NMC #227 - Spocks Beard

[Scott]

Better late than never...

Just one new release for you this week, but prog fans will want to pile on...  Its the new release from Spocks Beard. Click the album cover, listen and let us know what you think!!

1. Tides of Time
2. Hell's Not Enough
3. Get Out While You Can
4. The Center Live
5. Disappear

[Jon]

Spock's Beard--Thumbs Up

Will probably just be me, but I get a very serious Kansas vibe with this album. There's not one track that bored me and as usual, the musicianship is stellar. HOWEVER..........I won't purchase this. Even though I liked the songs, there was nothing that grabbed me and made me want to listen to again. I like this better than their previous album BUT........I still won't purchase. I believe that I have been put on this earth to own only one Spock's Beard album (Snow) and I must fulfill that duty.

Nice post, YET...........I'm not gonna buy.

 

[Scott]

Its one of those that grows on you, no doubt about that!

[Niels (Mod)]

I've heard the album 3 or 4 times, and it's still too early to say, what I really think about it.
It sounds at times, like they are going back in time, to when Neal Morse was still in the band, and that's a good thing. I'm not impressed by whatshisname the lead-singer. The one song, he doesn't sings lead on, gets better by that fact. He's not BAD, but the "softness" in his way of singing, annoys me a little bit.
Musically, they are on fire, especially on keyboards, but also drums and guitars, which at times gets heavy, which is a very good thing. At the end of the album, the songs gets a bit slow, but maybe I just need to listen a few times more, to appriciate the last two tracks. I do think, that the album will end up on my Top 10 this year, but right now, I don't think it'll be in top 5. Is it better than Neal Morse''s newest album? Hmmmm....Might be, but only time will tell.

[Scott]

I hear what youre saying about the vocalist.  But just like I told Jon, its growing on me.

[Niels (Mod)]

He also looks kinda special:

[RJhog (Admin)]

Spock's Beard - Thumbs Searching for a Direction

Plain and simple, I didn't get this at all the first time through (yes, I do own it).  I really liked their previous release, and unlike Niels, I thing Ted Leonard is a very good vocalist.  Certainly, like pretty much everyone has noted, you cannot argue with or find fault with the musicianship.  It is top notch and it sounds like even more of a prog release than their previous effort.   But only two of the songs really appealed to me the first time through, and neither of them are represented here.  Those would be Minion and Bennett Built A Time Machine.  Those are both terrific songs. The rest just left me searching for a direction or something.

However, this has already improved a bit just with this sampling.  So I'll invest a bit more time and see if it's appeal widens for me.

[Scott]

For me X is the bar for Spocks Beard without Neal Morse...  Brief Nocturnes got very close, this seems to be a big departure...