again in a few years. ;D
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I will see them a week from now in Bochum. Should be cool.
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I will see them a week from now in Bochum. Should be cool.
Oh, I'll be there, too! Look out for some people in black thebearded shirts (https://thebearded.de/styles/proFormell/imageset/thebearded7.jpg). At least, I'll be wearing mine. Would be cool to meet you! :hat We'll probably be somewhere in the front, along with a guy in a wheelchair.
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Oh cool, da werde ich mal schauen. Ich hab keine Ahnung wie groß der laden ist und wieviele Leute SB heutzutage ziehen.
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Another stunning show in London last night - Ted really seems part of the band now, he was a bit awkward last time they played the UK. Healing Colours and the Snow medley were stunning, I had goosebumps all over.
But the venue was half empty - there was hardly anybody there. I know SB aren't exactly a mainstream act, but I would have thought a few more fans would have made the effort. First time I saw them on the Octane tour at the Mean Fiddler, the place was heaving, ever since I've seen them play to smaller and smaller crowds - that's not good for the band or their fans - they surely must be losing money on these dates. :-[
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I'm happy I will see them tomorrow, because frankly, I think the day will come reasonably soon where SB will fold, or only play in the LA area.
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Yeah, it doesn't look good. They've been putting out some tremendous albums, the last one was their best received one since God knows when, yet they still can't draw the crowds. I don't get it...
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I think it's the confluence of that they play music that isn't in much demand, and also that they lost their two most iconic members.
I'm sure that it will be a great show tonight, but I'm also reasonably sure that it will have a slight "cover band" feeling when they play the more popular material.
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Funny though that the last album was better than all other post NM albums. Though, X was damn good.
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Great concert, much fun was had. And I met Ich Bin Besser!
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Oh yes, it was a great gig! And we forgot to take a picture together...
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Oh yes, it was a great gig! And we forgot to take a picture together...
for shame!
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Was zur Holle!! :lol
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But here are some pics (and a video of Jimmy singing Carie): https://picasaweb.google.com/112126017224679832760/SpockSBeard20914Bochum?authkey=Gv1sRgCJqT6ZyL14LU5QE
Btw, the setlist was not the same as displayed on Ryo's laptop.
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Somebody had voiced earlier in this thread their disappointment about The Heading Colors of Sound. I love that tune, but I gotta say it kinda dragged on and wasn't the best concert closer.
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Yeah, that was me, but for me it was the other way round. At first I found it strange that they went with The Healing colors when picking an epic tune as the closer, knowing they could have gone with The Light, The Water, At the end of the day or other epics that I prefer. But it worked well for me live, some parts were great for singing along and some sounded catchier than on the studio version. Maybe the different key they played in had something to do with it.
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New Spock's Beard album "The Oblivion Particle" will be out end of August 2015! There is also a whole EU tour planned for this fall:
16.09 – Spirit of 66, Verviers, Belgium
17.09 – De Boerderij, Zoetermeer, Netherlands
18.09 – Framus & Warwick Music Hall, Markneukirchen, Germany
19.09 – Progresja, Warschau, Poland
20.09 – Metro Club, Brno, Czech Republic
21.09 – Ship A38, Budapest, Hungary
23.09 – Legend, Milan, Italy
24.09 – Kantine, Augsburg, Germany
25.09 – Sudhaus, Tübingen, Germany
26.09 – Alte Seilerei, Mannheim, Germany
27.09 – Essigfabrik, Köln, Germany
29.09 – O2 Academy Islington, London, UK
30.09 – Assembly, Leamington Spa, UK
1.10 – The Classic Grand, Glasgow, UK
2.10 – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, UK
3.10 – Club Academy, Manchester, UK
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Nice, wonder if they will preview anything at RoSfest or other upcoming shows.
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Nice, wonder if they will preview anything at RoSfest or other upcoming shows.
*Crosses fingers*
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21.09 – Ship A38, Budapest, Hungary
Yep. That's it. :metal
Looking forward to the new album.
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The Oblivion Particle, eh? Sounds like it'll be TOP-notch! :tup :loser: :rollin
Looking forward to this one later this year. I guess the band didn't need to self-finance this one, so I wonder what kind of special edition(s) there will be, or any incentives for ordering from the band.
-Marc.
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Not mentioned in the above post are the supporting acts for the tour, Synesthesia and Special Providence. Fuck you EU for getting this tour, just fuck you.
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Not mentioned in the above post are the supporting acts for the tour, Synesthesia and Special Providence. Fuck you EU for getting this tour, just fuck you.
I'm seeing the former in 9 days, and Spock's in 7 days. Can I get my kind fuck you as well? :D
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Always got one for you Nick. :heart
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Don't forget a FU for Quebec... having IQ a couple weeks back, and SB next week.
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Yeah, but you DIDN'T GO you fucknuckle.
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Great that the title's finally out there now. After Steven Wilson, this is my most anticipated release of 2015.
Idk if it's just me, but The Oblivion Particle sounds like a concept album title.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obUOo-tv5N0&feature=youtu.be
New song "Tides Of Time" performed at a gig recently, brand new song from the upcoming album The Oblivion Particle. Sounds good, very classic SB feel to it, especially with the unison hits leading into the outro solo section. Cannot wait to hear more the album! August seems SO FAR away!!!
-Marc.
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I say FU to Quebec just because they are essentially failed French people.
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Been a SB fan since 2000.Love both the Morse and D'Virgilio era's,but what does everyone think of Ted Leonard's voice?When he's doing vocals with Enchant he's fine,not sure his voice fits in with the more progressive sounds of SB! Still looking forward to hearing the new album later in the year!
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Interesting, I much prefer his stuff in SB so far.
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Interesting, I much prefer his stuff in SB so far.
Same here.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obUOo-tv5N0&feature=youtu.be
New song "Tides Of Time" performed at a gig recently, brand new song from the upcoming album The Oblivion Particle. Sounds good, very classic SB feel to it, especially with the unison hits leading into the outro solo section. Cannot wait to hear more the album! August seems SO FAR away!!!
-Marc.
Video got removed :(
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Been a SB fan since 2000.Love both the Morse and D'Virgilio era's,but what does everyone think of Ted Leonard's voice?When he's doing vocals with Enchant he's fine,not sure his voice fits in with the more progressive sounds of SB! Still looking forward to hearing the new album later in the year!
I like his voice in both bands. No probs.
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Fuck you EU for getting this tour, just fuck you.
How about Fuck you, North America for all the tours you get that we don't???
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Fuck you EU for getting this tour, just fuck you.
How about Fuck you, North America for all the tours you get that we don't???
Actually, America lacks in seeing so many good prog tours because for the bands, it's not worth the money to travel overseas. It's not a money maker for them.
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Actually, America lacks in seeing so many good prog tours because for the bands, it's not worth the money to travel overseas. It's not a money maker for them.
Truth, so what's SB's excuse?
:rollin
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The same. Prog isn't a money maker in the USA. Better following in EU. BTW, you picked out one example in how many bands?
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The same. Prog isn't a money maker in the USA. Better following in EU. BTW, you picked out one example in how many bands?
Well the one I want to see the most that I can't see is SB! They live stateside and while they may not exactly rake in the money I think they could have a lucrative tour if they kept the production down. Just come to Texas FFS. They havent' been since 2006 and I somehow managed to miss they were coming through.
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I saw SB in the last 1990's but I've never seen Haken and Enchant which I will be this weekend at RosFest so I'm stoked!!
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I saw SB in the last 1990's but I've never seen Haken and Enchant which I will be this weekend at RosFest so I'm stoked!!
Yes I'd like to see both of them, but SB is still above them in the list of "stuff to see".
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WTF? There are a ton more prog bands that tour Europe and not America than the other way around. And a few AMERICAN prog bands that have toured Europe several times without touching America, most notable Spock's Beard and Fates Warning.
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WTF? There are a ton more prog bands that tour Europe and not America than the other way around. And a few AMERICAN prog bands that have toured Europe several times without touching America, most notable Spock's Beard and Fates Warning.
Yeah, but IDGAF about most of those prog bands. I care about seeing SB.
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Okay, but they have all but said that they don't tour much here in the States anymore because they lose money here. Same for the Flower Kings. They can scaled down their stage shows all they want (and neither does much with it), but they just don't draw enough here to make it worth while.
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I always thought acts like Spock's Bear should use the internet more to their advantage. There are live streaming services that will distribute your live concert (which can be from your own rehearsal space). The service get a cut of course, but it's a great way of reaching people you otherwise can't play to.
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I get it - really I do - It's so frustrating when a favourite band plays somewhere you can't get to, and I fully accept that SB spend much more time in Europe than in the US.
But try being a fan of Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen, Rush, or any of a thousand North American bands who tour extensively and then view Europe as an afterthought. Or try being a fan of Country Music and Americana - some of my favourite bands and artists don't even know where Europe is, and the few that have made it over here tend to be playing support for other acts.
So yeah, there are loads of bands that tour Europe and never make it to the US, but there are loads of bands that tour the US and never make it to Europe - it's swings and roundabouts.
But you could try being a fan in Australia or New Zealand - bands almost NEVER make it down there.
Anyway, what I came in to say - the SB Islington Academy date has been rescheduled for 2 October.
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Totally get that too TCO. I was referring to prog bands in general. You would thing in this day and age bands would tour everywhere for the money since it has become the main source of income but it just may be too expensive to travel the world.
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Actually these days we are almost spoilt for choice with bands touring Down Under.
We have some really good promoters bringing lots of great bands to Australia.
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Great show last night. Got to have dinner with Ted and he was so down to earth.
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Spock's was indeed amazing. A treat from Friday's show: https://www.wpapu.com/sounds/SB2015-05-01BoD.mp3
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They play any new stuff?
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They did indeed to one forthcoming song.
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From InsideOut Music:
Legendary progressive-rockers Spock’s Beard are pleased to announce that their brand new 12th studio album ‘The Oblivion Particle’ is set for release on the 21st August 2015.
According to bassist Dave Meros, it’s not a matter of how much the new album recalls past Spock’s material, but how much it differs. “I think the opening track 'Tides of Time' is classic Spock's in terms of arrangement and style, but everything else is fairly different. That said, the whole album is still within the parameters of what people expect to hear from us.”
Spock’s Beard’s forthcoming new studio album ‘The Oblivion Particle’ is the follow-up to 2013’s Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep. The album finds the band answering the needs of their creations by utilizing the considerable versatility of each member.
In addition to Ted Leonard's soaring vocals and Dave Meros' distinctive bass, Alan Morse adds autoharp, banjolele, electric sitar and mandolin to his array of instruments, drummer Jimmy Keegan takes over lead vocals on “Bennett Built a Time Machine” and Ryo expands his arsenal of keyboard sounds throughout the album. In addition, Kansas violinist David Ragsdale lends his touch to the album’s majestic closer, “Disappear.”
Track list:
01. Tides of Time (7:45)
02. Minion (6:53)
03. Hell's Not Enough (6:23)
04. Bennett Built a Time Machine (6:52)
05. Get Out While You Can (4:55)
06. A Better Way To Fly (8:57)
07. The Center Line (7:05)
08. To Be Free Again (10:24)
09. Disappear (6:36)
As with the band’s previous album ‘Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep,’ ‘The Oblivion Particle’ was recorded at The Mouse House and produced by Rich Mouser, Alan Morse and John Boegehold.
The album will be released as a CD (standard and special edition,) Vinyl and via download. Pre-order info coming soon!
(https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/1782050_10153334184808168_8235464772594765356_n.jpg?oh=b4b08f82a6e71e24d5db6e5c9137ce9c&oe=55FA0287)
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Nice! The last album was really good, looking forward to this one.
Also, a Dave Ragsdale appearance is a good, good thing.
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Me is very excited.
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Got to hear one new song at RoSfest. Can't wait for this album. The band is hitting on all cylinders live now and the last album was great.
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As noted on Facebook, there are some previous album cover easter eggs/nuggets hidden in this new album cover:
Day For Night's album cover in a postcard
V's road sign
Snow's road sign
Feel Euphoria's rainbow fish
Octane's album cover in a postcard
SB9's SB logo on a mug (I think that counts?)
X's X in the chair's back
-Marc.
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As noted on Facebook, there are some previous album cover easter eggs/nuggets hidden in this new album cover:
Day For Night's album cover in a postcard
V's road sign
Snow's road sign
Feel Euphoria's rainbow fish
Octane's album cover in a postcard
SB9's SB logo on a mug (I think that counts?)
X's X in the chair's back
-Marc.
I don't see Snow's Road sign? I'm sure I'm just missing it..
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I think the Rod/Reel on the right would symbolize Brief Nocturnes since the cover art has someone fishing off the boat?
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As noted on Facebook, there are some previous album cover easter eggs/nuggets hidden in this new album cover:
Day For Night's album cover in a postcard
V's road sign
Snow's road sign
Feel Euphoria's rainbow fish
Octane's album cover in a postcard
SB9's SB logo on a mug (I think that counts?)
X's X in the chair's back
-Marc.
I don't see Snow's Road sign? I'm sure I'm just missing it..
Above the machine with the meters, next to the window.
I think the Rod/Reel on the right would symbolize Brief Nocturnes since the cover art has someone fishing off the boat?
Good spotting! Makes sense. Still nothing I see from the first three albums, though.
-Marc.
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Above the machine with the meters, next to the window.
I think the Rod/Reel on the right would symbolize Brief Nocturnes since the cover art has someone fishing off the boat?
Good spotting! Makes sense. Still nothing I see from the first three albums, though.
-Marc.
Now I see it. :facepalm:
I posted my BNaDS thoughts on the FB page. It appears you 'liked it'. ;)
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Eagerly awaiting this one. The last two albums were some of the best they've done (including the Morse albums).
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I can't wait! Brief Nocturnes is one of my favourite albums of recent years. Also, very cool that they've inserted references to previous covers in this cover. Artwork where you find new things with every viewing is great fun!
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perhaps the wooden panes in the window is the ode to The Light? It's a stretch, but I have trouble they would have references to only 7/11 (8 if you count the idea that the fishing pole = BNADS). Why not do all 11?
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perhaps the wooden panes in the window is the ode to The Light? It's a stretch, but I have trouble they would have references to only 7/11 (8 if you count the idea that the fishing pole = BNADS). Why not do all 11?
I was actually thinking the lamp next to the SB-logo cup would represent The Light.
On another note, I'm struggling to find the Snow road sign (fork in the road). I can see the V one, on the floor underneath the chair, but not the Snow one.
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perhaps the wooden panes in the window is the ode to The Light? It's a stretch, but I have trouble they would have references to only 7/11 (8 if you count the idea that the fishing pole = BNADS). Why not do all 11?
I was actually thinking the lamp next to the SB-logo cup would represent The Light.
On another note, I'm struggling to find the Snow road sign (fork in the road). I can see the V one, on the floor underneath the chair, but not the Snow one.
Up on top the gauges the guy is at.
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Looks great. :metal
I cant' spot most of those hints on the cover, though. :lol
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Up on top the gauges the guy is at.
Oh right! Man, I looked everywhere and couldn't find it. :lol
Maybe references to the other album covers will be in the booklet artwork.
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They posted their first track on FB this morning - Tides of Time. Can't seem to get a direct link, because it's a Soundcloud embedded link, and it doesn't seem to be public yet at Soundcloud.com. So, go to their FB page
https://www.facebook.com/spocksbeard?fref=nf
Likin the sound if this. Very Ryo-heavy.
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Sounds like Spock's Beard.
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They posted their first track on FB this morning - Tides of Time. Can't seem to get a direct link, because it's a Soundcloud embedded link, and it doesn't seem to be public yet at Soundcloud.com. So, go to their FB page
https://www.facebook.com/spocksbeard?fref=nf
Likin the sound if this. Very Ryo-heavy.
https://soundcloud.com/officialinsideoutmusic/spocks-beard-tides-of-time/s-80IYe#t=0:00
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It's very all over the place musically, definitely needs MUCH more than only one spin.
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Love what I've heard after just one spin. I remember hearing bits of this when they posted a video of Jimmy tracking his drum part after the softer middle section, where he comes in with a sweet groove that sounds like a lot of mixed-meter stuff going on.
Definitely a good opener for the album, in the same vein as "On A Perfect Day", just a slightly different vibe and with more keyboards than guitars, but I don't mind hearing more keys, which are very important to the SB sound. Glad to hear Al is still ripping away at his guitar, and having both him and Ted on guitar is a huge asset to the band as well.
Looking forward to this album in August! So much good music this summer, between this and the new Symphony X and Riverside, as well as others.
-Marc.
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This is the song they played at RoSfest. I like it.
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3:53 of Tides of Time reminds me of a passage at a similar point in Within An Inch by Enchant, off their last album The Great Divide.
Really looking forward to this album, although it'll take a few listens for me to get into this new song. As Mladen says, it's a bit all over the place musically. Hard to get your bearings with just a single listen.
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New lyric video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=13&v=QiUisFo1bz4
"Minion"
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(https://blueshift.us/ilikeit.jpg)
Gettin excited for the album
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Not bad. I'd buy that for a dollar.
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Sounds pretty cool. If the new album is even close to as good as the last two, which are two of their best, I'll be happy. :hat
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I liked the previous one better, this one was OK. Either way, I'll give the album a whirl when it comes out.
