Just heard Spocks Beard for the first time

[Rufus]

I loved Spock's Beard initially. Snow was like finding an oasis in the desert and I was so happy to find someone still making prog rock (in 2002/2003). That's still probably my favorite SB album. I think it has a ton of catchy stuff on it. Over the years I just started noticing I wasn't drawn to them much and when I'd try to go back to their albums they just didn't hold up for me that well aside from a few tunes. The NDV era held much less interest for me. I really enjoyed Brief Nocturnes and played it a bunch before I eventually wore out its welcome.

Yeah, I came in with Snow and worked back from there. Some really great albums but Snow is their masterpiece.

[3LockBox]

Snow has a masterpiece buried in it somewhere, maybe. Needs a shovel.

Agreed. Morse's compositions suffered from bloat around this time forward

[Rufus]

Agreed. Morse's compositions suffered from bloat around this time forward

Disagree, he just got better & better.
Snow is their masterpiece!

[rdclark]

Ha, finally I see someone with the same opinion as mine. I never got praise heaped on Snow upon release, I just never got it, just like I also don't get much of Morse's solo-output beyond Testimony.

I meant that there was an album's worth of excellent material on Snow. Not two album's worth. And the slavish emulation of Tommy, structurally and thematically, really brought it down. I was especially disappointed with its mirroring of the awkward lyric-writing of Tommy's finale in its own. "I get excitement at your feet." Cringe. "You give what I lack." Thunk.

[Poisoned Youth]

Disagree, he just got better & better.
Snow is their masterpiece!

We got it the 4th time. Move on.

[chalkpie]

So much snow being discussed here - I'm confused - are we talking about nose candy or the white frozen stuff from the sky?

[reynard]

I'm a long time Beard fan of the highest degree, all eras, though to be fair, I've finally gotten to the point where I have to be in the right mood to listen to some of the stuff. Neal's solo works are more mixed affair for me but that's getting sidetracked.

My first time hearing them was when I bought "Beware of Darkness" on a whim and was instantly hooked on Dave & Nick's rhythm section. Less then year later and I was seeing them live for the first time in a tiny club here just after TKoS was released and that's what truly made me a massive fan... seeing them live. Something I would do as often as possible from there on and even ended up being 'part of the show' once (though I had no warning beforehand)

Point being, while I'm sure I would still enjoy the band purely for most of the music they've made, the shows are what made me a true fan. If I were to recommend an album to a newbie, I'd go straight for this:

https://www.discogs.com/master/92427...t-Twenty-Years

Seems obvious but really is a good sampling of their stuff though the 3 eras plus you get their epic "Falling for Forever", which is The Beard's 'Union' moment in that all the members past and present are featured on that track. If there's nothing on there that turns you on, then don't waste any more of your time imo.

[SteveSly]

I'm a long time Beard fan of the highest degree, all eras, though to be fair, I've finally gotten to the point where I have to be in the right mood to listen to some of the stuff. Neal's solo works are more mixed affair for me but that's getting sidetracked.

My first time hearing them was when I bought "Beware of Darkness" on a whim and was instantly hooked on Dave & Nick's rhythm section. Less then year later and I was seeing them live for the first time in a tiny club here just after TKoS was released and that's what truly made me a massive fan... seeing them live. Something I would do as often as possible from there on and even ended up being 'part of the show' once (though I had no warning beforehand)

Point being, while I'm sure I would still enjoy the band purely for most of the music they've made, the shows are what made me a true fan. If I were to recommend an album to a newbie, I'd go straight for this:

https://www.discogs.com/master/92427...t-Twenty-Years

Seems obvious but really is a good sampling of their stuff though the 3 eras plus you get their epic "Falling for Forever", which is The Beard's 'Union' moment in that all the members past and present are featured on that track. If there's nothing on there that turns you on, then don't waste any more of your time imo.

I completely forgot about that compilation. Agree, for a newbie that might be a good place to start. You get songs from all eras plus the reunion epic. I also agree that seeing them live made me more of a fan.

[Digital_Man]

So much snow being discussed here - I'm confused - are we talking about nose candy or the white frozen stuff from the sky?

Neither.

[Mota]

I'm a huge Spock's Beard fan. Kindness of Strangers has one of my favorite songs of all time, June. Day For Night is also amazing, and kind of sets up for the prog rock extravaganza V. It's really a high point of progressive rock at that time, in my opinion.

Funny story, I first had listened to The Light and I actually disliked it. I think my ear had been trained on more grunge and different music at the time. I ended up revisiting it when their next album came out, and it finally clicked. Funny how sometimes music affects you in different ways, depending on your mood that day, or where your mind is at. I also hated King's X when they first came out, and they ended up being one of my favorite bands.

