Customer Reviews

Feel Euphoria

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Like all Beard fans I was bummed out when Neal Morse left. I was expecting a disaster, but was pleasantly surprised by this album. It has its weak moments, but it is a good effort overall. NDV steps up to the challenge of leading the band and does so quite well. The songs for the most part are good. They range from brilliant (The bottom line), to very good (East of Eden..and Ghosts of Autumn) to disappointing (Feel Euphoria). It is more of a band effort than their other studio albums. The playing is, as usual ,top-notch.
I think it is good that the band does not sound like a lesser version of a Neal Morse production. They will get better with their subsequent efforts, but for now this is a nice start,

Ok, I waited until Octane came out to give my thoughts on this CD. And to those of you who want Neal back, it doesn't look like he's coming back. After releasing One and just released his 'Worship'CD Volume One, he's making his stand pretty clear. I'd love to see Transatlantic 3, but let's be realistic about the whole situation. Lead singers leave groups and the groups go on. Spock's Beard has a whole different sound. While many dispute this cd as either good or bad it's something you'll have to get used to. I actually like Feel Euphoria better than Octane (which I've reviewed already). Even though I give both 4 stars it's just a matter of personal taste. I believe this cd has more of that progressive feel while Octane almost harkens back to Day For Night with short commercial-type songs. That can be or not be a bad thing for a group. But Spock's Beard is a progressive rock band and labeled as such so, of course, that's what one expects. I think Nick has a fine singing voice, but what's missing from this CD and Octane is Neal's superb song writing and arranging that always pulled everything together so well. Happy listening if you choose to, but don't bash this cd just because you have a pre-conceived notion of what it should sound like. If you want to hear the same thing everytime then pack it up and head for the Top 40 because there's plenty of that junk out there.

First off, I don't own any other records by this band, so I'm not going to go into the whole previous lineup versus Spock's Beard now thing.
What I can say is that for a first time listener this is an enjoyable record, but a bit overblown. I know with prog. rock that kind of comes with the territory, but there have been plenty of bands (Rush, Yes, King Crimson) that have been able to make indulgent musical styles work. Beard doesn't quite pull it off.
The whining keyboard sound is really out-dated and pretentious, as are the various keyboard runs throughout the album.
And the lyrics don't really match the scope of the music. You have this cosmic prog. sound going for ten minutes building up a song and then this guy starts singing about a break-up or something. It just doesn't fit.
Still, some of the tracks are good repeated listens, and this is obviously a very talented band.

The new Spock's Beard disc, "Feel Euphoria" marks many changes for this talented band of musicians. This is the first Spock's album to be recorded after the departure of founder and band leader Neal Morse. In a move that now has many people comparing this band to Genesis, drummer Nick D'Virgilio has stepped up to the microphone. Also, since Neal Morse wrote most of the band's previous work, his departure has allowed the four remaining members display their talents as writers. The end result is a solid album full of fresh musical ideas and while it points Spock's Beard in a new direction, the band still maintains the same amount of aggressiveness that has been with them since the beginning.
The album's opening three tracks, "Onomatopoeia", "The Bottom Line" and the title track display a harder edge that mix Metal and Industrial into the band's progressive-rock formula even including distorted vocals at times. Those who think that Spock's Beard has gone Industrial, fear not for those are only the first three tracks. As the album unfolds, the band's trademark progressive style becomes more and more evident. Tracks such as "East of Eden, West Of Memphis" and the six-part 20-minute epic "A Guy Named Sid" are full elements that fans like the most about Spock's Beard. "Ghosts of Autumn" and "Carry On" sound almost like something Neal Morse would write or sing. Nick does an effortless job of carrying the same impact and emotion as his former bandmate in these two tracks and for the rest of the album as well.
After listening to "Feel Euphoria", it is quite apparent that Spock's Beard is definitely far from over. This album marks a fresh new beginning for the band and is full of vigor and excitement. If this album is any indication, Spock's Beard is going to continue for a very long time.
The special edition includes two additional tracks. "Moth Of The Flames" is an acoustic piece which features guitarist Alan Morse on lead vocals. "From The Messenger" is a 7 and ½ minute keyboard tour-de-force which Ryo Okumoto takes center-stage.
Also included in the special edition is a bonus CD-sampler from Spock's Beard's label, InsideOut Music. On the sampler are some excellent tracks from labelmates Steve Hackett, Conspiracy (Chris Squire and Billy Sherwood of Yes), Enchant, The California Guitar Trio, O.S.I., Dead Soul Tribe, Derek Sherinian. Jadis, Ray Wilson (formerly of Genesis), Steve Howe and The Flower Kings.

