Customer Reviews

Light

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Until I bought THE LIGHT, my favorite album ever was Yes' CLOSE TO THE EDGE. I didn't think anything would ever usurp what I considered the pinnacle of music in all its forms. I also loved Genesis, Gentle Giant, some ELP (though they were too much at times), some King Crimson, and even some Rush. More than twenty years later, THE LIGHT is released, and it becomes my favorite album ever. As a woman who works very long hours with few friends who share my taste in music, I think it's hard finding excellent progressive music of the 70s caliber. I was lucky to buy THE LIGHT on a whim after reading something about it. Spock's Beard is of the same quality and originality that I loved in the 70s.

I love Neal Morse's voice. His vocal stylings are very pop influenced, making for very catchy melodies amid the complex compositions. The difference between Spock's Beard and other progressive bands is that Morse is a very humble songwriter, staying away from the pretentiousness that other bands indulge in. He exercises peerless songwriting in the genre. Spock's Beard has all the things I love about this kind of music: complex, multifaceted compositions, lots of mellotron and Hammond organ and piano, chunky Rickenbacker bass, and memorable vocals.

My favorite song here is the 24-minute epic The Water, a wonderful story of a man's defeat and rebirth. It reminds me of Pink Floyd at times, Gabriel-era Genesis at others. The other songs are reminiscent of Fragile/Yes Album Yes and Genesis.

I have all of Spock's Beard's cds now, and they are all excellent. But I recommend starting with THE LIGHT, which is my favorite.

This is a fantastic debut album from a challenging, original and essential band. I approached Spock's Beard from a prog angle, but really, there are enough fine hooks and sumptous melodies on this record to keep most people happy. The band play music with all the structure,intelligence and virtuoso aspects of prog, but with incredible harmonies and gorgeous, summery pop sensibilities incorporated. The most incredible thing is,it works: indeed, it is rare to hear a band sounding so fully formed on a debut album. Neal Morse (the singer, songwriter and multi-instrumental mastermind of the group) imbues each piece with a distinct sound and texture which was to expand throughout the bands career. One may find the lyrics a tad obtuse and over the top at times (sometimes the bizzare imagery reminds me of another great band, Mr Bungle), and as this is a self financed first effort, the production and overall sound quality is a bit lacking, although still perfectly listenable, but these are merely minor observations. The stunning quality of the songwriting and musicianship on offer here makes for a modern classic: the multi-sectioned title track, with its weird images and constantly shifting musical focus is nothing short of a masterpiece: what other band could flow through the dreamy 'garden people', the melodic 'looking straight into the light', and the spanish tinged 'senor valasco's....' so effortlessly? Rounding off the album we have the delicate 'Go the way you go', encompassing smooth musical divesity and a particularly memorable hook, the Epic 'the water' which moves from mellow opening sections into an aggressive (for Spock's) centrepiece and an uplifting conclusion: the whole piece reads like a cyclical tale of death and rebirth. Finally, 'On the edge' brings one back form the uncharted depths of euphoria only Spock's can travel with a catchy and concise closing piece.
This is almost a flawless album: prog fans should snap itup instantly, you will not be dissapointed to hear the spirit of Yes, Genesis and all the greats more than alive and well in modern times. Anyone else should buy it as well: highly recommended to rock fans, although there are no heavy guitars or screaming to satisfy those of a metal persuasion. Sorry guys.
A modern masterpiece.

Spock's Beard is one of the very few new bands i like. They were clearly influenced by bands like Yes and Gentle Giant, and this album is almost as good as many great progressive rock albums from the seventies. It's good to see that some people can still compose great tunes with complex rhythms.
The highlight of this album for me is the title track, 'The Light'.

Having in the past year bought all the Spocks Beards CDs in reverse order - This is the one I keep on returning to- especially the first 2 tracks. From the opening section of "The Light" ,just piano and voice, in the space of the next 15 minutes you are taken on a musical journey mixing quite vocal ballad sections to crashing guitar solos, heavy duty syth segments, a section that sounds straight off a Gypsy Kings CD and some Jazz piano thrown in for good measure - All in this one track - OK "Prog rock" you might say.. But Prog rock where the emphasis is not on who can play the more complex riff but instead on the beautiful sing-a-long harmonies!!! - You will find yourself humming for days.

Oh and yes - this guy, Neil Morse, can sing - really sing - Imagine a cross between Johns Lennon,Wetton and then ,just for good measures, when the rest of the band join in..Crosby Still Nash and Young harmony vocals - perfectly pitched

I have been a fan of this musical genre for best part of 30 years now and "The Light" has become one of my all time greats - I put the title track as much a statement for the best of 90s Prog rock music as "Suppers Ready" was of the 70s.

