Customer Reviews

Feel Euphoria

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I was one of the many Spock's Beard fans who felt keenly that the band had taken a turn for the worse with the departure of the great Neal Morse. When I first heard Feel Euphoria, his absence was immediately apparent and I was not pleased. But now after many years I realize that I was being unfair expecting that the band would continue in lockstep with Morse's muse and vision. I have been listening to it quite a lot lately and am now of the opinion that this is a great album after all. There is a lot to like as the band deftly blends metal, prog and pure pop.
My favorites are the hard-charging Onomatopoeia, the sometimes Beatlesque The Bottom Line, the straight-ahead pop of Shining Star, and the soaring, expansive Ghosts of Autumn. As for the prog epic A Guy Named Sid, there are certain parts I enjoy more than others. The Intro in particular is a delight. Carry On, which winds up the original album, surely sounds like something Neal Morse might have written had he still been with the band.
My copy of the CD contains a pair of bonus tracks which add little to the listener's enjoyment and sound rather out of place. It also contains an attractive booklet with pictures, lyrics, album info and commentary. If you buy the CD, try to obtain the boxed release that I bought. When listening to Feel Euphoria, I urge you to forget about Neal Morse and try to judge the music as if you are hearing Spock's Beard for the first time. If you do that, you may find a lot more to like than you expected.

"Feel Euphoria" by Spock's Beard isn't a bad album, but not the best of SB and I don't highly recommend this album to the hardcore fans, but it's still good and you probably will like it. "Onomatopoeia" is a good way to open the album, and the follow up song "The Bottom Line" is a good follow-up. While this album is good, it's still not as good as their earlier works.

This album proves that SB has alot of talent even without the master front man Neal Morse. This album is totally different from my favorite SB album V "five" but is still worth buying and adding to your SB collection. It doesn't sound as "prog" as previous albums and so might disappoint hardcore SB fans. My favorite song is the slow song 'Ghosts Of Autumn'.

I can't begin to imagine how difficult a task the remaining members of Spock's Beard took upon themselves with this release, the odds were definitely not in their favor with this follow-up to "Snow". Plus, they had no idea how fans would ultimately react to the Beard without Neal Morse out front. But that being said, this album really makes an honest effort at standing on it's own merits as opposed to serving as a clone for Neal's pop-tinged progressive songwriting style. In that vein I have to give them credit for not playing it totally safe. This album definitely has a harder edge and all in all, it works!

I liked the distinct sound of the opening track, "Onomatopoeia" and even consulted Webster's dictionary to discover the clever meaning and tie to the lyrics. They came out of the gates strong with a song meant to grab your attention. Alan Morse's guitar was revved up and rarin' to go, that's for sure.

"The Bottom Line" could have been woven into "Snow" and has a familiar feel and vibe. Nick's vocals work nicely in the section that starts with "Here goes nothin'" . . . I really like this song. Great transition to Alan's acoustic part near the end and the lyrics relate a universal subject quite well.

The title track is difficult to explain and nothing I expected. I found it hard to get into this one initially, but now it's growing on me. Some parts of the vocal delivery are a bit well, let's just say unconventional. This is definitely a unique Beard composition. It builds into some fast-moving musical mayhem before skidding to a close.

"Shining Star" is a strong ballad and a nice offering penned by Nick. This is a breezy melody with strong vocals and I suppose could draw some comparisons to "June" from Beard's past because I believe this song will appeal to just about anyone.

"East . . ." offers some nice melodies and string arrangements, a great break just past the 3 min mark leading to an outburst from Ryo, Alan gets a turn to rip, etc. Ah, this is good stuff. My favorite.

Musically, the Beard are clearly masters of their craft. Nick's work on his drum kit continues to be tasty, fiery, and as essential to the Beard's new sound as his strong vocal performance. Basically, everyone in the band has ample opportunity to shine - what a concept!

The lyrics to "Ghosts of Autumn" are desperate, yet eloquent. Ryo's piano is gorgeous and the song reminds me of a great Kansas songscape ("Cheyenne Anthem"?). Alan displays some major chops and style throughout in his playing.

The big number on this album is solid, maybe not as over-powering as other grand epics from the Beard catalog, but still provides really great moments. The intro is awesome. Pt. 4 kicks and I've always liked the Beard's execution of vocal interplay as found in Pt. 5. At this point in the disc you realize how much further Ryo and Alan are stretching out on this set.

Overall, this offering proves that even though the Beard has been trimmed, it will grow in an exciting new direction. Don't be afraid to try this at home!

Sorry, but I feel that I was cheated on my money when I gave this album a listen. I went into it expecting more, even knowing Neal Morse left. I am a fan of the 2002 release Snow, and when I bought Feel Euphoria, I initially thought that some of the elements would carry over into the album; I was wrong. In essence, this is a Spock's Beard CD... quirky riffs and strange patterns make it unique, but the thing that binds a Spock's Beard song together are the catchy hooks. I heard a lot of hooks in Snow (and they stick with me), and I expected to hear them in Feel Euphoria, but instead, I was greeted with no such thing. Hooks, to me, are melodies that make you remember a song, and when it pops into your head, you instantly want to go to your CD player and hear it again.

So, why did I give it two stars instead of one? Because of one song; Onomatopoeia. This song not only delivers explosive energy, but also has the unique HOOKS that I look (and hope) for in Spock's Beard. The song EXCEEDED my expectations by 150%, but unfortunately, the following tracks (in my opinion) did not turn out so well.

I'm going to assume that this album is so rough to my ears because this is the first Spock's Beard attempt at songwriting and making an album without Neal Morse. I seriously hope Octane will be better... I am keeping my fingers crossed white-knuckle tight!

If you're like me, you really like (most of) "V" and "Snow", as well as Transatlantic (although you prefer SMPTe to B.A.F.), and you think about half of every Flower Kings album is brilliant (and the rest "okay").

On the same page? Ok. Good.

I can't recommend this album. Wanted to like it. Can't. So much of it collapses into hard-rock cliches or limp ballads. The other 2-3 star reviews on this page are spot-on.

These guys are cracker-jack musicians... no one's doubting that. And Nick D'Virgilio is a more than competent lead vocalist (as he demonstrated on "Snow").

But the songwriting just isn't there. Not enough hummable moments...and I like humming Allan Holdsworth, so what does THAT tell you?

That said, I'm curious to see what the next album brings.

The clever arrangements and lush harmonies of Neal Morse are
gone, and with the exception of "East of Eden, West of Memphis"
which manages to raise the rating to two stars I must say
I wish they had waited a bit longer to put out a new record, and tried to focus more on the material.