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Have been a fan since I first heard Snow,and have since collected their back catalogue.All special albums,but was wondering who do you think was/is the best vocalist? Morse,D'Virgilio or current vocalist Ted Leonard? My vote goes to Neal Morse,but they're all great!
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Favorite vocalist is hard question. They're all awesome but for Spock's Beard I'll go with Ted.
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It's gotta be Neal. I like Nick quite a bit as well, and Ted is absolutely amazing, the future looks bright with him on vocals. But yeah, still Neal.
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Neal >= Ted > Nick
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Had my promo of the album for about a week now, and here's my review: https://www.ladyobscure.com/albums/spocks-beard-the-oblivion-particle/
In summary, it's a real grower and a very solid album overall. Personally I prefer BNADS, but that's up there as one of my favourite SB albums as I'm a sucker for big melodies which that album is absolutely full of. Oblivion Particle isn't as immediate, but it's got so much great stuff on it and gets better and better with each listen.
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I know I'm interrupting the new-album talk, but I have to say I am loving Harm's Way atm. I bought The Kindness of Strangers a few weeks ago, and I hadn't heard anything from it apart from June and Flow pre-purchase. As a whole, it hasn't really shot up my rankings, but it's still a great album.
On the new album, I really enjoyed your review, ariich. First one I've read of TOP. 2 weeks until release day!
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For anyone interested, I interviewed Jimmy Keegan last weekend and had an aawesome 28 minute discussion. IF you check it out, I hope you dig it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWVD8O_SJB8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWVD8O_SJB8)
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For anyone interested, I interviewed Jimmy Keegan last weekend and had an aawesome 28 minute discussion. IF you check it out, I hope you dig it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWVD8O_SJB8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWVD8O_SJB8)
Probably the easiest interview ever, Jimmy is so damn easy to talk to. Hell of a nice guy too.
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I've been listening to Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep lately. This is really good.
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I've been listening to Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep lately. This is really good.
Yep, it's in my car CD player as we speak.
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Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep is definitely great. Afterthoughts is pretty abysmal, but the bonus tracks more than make up for it, making 10 of the 11 total songs (counting Something Very Strange only once, obviously) major winners. :tup :tup
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Afterthoughts is one of my favorite songs on the album. :sad:
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I'm with Kev on this one... I find Afterthoughts to be mediocre at best.
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Sorry for the double post but ...
Spock's Beard have launched the second lyric video to be taken from 'The Oblivion Particle' for the track 'Bennett Built A Time Machine'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BFzL7rMajY&feature=youtu.be
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Sorry for the double post but ...
Spock's Beard have launched the second lyric video to be taken from 'The Oblivion Particle' for the track 'Bennett Built A Time Machine'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BFzL7rMajY&feature=youtu.be
The lyric about "single spaced on a legal pad" is so cringy for me. Feels so forced.
Being sung by Jimmy is pretty nice though. He's got a decent set of pipes.
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I'm with Kev on this one... I find Afterthoughts to be mediocre at best.
The vocal arrangement and performance is well done, but after the other "Thoughts" entries on earlier albums, it feels like something of a rehash. Not entirely, but kinda. As a standalone piece, I think it's fine, but it's hard not to hear how they've tried to do another piece in a similar vein to earlier (and IMO better) tunes.
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Sorry for the double post but ...
Spock's Beard have launched the second lyric video to be taken from 'The Oblivion Particle' for the track 'Bennett Built A Time Machine'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BFzL7rMajY&feature=youtu.be
FWI, never have to apologize for useful double posts. That's only frowned upon if done in a spammy manner.
Look forward to checking this track out when I get home.
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The new song is...interesting. Beautiful sung by Jimmy and everyone performed well, especially Dave's bass playing in the middle of the song. But the lyrics... my god, the lyrics. They're.... well, a bit cringe-worthy in spots, but it's not anything out of the ordinary for SB, especially considering some of Neal's lyrics during his tenure with the band.
"Tides Of Time" is the only one that's gotten me really excited so far, of the 3 songs released, so I'm hoping the whole album experience improves the songs a bit. It feels a BIT tired in spots, and very predictable - heavy opening, catchy chorus, slowed-down/toned-down middle section with a solo or two, then back to the chorus at the end with a rompous outro. That's about it. I'm hoping there's a bit more variety across the whole album.
Either way, I cannot wait to received my pre-order from Burning Shed at the end of the month, complete with bonus track!
-Marc.
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Either way, I cannot wait to received my pre-order from Burning Shed at the end of the month, complete with bonus track!
-Marc.
I ordered my Media Book direct from SB's page.. hopefully I was one of the first 100 to get a signed card or whatever. And yeah the bonus track.
And yes, the lyrics are cringe worthy on this one.
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Hmm, my first impression, honestly, was that it was nice enough, cool to hear Jimmy sing, but the song itself is something that Arjen Lucassen could have farted out on a lazy day.
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Yeah, like I said in my review it's a pleasant song but pretty standard. Definitely one of the weaker tracks on the album, in my opinion, notable only due to Jimmy's singing.
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Sorry for the double post but ...
Spock's Beard have launched the second lyric video to be taken from 'The Oblivion Particle' for the track 'Bennett Built A Time Machine'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BFzL7rMajY&feature=youtu.be
The lyric about "single spaced on a legal pad" is so cringy for me. Feels so forced
Honestly lyrics have been one of their weak points since Neal left. At best the lyrics are unremarkable and at worst they're downright cringey.
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With bands like Spock's Beard, the lyrics to me are like a nice bonus if they're good, but I'm in it primarily for the music. When there are vocals, half the time I'm not even listening to the words anyway.
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With bands like Spock's Beard, the lyrics to me are like a nice bonus if they're good, but I'm in it primarily for the music. When there are vocals, half the time I'm not even listening to the words anyway.
Many prog lyrics make little sense if you take them literally, so I imagine many prog fans are mainly in it for the music. I know I am. The voice is just an extra instrument providing the melody line.
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Exactly. There are times when the words jump out at you and you can't really ignore them, but most of the time they're just a melody. And of course, that's when there are vocals at all.
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Got an e-mail last night telling me my copy of The Oblivion Particle has been dispatched - hopefully I should have my mits on the CD shortly! Can't wait! :metal
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My biggest issue with the lyrics is, it's like a book that only has the introduction. So, Bennett builds a time machine ... and that's it.
Is there a second part to this song?
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My biggest issue with the lyrics is, it's like a book that only has the introduction. So, Bennett builds a time machine ... and that's it.
Is there a second part to this song?
Well, yeah, it's on the next album.
"Bennett went back in time to kill Hitler"
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Bennett left off some steam.
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It was on the doormat waiting for me when I got home!
Blimey, that's a bit of a challenging listen, isn't it? Not what I was expecting at all! This one's going to take a few repeated spins before I can work out what I make of it...
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Hopefully mine will arrive today. I ordered it from the SB store.
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It was on the doormat waiting for me when I got home!
Blimey, that's a bit of a challenging listen, isn't it? Not what I was expecting at all! This one's going to take a few repeated spins before I can work out what I make of it...
I agree. I'm on the 7th song, an EXTREMELY challenging listen so far.
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Hopefully mine will arrive today. I ordered it from the SB store.
Me too. No shipping confirmation or anything.
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When you say Challenging listen, what do you mean?
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When you say Challenging listen, what do you mean?
It was on the doormat waiting for me when I got home!
Blimey, that's a bit of a challenging listen, isn't it? Not what I was expecting at all! This one's going to take a few repeated spins before I can work out what I make of it...
I agree. I'm on the 7th song, an EXTREMELY challenging listen so far.
Gotta agree. Got through one semi-rushed listen this morning, and it's a LOT to take in. Some VERY different stuff here, for the Beard, and for prog in general. Lots of GOOD stuff, mind you, but it's not quite as simple as some other classic SB albums and tunes. It's got a lot of experimentation across the board, from all band members, and I think this one is a statement that the band aren't still done showing what they've got up their musical sleeves.
-Marc.
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I went and bought my copy of The Oblivion Particle this morning. Very happy to have it in my hands. Listened to a few songs on the way home, and I really like Hell's Not Enough on first listen.
Update: The Center Line. Didn't think a lot of the intro, but when the song kicked in...wowee! :tup
Quite often, when a tracklisting is announced, I'll look at it and think about which songs I might like most. Very often, it's the ones I don't think of which are the songs that end up impressing me most. Previous examples of this include Dream Theater's Outcry and Steven Wilson's Drive Home.
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This album makes a much better first impression than their last. At least on me.
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Midway into the second spin. A great listen, entertaining and lots to digest.
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Just purchased.
Listening later.
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Looking forward to getting this.
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After a couple of "spins" TOP hasn't floored me like BNDS did but I am liking what I hear for the most part. There are a couple of clunkers though, but overall another very solid SB release!
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Upon my first listen I find this album a little bit bland. If I had to point out something I think it would be the instrumental sections which seem sometimes uninspired and sometimes they don't go well with the flow of the songs.
I'll give it a couple more spins and see if it starts growing on me.
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I will say, though, I thoroughly enjoy the opener "Tides Of Time". That instrumental through the ending is just amazing, especially Jimmy's drumming!
-Marc.
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Decent first listen (in the background while working). More dedicated listens required before I can fully decide.
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Burning the disk to I-Tunes. Will spin it tomorrow driving to meet up with Coz and his family near Boston for lunch! :metal
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Wow, this is one tough album. I'm enjoying it with every spin, it's just that some of the stuff on it is strikingly different, especially tracks like The Central line. Of course, it's a good thing that the band went through a bit of a change, we'll just have to see if these songs will grow into really great songs. They're all very colorful and each has some great bits, but the ones I like the most so far are probably Hell's not enough and Get out while you can.
For those that have the physical copy of the CD, can anyone post the writing credits? I'm very interested to see who came up with which song. I wouldn't be surprised if Ted Leonard was the main songwriter now. He sounds fantastic on the album, by the way, his voice really adds a lot of character to the songs.
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Finished my first listen of the album.
I see why people are saying it's challenging. There is a lot going on.
But TBH, I loved it. I know it was just the first listen, and it will bear many more listens to fully realize a real opinion on it, but my first impression was through the roof.
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At the moment, the only song I'm still a bit baffled by is Tides of Time. BBATM is getting better with each listen. My highlights are definitely Hell's Not Enough (Ted's the star here, and a great (accompanied) drum solo from Keegan) and The Center Line (what a chorus!)
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So far I'm liking it, more than the previous album.
I know this is a moot point, but man I wish they didn't have Alan on guitar.
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So far I'm liking it, more than the previous album.
I know this is a moot point, but man I wish they didn't have Alan on guitar.
Why?
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I know this is a moot point, but man I wish they didn't have Alan on guitar.
I used to think that, too, but I've softened towards him over the years. Granted, I still think he is their LVP, but he does have some pretty great moments. Flow wouldn't be nearly as awesome without that terrific ending, and he has many other great moments. His lead tone has almost always been fine, but his rhythm tone really stunk around the V/Snow era (that intro to Freak Boy hurts my ears, the guitar tone is so bad), which hasn't been a problem lately, so I think he has cleaned that up. Flawed or not, his quirky style is part of the band's signature sound, and I accept that.
I still need to get the new album. This week, hopefully...
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The worst part about this album is that it was released the same day as the Ghost album, and that album is just crying for more spins and it's the one I want to listen to given a choice at the moment. First listen didn't really grab me too much, and most of it was done in the car. We'll see...I don't think it will be a total clunker because they've never given us one, but I don't think it will be on their Mt. Rushmore either (V, X, BNaDs, and TKoS personally - DFN makes a strong case as well).
I know it was said earlier, but it bears repeating...I love the music to BBaTM, but damn that single spaced on legal pads is almost Hitler level awful. I might just scoop that verse out of the song in a wave editor and make my own radio edit.
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SB has some good songs and arrangements. I only have the album SNOW. I feel their weakest point is the vocals, they're just mediocre at best. They just don't have a standout singer even though they are on key technically. I just find the vocals boring.
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For those that have the physical copy of the CD, can anyone post the writing credits? I'm very interested to see who came up with which song. I wouldn't be surprised if Ted Leonard was the main songwriter now. He sounds fantastic on the album, by the way, his voice really adds a lot of character to the songs.
Tides of Time: Stan Ausmus
Minion: Ted Leonard
Hell's...: Ted Leonard
Bennett...: John Boegehold
Get Out...: John Boegehold
A Better Way...: John Boegehold
The Center Line: Alan Morse + Ryo Okumoto
To Be Free Again: John Boegehold
Disappear: John Boegehold
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For those that have the physical copy of the CD, can anyone post the writing credits? I'm very interested to see who came up with which song. I wouldn't be surprised if Ted Leonard was the main songwriter now. He sounds fantastic on the album, by the way, his voice really adds a lot of character to the songs.
Tides of Time: Stan Ausmus
Minion: Ted Leonard
Hell's...: Ted Leonard
Bennett...: John Boegehold
Get Out...: John Boegehold
A Better Way...: John Boegehold
The Center Line: Alan Morse + Ryo Okumoto
To Be Free Again: John Boegehold
Disappear: John Boegehold
Interesting! A lot of credits from Boegehold (5 total!), and only one more Alan this time around.
I can definitely feel the influence of Alan and Ryo in "The Center Line", which has become a favorite of mine so far on the album. I'm glad Ryo is credited with song writing this time as he wasn't for the BNADS at all.
Odd to see only 2 writing credits from Ted, which is as many as the last album (well, he had a co-credit with Alan and Neal for "Afterthoughts" though I think that was for the lyrics, not the music). I was expecting at least a couple more from Ted this go around.
Sad to see there's no credits from Dave Meros this time around. He co-wrote "I Know Your Secret" on the last one, as well as four songs on each X and SB9.
-Marc.
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SB has some good songs and arrangements. I only have the album SNOW. I feel their weakest point is the vocals, they're just mediocre at best. They just don't have a standout singer even though they are on key technically. I just find the vocals boring.
That was two singers ago. Their current singer is probably the best one they've had in terms of natural and practiced ability.
M-
Boegehold has been the main songwriter since Neal left. I don't see that changing. Ted has Enchant full time and a bunch of other side projects, and he wrote Submurged back in 2006 or 2007 for his solo album, so it's not like he wrote that for SB - which is why I don't see him becoming the main songwriter for SB. Him becoming the head songwriter would really change the band dynamics. Maybe I'll ask him about it.
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I still find that bizarre that their main songwriter for now half of their career (six of 12 albums) is from someone who isn't a band member.
I did listen to Bennett Built a Time Machine on YouTube (there is a lyric video for it), and having never heard Jimmy Keegan sing before, I was stunned at how much he sounds like NDV, especially in the chorus. Good song.
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I still find that bizarre that their main songwriter for now half of their career (six of 12 albums) is from someone who isn't a band member.
I did listen to Bennett Built a Time Machine on YouTube (there is a lyric video for it), and having never heard Jimmy Keegan sing before, I was stunned at how much he sounds like NDV, especially in the chorus. Good song.
Well if Ted ever leaves the band, I'm sure Jimmy would make a suitable replacement for him, but they'd need to get another drummer for the tours.
...wait, this seems familiar...
-Marc.
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I still find that bizarre that their main songwriter for now half of their career (six of 12 albums) is from someone who isn't a band member.
I did listen to Bennett Built a Time Machine on YouTube (there is a lyric video for it), and having never heard Jimmy Keegan sing before, I was stunned at how much he sounds like NDV, especially in the chorus. Good song.
1. See also Peter Sinfield for King Crimson (who was actually credited as a band member on ITCOTCK) and John Helmer for Marillion.
2. Some time last year, they posted a video of a jam session they did for a fan VIP thing; it morphed into a cover of That's All, and Keegan chimed in with vocals. I believe he also did a vocal part in the acapella section of Afterthoughts.
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I still find that bizarre that their main songwriter for now half of their career (six of 12 albums) is from someone who isn't a band member.
I did listen to Bennett Built a Time Machine on YouTube (there is a lyric video for it), and having never heard Jimmy Keegan sing before, I was stunned at how much he sounds like NDV, especially in the chorus. Good song.
I saw Jimmy sing "Carie" live at RoSfest and he has a great voice.
This is a deep album like most have said. I like it. I need to soak it in a little more though.
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There are indeed a lot of layers and little things sprinkled throughout the album that make me smile, like in BBATM, there are bits that Al and/or Ryo do during the verses just after the vocals end each line, and they're different each time, little runs or melodies that fill in that space so well.
BNADS was a hit with me from the start, it was classic-sounding SB coming off a well-made and well-received album, X, and they needed something that was more familiar than not to help ease fans into another line-up change, and we got some AMAZING music out of that.
This time, they're really out to prove that they've still got the chops to make something exciting and experiment and different than what's come before. I'm not sure how some people say this still sounds like the "same old" and "tired" SB they're used to. To my ears, it's fairly fresh and entertaining, even if it's jarring and unsettling in some moments, due to tone or composition, but I like being challenged like that. "Close To The Edge" was like that for me at first, and I couldn't listen to that song AT ALL for months and would skip to Side 2 of that album, but after awhile, after I had gotten to know the band and understand their writing, it fell into place.