[chalkpie]

Funny how sometimes music affects you in different ways, depending on your mood that day, or where your mind is at. I also hated King's X when they first came out, and they ended up being one of my favorite bands.

Bingo. Happened many times for me. One of the wonders of music.

[3LockBox]

I meant that there was an album's worth of excellent material on Snow. Not two album's worth. And the slavish emulation of Tommy, structurally and thematically, really brought it down. I was especially disappointed with its mirroring of the awkward lyric-writing of Tommy's finale in its own. "I get excitement at your feet." Cringe. "You give what I lack." Thunk.

I thought it didn't help that this album came out a few years after the movie Powder, which was basically the same story, an albino teenager coming to grips with his "special powers", including healing abilities. It isn't necessarily a bad thing that Morse took his inspiration from a movie but having seen the movie, Powder, Snow was a bit too on the nose in all aspects, albeit with Christian theme of salvation.

[3LockBox]

I will add that while the MK-II Spock's Beard albums were, at times, awkward attempts at fulfilling the prog, those albums were not without their share of gems, even Feel Euphoria. And given that this was during the era of "no song left behind" 80min CDs, it's easy to cull together enough songs to fill one, maybe even two, CD-Rs of favorites (for me it's just one but, ymmv).

[SteveSly]

I will add that while the MK-II Spock's Beard albums were, at times, awkward attempts at fulfilling the prog, those albums were not without their share of gems, even Feel Euphoria. And given that this was during the era of "no song left behind" 80min CDs, it's easy to cull together enough songs to fill one, maybe even two, CD-Rs of favorites (for me it's just one but, ymmv).

I would rate "X" up there with the Neal era albums. I think that one is really solid start to finish. "Feel Euphoria" has grown on me over the years. I like it better now than when it was released. I am still of the opinion that they kind of rushed that album in order to get something out there in the market while the fire was still hot. It probably could have been better given a bit more gestation.

[Mota]

I would rate "X" up there with the Neal era albums. I think that one is really solid start to finish. "Feel Euphoria" has grown on me over the years. I like it better now than when it was released. I am still of the opinion that they kind of rushed that album in order to get something out there in the market while the fire was still hot. It probably could have been better given a bit more gestation.

I think it took NDV a bit of time to adjust from amazing background singer to lead singer of the band, but he steps up with his presence over the albums and really finds his voice as a lead singer.

[Splicer]

I thought it didn't help that this album came out a few years after the movie Powder, which was basically the same story, an albino teenager coming to grips with his "special powers", including healing abilities. It isn't necessarily a bad thing that Morse took his inspiration from a movie but having seen the movie, Powder, Snow was a bit too on the nose in all aspects, albeit with Christian theme of salvation.

I could've also done without the one song that sounded like the Kiss song, "Beth".

[SteveSly]

I think it took NDV a bit of time to adjust from amazing background singer to lead singer of the band, but he steps up with his presence over the albums and really finds his voice as a lead singer.

Agree. I saw them live a few times with Nick up front and each time he got better.

[SteveSly]

I could've also done without the one song that sounded like the Kiss song, "Beth".

Not sure which song you are talking about. "Carrie" maybe? That was the one song on the album that was both written and sang by Nick. He just performed it with Ryo's band on CTTE last week.

[3LockBox]

I think where all SB albums are concerned is that they mastered the kickass lead-off song. SB's eponimus release in '06, On A Perfect Day and Skeletons At The Feast is one of their best, 1-2 punch of any album.

[Man In The Mountain]

Not sure which song you are talking about. "Carrie" maybe? That was the one song on the album that was both written and sang by Nick. He just performed it with Ryo's band on CTTE last week.

"Looking for Answers" was written by Nick. "Carrie" was written by Neal, but sung by Nick. Looking For Answers was not a part of Neal's SNOW demos. I think he tossed Nick a bone as part of passing the torch that was in Neal's mind.

[SteveSly]

"Looking for Answers" was written by Nick. "Carrie" was written by Neal, but sung by Nick. Looking For Answers was not a part of Neal's SNOW demos. I think he tossed Nick a bone has part of passing the torch that was in Neal's mind.

Ooops..........you are correct. I am getting my songs mixed up.

[SteveSly]

I think where all SB albums are concerned is that they mastered the kickass lead-off song. SB's eponimus release in '06, On A Perfect Day and Skeletons At The Feast is one of their best, 1-2 punch of any album.

Those are two great ones for sure.