There are those who say that Spock's Beard sold out to go commercial on the "Day For Night" album, originally released in 1999 and reissued last year in a special edition with enhanced packing and some bonus demo versions of songs.
The Beard has always had very identifiable pop elements (big choruses, catchy hooks) in their music, and while the songs on this album are generally shorter than the epics commonly associated with prog, there is no question that this is a classic Beard disc. "The Healing Colors of Sound" is a suite that's over 20-minutes long with the Beard's signature style of songs within a song wrapped together by recurring themes.
The album has echoes of classic 70's progressive bands blended in with moments of sublime invention and beauty. Tracks like "Skin" and "Can't Get It Wrong" may lend to the perception that this album is pop or commercial (although both are great songs), but overall the disc is not a digression from the band's style. "Day for Night" is addictive progressive music that stands up quite well.
FYI-Neal Morse is doing a solo show in Whittie, California on May 28. Look at the CalProg website for more info!
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I wondered if you'd heard of Spock's Beard. I was just listening to the Kindness of Strangers a day or so ago. Great band, good review, love to see them live. The closest I'll probably get though is their DVDs, which are worth a watch.
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ReplyDeleteI've been a fan of The Beard since the late 90's. I saw them with Neal Morse when they opened for Dream Theater on the Day For Night tour, and then again last year when they did a warm up show before going off to Europe.
Sadly, there's not much of a market for progressive music in the US.
Larry