Perhaps because some of these songs are so different than what we're used to, it does sound pretty hard to get into sometimes, and they picked 3 good songs to lead off their release with, to show off that they've still got their classic sound ("Tides Of Time"), some very melodic and catchy choruses ("Bennett Built A Time Machine"), and some heavy, syncopated rocking out ("Minion"). Each track on there, though, stands out to me as being different from the others, though I'd have to say, beyond those first three, "The Center Line" really sticks out to me, as does the closer "Disappear", which REALLY sounds like it could be on a Kansas album, especially with Ryo's choice of keyboard sounds.
"Hell's Not Enough" and "Get Out While You Can" are still taking time to sink in for me, but I like them so far, and the epic "To Be Free Again" is pretty fantastic. I'm sure as the next couple of years pass until the next album, this one will sink in and become another classic release by the Beard!
-Marc.
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So far I'm liking it, more than the previous album.
I know this is a moot point, but man I wish they didn't have Alan on guitar.
Why?
I think he's very much stuck in his idiosyncratic playing, which makes every single solo of his sound exactly the same.
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Thanks for the info, ich bin besser. Man, that's a lot of John Boegehold. I know he did stuff in the past as well, but there was plenty more contribution from Alan and Dave on the previous two albums, if I recall correctly. It's weird, I'm not used to the songs not being written by the band members, honestly - not that there's something wrong with it, though.
I had to check the writing credits from the previous albums - John has been a writer since Feel euphoria, but the first song that he was solely credited on was Something very strange from the previous album. That's just one song. Here, however, he's a single writer on FIVE songs. Seems like a plausible explanation for why this album sounds so different to me.
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Yeah, I was surprised just how much Boegehold contributed to this album. Odd to see Alan and Ryo co-writing only one song and Dave writing nothing at all.
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Lots of popular artists don't write their own songs. I can't speak for John Boegehold, but here are some reasons off the top of my head he just writes songs and isn't a part of the band:
1) He just likes writing, and not everything else that goes with it. It's a convenient marriage for both, as he has written a lot of songs I enjoy.
2) Playing live isn't his thing, whether by preference or stagefright.
3) He has a full time job that would make being a member of a band difficult.
4) His playing talents don't match his writing talents.
Its not a bad situation, if anything the extra person writing likely means we have fewer clunkers than we would have otherwise.
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Another thing I've noticed with TOP is that many of the harmony vocals are Ted Leonard multi-tracked rather than the other members singing with him, most notably the "Kansas bit" of Minion.
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I still stand by "not Mt. Rushmore" comment, but I am liking the album more with each listen. It's a grower, but it's solid.
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Something I noticed last night while listening to "The Center Line"...
"Maybe I dreamed it all
I really can’t recall
What came between forever and goodbye
Now it all seems so banal
So "I’ve already heard it all..."
Somebody has to hold it up to the light
But then it gets real
And you have to fall apart or fall together
When you get yours and I got time
When it comes down
When we touch the ground
It’s such a gentle surrender
What if we've found the center line?"
Then I was looking back at the lyrics to "The Light"...
"I: The Dream
What
Makes a dream
So very different
From any other dream
Where is that
Straight line
That I can hold up
To the light
And say no!
This is not right
This does not
Stand up
In the light"
Lots of connections to dreams, lines and light in "The Center Line" relating back to "The Light". I asked about it on the SB Forum on Facebook, but Jimmy says it's just a coincidence... :lol And Ryo and Alan did write this song, so who knows. It could be, or it could be deliberate!
Either way, I thought it was a cool little nugget of lyrical allusion.
-Marc.
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Nugget!
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Listened to it once and kinda liked it, the first half (up to Get out) seemed better than the second half, but I need way more listenings before I can really comment on this thing. Surely much to take in.
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Listened to it once and kinda liked it, the first half (up to Get out) seemed better than the second half, but I need way more listenings before I can really comment on this thing. Surely much to take in.
That's how I felt after my first listen, but now I think I prefer the second half.
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Something I noticed last night while listening to "The Center Line"...
"Maybe I dreamed it all
I really can’t recall
What came between forever and goodbye
Now it all seems so banal
So "I’ve already heard it all..."
Somebody has to hold it up to the light
But then it gets real
And you have to fall apart or fall together
When you get yours and I got time
When it comes down
When we touch the ground
It’s such a gentle surrender
What if we've found the center line?"
Then I was looking back at the lyrics to "The Light"...
"I: The Dream
What
Makes a dream
So very different
From any other dream
Where is that
Straight line
That I can hold up
To the light
And say no!
This is not right
This does not
Stand up
In the light"
Lots of connections to dreams, lines and light in "The Center Line" relating back to "The Light". I asked about it on the SB Forum on Facebook, but Jimmy says it's just a coincidence... :lol And Ryo and Alan did write this song, so who knows. It could be, or it could be deliberate!
Either way, I thought it was a cool little nugget of lyrical allusion.
-Marc.
Nice!
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Regarding the role of John Boegehold: someone on the German SB forum (www.thebearded.de) took the time to look up the songwriting credits on the albums after Neal left (without The Oblivion Particle) - interesting!
Feel Euphoria
1. Onomatopoeia – Alan Morse, Nick d’Virgilio, John Boegehold
2. the Bottom Line Nick d’Virgilio
3. Feel Euphoria Nick d’Virgilio, Ryo Okumoto
4. Shining Star Nick d’Virgilio
5. East of Eden Alan Morse, John Boegehold
6. Ghosts of Autumn Dave Meros John Boegehold
7. A Guy named Sid – Intro Nick d’Virgilio
8. A Guy named Sid – Same old story Nick d’Virgilio
9. A Guy named Sid – you don’t know Nick d’Virgilio
10. A Guy named Sid – Judge Nick d’Virgilio
11. A Guy named Sid – Sid’s Boys Choir Nick d’Virgilio
12. A Guy named Sid – Change Nick d’Virgilio
13. Carry On Alan Morse, Stan Ausmus, John Boegehold
14. Moth of many flames Alan Morse, John Boegehold
15. From the Messenger Ryo Okumoto
Octane
1. The Ballet of the impact John Boegehold, Dave Meros
2. I Wouldn’t let it go John Boegehold, Alan Morse
3. Surfing Down the Avalanche John Boegehold, Nick d’Virgilio, Dave Meros
4. She is everything John Boegehold, Dave Meros
5. Climbing up that hill John Boegehold, Dave Meros
6. Letting go Ryo Okumoto
7. Of the Beauty of it all John Boegehold, Dave Meros
8. NWC Nick d’Virgilio
9. There was a Time John Boegehold, Alan Morse
10. The Planet’s Hum Stan Ausmus, Nick d’Virgilio, Alan Morse
11. Watching the Tide Nick d’Virgilio
12. As Long as we ride John Boegehold, Nick d’Virgilio, Alan Morse
Octane Bonus Disc
1. When she’s gone John Boegehold, Nick d’Virgilio, Dave Meros
2. Follow me to sleep John Boegehold, Nick d’Virgilio
3. Game Face Nick d’Virgilio, Ryo Okumoto
4. Broken Promise Land John Boegehold, Alan Morse
Spock’s Beard 9
1. On a perfect Day Stan Ausmus, John Boegehold, Nick d’Virgilio, Alan Morse
2. Skeletons at the Feast John Boegehold, Dave Meros
3. Is this Love Nick d’Virgilio
4. All that’s left John Boegehold, Dave Meros
5. With your kiss Nick d’Virgilio
6. Sometimes they stay Stan Ausmus, Alan Morse
7. the slow crash landing man John Boegehold, Dave Meros
8. Wherever you stand Nick d’Virgilio, Ryo Okumoto
9. Hereafter John Boegehold, Ryo Okumoto
10. Dreaming in the age of answers John Boegehold, Dave Meros
11. Here’s a man John Boegehold, Dave Meros
12. They know we know John Boegehold, Dave Meros
13. Stream of Unconsciousness John Boegehold, Dave Meros
14. Rearranged Nick d’Virgilio
X
1. Edge of the In-Between Dave Meros, John Boegehold
2. The Emperor’s Clothes Alan Morse, Neal Morse, Larry Kutcher
3. Kamikaze Ryo Okumoto
4. From the Darkness Nick d’Virgilio, Alan Morse
5. the quiet house Dave Meros, John Boegehold
6. Their Names escape me John Boegehold, Dave Meros
7. The man behind the curtain Alan Morse, Stan Ausmus
8. Jaws of Heaven Dave Meros, John Boegehold
Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep
1. Hiding out Ted Leonard
2. I know your secret Dave Meros, John Boegehold
3. A Treasure abandoned John Boegehold, Alan Morse
4. Submerged Ted Leonard
5. Afterthoughts Alan Morse, Neal Morse, Ted Leonard
6. Something very strange John Boegehold
7. Waiting for me Alan Morse, Neal Morse
Bonus Disc
1. The man you’re afraid you are Alan Morse, Stan Ausmus
2. Down a burning road John Boegehold, Alan Morse
3. Wish I were here Alan Morse
4. Soemthing very strange (Remix) John Boegehold
5. Postcards from Perdition John Boegehold
Total: 65 songs - 30 by Boegehold, 24 d’Virgilio, 19 Meros, 20 Al Morse, 7 Okumoto, 6 Stan Ausmus, 3 Neal Morse, 1 Larry Kutcher.
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I really like the album. I really like Bennet - it's a bloody earworm
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Interesting lyrical nugget there. Maybe "the light" is Spock's Beard's equivalent of Pink Floyd's "the wall", ie. when that is mentioned in any post-album song by them or on a member's solo album, connections try to be made to The Wall, the album.
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Interesting lyrical nugget there. Maybe "the light" is Spock's Beard's equivalent of Pink Floyd's "the wall", ie. when that is mentioned in any post-album song by them or on a member's solo album, connections try to be made to The Wall, the album.
I was thinking the same thing, but I was afraid it would come off as dickish. I realize the cover art is basically just a ton of callbacks, but if a song is named after a common object, like "Light" or "Water", you can't expect the band to never use those objects again, anywhere.
Speaking of Nick D, he was the drummer on the Iron Man cover. I wonder if he came back and did that, or if it was left over from when he was in the band and Ted just sang overtop the old recording.
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Speaking of Nick D, he was the drummer on the Iron Man cover. I wonder if he came back and did that, or if it was left over from when he was in the band and Ted just sang overtop the old recording.
Not sure, but these are the credits for the song according to SB's website:
Dave Meros - vocals, bass, guitar
Nick D’Virgilio - drums
Ryo Okumoto - mellotron & synth
Ted Leonard - guitar solos
Looks like Dave was the vocalist for that cover, NOT Ted or Nick. Interesting that both Dave and Jimmy have lead vocals on this album, even if one song is a cover. Looks like it was a cover headed up by Dave since he covers vocals, bass AND guitar, and perhaps he just got Nick to do the drums (perhaps Jimmy was unavailable?) and Ryo to do the keys, then Ted just did the solos later on.
Also, I believe Stan (or maybe John) later replied to my post saying that "it was not unintentional", meaning the use of similar words and phrases in "The Center Line" relating back to "The Light", so who knows!
-Marc.
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Something I forgot to point out in my earlier post is that Feel Euphoria has a song called The Bottom Line. Could the "Line Trilogy" be the next big sequence of SB songs after the "Thoughts Pentalogy"? (Bearing in mind Part 4 doesn't yet exist...unless it's just a blank space for us to fill with our own Thoughts...That's another story all together.)
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I just assumed it was Ted singing since I saw him credited somewhere in the song. I should try reading better.
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I agree, you should try spelling better.
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SB had a show last night with Enchant opening for them (which must have been a chore for Ted, I'd assume). This is what they played:
Tides of Time
On a Perfect Day
Hell's Not Enough
The Good Don't Last
Minion
A Better Way to Fly
Afterthoughts
To Be Free Again
June
Waiting for Me
Encore:
The Water
Five new songs, including two of the three songs they previewed before release (BBATM oddly absent, but Jimmy mentioned on FB last week that they would not be playing it this time around), as well as two songs from the last album.
One song from the NDV years, and a good one at that (if a bit overplayed in terms of songs from those four albums), and then three songs from the Neal Morse years, one of which is an SB concert staple (June), a fun surprise from the same album (The Good Don't Last), and then.... THE WATER?! I know they've played the first couple portions as part of a medley (with Go The Way You Go), but not the whole thing, not since the band's first tour, as far as I know.
At least, listing it as THE encore, likely means that it was the whole song. I hope this show got recorded either for CD or DVD release because it seems like a really solid set list!
-Marc.
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How the hell did Afterthoughts make it on to the set list again? :facepalm:
That's what the kids call epic fail.
Bummer to see nothing from X, but pretty sweet to see The Water in there.
However, I am not going to lie: I would have zero interest in a live DVD by then at this point. I saw the one from the X tour on YT a while back, and while it was cool to see, the lack of fans there made the environment very sterile. It sucks that they aren't more popular, but shows in front of 95 people just look bad on television.
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However, I am not going to lie: I would have zero interest in a live DVD by then at this point. I saw the one from the X tour on YT a while back, and while it was cool to see, the lack of fans there made the environment very sterile. It sucks that they aren't more popular, but shows in front of 95 people just look bad on television.
I tend to agree, prog DVDs where the band plays to a tiny audience (Meet The Flower Kings springs to mind) is a bit depressing, which is why I'd rather enjoy a live CD more than anything. Still get the music and probably better mixed for audio discs anyway, but not having to worry about seeing a poor turn out.
Either way, a full live concert from this line up would be nice, be it on DVD or CD. We've only had Live At Sea, which was barely 68 minutes of music. Something a bit longer, like the set list above, would be nice to have (which works out to be about 110 minutes anyway).
-Marc.
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That concert would be worth seeing just for The Water.
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Halfway through my 2nd listen of the new album on the way home from work today. Sounds good so far, but nothing has wowed me yet.
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Halfway through my 2nd listen of the new album on the way home from work today. Sounds good so far, but nothing has wowed me yet.
It's a grower for sure. I'm really loving it after 8 listens.
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Track 1 seems pretty good.
I like tracks 2-4 quite a bit.
Track 5, Get Out While You Can, is not very good.
Tracks 6-9 not making a dent yet, either way, but it's early.
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I feel that for me, it's going to be the band's best post-neal album. When song after song I must stop what I'm doing and just listen, it's a sure sign.
I also don't get how some people find it challenging. It's prog, after all... But even as such I find it quite an easy listen.
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After the Snow Medley on the last tour, I was expecting something else from that album (Wind at my Back?), but this is a pretty solid setlist, even without BBATM or Get Out While You Can. Dropping Afterthoughts in favour of Something Very Strange would improve things, as would another NDV-era song.
But I'm most stoked about Better Way to Fly - one of my fave tracks from the new album, and one I really thought didn't stand a chance of making the setlist.
Looking forward to seeing them on Oct 2nd - and hoping a few more people turn up - last time I saw them I think there were more people in the band than in the audience - it's a crying shame.
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I feel that for me, it's going to be the band's best post-neal album.
It's gotta a long, long way to go for me to be able to say that, given how tremendous both X and Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep both were.
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The Center Line is pretty great. :hat
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It's gotta a long, long way to go for me to be able to say that, given how tremendous both X and Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep both were.
Just yesterday morning I threw Brief Nocturnes into my playlist to see how I feel about it now. I hate to say it, but I turned it off mid album. Just personal preference of course, but somehow I don't like that album very much. I do remember liking X a lot, especially "The Man Behind the Curtain". But still, there was never this instant connection like with Oblivion Particle. Maybe it's just... Catchier?
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I would say Brief Nocturnes is definitely "catchier" than Oblivion Particle. Doesn't mean it's better of course, and I think lots of people are really liking the fact that TOP is more of a grower.
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Aside from Afterthoughts, and counting the bonus tracks, Brief Nocturnes... is really consistent in that nearly every song is really, really good. There's nothing on there I would call one of their best songs ever (like I would with Jaws of Heaven and From the Darkness from X), but it's still a top 5 Spock's album in my book.
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I don't mind Afterthoughts that much and Down A Burning Road is a great song, should've been on the album and not just as a bonus. So, yes, BNADS is at least a top 5 Beard album. Whereas The Oblivion Particle isn't, as of yet, but maybe that will change. It hasn't really clicked with me yet but I like it more with each listening, definitely a grower.
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I love Afterthoughts and don't really understand Kev's hatred of it. :lol
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I love Afterthoughts and don't really understand Kev's hatred of it. :lol
And it rocks live too.
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Despite being initially disappointed with the new album, it actually grew on me enough to be a solid Spock's beard release. Far from the excellence of the previous two, but still fairly enjoyable.
Hell's not enough remained my absolute favorite, the keyboard theme is magnificent, I adore the insanely catchy chorus and the pre-chorus has a classic SB feel to it despite the fact that the song is written by Ted. A Better way to fly is my 2nd favorite because of being the craziest tune on the record but still remaining memorable, and the Minion is quite great as well.
Get out while you can turned out to be a lesser favorite of mine, I liked it at first but it turned out to be merely okay. I also don't care for Bennett at all, it's rather generic melodically and, as someone pointed out, the lyrics don't go anywhere and that's kind of a cliffhanger.
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I would say Brief Nocturnes is definitely "catchier" than Oblivion Particle. Doesn't mean it's better of course, and I think lots of people are really liking the fact that TOP is more of a grower.
