Spock's Beard (album)

Last updated
Spock's Beard
SpocksBeardSelfTitled.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 21, 2006 (2006-11-21)
Recorded2006
Genre Progressive rock
Length77:14
Label InsideOut
Producer Spock's Beard
Spock's Beard chronology
Gluttons for Punishment
(2005)
Spock's Beard
(2006)
Live
(2008)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Metal Storm (8.6/10) [1]
Rock HardStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Sea of TranquilityStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [3]

Spock's Beard is the ninth studio album by American progressive rock band Spock's Beard released on November 21, 2006.

Contents

On September 21, 2006, Dave Meros added the tentative track list to the band's website and said the following regarding the album's title: "As you probably know by now, we're calling our ninth studio release simply Spock's Beard. No big heavy reasoning behind that, really, it just seemed like a cool thing to do. (Of course, you are more than welcome to help us invent some heavy philosophical or hidden meaning so we'll have something interesting to say in interviews...There are a few cool song titles that could have become the CD title...but we've done that a lot before. Then there is the obvious 'SB9' and its variations, or the clever play on words thing, like 'nein' or 'asinine' or something like that." [4]

Like its predecessors "A Guy Named Sid" (from Feel Euphoria ) and "A Flash Before My Eyes" (from Octane ), the individual sections of "As Far as the Mind Can See" are divided into separate tracks on the album.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."On a Perfect Day" Nick D'Virgilio, Alan Morse, Stan Ausmus, John Boegehold7:46
2."Skeletons at the Feast" Dave Meros, Boegehold6:33
3."Is This Love"D'Virgilio2:51
4."All That's Left"Boegehold, Meros4:45
5."With Your Kiss"D'Virgilio11:46
6."Sometimes They Stay, Sometimes They Go"Ausmus, Morse4:31
7."The Slow Crash Landing Man"Boegehold, Meros5:47
8."Wherever You Stand" Ryo Okumoto, D'Virgilio5:09
9."Hereafter"Boegehold, Okumoto5:01
10."As Far As the Mind Can See: I. Dreaming in the Age of Answers"Boegehold, Meros4:44
11."As Far As the Mind Can See: II. Here's a Man"Boegehold, Meros3:28
12."As Far As the Mind Can See: III. They Know We Know"Boegehold, Meros3:15
13."As Far As the Mind Can See: IV. Stream of Unconsciousness"Boegehold, Meros5:22
14."Rearranged"D'Virgilio6:07

Critical reception

With this release, critics recognized a shift to more of the classic Spock's Beard sound. [5] Sea of Tranquility reported, "It sounds like Spock's Beard have refocused here a little bit, and while their last two albums were very strong, this latest is really something special. Capturing many of the elements that fans loved so much about their earlier material, plus adding in some new sounds, Spock's Beard is a triumph for a band that really needed something to reinvent, or reinvigorate, themselves to their fans." [3]

Personnel

Additional personnel

Notes and references

  1. Metal Storm review
  2. Borrink, Mike. "Rock Hard". issue 235. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Sea of Tranquility Review" . Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  4. Spock's Beard's Official Website Accessed 30 September 2006
  5. "Metalreviews Review" . Retrieved 20 April 2022.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spock's Beard</span> American progressive rock band

Spock's Beard is an American progressive rock band formed in Los Angeles.

<i>Snow</i> (Spocks Beard album) 2002 studio album by Spocks Beard

Snow is the sixth studio album of the progressive rock band Spock's Beard, and the final album with main songwriter and vocalist Neal Morse, who left immediately after the release of the album due to his conversion to Christianity. It was released in 2002 on Radiant Records.

<i>The Light</i> (Spocks Beard album) 1995 studio album by Spocks Beard

The Light is the 1995 debut album by American progressive rock band Spock's Beard. The album features two different covers—one for its domestic release, and one for its European release. "The Light" has since become Spock's Beard's signature song. The album has since been remastered and re-released by Radiant Records.

<i>V</i> (Spocks Beard album) 2000 studio album by Spocks Beard

V is the fifth studio album of progressive rock band Spock's Beard released on August 22, 2000.

<i>Beware of Darkness</i> (album) 1996 studio album by Spocks Beard

Beware of Darkness is the second studio album by American progressive rock band Spock's Beard, released in January 1996. The album was the band's first release following the addition of keyboardist Ryo Okumoto. The album was named after the song of the same name, originally written and performed by George Harrison.

<i>The Kindness of Strangers</i> (album) 1998 studio album by Spocks Beard

The Kindness of Strangers is the third studio album by American progressive rock band Spock's Beard released on May 19, 1998.

