Off topic - Music - Spock's Beard and Neal Morse

I love music. I particularly like Progressive Rock

A few years ago I stumbled across a band called Spock's Beard. They released an album called Snow just after I heard them for the first time. Now I love this album - still play it regularly. I bought the Transatlantic albums (featuring Mike Portnoy, of Dream Theater at the time, another favourite band of mine). Loved those too.

But unfortunately for me not long afterwards Neal Morse, keyboard player, singer and songwriter in both bands left them to go solo. So I thought I'll buy his solo stuff.

The first solo album Testimony came out and it's a bit Christian. I don't have a particular problem with that. I might not be a Christian but I have no problem with anyone having a belief in whatever they want. My issue was that, it just didn't have the edge of Snow. It sounded a bit saccharin to me. So not quite as good as Spock's Beard.

I also bought the first post Neal Spock's Beard album - Feel Euphoria. It's not bad - again not as good as Snow, but not bad. But it too lacked that edge. I liked Octane too.

Move on a few years. Neal Morse albums have gotten better and better. Momentum is great, the Grand Experiment is great. Transatlantic have reformed and their last two albums are great. So all is happy, happy for me here.

Spock's Beard though...

I've listened to the two songs on Youtube from their latest album and it's a bit mixed. I quite like Bennett Built a Time Machine. Nice melody, good touches of whimsy in the lyrics. Happy with that.

But Minion - oh dear. It sounds like someone was trying to make the most archetypal Kansas song there was. It's like you've photocopied Wayward Son over and over 'til it's got blurry.

Come on guys, you can do better than that.
 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

A writing update

Review of Ray Garton - Bestial

Attempts at regaining the writing saddle