There is no doubt in my mind that BNaDS had a more immediate punch than TOP. It hit home from day one, and the new one is definitely more of a grower. Will be interesting to see which one I end up enjoying more.
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I love Afterthoughts and don't really understand Kev's hatred of it. :lol
I don't hate it; I just think it's not good at all.
Those songs that center around those Gentle Giant-live harmonies are rarely ones I like a lot, and the ones in this one just sound bad. That section near the end where it just the voices with no music, is embarrassingly bad.
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Love the new album.
:hat
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I have claimed Afterthoughts as my own theme song.
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I have claimed Afterthoughts as my own theme song.
Careful, Kev might fight you for it.
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I have claimed Afterthoughts as my own theme song.
Careful, Kev might fight you for it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=facUcZzJ_jI&feature=youtu.be&t=655
:biggrin:
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I have claimed Afterthoughts as my own theme song.
Careful, Kev might fight you for it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=facUcZzJ_jI&feature=youtu.be&t=655
:biggrin:
:lol I had honestly no idea what to expect when I opened that, but it was on point and on topic, well done. :lol
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:hat
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Nicely played Kev. :lol
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The Center Line is pretty great. :hat
:tup One of my instant faves when I first started spinning the whole album. Between that, "Bennett Built A Time Machine" and "To Be Free Again", they make up my current top 3 of the album. "A Better Way To Fly" and "Disappear" are also pretty good, as is the opener. Still haven't really clicked with "Get Out While You Can" (though that chorus is catchy) or "Hell's Not Enough", and "Minion" is just pretty good.
Over all, it's a pretty strong album of growers, and I think it'll become a solid fave in the coming years. I still find myself spinning BNADS and X almost as much as TOP lately, so the boys in the Beard have really been on a huge roll, so I hope SB13 turns out just as good, if not better!
-Marc.
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Marc, it is now time for the Spock's discography thread. If you don't want to do it, say the word, and I'll do it. :coolio
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Disappear is my favorite track on the album. This has become such a grower on me. Loving it more with every listen.
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I can't pick a favorite yet, but it is definitely a grower. Loving it more and more with each listen. Get Out While You Can is even growing on me!
Two things must be said, too:
1) Since V, pretty much every SB album has the same sound and mix, which is a good thing. For their style, you couldn't get a better mix than what they always do.
2) Ryo is the MVP of the last three albums. His playing is never over the top, always tasteful, and his choice of keyboard tones is always just right.
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Marc, it is now time for the Spock's discography thread. If you don't want to do it, say the word, and I'll do it. :coolio
At this point, go ahead. I've been wanting to do it, but without a working laptop at home, I can't always guarantee I'll be able to reasonably update regularly, so go ahead and take up the task of doing it! I'll definitely contribute my thoughts (har har) whenever I can and actively participate in the thread!
-Marc.
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When I saw the tracklisting, I thought Disappear would serve a similar function to DT's Beneath the Surface, ie. a comedown/epilogue after the album's 'epic', but Disappear feels a bit more substantial than that. A nice ending to the album.
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When I saw the tracklisting, I thought Disappear would serve a similar function to DT's Beneath the Surface, ie. a comedown/epilogue after the album's 'epic', but Disappear feels a bit more substantial than that. A nice ending to the album.
Great tune. Very Kansas-esque, especially with that violin solo in the middle, played of course by former Kansas violinist David Ragsdale. :tup :tup
Marc, it is now time for the Spock's discography thread. If you don't want to do it, say the word, and I'll do it. :coolio
At this point, go ahead. I've been wanting to do it, but without a working laptop at home, I can't always guarantee I'll be able to reasonably update regularly, so go ahead and take up the task of doing it! I'll definitely contribute my thoughts (har har) whenever I can and actively participate in the thread!
-Marc.
Got it. Perhaps I'll give it a go this week...
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:metal
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I'm in! Love to here your take Kev and others views.
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Do it, I'm in too. :metal
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I won't have a lot of inside information or anything, so my write-ups will merely be reviews of the albums, but I'll do it. Very soon. :hat
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I won't have a lot of inside information or anything, so my write-ups will merely be reviews of the albums, but I'll do it. Very soon. :hat
:tup No issues here with that. It'll be a good way to get everyone's views on each of the band's albums in chronological order!
When I had the idea to do it, I was planning on reading Neal's Testimony book to provide insight into the creation of those albums, as well as supplementing that with his liner notes for the first three albums' re-issues through InsideOut, and other tidbits from various DVDs and shows. Of course, I could never find the time to do all of that between work and social things, and then my laptop died on me back in March, so I've really not had time for it. :facepalm:
I just recently re-read Neal's liner notes he wrote for InsideOut and they are pretty good tidbits of history behind the songs from the first three albums. Such humble beginnings for a band born out of LA that had no idea they would become so well-known in the world of prog, despite not having the following they probably deserve.
-Marc.
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I've bought a few more of the albums since the discography thread idea was first mooted, so I'm able to "take part" more often than previously thought now. Looking forward to it.
On another thought, I see that Nick d'Virgilio joined Neal Morse during his Morsefest event this weekend. Morse has also joined SB on stage on several occasions in the last few years. This has got be thinking of the possibility of seeing all current and former members of Spock's Beard on stage together (current band plus Neal and Nick). Imo, that would be pretty awesome. And, unlike many other bands with ex-members, there doesn't seem to be any acrimony between the guys, so it is quite possible that it could happen one day.
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What's the best starting point in their discography? Looking to give them a try.
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I think V and Beware of Darkness are the two best starting points.
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Beware of Darkness is my least favorite Neal era album, but that is mostly due to strong competition.
I'll second V as a good starting point. Kindness of Strangers would be my second Neal era choice; although I think X and BNaDS are other great ports of entry.
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V and Brief Nocturnes I would say are the best starting points, for being both excellent and also accessible.
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Now that the 12th album is out, I figured I'd do what I like to do with most other bands I like around here and that's play the Evens Or Odds game!
Basically, you guys pick which half of the band's discography would you prefer, if you had to choose:
The Evens:
Beware Of Darkness
Day For Night
Snow
Octane
X
The Oblivion Particle
The Odds:
The Light
The Kindness Of Strangers
V
Feel Euphoria
Spock's Beard
Brief Nocturnes And Dreamless Sleep
For me, I'd have to go with the Evens - BOD and Snow are two of my favorites of all time, and X is right up there. Their newest album is also really growing on me as well, even though I loved BNADS too. Also have to say that I really do enjoy Octane as well, as it was their first new album/latest album when I became a fan of them.
-Marc.
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I would definitely go with the Odds, as they have my favourite from each era (V, Spock's Beard and Brief Nocturnes).
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V is the best Neal era album and X is the best Nick era album, but the rest of the odds is better than the rest of the evens so the odds it is for me.
Going by the numbers they have to name their 15th album XV and it will be the best of the Leonard era. ;)
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At the moment, the Odds, despite owning only 3 of those albums compared to 4 Evens. The Kindness of Strangers is on heavy rotation atm, and Brief Nocturnes is my No. 1.
Going by the numbers they have to name their 15th album XV and it will be the best of the Leonard era. ;)
Unless they decide to use that for a 2CD reissue of V and X, of course. ;)
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Holy crap, John Boegehold just posted on Facebook that Inside Out is releassing a new SB compilation of 2CD and 1DVD that spans their entire career, including a new 19-minute epic written by Neal that includes ALL Beard members past and present! Posting from my phone so I can't copy the text, but if you're on Facebook, check it out at the SB Forum group page! Release date is November 20th
-Marc.
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Hah, in exactly the same position here Marc, but you beat me to it. SB themselves have also posted it on Facebook. Very cool!
EDIT: Ok so it's the main article on the homepage of their website: https://www.spocksbeard.com/
Spock’s Beard – ‘The First 20 Years’ collection announced!
From InsideOut Music:
Legendary Californian progressive-rockers Spock’s Beard are set to release ‘The First Twenty Years’ collection on the 20th November 2015. Arriving as a special 2CD & DVD package, it includes a selection of the best tracks from their entire career, as well as a brand new 19-minute long track titled ‘Falling For Forever’ that features every member of Spock’s Beard past and present performing, including Neal Morse (who also wrote the track), Nick D’Virgilio & current vocalist Ted Leonard. All the tracks have also been re-mastered by long-term collaborator Rich Mouser, and the DVD portion of the release will feature old, live and archival footage from the band’s impressive 20+ year career.
Dave Meros talked about the album: "We’ve discussed the idea of a “Best Of” release on-and-off for several years, and it’s finally come together. Of course, there were some tricky issues to work through. Deciding which songs would best represent the band over 20+ years, 12 albums and three different lineups was challenging enough, but add the fact that a lot of our songs clock in anywhere from 8 to 20 minutes or more and the selection process became that much more daunting to make everything fit. Finally, after a lot of back-and-forth between everyone involved, we’ve come up with a song list which we think represents each album and era of the band quite well.
That left us with another concern though. We were adamant about not wanting to just release a bunch of our earlier material in a new package, especially to loyal fans who probably own most, if not all of our albums already. With that in mind, Neal came up with the new epic “Falling For Forever” which clocks in at almost 20 minutes and was written specifically to include all current and past members of the band. Luckily, everyone’s schedule lined up to be able to record it and even better, Rich Mouser was available to record and mix it as well as remaster all of the earlier songs. Add to that a DVD with a lot of previously unseen video footage from the early days of the band and we think we have a package our fans will really get into."
Neal Morse had this to say about the release:
"As we were kicking around the idea of a Spock's Beard 'Best Of', the idea of having some kind of an additional track came up. I felt, as always, like it would be more exciting to do something new than to rehash something we had already done. Then one morning I got inspired and wrote the music that would become 'Falling for Forever'. It was a lot of fun writing for the Spock's gang including Ted and Nick's voices… I definitely had them all in my mind… and I think the end result is really, really cool. Al is killing it on guitar, Dave's bass tone will take the paint off your walls, Ryo is ripping on the keys as usual, and both Jimmy and Nick trade off drum solos toward the end of the song! Ted sings the choruses, Nick sings the middle section, and I sing the verses. It's truly a team effort. The SB fans are going to love it!"
‘The First Twenty Years’ showcases just how important Spock’s Beard have been to progressive rock since their formation in 1992, and how consistently brilliant they remain to this day.
Disc 1
1. The Light
2. Thoughts
3. The Doorway
4. June
5. Day For Night
6. At The End Of The Day
7. Solitary Soul
8. Wind At My Back
Disc 2
1. The Bottom Line
2. She Is Everything
3. On A Perfect Day
4. Jaws Of Heaven
5. Waiting For Me
6. Tides Of Time
7. Falling For Forever
(https://www.spocksbeard.com/images/cd_first20a.jpg)
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You can now pre-order it at Radiant Records, even bundled with the new Flying Colors live album for $45, and the first 200 pre-orders get a signed print with ALL SEVEN members of SB. Too bad I'm poor til Wednesday (payday). Ah well, I have enough of their signatures anyways lol besides, I plan on getting the new Flying Colors love album from Mascot anyway since they have a tshirt and poster bundle as usual!
- Marc.
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So I know a few songs from Neal Morse live albums (June, At The End Of The Day, Wind At My Back, The Light). I know nothing else about this band, really. Would anyone think this new compilation be a good starting point? I like the idea of getting a new song along with some old ones that I know and some that I don't, but if fans think any particular album would be better, then I'd like to know.
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So I know a few songs from Neal Morse live albums (June, At The End Of The Day, Wind At My Back, The Light). I know nothing else about this band, really. Would anyone think this new compilation be a good starting point? I like the idea of getting a new song along with some old ones that I know and some that I don't, but if fans think any particular album would be better, than I'd like to know.
It looks pretty good to me - not all the songs would have been my picks, but mostly solid entries from each album. For me personally, I'm much more of an album listener, but if you're essentially interested in checking out individual songs then this looks like a strong collection.
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I need this so much! :heart
Honestly, I think they did a fantastic job selecting the songs. The two from Snow wouldn't be my picks, and The Bottom line was never my favorite track from Feel euphoria, but then again, not a single other song from it would be a much better choice. I can't wait to hear the new track. The especially fantastic choices: The Light, At the end of the day, She is everything, On a perfect day, Jaws of heaven.
The cover art is wonderful as well.
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Can't wait to hear that new epic featuring all members! What an awesome idea!
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Ugh. I hate when bands put new music in with a compilation. Flat out $$$ decision that is intended to screw hardcore fans. Might do something I hate and just buy the individual track, digitally.
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Can't wait to hear that new epic featuring all members! What an awesome idea!
It's amazing, and I'd love to hear Yes do something similar in memory of Chris Squire. Genesis did something similar but it was a re-recording of an existing song, which Neal even takes a jab at in that press release.
- Marc.
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Ugh. I hate when bands put new music in with a compilation. Flat out $$$ decision that is intended to screw hardcore fans. Might do something I hate and just buy the individual track, digitally.
Sadly, I doubt that one track will be eligible to buy individually.
This is definitely a screw job. Let's face it, just about anybody who is a fan of Spock's Beard is already a huge fan who has all of those songs anyway, and now you have to buy them all again just to get the one new song? Bad, bad form. Cool idea (every member of the band ever playing on it), but terrible execution from a business standpoint. Completists who have to have everything will eat it up, and it's easy to say that this band is too good to not being making more money, so buying this helps them in that regard, but it just leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
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Boegehold seemed to show some distaste with regards to how soon this is coming out after the new album, and I agree. This feels like a label-driven decision by Inside Out. They're trying to buy in to all of the hype surrounding new SB as well as recent releases with Neal Morse on them.
Sure, it reeks of a cash grab, and if it weren't for the remastering by Rich Mouser and the new track (recorded only last month according to Boegehold), I would wait to buy this for a couple of years. However, I'm a sucker for compilations done right, and this at least offers something new.
I can only hope that casual fans only familiar with early SB will find something to their liking on the second disc and help support the band as they are now. This is definitely a band that needs more exposure and recognition.
- Marc.
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As a big SB fan i was honestly disappointed when i read about this new compilation. To get the one new song I'll have to pay for a 2cd + dvd box set. Guess i won't be getting it. Can't really complain because that's my choice. A best of cd isn't bad by itself, heck i just bought a best of by epica tonight that i haven't heard anything from yet. If there was a new song it should have just been included on the new album.
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Okay, cool, I saw all the positive reactions and was afraid I was the only one annoyed by this news. I don't want to buy a whole album of music I already have just to get the one epic. Bands like Foo Fighters, The Killers and Silversun Pickups did that on their compilation albums and I hate that practice so much.
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Ugh. I hate when bands put new music in with a compilation. Flat out $$$ decision that is intended to screw hardcore fans. Might do something I hate and just buy the individual track, digitally.
Same here, if it is available individually, I will buy the new song, if not, then no. Maybe if the best of is on sale sometimes in the future I might get it but not for the regular price.
I hate it when when record companies try to bait the hardcore fans with new tracks on compilation, and more often than not those new tracks aren't worth the money. :angry:
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I think including the DVD is a fair trade to re-buy songs, especially with older, archival footage like behind-the-scenes footage of the making of The Kindness Of Strangers.
Even if I spend $25 on the whole thing, that's still kind of worth a new epic and a DVD of unreleased video of the band!
-Marc.
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I just don't like the thinking behind it, it's like: let's put out something that all the fans already have and therefore only a few completists will buy, but to make the rest buy it nonetheless, let's put on a little extra.
And do we know that the DVD is something we haven't seen before? Or is it also a mixture of previously released footage?
Why not release the DVD separately and the new song on a disc with new or previously unreleased material? That way every fan will buy it.
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I just don't like the thinking behind it, it's like: let's put out something that all the fans already have and therefore only a few completists will buy, but to make the rest buy it nonetheless, let's put on a little extra.
And do we know that the DVD is something we haven't seen before? Or is it also a mixture of previously released footage?
Why not release the DVD separately and the new song on a disc with new or previously unreleased material? That way every fan will buy it.
I think you answered your question in your first paragraph.
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Seriously, that package will be worth it for the DVD and the bonus track alone. Depends a little on the price though, but still.
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I just don't like the thinking behind it, it's like: let's put out something that all the fans already have and therefore only a few completists will buy, but to make the rest buy it nonetheless, let's put on a little extra.
And do we know that the DVD is something we haven't seen before? Or is it also a mixture of previously released footage?
Why not release the DVD separately and the new song on a disc with new or previously unreleased material? That way every fan will buy it.
I think you answered your question in your first paragraph.
My question was more of a rhethorical question. But I wonder if they wouldn't sell more by releasing the material separately.
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So the guys put out one compilation in 20 years and people get mad? I think it's a great idea to put out a compilation at this point. BNADS sold extremely well, it was their most successful album since God knows when, and The Oblivion particle seems to be doing well in that regard. I'd imagine a number of people being introduced to Spock's beard right now and not knowing what a good starting point would be - well, here it is. If it's not worth it for the cover art, new song and a bonus DVD, I don't know what else they should include to make it more special.
It's also a statement that they put the Neil era stuff on one disc and the second one consists of the songs from the other half of their, just to show how much strong, epic material they've released since then. Again, I can sense they really struggled deciding which songs to select, that was an effort enough. Not to mention all the other thought that went into it.