So much of what made Spock's Beard different left with Neal Morse, and yet there is so much talent in the remaining band. I think that Nick and Co. should have taken the time to cook this album a little longer: to add the richness and complexity that flows from Neal so effortlessly.
I wouldn't call this album disappointing, but I certainly don't find it to be magnificient. Kind of like seeing what they call "mountains" on the east coast after you have lived in the Rockies.
My hope is that SB take their licks on this one (pun is the consequence) and push each other to reach to the creative heights that they collectively are meant to achieve on the next one.

I'm not even sure where to begin here. Ok, well, to say the least, Spock's Beard has undergone a drastic change. For better or worse, upon listening to this, I could scarcely believe that this was the same band. While there are a few recognizable elements of "Snow" still floating around, this is otherwise a massive departure from the Beard that we all know and love. It's harder-rocking, less poppish, less quirky, and a bit more blues-based. In fact, if I didn't already know this was Spock's Beard, I'm not sure it would ever even cross my mind. However...

Despite the total 180 in sound, "Feel Euphoria" turns out to be a pretty solid disc. It is extremely obvious that Neal didn't have anything to do with this disc, as there is hardly a trace of his songwriting style to be found, but it just so happens that Nick is a pretty darn good songwriter himself. He's not nearly as creative as Neal (but then, few are), but he does know how to write a great song. Plus, he's an excellent singer. Great tone, and a lot of versatility. And I think it goes without saying that his drumming is fantastic. He's currently my favorite drummer, and he doesn't disappoint here. The rest of the band is pretty tight as well, especially Alan, who churns out some of his best work to date.

We've got a lot of great stuff here. "Onomatopoeia" is a fiery opener, setting the tone for SB's new harder-rocking direction. The title track has a snaky, bluesy feel, finally erupting into a ferocious jam toward the end. "Shining Star", "Carry On", and "Ghost of Autumn" are all outstanding ballads, proving that the great melodies have not been forsaken for the rock. Occupying a large portion of the disc is the 6-part epic, "A Guy Named Sid", which is unquestionably the highlight for me. It's got a great mixture of softer and heavier moments, and the vocal harmonies on part 5 are probably the most familiar thing you'll find here. It all fits together to form one exhilirating suite.

With the special edition, you also get two bonus tracks, "Moth of Many Flames", which is a folkish acoustic ballad that kind of brings Bob Dylan to mind, and "From the Messenger", a nice, atmospheric instrumental. And, as if that weren't enough, you also get a nifty digipack case (it won't fit in my CD rack, though), and a sampler disc from Inside Out Records (which contains a wealth of new bands I need to check out). All in all, a great package, I'd say.

While the naysayers may nay, I think the Beard is still going strong. Definitely not a match for "Snow", or much of the other "Neal-era" (as it will now be known) stuff, but still a fantastic new direction. Some of you may kinda have to forget it's SB to enjoy it, but if you can do that, it's a worthy purchase for sure.

Ok, so I may not have a long history of listening to this band and Feel Euphoria is my first Spock's Beard CD, but let me say this. This is a great album. It has many influences and at points reminds me of other great progressive bands, like the Genesis of old. It's a shame there are not more bands turning out great music in a similar vain. If you like prog-rock you should love this CD. I do, and I'll be buying more by SB soon !

