Spock's Beard

[kirksnosehair]

It's always interesting how opinions on the same piece of music differ.  I love Waiting For Me

[rumborak]

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.

[lonestar]

I am enjoying the album thoroughly beginning to end, Waiting for Me is just brilliant.

[Elite]

Still enjoying it massively, though I'm trying hard not to overplay it.

[ColdFireYYZ]

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.

[KevShmev]

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 , 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.

[The Curious Orange]

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...

[rumborak]

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.

[King Postwhore]

Except that Calling All Station is unlistenable.

[The Letter M]

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.

[Mladen]

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.

[kirksnosehair]

I actually like this album more than "X"   

[KevShmev]

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.

[Mladen]

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.

[The Letter M]

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.

True, but I did get my package in the mail today!!!



(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.

[KevShmev]

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.

[Pols Voice]

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 Curious Orange]

Argh! Gotta go on some 3 day work thing and may have to canx the SB gig! Argh!

[kirksnosehair]

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.

[King Postwhore]

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.

[kirksnosehair]

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?

[kirksnosehair]

In other words, Dream Theater should hire Rich Mouser!         

[KevShmev]

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.

[King Postwhore]

Very true Kev, as much as I love my I-pod, music today is recorded for the on the go people.  Not the audiophiles.

[Pols Voice]

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.

[The Letter M]

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.

[Bongasti]

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!

[Pols Voice]

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.

[The Letter M]

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.

[Pols Voice]

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?

[The Letter M]

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.

[Mladen]

I prefer Infinite fire. It's much more original.

[kirksnosehair]

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

[KevShmev]

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.

[Nel]

Yeah, I'd take Infinite Fire too. And I don't even like the FC album barring IF and Everything Changes.