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Not sure why the problems with the package. A new, history spanning composition, plus never-before-seen footage on the DVD make this more than worth it.
There would be no point to a band like SB putting out a Greatest Hits package without including something new on it.
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If you don't see my problem with this kind of package, then it's no big deal. I've just stated my reasoning and my opinion and that is definitely not universally valid. To each his own.
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Not sure why the problems with the package. A new, history spanning composition, plus never-before-seen footage on the DVD make this more than barely worth it.
Fix'd
There would be no point to a band like SB putting out a Greatest Hits package without including something new on it.
Agree completely. Remastered of some of the earlier ones helps too, but shit like this rewards new fans, and is a snub to long-time loyal fans. Doesn't matter which band does it. I got hooked in with the R40 box set this way. I already had all six concerts, but picked this up (as a gift from my kids) for some of the extras. Still stung like a bitch to shell out the money for it.
However, I also have no problem giving my money to bands that deserve and need it (especially the latter). I'll likely cave and get the whole damn thing.
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Agree completely. Remastered of some of the earlier ones helps too, but shit like this rewards new fans, and is a snub to long-time loyal fans.
Not sure how it's a snub. If you want it then there's a bunch of new stuff on it, and if you don't then you don't need to get it. Greatest Hits only really exist for new fans, but it's pretty normal to want to throw in some extra features to entice existing fans - as hef says, especially for a band like SB.
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Not sure why the problems with the package. A new, history spanning composition, plus never-before-seen footage on the DVD make this more than barely worth it.
Fix'd
There would be no point to a band like SB putting out a Greatest Hits package without including something new on it.
Agree completely. Remastered of some of the earlier ones helps too, but shit like this rewards new fans, and is a snub to long-time loyal fans.
So, you are against Greatest Hits packages in general? Or only Greatest Hits packages with new shit on them too?
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For those wondering about the DVD, here's what the email from Radiant Records said:
"[T]he DVD portion of the release will include rare footage of the band in the 90's, featuring vintage live performances from Progfest '97 as well as the band rehearsing and recording "The Kindness of Strangers" album."
Granted, the Progfest '97 show was already released to Inner Circle members (and is still available to members as far as I know), but now it's being made available to the general public!
The TKOS behind-the-scenes stuff is what has me really interested, especially as we've seen stuff like that for DFN, V and Snow already. Any and all early-SB history we can get is amazing, so I'm looking forward to that!
-Marc.
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So, you are against Greatest Hits packages in general? Or only Greatest Hits packages with new shit on them too?
Not against them... it's a great way for someone to get involved in a band without having to go whole-hog on a complete discography, which is overwhelming at 4-5 albums, let alone 12. I've got a lot of "best-of" packages. But to give that group something as unique and appealing as what SB is offering, I get annoyed that those fans are somehow more worthy of something like that over existing fans.
If they offered this track as a digital download only, that would feel a lot more fair. Hell, I'd probably pay as much as $5 for it. But to go that extra $20+ for content that I either A) already have (despite the remaster) or B) am largely uninterested in ... that grates on me.
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Is the new song exclusive to the package?
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Is the new song exclusive to the package?
That was my interpretation.
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Someone purchasing a "best of" (someone who doesn't have the Spock's discography) probably doesn't care that there's a new song on there. I have nothing against it, I get that it was a unique opportunity to put out a new track. It just doesn't work out for me as I have no interest in the DVD either. I would have gotten the new album if that had included this new track. But alas I haven't gotten either; I like them but not quite enough to get a blind purchase. Oh well, I get it, have it on the greatest hits and sell more copies of that. I'm sure it will pop up on youtube eventually so I'll eventually hear it. The band seems like they're all decent dudes so I don't think they're trying to screw anyone.
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Someone purchasing a "best of" (someone who doesn't have the Spock's discography) probably doesn't care that there's a new song on there. I have nothing against it, I get that it was a unique opportunity to put out a new track. It just doesn't work out for me as I have no interest in the DVD either. I would have gotten the new album if that had included this new track. But alas I haven't gotten either; I like them but not quite enough to get a blind purchase. Oh well, I get it, have it on the greatest hits and sell more copies of that. I'm sure it will pop up on youtube eventually so I'll eventually hear it. The band seems like they're all decent dudes so I don't think they're trying to screw anyone.
True, but it's one of those "good business decision that is bad for longtime fans" decisions. The idea of throwing a new song on a greatest hits record is so 25 years ago. Once iTunes and the ability to buy individual songs, instead of having to buy whole albums just to get that one or two new song(s), became the thing, that practice has mostly gone away, yet SB is still doing it here. It's disappointing, especially since I am someone who has legally purchased every single Spock's Beard studio album. I don't care about artwork or a live DVD that I would watch once and likely never again; I care about the tunes, and spending that much money for ONE song I don't have yet is not something I will do.
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I totally get that, I think I was trying to give them the benefit of the doubt. I also have every song (legally) they've made with the exception of the newest album (might get it at some point, I've been into other music as of late so I haven't bothered). Knowing that Neal related stuff is not on spotify, and the album will likely not be available digitally (or if it is only through Radiant as a whole album), I pretty much am banking on missing out on the new song. (even if it shows up on amazon or something digitally the epic will be a "full album only" song).
I honestly have no clue. Part of me thinks "how much money can they actually make off of this?" and the other part of me can believe in the cash grab theory. I guess I only started posting about it because it irks me like it has irked some others.
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Not against them... it's a great way for someone to get involved in a band without having to go whole-hog on a complete discography, which is overwhelming at 4-5 albums, let alone 12. I've got a lot of "best-of" packages. But to give that group something as unique and appealing as what SB is offering, I get annoyed that those fans are somehow more worthy of something like that over existing fans.
If they offered this track as a digital download only, that would feel a lot more fair. Hell, I'd probably pay as much as $5 for it. But to go that extra $20+ for content that I either A) already have (despite the remaster) or B) am largely uninterested in ... that grates on me.
That's all I'm saying. Put it out in digital form or as an EP and I'm first day buyer.
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You can now pre-order it at Radiant Records, even bundled with the new Flying Colors live album for $45, and the first 200 pre-orders get a signed print with ALL SEVEN members of SB. Too bad I'm poor til Wednesday (payday). Ah well, I have enough of their signatures anyways lol besides, I plan on getting the new Flying Colors love album from Mascot anyway since they have a tshirt and poster bundle as usual!
- Marc.
I don't even think I got any notification on this presale at all. Sort of irked about it.
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Not against them... it's a great way for someone to get involved in a band without having to go whole-hog on a complete discography, which is overwhelming at 4-5 albums, let alone 12. I've got a lot of "best-of" packages. But to give that group something as unique and appealing as what SB is offering, I get annoyed that those fans are somehow more worthy of something like that over existing fans.
If they offered this track as a digital download only, that would feel a lot more fair. Hell, I'd probably pay as much as $5 for it. But to go that extra $20+ for content that I either A) already have (despite the remaster) or B) am largely uninterested in ... that grates on me.
That's all I'm saying. Put it out in digital form or as an EP and I'm first day buyer.
This 100%. I'd pay $5 for a 20 minute song. But they won't see one penny more from me for material I already own. All this is going to do push fans to download the songs via other means.
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For those wondering about the DVD, here's what the email from Radiant Records said:
"[T]he DVD portion of the release will include rare footage of the band in the 90's, featuring vintage live performances from Progfest '97 as well as the band rehearsing and recording "The Kindness of Strangers" album."
Granted, the Progfest '97 show was already released to Inner Circle members (and is still available to members as far as I know), but now it's being made available to the general public!
The TKOS behind-the-scenes stuff is what has me really interested, especially as we've seen stuff like that for DFN, V and Snow already. Any and all early-SB history we can get is amazing, so I'm looking forward to that!
-Marc.
Yeah, they saw me coming a mile away. I went for the $45 combo package :lol Think I might have been among the first 200 too :hat
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So, I was looking at old setlists since the Progfest '97 show is now going to be widely available to fans (still want it on CD, though...), I noticed that we never got the FULL Progfest '95 show on the Official Live Bootleg!
The Light
Go the Way You Go
Time Has Come
Thoughts
The Doorway
The Water
On the Edge
At about over 95 minutes of music, regardless of how well it was all played, I would LOVE to have this entire show on CD and/or DVD!!! That's an astonishing set list from 1995, and it's a shame we didn't get "Time Has Come" or "The Doorway" on the Official Live Bootleg.
-Marc.
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Took the chance and went off to Budapest yesterday to see Spock's Beard. Great concert like every single time. Spock's Beard has turned out to be my go-to band whenever I want to see some well performed catchy prog rock live. I'm really liking Ted as the "new" frontman, the band chemistry looks fantastic and you can see the guys are having the time of their lives.
I only had a slight issue with the set list. Even though I love the new SB stuff, having only three songs from the first ten albums was a bit too much. The other thing is, they seem to be playing shorter shows nowadays. When I saw them on X tour, they played for almost two and a half hours, and this show was an hour and fifty minutes. That's probably my high expectations, though, they set the bar very high. It's a shame they cut Hell's not enough from the set list, that's a tremendous song.
Nevertheless, it was a great show and there was plenty more people in the audience than last year, which is hopefully a good sign.
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London show last night was blistering. I love this band!
Al was on fire, despite a few tech problems, Ted really seems to have settled into the part, and had a great chemistry with the other guys. Only downside was the truly awful Synathesia as opening act (sorry guys...)
Setlist:
Tides of Time
On A Perfect Day
Hell's Not Enough
The Good Don't Last/The Radiant Is
Minion
A Better Way To Fly
Afterthoughts
To Be Free Again
June
Waiting For Me
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Bennett Built a Time Machine (very short acoustic version)
The Water
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Radiant Records' Facebook Page has updated with a sneak peak at the new SB epic to end all epics, featuring vocals from Neal, Nick and Ted!!!
Cannot wait to get this compilation for the new epic, but also to hear the remasters from Rich of the selected tracks! Gonna be spinning this one in my car the rest of the year when it comes out!
-Marc.
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London show last night was blistering. I love this band!
Al was on fire, despite a few tech problems, Ted really seems to have settled into the part, and had a great chemistry with the other guys. Only downside was the truly awful Synathesia as opening act (sorry guys...)
Setlist:
Tides of Time
On A Perfect Day
Hell's Not Enough
The Good Don't Last/The Radiant Is
Minion
A Better Way To Fly
Afterthoughts
To Be Free Again
June
Waiting For Me
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Bennett Built a Time Machine (very short acoustic version)
The Water
The Water?! Have they just started playing that or has it been done before that (without Neal)?
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https://www.radiantrecords.com/default.aspx
Let the Snow speculation begin.
Possibly a reunion show for Snow in it's entirety?
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Called this last year, that the next MORSEFEST will feature SNOW in its entirety, hopefully with the whole current band, Neal, and Nick as well.
They can play all of Snow one night, then a reverse-chronological set the other night, ending with an epic performance of "The Light" (because you gotta), then an epic encore of "Falling For Forever" with all 7 band members on stage!
-Marc.
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Hi, guys. Only Spock's Beard song I heard is Crack the Big Sky and I love it so I wanted to ask what's good place to start with their music? Actually, I also checked one live video on Youtube and don't remember which songs they played but I liked it. So, recommend me album or two :tup
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Crack the Big Sky is from Day for Night, which is the consensus least best album from the Neal Morse era, so I wouldn't start with that.
If you don't mind getting the epics right away, start with V or The Light.
If you want a nice mix of catchy shorter tunes and mini-epics, go with with Beware of Darkness or the Kindness of Strangers.
For the post-Neal stuff, X and Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep are the best ones.
Enjoy the ride you are about to get on. :hat
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Counterpoint: Day for Night is still a very good album. I started with it because I got it for cheap, and I liked it, and it only got better and better for me as I filled out the back catalogue.
Also, I love "Crack the Big Sky" too. Great song. ♫♫
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Oh, I agree that Crack the Big Sky is a great tune, but I just think that someone starting off with DfN is not a good idea, since tracks 2 and 3 are total duds, and you'd rather have someone start off with an album that is filled with nothing but good tunes. But that's me. :biggrin:
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I guess. I don't consider any of the tracks to be total duds; I kinda like "Giberish". I didn't know much about the band at the time, other than that one of the guys was in Transatlantic, so I picked it up and was very pleasantly surprised at the quality of it. I suppose if I'd gone into it expecting some mind-blowing experience, I'd have been disappointed. I was just offering up the counterpoint to those saying that Day for Night isn't a good choice as a starting point. It was mine, and it worked out really well. It was accessible enough to grab me, yet had enough meat to it to make me want to check out the rest of their catalogue.
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Day For Night isn't really bad, it's just not as good as some others. But I think it's a good starting point, because then you can still experience the highlights. If you start with the best them, everything that follows will pale in comparison.
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I think Skin is fairly catchy and Gibberish is one of their most awesome songs in terms of vocals. The Gypsy and Can't get it wrong, now those are two duds on the album.
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https://www.facebook.com/RadiantRecord/videos/962143307206927/
Awww yiss. Snow.
With NDV too!
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Oh, I agree that Crack the Big Sky is a great tune, but I just think that someone starting off with DfN is not a good idea, since tracks 2 and 3 are total duds, and you'd rather have someone start off with an album that is filled with nothing but good tunes. But that's me. :biggrin:
There is nothing wrong with starting @ DfN ... I did, and it's still a top 3 SB album for me - even though I know in my heart of hearts, it is - as you say - the least-best from the Neal Era.
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Oh, I agree that Crack the Big Sky is a great tune, but I just think that someone starting off with DfN is not a good idea, since tracks 2 and 3 are total duds, and you'd rather have someone start off with an album that is filled with nothing but good tunes. But that's me. :biggrin:
There is nothing wrong with starting @ DfN ... I did, and it's still a top 3 SB album for me - even though I know in my heart of hearts, it is - as you say - the least-best from the Neal Era.
I'd say it's their most accessible album. Great tracks on Day For Night. Skin, Crack The Big Sky, Can't Get It Wrong. The Healing Colors Of Sound suite (especially live) is damn amazing. Al is all over it.
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I picked The Kindness of Strangers first and I like it :tup
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I picked The Kindness of Strangers first and I like it :tup
Another great one. I love the vibe on those early albums.
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Very nice videos with a great audio quality from the gig at Night of the Prog:
Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHemaK7FgeU (first record)
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMB4pUpDOjI (second record)
Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPpCIt2NaQs (Falling For Forever)
Unfortunately, Ted is kinda left out and the guy uses pics in the end instead of letting the video roll on. But as I said: the audio is very good.
Btw: Jimmy lost the drum battle by far... ;)
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Btw: Jimmy lost the drum battle by far... ;)
Everyone lost out. Drum battles are (historically) boring as heck.
:millahhhh
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Sad news...
"From the band: We regret to announce that Jimmy Keegan has resigned from Spock's Beard to pursue other interests. Jimmy has been a key member of the SB family since 2003, and his unique contribution will be sorely missed. His talents as a drummer and vocalist are world class, unsurpassed. We wish Jimmy well and look forward to what he's going to come up with next - Dude, you're the best!"
Looks like the next album will be SB version 4.0, featuring whoever they get to replace Jimmy.
-Marc.
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Is NDV still doing Cirque Du Soleil?
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Is NDV still doing Cirque Du Soleil?
I don't think so, but he's pretty busy with Big Big Train.
-Marc.
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Fuck. :|
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Super sad for this. I get it though, they don't tour enough or attract a big enough crowd for this to be a living.
I hope the rest will carry on with a new drummer (or old drummer, hint hint NDV!). So many line-up changes would be the death of a lot of other bands.
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From Jimmy's Facebook:
Hey Kids! So ... In 2003 I was asked to join Spock's Beard. I had been toying with the idea of putting my own band together but this seemed a safer route as well as an honorable one. Nick had become the singer and they needed a drummer who could sing (especially the high bits) as well as play the often complex parts that Nick had crafted so well. The fit seemed perfect. Almost too perfect! I became the touring drummer while Nick played alongside and in the studio. Some time later, Nick would get a call to join Cirque du Soleil and he decided to take the offer, as I would've as well. I became the full time drummer and tracked two fantastic records as well as some great tours and shows. The idea of my own band was still nagging. I started to humor it and raised some money in a campaign but the schedule has proven extremely difficult and I have been way too slow to produce this first album. I should've been doing this long ago. For this reason, I have stepped down as the drummer for Spock's Beard and will be putting all my efforts into my own project. Oh sure, I will continue doing sessions, gigs and short tours but my daily focus will now be ... well, myself. For those who contributed, I can't thank you enough for your patience. For SB fans, you will be in good hands. Look to the guys for announcements of what is to come.
Definitely not an easy decision but a necessary one. Thanks for your support and thanks to Spock's Beard for allowing me to be a part of such a fantastic band for so long.
Stay tuned!
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Is NDV still doing Cirque Du Soleil?
I don't think so, but he's pretty busy with Big Big Train.
-Marc.
NDV's full time gig is at Sweetwater, where teaches, demos products, among other things.
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NDV's full time gig is at Sweetwater, where teaches, demos products, among other things.
His "demo" videos on youtube make him seem so sad. "I've sold my soul for this..." I think when I see him saying how cool an electric drum pad set is.
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Dammit. I love Jimmy.
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Very honorable reasons. I hope it works out for him.
