Fanx 4 that insight Papajim...this thread has made me give this majestic album a few spins! Have ordered the special edition with the demos! Have been listening to it whilst reading the lyrics ...beautiful story that has a meaning behind it!
Fanx 4 that insight Papajim...this thread has made me give this majestic album a few spins! Have ordered the special edition with the demos! Have been listening to it whilst reading the lyrics ...beautiful story that has a meaning behind it!
Thanks for your personal insight, PapaJ. Being that close to the music makes it even more special and memorable.
"The mountains are calling and I must go" - John Muir
"To breathe the same air as the angels, you must go to Tahoe" - Mark Twain
All of side one is terrific! esp. the final stretch of Open wide the flood gates/Open Wide pt.2/ solitary soul/wind at my back. Side Two is real hit or miss for me but I do love Carrie and Looking for Answers.
I bought this one from a shop in Berlin while travelling,and I was excited because at the time SB had charted in Germany on the back of V. I had plenty of Busabout time on which to digest it (and Anoraknaphobia!). I had been sucked into the SB world by D4N, and was slightly less impressed by V. Try as i might I could not connect with Snow in the same way. The reference to "show tunes" in this threads resonates with me and perhaps matches my feelings of Neal's composition and vocal efforts this time. Oddly enough, Carie and Looking for Answers were instantly my favourites, and I remember thinking on that bus that they should let the drummer sing more lead! In spite of this I was pretty shattered when I heard the news...
I was just getting into SB around the time Neal started posting stuff online about driving cross-country after 9/11 and coming up with the concept and music for "Snow"; I was coming off the awesome "V" with its sprawling epics and "Snow" was, on first listen, a big let-down due largely to the more patch-work approach (shorter songs). However, like just about all things Neal Morse, after awhile I started picking out some themes and motifs and one day, BAM! It all fell into place.
Although the lyrical concept is quite familiar (as many have mentioned), I'm a "music first" kinda listener and once I started getting familiar with "Snow" I was hooked, lined and sinkered. There's just a sh*tload of fantastic songs on this album with some of Neal's strongest melodies and hooks. I love it.
For some reason when I listen to "Snow" I'm reminded a LOT of Neil Finn...
Put my name down in the "love it" column. There's a lot of music to digest on this, and, as others have written, lots of styles on board here. There are indeed some strong melodies, but captured within several of the songs are some terrific proggy sections. To my ears, the whole spread has this great flow to it, weaving in and out of melody, progginess, crescendos, quieter/reflective moments, all serving the storyline. And yes, the plot gives ode to previous works, and the listener can choose to look upon that negatively, or enjoy the story for what it is.
This is interesting, in that upon its release, it was blasted here at PE. Even the stalwart SB supporters didn't think much of it. Yet here, we're seeing a lot of support for it. Maybe others have just not bothered opening the thread, I don't know.
Gnish-gnosh borble wiff, shlauuffin oople tirk.
Best Spocks beard album - IMO
Rich multi-instrument sounds and thick soundscapes
The vocals could have been stronger. I never liked Neals voice and think it is too weak for this record. But its a great record anyway.
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