The Light (Spock's Beard, 1995)

This suite is the title track from the first album by Spock's Beard and still is, IMHO, one of their best songs. Divided into eight parts, "The Light" is a succession of good ideas, great performances, catchy themes and effective riffs. After the atmospheric intro, the track lines up rock moments and melodic passages, keeping a strong and spicy flavour. There are lots of rythmic changes in this suite, and a great deal of vocal harmonies.

This debut album included two suites and two stand-alone tracks.

I especially like the way the band link very different passages between them, surprising the listener with such a manifold and still coherent stream of music. Even if you can find in this song some references to the '70s Prog Masters (specially Yes, I daresay), Spock's Beard are original from their very beginnings, displaying their unique mix of bright melodies and biting riffs, vaudeville relics and country echoes, spanish guitars and up-to-date keyboards. This is prog, baby!

The Doorway (Spock's Beard, 1996)

Actually, a pearl in the brilliant US prog ocean, this one! Coming from the album "Beware of Darkness", this track is the perfect fusion or rock, folk and classical inspirations, something most of us old prog lovers like very much. All the instruments play as one, while the tempo continually changes and the mood too, including warm country passages along with full symphonic rock riffs. And what about the acoustic guitar solo bridges, the piano intro or the surprising finale? Wow...

"Beware of Darkness" was SB's second studio album.

I also think this is one of the best Neal Morse's vocal performances, and that's saying something! IMHO, this song captures the early, purely prog spirit of Spock's Beard, before any internal struggles and theological lyrics. They were ready to go on their own musical and spiritual path, but I adore the way they were back then, so full of energy and ideas.

The Distance to The Sun (Spock's Beard, 1999)

I confess "Day for Night" isn't my favourite album by Spock's Beard, not by far. But this ballad is one of their songs I constantly listen to and I still enjoy after so many years and so many listenings. This American band knows very, very well how to cook a plain song in a tasty prog sauce. A double vocal verse, an open wide chorus, a charming acoustic arrangement with light piano and guitar interplays, some original but direct lyrics and, last but not least, a dreaming finale.

"Day for Night" was the band's fourth studio album.

This recipe may seem very easy, but then why such enthralling ballads are so rare? Well, the reason is there aren't many composers like Neal Morse: he's got the gift of perfect tunes, fully enjoyable and still never trivial. That's why you can listen to "The Distance to The Sun" many times and never be bored by the song: a beautiful, evocative melody will always be fresh and brand new. A track like this one can even be part of your lifetime soundtrack, a discreet, inspirational, persistent part of it.

Something Very Strange (Spock's Beard, 2013)

I usually don't add a song released in the current year to this collection, but with this "Something Very Strange" I can't wait longer. After so many line-up changes, I didn't expect too much from the new Spock Beard's album, called "Brief Nocturnes And Dreamless Sleep", but I was wrong. I found in it at least two great songs and this is one of them.

A great cover artwork by Thomas Ewerhard!

I like this track, a mid-length one, because of its unusual fusion of traditional and intricate prog rock and a catchy main theme, maybe more inspired to the '60s than to the '70s. This theme returns with pleasant variations then and now, providing airy breaks in the tight frame of the song, including Ryo Okumoto's key progressions and a beautiful guitar solo by Alan Morse. A tough, compact, nonetheless fresh and surprising song I highly recommend.

The Great Nothing (Spock's Beard, 2000)

This long suite (more than 27 minutes) is a peak in Spock Beard's career, IMHO and comes from one of their best albums, "V", obviously the fifth in the band's catalogue. It comprises six movements ("From Nowhere", "One Note", "Come up Breathing", "Submerged", "Missed Your Calling" and "The Great Nothing") and I couldn't say wich is the best one. All melodies are good, there's a perpetual change in arrangements, instrumentations, tempos, moods and a well structured architecture, too. The instrumental passages and the sung themes are always pleasant, but never trivial.

Spock's Beard: their line up for "V" (2000).

Music and words are by Neal Morse and we find here many of his favourite elements, such as the acoustic guitar solos and the piano bridges, but also the spiritual subject in lyrics. In short, this is the quintessential Spock Beard, including the grand walls of sound, some country rock hints and, last but not least, the choral vocal arrangements. With such a programme, those 27 minutes seem to pass in one breath. A breath of good prog, of course.

Time Has Come (Spock's Beard, 1996)

Spock's Beard are a very good band and this for many reasons. I emphasize this one: they gather all sort of inspirations to forge their own sound. Take this beautiful "Time Has Come", for example: prog rock, neo-prog maybe, but also some country music, a bit of heavy rock, a reminiscence of gospel and even a touch of psychedelia.

Spock's Beard around "Beware of Darkness" period.

Neal Morse is a remarkable singer and composer and here he shows up both these qualities. But the band add all the rest: guitar and keyboards switch themselves on riffs and melodies, bass and drums are always there, driving a perpetual change of tempo. And those passages between different moods are awesome: from the wall of sound to the piano or guitar solo, then back again in no time at all! The lyrics - as Neil Morse says - are partially inspired to a Steven King's character. Fantasy before all. This 16 minute suite was taken from "Beware of Darkness", the second album by one of the finest American prog bands ever... should I add IMHO?