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Can't say I am surprised; playing in Spock's these days can't be a money-making endeavor.
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Neither is a program drummer going for a new music project. Just do what makes you happy.
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Surprised and sad. Jimmy was such a good fit for SB.
Can't see him making that more money with his own band although I wish him all the best and I'm interested what he's coming up with. But then SB doesn't seem to be active for long periods of time, why can't he (and others) have both?
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It's a shame they can't make enough to live on. It feels like they should be one of prog's most popular and successful bands. The fact they've managed to keep going for as long as they have, with the member changes and everything, deserves enormous respect.
All the best to Jimmy in future endeavours. He's a fine drummer and (as BBATM proved) a great singer.
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MP is always looking for a drumming gig...
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MP is always looking for a drumming gig...
Seems silly, but for the amount of time SB is active I would think he could make this work.
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Maybe MP and SB would actually work. I would think the presence of MP would add a bit to the attendance at SB shows. And he's a fan of the band so, it's not a far fetched idea.
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It's a shame they can't make enough to live on. It feels like they should be one of prog's most popular and successful bands. The fact they've managed to keep going for as long as they have, with the member changes and everything, deserves enormous respect.
Agreed. Once they get a new drummer, it will be their 5th different recording lineup.
Surprised and sad. Jimmy was such a good fit for SB.
Perhaps, but he won't be difficult to replace. A solid drummer and decent singer, sure, but by no means hard to replace.
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Surprised and sad. Jimmy was such a good fit for SB.
Perhaps, but he won't be difficult to replace. A solid drummer and decent singer, sure, but by no means hard to replace.
He isn't the most special drummer in the world, so I agree that there are a lot of drummers that could take his place. But you have to find someone who is willing to invest a lot of time and devotion into a band where you apparantly can't make a living playing in that band alone.
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Jimmy was terrific. I'm sure the replacement will be fantastic as well.
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His replacement could be...YOU!
https://www.spocksbeard.com/ (https://www.spocksbeard.com/)
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They should film a docu style video. Audition the greatest drummers in the world. Yadda Yadda
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And then, in a dramatic turn of events, Mike Portnoy becomes the new drummer.
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Here's an idea of what we're looking for, ideally someone who -
Is a world class drummer
Can groove over shifting time signatures
Has a lead singer quality high tenor voice
Able to sing and play complex stuff at the same time
Preferably in the Los Angeles or Sacramento area or at least close to a major airport (some flexibility on this for the right fit)
Has a flexible schedule that will allow for recording/touring
Is a cool person, not too big an ego, flexible, able to keep a cool head in stressful situations and close quarters
Has a cool hairdo (just kidding)
Looks like Portnoy fails to meet five of the eight requirements. :lol :lol
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Looks like Portnoy fails to meet five of the eight requirements. :lol :lol
Nuggetz
I think it'd be great for the original Spock's lineup to reunite. NDV isn't too busy apparently and Neal Morse seems to be a bit more open to secular music lately. Plus as a business move I reckon it would benefit everyone involved.
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Looks like Portnoy fails to meet five of the eight requirements. :lol :lol
Nuggetz
I think it'd be great for the original Spock's lineup to reunite. NDV isn't too busy apparently and Neal Morse seems to be a bit more open to secular music lately. Plus as a business move I reckon it would benefit everyone involved.
I think Nick is pretty committed to BBT these days, and I hear they want to do more than 3 shows a year, so they may end up becoming very busy in the coming years. They have an EP-turned-LP coming out next year (yeah, right after this year's fabulous Folklore, we're getting Grimspound next year), and there's still the 3-disc retrospective re-recordings of older songs that is being worked on, so BBT are quite busy, I think.
And between Neal's solo band, Flying Colors getting together in December, then Neal's solo band touring in the Winter/Spring, then possibly releasing FC3 in the summer and touring on that in the fall, then probably getting together with Transatlantic in late 2017 or early 2018, I'd say Neal is fairly busy himself.
As much as I would love, Love, LOVE to see the Two Separate Gorillas return to the glorious Beard, it's probably not likely. I was thinking about it yesterday, that I'm glad that all 7 of them did those two shows together, both Morsefest, and the one in Europe, doing Snow twice and the encore of "Falling For FOrever", all before Jimmy decided to leave. Definitely a landmark time for the band, but it's sad to see that after Snow, once again, a member has decided to leave to pursue his solo career.
I wonder if any professional, well-known drummers are champing at the bit to audition for SB. I wouldn't mind hearing someone like Thomas Lang drum for them, but his living in Europe probably won't work out for the band.
Does anyone here know any well-known drummers in the LA area that might become potential drummers for SB? I kind of hope they pull a Dream Theater and do an auditions-DVD to include with their next album, which I recall was already in the beginnings of the writing process.
-Marc.
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Marco Minnemann :lol
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That list only reminds me how tremendous both Nick and Jimmy were. Spock's Beard drummer needs to be even more of a beast than a Dream Theater drummer, I must say.
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So, I was just listening to The Doorway from the Voltage festival. I love Ryo, but man, he's kinda a mediocre keyboard player. He botched that piano intro so badly. The tune is such a staple for SB, you'd think he could pull it off in his sleep.
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Wasn't he more of a backup keyboardist to Neal originally? I remember watching some live videos and noticing that Neal was always playing the interesting keyboard parts.
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Wasn't he more of a backup keyboardist to Neal originally? I remember watching some live videos and noticing that Neal was always playing the interesting keyboard parts.
I think Ryo was originally the organ and mellotron player, while Neal handled lead and pad synth parts, along with piano. It was a pretty decent set-up, and sometimes they would switch things up a bit, but I remember Ryo primarily doing mellotron a lot more than Neal.
I, too, have felt the same about Ryo covering some of Neal's complex piano parts, so if I ever want a live version of "The Doorway", I always go for the version from Don't Try This At Home.
-Marc.
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So I am watching footage from Cruise To The Edge..
Nick playing drums and he and Ted both handling vox?
Woah
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I loved those videos, and that is a killer line up. It got me hoping Nick would return, but who knows... ;D
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The band members have been pretty straight-forward about the fact that the band's next drummer will NOT be Nick, especially since he's been busy with getting Big Big Train off the ground for more shows this and next year. I can't imagine Nick would come back either, despite how amazing that would be.
Or perhaps they could all be trolling us and Nick re-joining the band is exactly what they're doing...
-Marc.
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Why would SB need a new drummer? Am I so out of the loop?
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Why would SB need a new drummer? Am I so out of the loop?
Jimmy left and for the cruise Nick filled in.
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Why would SB need a new drummer? Am I so out of the loop?
He left late last year permanently. SB is looking for a drummer. It's been very quiet on the SB camp so I'm not sure how much deep into their drum search they are.
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It's quiet around them because they're busy making a one hour soap-opera-documentary about the drummer search.
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It's quiet around them because they're busy making a one hour soap-opera-documentary about the drummer search.
Nice try Mangini.
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It's quiet around them because they're busy making a one hour soap-opera-documentary about the drummer search.
It wouldn't surprise me if it was quiet around them because the band is coming to an end. I could maybe see them hanging on as a part-time band that does the occasional show like at the cruise, but their days as a full-time band are over.
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Seeing them live the last 2 years I would think the opposite Kev. They are really understand live and they seem to still enjoy playing live.
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They love playing live, but at the same time I suspect Kev is correct too. I don't think they fill venues that much anymore, and at this point they've lost 3 members.
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Oh theres no doubt they don't fill venues but some bands adapt playing small venues. It's a out going through a new member again for them.
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It's quiet around them because they're busy making a one hour soap-opera-documentary about the drummer search.
It wouldn't surprise me if it was quiet around them because the band is coming to an end. I could maybe see them hanging on as a part-time band that does the occasional show like at the cruise, but their days as a full-time band are over.
You shut your whore mouth!
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I doubt they'll call it quits anytime soon. Last I heard, the band's writers were working on new material for their 13th album.
While Nick isn't rejoining the band (so they say), it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't ask Nick to drum on their next album as a session player before finding a new live drummer. Unless Nick also did some vocals...then I'd be pretty suspicious. I mean, it's not like X was the last album Nick was on - apparently Nick played drums for the bonus track cover "Iron Man" on The Oblivion Particle (which also featured the only song with Dave on lead vocals - a Spock's Beard first as far as I know, which means Ryo is the only band member to never have had lead vocals on a song).
-Marc.
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Obviously a longshot but it is time for the original band to get back together IMO. If not, then I agree with Kev that they are reaching the end, save for the occasional cruise and festival run.
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It wouldn't surprise me if it was quiet around them because the band is coming to an end. I could maybe see them hanging on as a part-time band that does the occasional show like at the cruise, but their days as a full-time band are over.
I got the impression that they are some kind of part-time band for several years. They all do other stuff and if I remember correctly Dave Meros said in an interview years ago that he was playing in a cover band to pay the rent because SB wasn't profitable enough.
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That is very sad to hear. But having lost Neal and Nick, two very characteristic and charismatic members are missing in the band. I admire how they always keep going though. So far they have always managed to get back on their feet every time somebody important left the band.
TOP was a good album (better than BN&DS imo) although the mayority of the material was written by Borgehold. Dave Meros has composed some very interesting stuff on the previous albums (especially X), I feel like they haven't reached the point yet where there's no potential in the band anymore.
They have a great singer, a unique guitarist, a crazy keyboard player, a solid-as-a-rock Chris Squire like bass player - with a great drummer they could really create something cool again. Only problem I see is that that guy would want to be payed.
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They have a great singer, a unique guitarist, a crazy keyboard player, a solid-as-a-rock Chris Squire like bass player
I should preempt the following with that I used to be a huge fan of SB, but regarding your comment, I must say I can't sign that statement any longer.
I feel SB has suffered a slow drift into mediocrity. Ted Leonard is OK, but he's no Neal in terms of character in his voice, or even Nick (at least for me). Ryo is also OK, but he's actually rather sloppy and somebody should quietly delete the mellotron patch when he's not looking. Alan is ... OK. Unique playing style for sure, but very limited in that.
So, for me, SB has arrived at a point where all of them are OK, but neither really pulls the weight towards greatness.
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I strongly disagree because the last two records with Ted were better than most of the NDV fronted records, only X was better.
And for me:
V was the best Neal fronted record
X was the best Nick fronted record, so they have to at least stick together till they can release
XV and it will be the best Ted fronted record
:biggrin:
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Spock's Beard have been the band to prove to me that a band can change their singer and still maintain the same momentum. To me, a band's singer is, in more ways than one, the true voice of the band. You can change any of the instrumentalists and their instruments will sound essentially the same. But as the human voice is so unique to each individual, there is an enormous and very obvious difference when a different singer joins the band. The fact that Spock's have managed to change their singer twice and still maintain what makes me enjoy their music should earn them all of our respect.
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I strongly disagree because the last two records with Ted were better than most of the NDV fronted records, only X was better.
And for me:
V was the best Neal fronted record
X was the best Nick fronted record, so they have to at least stick together till they can release
XV and it will be the best Ted fronted record
:biggrin:
Part of me really wants them to put out 3 more albums, if only to end on a high note with the inevitably titled XV. That'd give Ted a 5-album run with the Beard, and a solid chunk of the band's history. But we've got to get through SB13 (hopefully this year) and SB14 first. Even if their next couple of albums are just for the studio only and they don't really tour, I'd be ok with that, since they all have day-jobs anyway, with touring being a side-venture. Just make great music with great performances as they have been. And I agree, BNADS and TOP are two really strong albums, and I'd rate them nearly as high as some of the Neal-era albums!
Maybe by Morsefest 2020, the band will have released their 14th album, perform a concert in celebration of The Light's 25th anniversary, and then announce they'll do XV and call it a day. :lol
-Marc.
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You can change any of the instrumentalists and their instruments will sound essentially the same.
Really? You're saying this in a Dream Theater forum? :D
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:lol
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It's quiet around them because they're busy making a one hour soap-opera-documentary about the drummer search.
It wouldn't surprise me if it was quiet around them because the band is coming to an end. I could maybe see them hanging on as a part-time band that does the occasional show like at the cruise, but their days as a full-time band are over.
You shut your whore mouth!
I will not. :P
I got the impression that they are some kind of part-time band for several years. They all do other stuff and if I remember correctly Dave Meros said in an interview years ago that he was playing in a cover band to pay the rent because SB wasn't profitable enough.
Yep. If you are a drummer looking for a band, why would you take the Spock's job? It's basically a part time (at best) job now, and one that probably isn't profitable at all. It's just not an attractive gig anymore.
I strongly disagree because the last two records with Ted were better than most of the NDV fronted records, only X was better.
I definitely agree about Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep; that album is pretty awesome, bonus tracks and all. The Oblivion Particle was good, but just not great. I think Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep and X are both among their best.
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Part of me really wants them to put out 3 more albums, if only to end on a high note with the inevitably titled XV. That'd give Ted a 5-album run with the Beard, and a solid chunk of the band's history. But we've got to get through SB13 (hopefully this year) and SB14 first. Even if their next couple of albums are just for the studio only and they don't really tour, I'd be ok with that, since they all have day-jobs anyway, with touring being a side-venture. Just make great music with great performances as they have been. And I agree, BNADS and TOP are two really strong albums, and I'd rate them nearly as high as some of the Neal-era albums!
Maybe by Morsefest 2020, the band will have released their 14th album, perform a concert in celebration of The Light's 25th anniversary, and then announce they'll do XV and call it a day. :lol
-Marc.
This would be glorious. One can hope and dream.
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You can change any of the instrumentalists and their instruments will sound essentially the same.
Really? You're saying this in a Dream Theater forum? :D
Yes I am. No matter who's playing it, guitars will always sound like guitars. Drums will always sound like drums. Bass will always sound like bass. Whereas singers all sound different from each other. You change the singer and you change the sound of the band. What is the main reason for WDADU not being as well liked as all the other DT albums? It's the singer. It's obviously the singer. OK, there would be a difference in terms of seeing a different guy on stage at concerts, but studio albums (the band's real legacy and currency; when they're all dead and gone, the albums will remain) are largely unaffected by a change of instrumentalist.
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So if you switch from John Petrucci to maybe Kirk Hammett the band would still sound the same? :biggrin:
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You can change any of the instrumentalists and their instruments will sound essentially the same.
Really? You're saying this in a Dream Theater forum? :D
Yes I am. No matter who's playing it, guitars will always sound like guitars. Drums will always sound like drums. Bass will always sound like bass. Whereas singers all sound different from each other. You change the singer and you change the sound of the band. What is the main reason for WDADU not being as well liked as all the other DT albums? It's the singer. It's obviously the singer. OK, there would be a difference in terms of seeing a different guy on stage at concerts, but studio albums (the band's real legacy and currency; when they're all dead and gone, the albums will remain) are largely unaffected by a change of instrumentalist.
A swing and a miss.
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That is such a bizarre opinion, I can't quite believe he is serious.
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That is such a bizarre opinion, I can't quite believe he is serious.
Whatever. I know what I mean. I'm used to not being understood.
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So if you switch from John Petrucci to maybe Kirk Hammett the band would still sound the same? :biggrin:
:lol :rollin
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Well that's an interesting opinion.
How'd that work out for Queensryche when DeGarmo left?
:rollin
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That is such a bizarre opinion, I can't quite believe he is serious.
Whatever. I know what I mean. I'm used to not being understood.
I don't think people are misunderstanding you; I think they understand what you're saying but don't agree with it.
"No matter who's playing it, guitars will always sound like guitars. Drums will always sound like drums. Bass will always sound like bass." You seem to be saying that singers each have a distinct sound, but instrumentalists do not. And that's just not true.
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Well that's an interesting opinion.
How'd that work out for Queensryche when DeGarmo left?
:rollin
DeGarmo had a very particular sound with QR and it's definitely missed.
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That is such a bizarre opinion, I can't quite believe he is serious.
Whatever. I know what I mean. I'm used to not being understood.
I don't think people are misunderstanding you; I think they understand what you're saying but don't agree with it.
"No matter who's playing it, guitars will always sound like guitars. Drums will always sound like drums. Bass will always sound like bass." You seem to be saying that singers each have a distinct sound, but instrumentalists do not. And that's just not true.
This.
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Perhaps, for Roe, the music doesn't really stand out, in terms of instrumental sound and over-all performance, but is just a backing for the vocals of a song, and so little attention is paid to the details of an instrumental performer, their style and feel, the minutiae of their playing is lost because it's all simply just a backing track for the more up-front vocals of a piece. It's not that the instrumentalists aren't important, but perhaps they are just not a part of Roe's focus when it comes to music, and so, instruments will sound like instruments, regardless of who is playing them?
-Marc.
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an easy example is would Rush become how they were if Neil Peart did not join the band? Is his drumming different than John Rutsey's on the first album?
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You can change any of the instrumentalists and their instruments will sound essentially the same.
Really? You're saying this in a Dream Theater forum? :D
Yes I am. No matter who's playing it, guitars will always sound like guitars. Drums will always sound like drums. Bass will always sound like bass. Whereas singers all sound different from each other. You change the singer and you change the sound of the band. What is the main reason for WDADU not being as well liked as all the other DT albums? It's the singer. It's obviously the singer. OK, there would be a difference in terms of seeing a different guy on stage at concerts, but studio albums (the band's real legacy and currency; when they're all dead and gone, the albums will remain) are largely unaffected by a change of instrumentalist.