DO YOUR EARS A REAL FAVOUR AND BUY THIS CD

...Masterpiece.

That's what "The Light" is...and masterpiece of progressive music. Spock's Beard plays challenging, beautiful, and melodious progressive rock. They are, in my humble opinion, the best prog band of recent years. Neal Morse (songwriter) is obviously influenced by 70s progressive rock bands, and he deftly wields these influences and straddles the line between modern sensibilities and 70s creativity. The result is awesome.

Song structures seem barely cohesive at first, but subsequent spins reveal that each track is an excellently thought-out song. This album only has four tracks (not including the two minute live bonus track at the end), but it clocks in at about an hour. That's the way it should be! Unlike much prog, Spock's Beard's songs are not ridiculously self-indulgent...Morse is concerned with the most important aspect of prog: writing great songs. And he does this admirably. Yes hasn't sounded this fresh in years. Lyrics get pretty weird at times (Mystic Voodoo Love Dance?) but strangely, it all works and it's all weirdly charming.

Prog fans with an open mind with probably enjoy The Light. It's like the "Close To The Edge" of the 90s.

Spock's Beard's debut, "The Light", is somewhat hard to digest upon the first listen. For one thing, the production is pretty bad, so if you're expecting the sound quality of "V", well, you won't get it. I would not recommend starting you're SB collection here. You might find it too wierd. Get "V" first. However, if you're already a fan of the band, you need this, cuz' it rocks.

The songwriting is, for the most part, quite good. Some parts seem like they don't fit, and some transitions in songs are not very smooth. However, this is not a big problem, and this is a pretty damn good album. The title track is a 15 minute epic, with many different sections. It features several crazy instrumental bits and quirky lyrics. A good song. "Go the Way You Go" is a hard rock song with elements of pop. "The Water" is the 23 minute epic, and the centerpiece of the album. Well, their are some mixed opinions, but this is my favorite song on the album. The story of a man's downfall, told very realisticly by Morse. Some moments reminiscent of Yes and Pink Floyd. The end is truly touching.

Overall, this is a good album for Beard fans. Unfortunately, the great Dave Meros and Nick D'Virgilio do not stand out as much, possibly because of the production. Neal and Alan are really great on this record. I think every other SB album deserves 5 stars, but this one is just a bit below the rest. I'd strongly recommend this to already fans of the Beard. If you're not already a fan of the Beard, well, it's never too late. Check out "V'.

"Wow."

That should be one of the first thoughts after listening to this album. This is Spock's Beard's debut album - their first in a long chain of progressive rock masterpieces. Incidently, it's also one of their best. I believe it to be their most random - in that, it jumps from one concept to another very quickly. If you've not heard Spock's Beard before, think the Beatles, if they had a severe case of A.D.D.
Now, I'll go through each song.

01. The Light 10/10
Their first of many epics. I'm not going to get too much into it, but it's a wonderful way to get into progressive music. A piano introduction, then - Boom - the song consumes you.

02. Go the Way You Go 9/10
Another, more straightforward progressive rock song. Also wonderful, and it's a great way to separate two huge epics. A good song in it's own right.

03. The Water 50/10
23 minutes of perfection. A song of extremities - from the gospel choir in many of the acoustic passages, to the hugely aggressive 'FU' part. One note. If you cannot take a little bit of poor language, don't listen to this song. Yes, there is poor language, and to me, thats no big deal. But it's used tastefully - it's to mimic us. Us when we're angry, mad, aggressive. I don't care how righteous you are, you're guilty of this. Back to the song - it's simply one of the greatest songs ever recorded. The last part - 'Reach Up to the Sky' - is absolutely breathtaking. It's arguable whether or not Neal Morse has had a more emotional passage thus far into his career. Perhaps the second part of 'Flow'... Even still. Amazing song, worth the price of three of these albums.

04. On The Edge 10/10
A near-7-minute prog rocker. Another highlight. This is a favorite at concerts, and probably the closest to an anthemic rocker Spock's Beard has come to. A great way to close out the regular album.

05. The Doorway (acoustic live demo) N/A
It's a nice bonus. It's not the full song. But it's a nice jam-sounding live excerpt. I do think I'd rather this album end with the 'On The Edge' note, though...

Excellent album, and the start of a whole list you can describe as that. Buy this immediately.

