Feel Euphoria

Spock's Beard | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 13, 2004)
• Original Release Date: 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Inside Out U.S.
• ASIN: B00009VGSX
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #384,298 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Spock without the beard?, July 19, 2003

By 

M. H. Ullerup (Anytown, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Feel Euphoria (Audio CD)

Let me just start off by saying that THIS ALBUM IS NOT "V"

It comes nowhere close. But that's really not surprising seeing as how Neal Morse is gone. However for you Beard fans out there, you can certainly see Neal's influence permeate quite a few of the themes on the Beard's 7th studio release. That having been said, the remainder of my review isn't going to be based on the other releases by SB. This album can't stand up to that kind of punishment. However, it does stand very strongly on the merits of a well rounded progressive rock album.

I must start off by saying don't let the beginning of this album discourage you. It does get better. The first track ("Onomotopea") is unimpressive, as it was just your typical rock song...this song was fairly flat, with no real discernable prog-rock themes. "Bottom Line" gets a bit more proggy, but fizzles out towards the end when Nick tries to (very unsuccessfully) emulate his predecessor. The title track is even more proggy. I have to say that this one has grown on me since the first time I listened to it.

"Shining Star" is a bit of prog-pop. I must say, though, that if this were indicitave of all pop music, I'd find myself flipping through the AC Top 40 much more often. Nick seems to develop his singing style very well here, as well as with "East of Eden" (although God knows why they pulled a George Martin, Beatlesqe tape-reversal at the end of this track).

The most notable song on the album is the sublime "Ghosts of Autum." This song is exactly what I expect of a post-Neal Beard. Both piano and guitar solos on this album were absolutely haunting (no pun intended). Lyrically, it is simply one of the most beautiful songs of loss and longing I've ever heard. Period.

Finally to the epic. "A Guy named Sid" starts off very strong with some great prog-metal themes in the introduction and the first few seconds of "Same old Story." "Sid" dosn't pick back up (both musically and lyrically) until the acapella portion ("Sid's Boys Choir") which leads -- very nicely, I might add -- into the outro, entitled "Change." In the beginning of this piece, I hear quite a bit of (dare I say) Rush. And, although I'm trying to keep this review fairly positive, the transition between parts III and IV ("You Don't Know" and "Judge") is essentially non-existant. Come on guys, you can do better than that!

The last song (which immediatly follows "Sid") is a very nice complement -- a nightcap if you will -- to a discernably valient effort. This piece was definitely influenced by Neal. I don't know if he collaborated on "Carry On" before he left the band, but it sounds like something lifted straight off of his solo album.

All in all this studio release by the Beard is a noteworthy one, as it's as if the pheonix has died, and is rising again from its own ashes. If you're looking for "V," then stay away from this album...you'll be disappointed. But if you want a well rounded prog-rock album with excellent musicianship, this by all means buy a copy.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Trick of the Nick, December 22, 2004

By 

Kevin Muckenthaler - See all my reviews

This review is from: Feel Euphoria (Audio CD)

This is one of the weakest Spock's Beard albums, but it's by no means bad. In fact, it's a very good release. A lot of the spirit of the Beard is still present even after frontman Neal Morse's departure, and the remaining quartet puts in fine performances, particularly guitarist Alan Morse. Nick D'Virgilio is a good singer, but his voice is less instantly recognizable than Neal's is/was, partly because he tries out different singing styles throughout.

The best track by far is "Ghosts of Autumn", a moody, emotional masterpiece with lots of atmosphere. It reminds me a little of "Solitary Soul" from the album Snow. The worst song on Feel Euphoria is the title track, a mostly downright ugly-sounding mess, which I think is the worst Spock's Beard song ever. Ironic, considering the title of the song.

The opener "Onomatopoeia" is a good, in-your-face rocker that kicks things off with a bang. "The Bottom Line" is a track with some great ideas, but feels spliced together. Still, it's a better-than-average song. The poppy "Shining Star" sounds like it's begging to be put on the radio, which it won't. It's probably the least progressive song the band's ever done, but it's pleasant and well done. "East of Eden, West of Memphis" starts out as a catchy toe-tapping pop/rocker, but quickly changes gears and goes into a completely manic proggy section with insane drumming.

The epic "A Guy Named Sid" has some pretty corny lyrics, but it's mostly quite entertaining musically. "You Don't Know", with its anthemic chorus, is the highlight, which wouldn't have sounded out of place on a Neal-era album. The multi-layered acapella vocal section of the epic, "Sid's Boys Choir" lacks something in that it's all Nick singing, but it's done pretty well. Sid as a whole rocks harder than previous Spock's Beard epics, but the ending is very close to the Neal style of closing up long tracks. Feel Euphoria ends with the uplifting "Carry On", which has Nick singing the opening lines as though he's channeling Neal.

People new to the Beard should start by getting a few of the earlier albums. But they shouldn't ignore this CD. The new band line-up shows lots of promise, and I'm looking forward to their follow-up album Octane.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A nice effort, August 26, 2003

By 

Jason Bachand (Connecticut) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Feel Euphoria (Audio CD)

The challenge of any band that's lost a vital member is twofold: to firmly establish itself as a viable entity of it's own right, and to deliver music of the same quality that fans have come to expect.

With Feel Euphoria, Spock's Beard have succeeded admirably at the former - they are indeed an impressive band even without former lead singer/songwriter Neal Morse. For many, however, this issue was hardly in doubt. Place such a collection of talented players in any band and they're bound to sound great. And so, it is hardly surprising that the band wield their instruments with considerable prowess throughout all of the albums compositions.

The real issue for fans, myself included, was whether or not the music would meet the impressive standard that has made Spock's Beard one of the top prog establishments of the past ten years. On this account, the album misses slightly. There's an awful lot to enjoy here, but there's something absent from Feel Euphoria that fails to make the album as magical as the others in the band's catalogue. Spock's Beard has always chosen the obliquely spiritual for it's subject matter, conjuring inscrutable lyrics with a very poetic bent to provide a sort of message to engage the positive. That feeling is absent here, and as a result the music sounds somewhat pedestrian. I hesitate to say it's not as good, but it is starkly different.

In the lyrical department, the album falls flat as well. Admittedly, Neal Morse is a tough act to followe, but it was a poor decision on the band's part to enlist the aid of outsiders to write the lyrics to the album. This is always a sign of desperation in the musical world (A case and point is Pink Floyd, who enlisted an army of supplemental scribes after Roger Water's departure). The result are lyrics that often wouldn't pass a basic songwriting course, although "The Bottom Line" and "Shining Star" are wonderful exceptions. NDV and Ryo have shown themselves to be capable lyricists in the past, let's all hope they have the confidence to work without outside 'help' in the future.

In the final analysis, Feel Euphoria is a step in the right direction. It will take time for the band to find it's own sound, and for fans to get used to it, but Spock's Beard will endure for many years to come.