I couldn't agree less :biggrin:
First of all, I dont think that WD&DU is the least liked album by DT. But if it was, then I think it would be because of the overall poor sound. Compositions are great, I have nothing against Charlie's vocals.
What is the reason people listen to Dire Straits? When I heard Steely Dan's Time Out Of Mind for the first time, I heard the FIRST note of the guitar and said out loud "this is Mark Knopfler".
Listen to the immense difference between, say, Bill Bruford and Alan White, Geoff Downes, Rick Wakeman and Patrick Moraz. Mike Rutherford's guitar and Steve Hackett's guitar. MANGINI AND PORTNOY.
What would Santana be without Carlos' guitar? That is one example where the singer has no influence whatsoever on the band's sound. Same with Crimso. Same with Ayreon (technically not a band, but Arjen has his specific sound).
Also, what would Van Halen be without Eddies guitar? U2 without The Edge? Pink Floyd without David Gilmour?
So in conclusion, no, instruments don't always sound the same.
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Well that's an interesting opinion.
How'd that work out for Queensryche when DeGarmo left?
:rollin
DeGarmo had a very particular sound with QR and it's definitely missed.
Exactly.... "A guitar is a guitar".. lol no
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I dont think that WD&DU is the least liked album by DT.
Oh, I think it is.
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I dont think that WD&DU is the least liked album by DT.
Oh, I think it is.
Oh it definitely is.
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I don't really know how else to put it apart from saying I am speaking very broadly when I say that guitar/bass/drums etc. sound similar whoever's playing them. I shouldn't even have to say that differing techniques and whatnot come into play. A replacement guitarist/bassist etc. can easily play older songs using the same settings as the original musician. But a replacement singer cannot sing exactly like the singer he's replacing. If that makes any sense. So when a singer gets replaced, that is a much more obvious change from a musical/audio perspective than when an instrumentalist gets replaced.
And if you think that "opinon" is "bizarre", then I can't help you anymore.
Spock's Beard rock!
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In the words of Chandler Bing... "Can open; worms everywhere".
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I don't really know how else to put it apart from saying I am speaking very broadly when I say that guitar/bass/drums etc. sound similar whoever's playing them. I shouldn't even have to say that differing techniques and whatnot come into play. A replacement guitarist/bassist etc. can easily play older songs using the same settings as the original musician. But a replacement singer cannot sing exactly like the singer he's replacing. If that makes any sense. So when a singer gets replaced, that is a much more obvious change from a musical/audio perspective than when an instrumentalist gets replaced.
And if you think that "opinon" is "bizarre", then I can't help you anymore.
Spock's Beard rock!
While I don't entirely agree, I get what you're saying (which others don't seem to). The predominant factor in what an instrumentalist sounds like is the instrument itself. Someone of similar skills could play a guitar with the same strings, settings etc. and replicate it very closely. With vocals, the sound is entirely created by the singer, and so even with the same level of talent they might sound nothing alike.
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You mean, if I understand you correctly, that you can chose to replace an instrumentalist with another one and if he's able to emulate the one he's replacing, than there's no obvious change in sound. That in itself is mostly correct, small differences will be there but probably nothing that is glaringly obvious. But that is not restricted to instrumentalists only. Take Arnel Pineda in Journey, a definite Perry clone or LaTorre in Queensryche, not Tate but very close and trying to sound like him.
But all of this means that the replacement is not allowed to develop his/her own style or let it come into play. And if you change instrumentalists with a distinctive style you get a band tnhat is sounding different than before.
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The important thing is the context of the statement, which wasn't really clear originally. True, if you have the same singer and replace the guitarist, bassist, or drummer, and the new player is merely covering parts originally laid down by someone else, then it will sound essentially the same. But that's not what I got out of the original statement. The original statement seemed to be saying that while voices are distinct, instruments are not.
To me, a band's singer is, in more ways than one, the true voice of the band. You can change any of the instrumentalists and their instruments will sound essentially the same.
In the context of replacing someone and then seeing how much the result sounds like the band did on previous recordings, this is true. Instrumentalists can usually mimic the sound produced by another instrumentalist more easily than a singer can change his voice to sound like another singer. But we were talking about the changes which Spock's Beard has gone through over the years, specifically how they've had three lead singers, and to me the band still sounds like Spock's Beard.
Maybe because I focus much more on the instruments than on the singer. To me, a good singer is like another instrument, contributing part of the sound. One could argue that because voices are distinct, that the singer's voice is a larger factor, but I think that that's balanced by the fact that prog bands tend to have extended sections where there are no vocals at all. For me, the only time a singer really stands out is when they're very, very good, or really bad. Otherwise, they're just part of the mix, no more than the guitar, keyboards, bass, or drums. Many of my favorite bands have changed singers over the the years, yet still sound essentially the same to me.
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Lets use DT as an example, when Jordan came on playing with DT his keyboard patched were not exact from Kevin and Derek. His played was slightly different from both of them so there were differences to them. Each player has they unique sound and style.
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The only SB album I have is Snow. There are some cool songs and parts throughout, but I never delved into them because the vocals underwhelm me.
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Lesson learnt: Don't mention things like this again. It makes perfect sense in my head, but other human beings are strange...
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I think it's not so much what you were saying, but how you were saying it. As Aarich lays it out I doubt few would disagree, however the way you laid it out made it sound that anybody but the singer is irrelevant to a band's sound.
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I think it's not so much what you were saying, but how you were saying it. As Aarich lays it out I doubt few would disagree, however the way you laid it out made it sound that anybody but the singer is irrelevant to a band's sound.
Yay, I helped!
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The only SB album I have is Snow. There are some cool songs and parts throughout, but I never delved into them because the vocals underwhelm me.
I would not recommend Snow for a Spock's Beard beginner, I am one of the very few that think that almost every other record by them is much much better than Snow, so maybe give the band another try.
My favorites would be The Light or V (with Neal Morse singing), X (with Nick D'Virgilio singing) or Brief Nocturnes And Dreamless Sleep (with Ted Leonard singing). If you don't like Neal's singing maybe try one of the others.
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I think that Spock's Beard is one of the few bands where it makes sense to purchase the Best Of first. They have three different eras, three different singers. The Best Of covers them all and then you can decide which one you like and get into more.
Also, I love Snow. I saw it live last summer at the Loreley with all of Spock's Beard. I think it's my favorite Spock's Beard album and maybe even my favorite Neal Morse album.
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Hope this doesn't come across as negative.
After getting into DT early last year, I was looking to get into another band of a similar style. Reading about SB made them sound interesting, after some research I purchased the album 'V' (an album that seemed to be considered a good starting point). Anyway I listened to it a couple of times and it didn't really grip me, it got put to one side and generally forgotten about. I dug it out yesterday and gave it another blast - I find it OK, but it's not quite igniting me the way DT did. So basically should I invest anymore time in this band, and if so where should I head next album wise? For a perspective point of view - I'm not a metalhead (Maiden and DT are a heavy as I go) I generally enjoy bands like Coheed, Dear Hunter, Mew, Pearl Jam and I like The Flying Colors too. So when I read about SB they sounded a decent fit for me, so it's been slightly disapointing it hasn't worked for me yet.
Sorry for the rambling nature of the post, I doing it at work and people keep interrupting.
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To me, if you can't get into V, The Light, or Beware of Darkness, then Spock's Beard is not for you.
Of course, the only post-Neal album I have is X, which I haven't listened to in years. Reading stuff online tells me the post-X albums are better than the rest of the Nick-era albums, or am I wrong?
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I really enjoy Octane. Easily the most underrated beard album.
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Overall the Nick era isn't as strong as the Neal era but Octane is good and X is stellar (imo). And the two records with Ted are very good also, with Brief Nocturnes the one I like better.
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I wonder also if I could get into SB as easily these days as I did back in the day. SB's older albums are great, but I think they sound a bit dated these days.
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I wonder also if I could get into SB as easily these days as I did back in the day. SB's older albums are great, but I think they sound a bit dated these days.
Your taste has changed. There are albums I could play over and over 10 years ago I hardly play now.
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My first album from them was The Kindness of Strangers, which I still absolutely love the first half of that album (everything through June). I don't dislike the second half per se, just haven't listened to it nearly as much.
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I wonder also if I could get into SB as easily these days as I did back in the day. SB's older albums are great, but I think they sound a bit dated these days.
Your taste has changed. There are albums I could play over and over 10 years ago I hardly play now.
Production-wise, I could see what he means. SMPTe was when Neal's music made that leap in sound quality, and he has had that kind of sound and production on pretty much every prog album he has done since. The first four SB albums sound pretty raw, which can be part of the charm, but can definitely make them sound a bit dated.
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Those albums are pretty low budget in a genre where low budget is never charming. That being said, there's an energy and freshness to those albums that hasn't been present in Neal's work since IMO.
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Just posted on Facebook:
"Spock's Beard is super excited to announce that the amazing Nick D'Virgilio has agreed to play on our next album!
Nick of course is well known to SB fans as our former drummer/lead singer/all around awesome dude as well as for working with artists such as Genesis, Mike Keneally, Peter Gabriel and Big Big Train among others. Nick was with us when we first started and we are over the moon to have him back with us for this album! We know you'll be as excited as we are to hear what we will be able to create with him back pounding the skins. We've been writing new material and plan to start recording in earnest in late May, so stay tuned!"
This post by John Boegehold is smartly worded by purposely being a bit vague as to whether or not Nick is returning to the band permanently, or just playing on the album. Either way, it'll be nice to have Nick back on a SB album (aside from "Falling For Forever" on the compilation, and the cover of "Iron Man" on their last album). I wonder if he'll be doing vocals too...
-Marc.
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Nice! I suspect he will do the album, but not tour for the 8 shows they do a year. :lol :lol
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Nice! I suspect he will do the album, but not tour for the 8 shows they do a year. :lol :lol
You're probably right - he's got to prepare for the 3 shows that Big Big Train have sold out for next year!!! :rollin
-Marc.
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NICE
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Great news! And great news that SBXIII looms into view on the distant horizon.
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Great news! And great news that SBXIII looms into view on the distant horizon.
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Cool news. :tup
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Awesome!
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*prays for some vocals as well*
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Am I the only one who finds it weird that they rely so much on an outside writer?
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Am I the only one who finds it weird that they rely so much on an outside writer?
I do. I guess Neal did all of the writing so when he left they were uncomfortable writing and structure. It still does seem weird.
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Am I the only one who finds it weird that they rely so much on an outside writer?
Maybe it's a little weird, but they have one outside writer.. not 19 like Beyonce.
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King Crimson had Pete Sinfield for their early albums. H-era Marillion have had John Helmer at times. So it's not strange, unprecedented or anything. The songs are still amazing.
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Am I the only one who finds it weird that they rely so much on an outside writer?
Maybe it's a little weird, but they have one outside writer.. not 19 like Beyonce.
Yeah, but that's not weird for a solo singer/pop star.
It's REALLY weird for a BAND.
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King Crimson had Pete Sinfield for their early albums.
Sinfield only wrote lyrics, though. The music was by the band. Sinfield was a friend of Greg Lake, which is why so many ELP songs have horrible lyrics. Pete Sinfield.
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It's REALLY weird for a BAND.
Meh. Overthinking it. Enjoy the tunes.
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It's REALLY weird for a BAND.
Meh. Overthinking it. Enjoy the tunes.
This. A lot of people overthink things about many bands.
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I agree that it's weird. It's EXTREMELY weird. However, as long as the quality of music doesn't suffer, I can deal with it. Joe is apparently an incredible songwriter, and the other band members still contribute tunes, so yeah, I guess that it's not too big of a deal.
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I agree that it's weird. It's EXTREMELY weird. However, as long as the quality of music doesn't suffer, I can deal with it. Joe is apparently an incredible songwriter, and the other band members still contribute tunes, so yeah, I guess that it's not too big of a deal.
Who is Joe? As far as I know, the band has only had John Boegehold and Stan Ausmus, and many times they'll co-write with Al or Dave.
It wasn't until Nick left that neither John or Stan got solo writing credits. John has 7 and Stan has 1 ("Tides of Time"). Otherwise, they have continued writing with the rest of the band.
-Marc.
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It's REALLY weird for a BAND.
Meh. Overthinking it. Enjoy the tunes.
I do enjoy the tunes. Doesn't prevent me from making an observation.
Thinking =/= overthinking.
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I have said for years that it is odd that they use outside writers so much. I still enjoy the hell out of the music, and think some of their best work has been in the post-Neal era, but I'd love to see them give it a go just once with only the band writing, just to see what they can do.
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I have said for years that it is odd that they use outside writers so much. I still enjoy the hell out of the music, and think some of their best work has been in the post-Neal era, but I'd love to see them give it a go just once with only the band writing, just to see what they can do.
In the 6 albums since Snow, here's the list of songs written by/credited to band members and NOT John and/or Stan:
Feel Euphoria
Shining Star
A Guy Named Sid
From The Messenger (Ryo solo piece, does it count?)
NWC
Watching The Tide
Game Face
Listening To The Sky (Ryo solo piece as well)
Is This Love?
With Your Kiss
Wherever You Stand
Rearranged
Edge Of The In-Between (music by Meros, lyrics by Boegehold)
The Emperor's Clothes (old song by Neal, reworked by Al)
Kamikaze
From The Darkness
The Quiet House (music by Meros, lyrics by Boegehold)
Hiding Out
Submerged
Afterthoughts (Neal worked on this with Ted and Al)
Waiting For Me (Neal worked with Al on this one too)
Wish I Were Here
Minion
Hell's Not Enough
The Center Line
Considering that that covers 6 albums, 66 songs (with individual credits), and of those 66, 25 did not include music writing credits to John Boegehold or Stan Ausmus. So about 38% of the work they've made since Neal left has not included them, which doesn't seem as few as one might think, especially considering how many songs Boegehold has credits to (musically at least), which is 34. I tried to find more information on specific writing credits, but only on X do they make the distinction of who wrote the music and who wrote the lyrics.
To be fair, though, both John and Stan have also contributed some performances on the albums since Neal left, so it's not JUST writing music and/or lyrics for their songs. And the songs themselves are still very much in the vein of the Beard, but I think it helps that it's Ryo, Dave, and Al playing them.
-Marc.
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I also find it weird that John wrote so much, especially on the last album. It's like "hey guys I have a bunch of stuff written, wanna do a new Beard album?" - "yeah fudge it let's do it".
But ALSO I'd like to stress that it's not only the composition that makes a song; the arrangement has a lot of influence on the end product. I learned that in my Arrangement class at my college where in the introduction lesson our Prof played us a melody (so the actual composition) and showed us different ways to arrange it (orchestral, jazzy, heavy, .....) - at the end of the lesson he asked us if we knew the melody, neither of us recognized it - but it was Billy Jean. That's when I realized that arrangement is almost as important and influential as composition.
Also in my own band (melodic/a little progressive Metal) the drummer composed all the music before the band even existed and brought in the midi files. In the end the music sounds completely different than he imagined in the beginning. We made our own versions out of it.
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I feel like I'm one of the few people who doesn't find it weird at all. :lol Compositionally I just see Boegehold as a member of the band.
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I agree that it's weird. It's EXTREMELY weird. However, as long as the quality of music doesn't suffer, I can deal with it. Joe is apparently an incredible songwriter, and the other band members still contribute tunes, so yeah, I guess that it's not too big of a deal.
Who is Joe?
I meant John. :lol
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What a shame that in that long list of songs up there, the one I like best is an old Neal song.
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From the Darkness stands out there as the best song, IMO. That is still a top 10 Spock's song for me.
Speaking of X, Jaws of Heaven is probably top 5.
Both of those songs are still incredible. :hefdaddy :hefdaddy
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I feel like I'm one of the few people who doesn't find it weird at all. :lol Compositionally I just see Boegehold as a member of the band.
Make that at least two. Whatever works for the band and sounds good is alright with me.
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Well that's an interesting opinion.
How'd that work out for Queensryche when DeGarmo left?
:rollin
DeGarmo had a very particular sound with QR and it's definitely missed.
In Degarmo's case, it just wasn't his guitar playing that soured me on the band.
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Come on Nick. Come back to the Beard. It's not a full time job. You can do it.
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Come on Nick. Come back to the Beard. It's not a full time job. You can do it.
Part of me wants to believe that Nick really wants to come back to the band, even if he's only been out of it for 2 albums/6 years, but he's got a job and a band across the Atlantic, so he might be reluctant to put more effort into being with SB beyond just recording drums for their next album. Not everyone can dedicate their every waking moment to playing and recording music with touring bands like Mike Portnoy seems to do.
I'd LOVE to see him come back full-time, but keep Ted as the lead vocalist, and maybe have them do more harmonies and bring back some of those vocal interludes and multi-part vocal sections with Ted and Nick at the front of that. I think if their next album does really well, it might be more convincing for Nick to come back to the Beard full time, so let's hype the hell out of their next album and pre-order the heck out of it!
-Marc.
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SB announded on their FB yesterday that NDV would play the Québec City show on september 9th with them. :omg:
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F**k. There's a good chance of me being in Europe in that time frame.