This is Spocks Beard's first album and it has some awsome stuff. It may take a little while to get into at first but after 5 or so listens I just couldn't get enough. It is basically the same as the original release but it is remastered so the quality is lightyears better than the original release. If you like Pink Floyd, Yes or Rush, you should definitaly get this album and along with every other Spock's release up to Feel Euphoria. The Light and The Water are the two most notable tracks on the album, but the two other ones are good also. The Water is their first epic, and it is truly amazing. The light is also great, really interesting melodies and riffs. The song(and the album) may sound cheesy at first but keep listening, it will grow on you. But if your a fan of progressive music, nothing should sound cheesy. ;)

The debut album from my new favorite band. It opens with a simple solo piano, and when Neal Morse vocally ponders "What makes a dream so very different from any other dream?", one might think briefly of Neil Diamond singing Andrew Lloyd Weber (not a criticism) ...... bombastically intruded upon by Gentle Giant, UK, Genesis and Danny Elfman! All this in just, say, the first two to three minutes .....

Thus, Spock's Beard exploded upon the world from the seamy suburbs of Southern California, a little band with BIG ideas. I'll admit I was drawn to them by recommendations by fans of the New Prog Rennaisance, though the Prog camp alone does not a great band make (I'm not at all fond of Dream Theater or Marillion). The distinction here is found in the music of visionary Neal Morse, which just pours forth intuitively, doesn't sound like it's TRYING to sound progressive (long time fans of 70s prog know what I'm talking about), tempering the instrumental dynamic with just the right tuneful, almost folksy quality that gives it almost immediate accessibility. Just listen to the opening title track "The Light", maybe about three times; many sections, I guarantee, will be stuck in your head. That is the magic spell that causes us recent converts to quip "This Beard really GROWS on you ....."

One comment: The song "Go the Way You Go" is catchy enough in spots to make one wonder what a slightly more abbreviated version, which stuck to mostly verses and chorus, would sound like. This piece comes closest to sounding a bit forced, its many instrumental breaks almost (forgive me) arbitrary, an element that can kill a lot of progressive. A trivial complaint; many groups have done much worse. "The Water" (at least at its opening) betrays some unmistakable Pink Floyd roots, right down to the wailing female vocals in the arrangement - and the notorious "F/U" segment bears an amusing similarity to Harry Nilsson's "You're Breaking My Heart" as sung by Kurt Cobain. All these influences / references aside, it is the whole of all these parts that give SB its distinction.

I am one disc away from the complete collection of studio recordings, since discovering these guys a mere two months ago. As you can see from the varying reviews, everyone has their favorite title, and no two listeners seem to agree on that. When my collection is complete, I'll just consider it a five-disc box set, seeing them, like the music, as parts of a greater whole. Which is why I'm only reviewing this album. I can't show favoritism (although how many times can you say you had a 15.5-minute song stuck in your head?) for this or any particular album; I just adore these guys, what they're doing, why they're doing it. My hope for new music is hereby revived.

God bless The Beard, and its growing tendrils of devoted listeners!

This is what started it all. Where would we be if Neal Morse never made this record? It's a scary thought. No Spock's Beard. No TransAtlantic. No NDV. No good.

The album begins with the 15-minute quasi-epic, "The Light." This song features all of the classic qualities of the Beard: piano-based melodies, repeated lyrical themes, instrumental grooves, Yes-influenced solos and goofy sounds effects. It also is a classic example of the Beard being serious and having fun at the same time. "I am senor Valasco / I drink my milk with Tabasco"?!? Those silly sons-of-guns.

"Go the Way You Go" is another good piece. This song has more Genesis influences, I believe. It also has some cool keyboard solos, and even more sound effects. "On the Edge" isn't the next track, but it is the shortest. Yet another good song, especially the bass part. And the bonus track is a live excerpt of the acoustic guitar duet in "The Doorway." Neal and brother Alan learned how to play with each other, and this solo is solid proof of that. (Note: The Beard's live show is one not to be missed.)

Finally, "The Water" is quite possibly one of the best tracks SB has ever recorded. Years of discontent and sadness in Morse's life are summed up in these lyrics, especially "FU/I'm Sorry." This 23-minute epic has so much emotion in it that it works as catharsis for Morse. And it must have done its job because they no longer perform the song live, saying that it doesn't feel right to play it. But it is still one powerful song. It is definitely the highlight of the album.

Historically, debut albums are usually hit or miss. (When Dream and Day Unite comes to mind.) One thing they are good at is displaying the band's influences. In The Light, classic prog bands such as Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd and a little ELP can be heard in these pieces. But mostly, a lot of originally is seen, mostly Morse's poppy-songwriting style combined with progressive overtones. Most of all, The Light gives a wonderful starting point from which the Beard is building their legacy. Way to go the way you go, boys.