If you'd come to me with this CD and told me it was a new band I'd never heard of before, I'd be listneing to it with a gleeful smile, knowing that I had another new band to start collecting. As it is, there's a preconceived notion behind the moniker of Spock's Beard, and with that in one's mind, there can be a bit of dissapointment involved--at first listen. Gone are the obvious songwriting talents of former bandleader Neal Morse, his distinguishing scratchy lead vocal, and the harmonious melodies that SB was so known and appreciated for. But, you know what? It's okay. Neal has recorded in Testimony what might have been the next SB CD should he have stayed with the band.

Now, what you have with FE is a new Beard, one ambitious and more than willing to show the world that Neal Morse isn't needed to make great music. The songs are vastly different than what the SB listener is used to. The opening track, "Onomatopoeia", is a hard rocker that immediately displays Nick D'Virgilio's adept vocal abilities. This man can sing! He carries a melody better than Neal, and although Neal's voice is more distinct, Nick is a better singer. Take for instance "Shining Star" --he sounds EXACTLY like Robbie Williams. Not an easy feat. There's shades of so many influences here, an indication that the band might still be searching for an identity. "The Bottom Line" sounds a bit like Kings X, "Ghosts Of Autumn" like Alice In Chains, and other songs that lend themselves to 70's Deep Purple. The best song, hands down, is the SID opus, which might have settled comfortably into this title simply because of its 20-minute length, which prog fans, myself included, tend to like very much.

All in all, a very enjoyable CD. I deducted a star for the CD's weak moments: the title track Feel Euphoria is a slow, dissonant bore. Otherwise, worth the money--plus, this edition will get you a bonus sampler CD. Yeah!

I already reviewed the Standard Edition of this CD elsewhere. This review is dedicated to what makes the "Limited Edition"different.

(1) Bonus Tracks: Two more songs, one (Moth Of Many Flames) by Alan Morse / John Boegehold, another one (From The Messenger) by Ryo Okumoto. "Moth" is a wonderful "intelligent pop song", showing the superb songwriting talent of Neal Morse's brother once again. Reminds me a bit of "Rest in Peace" by Stiltskin... "Messenger" is a 7-minute keyboard orgy with plenty of Mellotron. If I heard it on the radio, I'd bet it's Tomas Bodin of the Flower Kings! Great stuff - these two bonus tracks alone make the Limited Edition worthwhile.

(2) An exclusive InsideOutMusic Sampler, showcasting other artists recorded by this label: Conspiracy, Steve Hackett, Enchant, California Guitar Trio, O.S.I., Dead Soul Tribe, Derek Sherinian, Jadis, Ray Wilson, Steve Howe, and - of course - The Flower Kings. This fun-packed CD is said to be distributed with this Spock's Beard album ONLY!

If you are in doubt whether to buy the Standard or Limited Edition - buy the latter by all means! If you already have bought the former - buy it anyway!

Feel Eurphoria is yet another fine release from this very talented band. Listeners are treated to a sonic manifesto--from the impeccible drumming and vocal work of Nick D'Virgilio to the Wakeman-esque keys of Rye Okumoto and the heat-seeking guitar work of journeyman Alan Morse with solid backing by bassist Dave Meros. Neal Morse has moved on, but SB fans will not be disappointed at the playing and energy on Feel Eurphoria. Every track on this record stands on its own, and one can only be awed by the level of musicianship on each track. In my view, Feel Eurphoria can only be fully appreciated upon repeated listening. If Feel Europhia has a highlight, it's "Carry On." There's something very special about this track, and it's fitting that the record ends with a golden touch. One can only wonder just how dynamic the next Spock's Beard record is going to sound given the precedent set on Feel Eurphoria. This record gets my highest rating. Five stars. Rock on!