Artist: Spock's Beard
Label: Inside Out Records
Release: 2005
Rating: 4/5
Sure, Spock’s Beard don’t change so drastically over the course of their career that old material wouldn’t interest them live anymore (unlike, say, the chameleonic King Crimson), but they clearly still can’t hide their excitement about the “Octane” album and their new look, with no musical mastermind Neal Morse in the band! Hidden in that excitement is the fact that with “Octane,” Spock’s Beard finally broke free of “American-style neo Yes/Genesis cloning,” and their latest “symphonies” have much more compact, “rock” outlines that are more accessible to the masses than ever before.
So the first disc has only one piece of “non-Octane” material, the epic Harm’s Way from “The Kindness Of Strangers” (1997), and it hits its peak at the end, when the band heads back to “Octane” with the track NWC, which includes a short drum duel between D’Virgilio and guest drummer Jimmy Keegan. The first disc really catches fire with NWC, and, unsated, you quickly grab the second disc, which, unlike the first, features a set of even more colorful songs. It kicks off with the excellent As Long As We Ride from “V” (2000), where Spock’s Beard once again show that they remain fearless masters of “neo rock fusion,” which is also confirmed by the band’s closing classic The Light from the debut “The Light” (1995), which, the way the band approaches it on this live record, sounds even more convincing than the studio original itself. A fully immersed D’Virgilio shines on vocals, and Neal Morse is really just a fond memory now.
The playing is hardly worth commenting on. The name Spock’s Beard simply brings standard quality. A tight, finely tuned “rock jam”! The album has an excellent sound, live yet at the same time completely authentic and natural! It was recorded at three different concerts, on March 18, 2005 at the Colos-Saal hall (Aschaffenburg, Germany), on March 20, 2005 at the Z7 club (Pratteln, Switzerland), and on March 21 at Substage (Karlsruhe, Germany again).
This album is classic proof that there’s nothing better than total freedom! Spock’s Beard are putting out yet another “live” album, completely unburdened by a set list that’s heavily stacked with tracks from the current studio album “Octane” (2005). Inside Out Records really gives them a completely free hand in their creative work. The band lives its current beat on stage, its current point in a constant evolution, unburdened by the past, or by all the past creations, excellent as they were, which is an absolutely positive orientation! Fans of the band surely have had this album for ages.
Lineup
Nick D’Virgilio – vocals, drums, percussion, acoustic guitar
Alan Morse – electric guitar, backing vocals
Ryo Okumoto – Hammond organ and mellotron
Dave Meros – bass guitar, backing vocals
GUEST MUSICIAN:
Jimmy Keegan – drums
Production
Spock’s Beard & Markus Teske
Track List
CD 1
1. Intro:
A Flash Before My Eyes (Part 1-7)
2. The Ballet Of The Impact
3. I Wouldn´t Let It Go
4. Surfing Down The Avalanche
5. She Is Everything
6. Climbing Up That Hill
7. Letting Go
8. Of The Beauty Of It All
9. Harm´s Way
10. NWC
CD 2
1. At The End Of The Day
2. The Bottom Line
3. Ryo´s Solo
4. Ghosts Of Autumn
5. As Long As We Ride
6. The Light
Running time: 118:33