<i>Feel Euphoria</i> 2003 studio album by Spocks Beard

Feel Euphoria is the seventh studio album by American progressive rock band Spock's Beard released on July 8, 2003. It was the first album the band recorded following the departure of vocalist/songwriter Neal Morse, also the first full-length album to feature drummer Nick D'Virgilio as lead vocalist. It marked the beginning of a more band-oriented era of songwriting, as before Neal Morse had written the bulk of the band's material, now all of the remaining band members wrote for the band, including bass player Dave Meros, who picked up his first songwriting credit in the history of the band on the song "Ghosts of Autumn".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Meros</span> American bass guitar player

Dave Meros, is an American bass guitar player, best known as the bass player for progressive rock band Spock's Beard. Meros has also played or recorded with such artists as Gary Myrick, Bobby Kimball of Toto, Simon Phillips, Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere and the Raiders and Big Big Train, Martin Orford and played for Eric Burdon and The Animals from 1990 through the end of 2005, and was the bass player for Iron Butterfly from 2015 through 2021. He was also tour manager for Eric Burdon and has worked as a tour manager for further artists as well. As a bassist, Meros' musical influences are varied, including Paul McCartney, John Entwistle, Chris Squire, James Jamerson, Marcus Miller, Francis "Rocco" Prestia of Tower of Power, Chuck Rainey and David Hungate.

<i>Day for Night</i> (Spocks Beard album) 1999 studio album by Spocks Beard

Day for Night is the fourth studio album by American progressive rock band Spock's Beard released on March 23, 1999.

<i>Official Live Bootleg/The Beard Is out There</i> 1996 live album by Spocks Beard

Official Live Bootleg is the third album and first live album by American progressive rock band Spock's Beard. It was released in 1996, with a European release under the title The Beard Is out There in 1998.

<i>Octane</i> (album) 2005 studio album by Spocks Beard

Octane is the eighth studio album by American progressive rock band Spock's Beard, released on 25 January 2005. The first seven tracks form a complete piece of work, "A Flash Before My Eyes", that tells the story of a man involved in a car accident who relives his memories in the moments following the crash.

<i>There and Here</i> 2001 live album by Spocks Beard

There & Here is a double live album from American progressive rock band Spock's Beard. Individual songs were recorded at several shows on the V tours in Europe, as well as the August 2000 show at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. It was released in July 2001 on Radiant Records.

<i>Spirit Dancer</i> 2002 studio album by Blackhawk

Spirit Dancer is the fifth studio album by American country music band Blackhawk. It was also their only album on the Columbia Records label, and the first recorded after the death of former member Van Stephenson. The tracks "Days of America" and "One Night in New Orleans" were released as singles. "Gloryland" was re-recorded by Keni Thomas on his 2005 album Flags of Our Fathers. "One Night in New Orleans" was released as a single by The Povertyneck Hillbillies from their self-titled album in 2006.

<i>From the Vault</i> (Spocks Beard album) 1997 compilation album by Spocks Beard

From the Vault is a compilation album of home demos and unreleased tracks by American progressive rock band Spock's Beard.

<i>X</i> (Spocks Beard album) 2010 studio album by Spocks Beard

X is the tenth studio album by American progressive rock band Spock's Beard. Similar to what Marillion did for Anoraknophobia, the album was funded by pre-orders of a limited edition of the album before the album was recorded. Those who ordered the album's "Ultra Package" had their names listed in the CD booklet and included as part of the track "Their Names Escape Me", which is exclusive to the limited edition. The album was released independently in May 2010. A retail and digital release with Mascot Records was released in August 2010. This album is the last studio album recorded with Nick D'Virgilio performing lead vocals, who left the band on November 18, 2011, to focus on other commitments. He rejoined the band in 2017 to play on the Noise Floor release, however his future in the band remains unknown.

<i>Live at High Voltage Festival</i> 2011 live album by Spocks Beard

Live at High Voltage is a 2-CD set released by the progressive rock band Spock's Beard recorded by Concert Live. It features the band's complete performance at the UK's High Voltage Festival on one CD, with a second blank CD provided to burn online content onto.

<i>Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep</i> 2013 studio album by Spocks Beard

Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep is the eleventh studio album by American progressive rock band Spock's Beard released on April 2, 2013. It is their first album with new singer Ted Leonard and drummer Jimmy Keegan in place of Nick D'Virgilio, while former member Neal Morse co-wrote two tracks, including "Waiting for Me", on which he plays guitar.

<i>The Oblivion Particle</i> 2015 studio album by Spocks Beard

The Oblivion Particle is the twelfth studio album by American progressive rock band Spock's Beard. It was released on August 21, 2015. It was the last album with drummer Jimmy Keegan, who left the band in October 2016 for personal reasons. This album also features Nick D'Virgilio on one track as a guest musician. Only 3 songs on the album feature writing credits to the band members themselves, with the rest being credited to longtime collaborators Stan Ausmus and John Boegehold.

<i>Noise Floor</i> (Spocks Beard album) 2018 studio album by Spocks Beard

Noise Floor is the thirteenth studio album by American progressive rock band Spock's Beard. It is the band's first full album of original material to feature original drummer Nick D'Virgilio since X in 2010, although this time D'Virgilio is only as a session musician. D'Virgilio had previously recorded a new song with the band for the compilation album The First Twenty Years and a bonus track for the band's previous album The Oblivion Particle, both released in 2015. Noise Floor was released on 25 May 2018.

Pattern-Seeking Animals is an American progressive rock supergroup formed in 2018 by Ted Leonard, Dave Meros, John Boegehold and Jimmy Keegan; all of whom are current and former members and collaborators of fellow progressive rock ensemble Spock's Beard.