(https://i.imgur.com/PPJ5Ibw.gif)
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Here's a cool article about a co-worker of mine who is relevant to this thread:
https://www.journalgazette.net/entertainment/music/20170620/a-different-kind-of-gig
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NDV is a co-worker of yours?
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NDV is a co-worker of yours?
Yep. I've been at Sweetwater for 7 years as a Sales Engineer, and I was pretty excited when we brought him on, because, as a drummer myself, it meant we were going to start taking drums more seriously. When I started at Sweetwater, we had 4 drum lines and 1 cymbal line, and now we're adding new drum gear at a rate that I have to constantly update the drums class I teach for our new hires in Sales.
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Pretty cool. :tup The guy's been around a while and is pretty well respected in the biz as far as I can tell.
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I would love to see Nick return to SB as a full member, but I don't think he's planning to do that anytime soon. We'll see how it goes after the album is released.
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Here's a cool article about a co-worker of mine who is relevant to this thread:
https://www.journalgazette.net/entertainment/music/20170620/a-different-kind-of-gig
That's a really sweet article (pardon the pun.) Have to admit Nick dropped of my radar since he was with Cirque. So this is a nice update.
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I missed this when it was posted last week, but interesting article. Not surprise that NDV has a great reputation in the industry, considering what a tremendously skillful and tasteful player he is. Sucks to hear that his back bothers him that much, but years of playing and touring takes its toll.
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Here's a cool article about a co-worker of mine who is relevant to this thread:
https://www.journalgazette.net/entertainment/music/20170620/a-different-kind-of-gig
That's a really sweet article (pardon the pun.) Have to admit Nick dropped of my radar since he was with Cirque. So this is a nice update.
Take a look at the Big Big Train thread, it's his new main band ;) Absolutely loving that band.
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How in the world am I only now getting into Spock's Beard's last album "The Oblivion Particle"??? Not sure why I never gave it a chance when it came out (I think actually I was going through an extended phase where I just wasn't into prog too much).
But this album is awesome!!! I think I had the song "The Center Line" on repeat for a couple hours at work yesterday. I don't think there are any songs on there that I don't like.
Really looking forward to the new album, and Nick being on the album is a sweet bonus! I loved the Nick era albums (granted I know I'm not hoping for that since the lead singer is different, just saying).
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Speaking of SB13, the band is at Sweetwater, along with Rich, and they're recording Nick's drum parts as we speak (well, this week at least). It looks like things are a go for SB13, and assuming they're doing the drums first (as most bands usually do), I can expect the rest of the band doing their parts over the next couple months (since it seems like the samples Nick is playing to are pretty well-developed songs). I suspect we'll get an announcement for the new album by fall, and probably a release date in early 2018. If it comes sooner than that, I would be happily surprised!
-Marc.
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Speaking of SB13, the band is at Sweetwater, along with Rich, and they're recording Nick's drum parts as we speak (well, this week at least). It looks like things are a go for SB13, and assuming they're doing the drums first (as most bands usually do), I can expect the rest of the band doing their parts over the next couple months (since it seems like the samples Nick is playing to are pretty well-developed songs). I suspect we'll get an announcement for the new album by fall, and probably a release date in early 2018. If it comes sooner than that, I would be happily surprised!
-Marc.
Great news! I'm really looking forward to what this lineup with TL and NDV comes up with. Thanks for the update! :tup
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Speaking of SB13, the band is at Sweetwater, along with Rich, and they're recording Nick's drum parts as we speak (well, this week at least). It looks like things are a go for SB13, and assuming they're doing the drums first (as most bands usually do), I can expect the rest of the band doing their parts over the next couple months (since it seems like the samples Nick is playing to are pretty well-developed songs). I suspect we'll get an announcement for the new album by fall, and probably a release date in early 2018. If it comes sooner than that, I would be happily surprised!
-Marc.
Great news! I'm really looking forward to what this lineup with TL and NDV comes up with. Thanks for the update! :tup
No problem! It seems like, at this point, NDV is just doing the drum parts, and likely won't provide any vocals (at least lead vocals), though I would LOVE to be proven wrong. I'd love to hear Nick, Dave, Al, and Ted do those lush SB harmonies the band is so well known for!
As for NDV's drumming, the videos on the SB Facebook are pretty amazing. Nick is firing on all cylinders. The second video, posted earlier today, featured a song that is sure to be an epic piece, written by Ryo, and NDV's drum parts were sounding killer! I love that he's working with them again, even if it's in a temporary fashion, though now that they've got at lest one live show together this fall, I hope they bust out one or two of the new songs before the album comes out!
-Marc
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Made Alive/Overture from Snow Live. Chills.
https://teamrock.com/news/2017-09-22/spocks-beard-premiere-made-alive-overture-live-video (https://teamrock.com/news/2017-09-22/spocks-beard-premiere-made-alive-overture-live-video)
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Me want now.
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Made Alive/Overture from Snow Live. Chills.
https://teamrock.com/news/2017-09-22/spocks-beard-premiere-made-alive-overture-live-video (https://teamrock.com/news/2017-09-22/spocks-beard-premiere-made-alive-overture-live-video)
Wow!
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Did Neal ever say if the other night MorseFest 2016 will be release at some point?
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Unreal.
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Did Neal ever say if the other night MorseFest 2016 will be release at some point?
Yes :tup
https://twitter.com/nealmorse/status/907674236155830272
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Yeah... me excitey!
Am I the only one thinking "Dave's the only one talented enough to play his parts by himself?" :lol
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Good lord. Dave's bass tone is just beautiful. Love his mix level too. The louder Dave is, the happier I am.
When I first saw the teaser I dropped $$$$ on the full on super mega deluxe totally bodacious amazing artbook version. I can't give my money away to the Beard quickly enough.
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I doubt I will buy this. Even though I like Snow a ton, it's major work to get through the studio album itself, and I fear that the live concert would be one of those DVDs I watch once and then never again.
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How do people feel about The Oblivion Particle these days, over 2 years since its release?
Me? It's alright, but it's nowhere near as enjoyable a listen as Brief Nocturnes.
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I listened to it once and really disliked it. Too bad, because Brief Nocturnes was probably the best post-Neal album. I thought they were on to something.
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When I saw the Beard a couple weeks ago in Quebec City they played Hiding Out and Submerged, both from Brief Nocturnes album and nothing from Oblivion Particle...
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I still like Oblivion Particle a lot but Nocturnes is slightly better.
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I think one of the things that made it not good was the fact that, instead of employing the harmonies of everyone during harmony parts, they just overdubbed Ted multiple times (see the intro to Minion). Now, Ted's a wonderful singer, but one of the main things that makes Spock's Beard so awesome is their vocal interplay, whether through harmony or in contrapuntal passages like Thoughts or Afterthoughts.
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The Oblivion particle has aged well for me. I went through weird phases with it, since I couldn't get into it at first. For a few months I thought it was fairly average. I even saw the band live and didn't really care for some of the songs. Then several months later, some songs finally klicked and I started returning to the album over and over again. However, it's not an album I play a lot these days. X and Brief nocturnes were fantastic, top three SB material. The Oblivion particle was solid.
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How do people feel about The Oblivion Particle these days, over 2 years since its release?
Me? It's alright, but it's nowhere near as enjoyable a listen as Brief Nocturnes.
I agree with this. I love Brief Nocturnes while The Oblivion Particle did nothing for me and I think it's one of their worst albums.
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When I saw the Beard a couple weeks ago in Quebec City they played Hiding Out and Submerged, both from Brief Nocturnes album and nothing from Oblivion Particle...
They only played Submerged on the cruise earlier in the year. Reason for this is Nick had just stepped in to help out and he already knew that song as he played on it when it was originally recorded for Ted's solo album. With Nick still being a helpful fill in my guess is they are trying not to create much extra work for him.
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While everyone is gushing about Snow Live around the net, it seems that the Beard have moved into the mixing and mastering process at Rich Mouser's studio, so it seems that, hopefully, around New Years, we may get some news about SB13! I'm hopeful for a Spring release (maybe around my birthday in March!).
I saw a picture of Nick a week or two ago doing some vocal recordings, though I can't be too sure if it was for BBT or SB, as BBT are about to release a new single next week, but SB13 is on its way to being finished, so who knows. It would be nice to hear some Nick background vocals on the new album, maybe even a lead vocal line or two, but if his voice ISN'T on it at all, I won't be terribly disappointed, but I *love* when SB do vocal harmonies and layered vocal parts, and I'd like to see a return of those on the new album with Ted, Nick, Al and Dave.
What do you guys hope for the next album? A long album (70-80 minutes) or something a bit more concise (50-60 minutes)? More long songs or less? Perhaps a new multi-movement epic?
-Marc.
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I just hope I like it. As I mentioned a few posts back I was really disappointed in The Oblivion Particle while i LOVED Brief Nocturnes. Hopefully Nick being back will help.
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I just hope I like it. As I mentioned a few posts back I was really disappointed in The Oblivion Particle while i LOVED Brief Nocturnes. Hopefully Nick being back will help.
Well, knowing how great BNADS was, I was trying not to keep my expectations high when TOP came out, and I'm glad I didn't. While it doesn't reach the highs that BNADS did, it's a slightly more consistent record for me, averaging out at mostly B+ material across the board, while BNADS features some A+ songs, but also a couple C+ and B- material.
It wasn't poor or under-average for me, just slightly above average, but it definitely didn't hit as high as BNADS and X before it. I'm looking forward to SB13 and hoping they knock it out of the park this time. Some of the clips the band members have posted on FB are promising so far, so I look forward to hearing how they all fit together.
-Marc.
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I just hope I like it. As I mentioned a few posts back I was really disappointed in The Oblivion Particle...
As was I - at first. It took a long time for that one to "click", but by God, when it finally did it's a monster. It forces you to rethink what music actually is and can be.
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I don't dislike The Oblivion Particle, but I definitely prefer BN&DS of the two Ted-era albums.
As for the new album, whatever they do will be fine, but it'd be cool to have more harmony vocals from the other guys, instead of just Ted overdubbed (as much as I enjoy his voice).
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I also hope for NDV to sind a lot. I absolutely love him singing, for me he has the best voice of the three SB frontmen. Alan has a cool voice too imo. Alan, Ted & NDV could produce some killer Gentle Giant stuff (Thoughts). I hope that Nick sings at least 1-2 songs as lead singer.
A multi part epic would be awesome, as long as they manage to compose a good song, rather than just giving 5 separate songs a collective title and reprising one melody at the end.
I liked TOP way better than BN&DS. A Better Way To Fly is one of SBs greatest songs ever. I was, however, a little disappointed that Boegehold composed most of the songs. I am trying not to care since the music is good anyway, but I know that Alan and especially Dave are very able of composing good songs (Jaws Of Heaven!). As is Ted!
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The Oblivion Particle is probably better than I think it is (based on how little I now listen to it), but it's so hard for it to stand out as being great when this is the band that gave us The Light, Beware of Darkness, Snow, X and Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep. For me, it doesn't have a single song that I would say is great or one of their best. That said, it is still pretty darn consistent. Every time I listen to it, I enjoy the heck out of it. It just doesn't have major replay value.
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The Oblivion Particle is probably better than I think it is (based on how little I now listen to it), but it's so hard for it to stand out as being great when this is the band that gave us The Light, Beware of Darkness, Snow, X and Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep. For me, it doesn't have a single song that I would say is great or one of their best. That said, it is still pretty darn consistent. Every time I listen to it, I enjoy the heck out of it. It just doesn't have major replay value.
Bingo. When I want to play some Beard, TOP isn't the album I think to myself 'yeah, that's the one'.
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My Snow Live Art book finally showed up today and I'm halfway through the Blu-ray.
Wow. Just, wow. Snow isn't even my favorite record of theirs but this is just stellar. Seeing all of them up there performing this beast just gives me all these feelings.
You can just tell how much this meant to the guys. The looks of joy in their faces. There were times where I could see Nick and Alan just lost in the moment.
As much I miss Neal in the Beard, this was the right time to perform this. The combined talent on that stage is just awesome.
I don't know what else to say. Bravo to the boys. This is amazing. Wish I could have been there.
EDIT: Man, Neal during I'm Dying. That performance of one of my absolutes faves I Will Go. And Neal during the finale just breaking down. Such a powerful show.
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Saw this post on the Facebook SB forum, posted on Thursday by Randy Stasiak:
"Spock's Beard in the studio at Sweetwater. Three song EP with only 1000 CDs being made. Supposed to be sold through their website. Release date TBA."
Apparently this is apart from the 13th album, which is still being wrapped up.
-Marc.
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only 1000 CDs being made.
Oh god, don't do this to me.
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Update on that 3-song EP - Apparently it was recorded earlier this year when the band were at Sweetwater Studios, and they recorded three older SB songs with the current line-up, including at least "Hiding Out" and "Go The Way You Go", according to one poster in the SB Facebook group.
Despite it being just a re-recordings EP, I'm still itching to buy it. Hearing Ted AND Nick (if he's doing any vocals, which seems likely given they're doing at least ONE much older song) do vocals together should be a treat, and I'd like to hear Nick play "Hiding Out" on drums. It'd be neat if the third song was from the Nick-Era, just to cover all three eras of SB.
-Marc.
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Update on that 3-song EP - Apparently it was recorded earlier this year when the band were at Sweetwater Studios, and they recorded three older SB songs with the current line-up, including at least "Hiding Out" and "Go The Way You Go", according to one poster in the SB Facebook group.
Despite it being just a re-recordings EP, I'm still itching to buy it. Hearing Ted AND Nick (if he's doing any vocals, which seems likely given they're doing at least ONE much older song) do vocals together should be a treat, and I'd like to hear Nick play "Hiding Out" on drums. It'd be neat if the third song was from the Nick-Era, just to cover all three eras of SB.
-Marc.
Wow, this is pretty cool! I am very excited for Go The Way You Go, it's a very cool song with (in it's original version) had a terrible sound. The Light is composed brilliantly but produced terribly.
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I'm not really missing out then if it's just re-recordings of old songs.
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Update on that 3-song EP - Apparently it was recorded earlier this year when the band were at Sweetwater Studios, and they recorded three older SB songs with the current line-up, including at least "Hiding Out" and "Go The Way You Go", according to one poster in the SB Facebook group.
Despite it being just a re-recordings EP, I'm still itching to buy it. Hearing Ted AND Nick (if he's doing any vocals, which seems likely given they're doing at least ONE much older song) do vocals together should be a treat, and I'd like to hear Nick play "Hiding Out" on drums. It'd be neat if the third song was from the Nick-Era, just to cover all three eras of SB.
-Marc.
Wow, this is pretty cool! I am very excited for Go The Way You Go, it's a very cool song with (in it's original version) had a terrible sound. The Light is composed brilliantly but produced terribly.
The sound isn't great on The Light but it doesn't bother me that much, the songs are that good. Interested to hear a new version of "Go The Way You Go" one of my all time favorite songs.
Am I the only one here who doesn't love Ted Leonard's vocals? Yes, he is a fantastic singer, I'm just not sure he's he right fit for SB. I love Nick, his performances on Snow Live are worth the price of admission.
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I'm not really missing out then if it's just re-recordings of old songs.
It's weird. If they had played the same songs live and recorded it all (at a Snow show, for example) I'd want to hear it for sure. But these are "just" studio recordings, so maybe a curiosity at best. They'd be cool bonus tracks maybe.
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I'm not really missing out then if it's just re-recordings of old songs.
It's weird. If they had played the same songs live and recorded it all (at a Snow show, for example) I'd want to hear it for sure. But these are "just" studio recordings, so maybe a curiosity at best. They'd be cool bonus tracks maybe.
These two thoughts sum it up for me as well. Seems like a pointless release, but I am sure the majority of fans will eat it up.
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I like it actually. The current line up will have a cool sound I am sure. And I am excited how the old songs will sound. Although I am way more excited for Go The Way You Go than I am for Hiding Out.
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This may be similar to what another band that I follow did. Sweetwater does these couple of day training/info sessions on what it takes to record in the studio. They bring in an established band and have them track a few songs live while training on a board.
Guessing they may have done the same thing with the Beard.
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Yeah, if it's basically "live in the studio" then that could be really cool. I'm sure it'll sound great anyway. Just the idea of re-doing songs from your own catalogue with a different lineup seems weird to me. But like I said, that's some kind of weird bias I have between studio and live or something, because when you play live, it's obviously whoever's in the band at the time, so it's gonna be different (and probably really good) anyway.
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This may be similar to what another band that I follow did. Sweetwater does these couple of day training/info sessions on what it takes to record in the studio. They bring in an established band and have them track a few songs live while training on a board.
Guessing they may have done the same thing with the Beard.
For once, I was right. I went back and looked at what The Dead Deads did and then was able to find the page for the Recording Master Class with the Beard.
Look at the link below to see what this was. It's actually pretty neat and I really wanted to go to the one The Dead Deads did but couldn't afford it. They actually invited fans to attend if they could.
https://www.sweetwater.com/events/2017/09/spocks-beard-master-class/
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Ryo posted a clip on Facebook of Ted singing/recording a track that they wrote together for the next album titled "Beginning".
-Marc.
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As 2018 approaches, I'm starting to look forward to some albums that are coming up. This is one of them. :metal
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Been on a bit of a Spock's kick in recent days. Currently listening to Beware of Darkness. Fantastic album, especially the closing track Time Has Come.