THE FIRST TWENTY YEARS

I started listening to Spock's Beard after first getting into Transatlantic, then Neal Morse's solo stuff. The only album of theirs that I have is Snow, but I'd heard enough material online to know that this is a band that would appeal to me. So when this compilation was released I knew that it would be something I'd like to add to my collection. Initially, though, I listened to it several times on Spotify. The drawback with this was that the final song, Falling For Forever, isn't available on Spotify, and also there is a DVD included with the compilation. So recently I bought the CD, and here is my review.

CD1 covers the Neal Morse years, and includes one track from each of the six albums featuring him (apart from Beware Of Darkness and Snow, which have two tracks each). The track selection is excellent, with three long songs, The Light, The Doorway and At The End Of The Day, the beautiful ballad June, and the spiritually uplifting Solitary Soul and Wind At My Back from Snow. The list is completed with Thoughts and the title track from Day For Night. What is apparent from the liner notes is how important Neal was to the writing of the band's material. All of these songs are credited to him alone, apart from one which he co-wrote with his brother.

CD2 has one song from each of the albums recorded post Neal Morse. The writers include individuals who are not in the band, collaborating with various band members. This is more of a mixed bag to my ears, with the opening song, The Bottom Line, being my least favourite on the compilation. She Is Everything and On A Perfect Day have some lovely vocal harmonies and some great soloing, but it's the epic Jaws Of Heaven that first comes close to the standard of songs on CD1. Waiting For Me sees the return of Neal Morse as a co-writer, and this is apparent from the style of the song. Finally, we get Tides Of Time from the most recent album, before the closing epic, a new song written by Neal and featuring the three lead singers and two drummers that have been in Spock's Beard over the years. Falling For Forever is a great song and features a drum duet between current drummer Jimmy Keegan and original drummer Nick D'Virgillio. A fantastic way to close this collection.

Last but by no means least, there is a DVD which is entitled Spock's Beard In The 90s - A Retrospective. This is a slightly misleading title as some of the interviews cover the period from 2000 to the present day. There are a number of very good live performances on here, the most recent of which was 1998. It is certainly a shock to see Neal Morse with long hair. Some of the songs featured are not on the two CDs, songs such as Beware Of Darkness, Walking On The Wind, and The Good Don't Last. There is also an excellent live version of The Light, including a drum solo and a section where Ryo Okumoto plays one of those synths that you sling round your neck like a guitar. The DVD is certainly not just an "add-on."

In conclusion, if you like the sound of Spock's Beard but don't own any of their albums, this compilation is an excellent place to start. On the other extreme, if you have all 12 albums you will have to decide if it's worth paying nearly £20 for one new song and a DVD. If you're somewhere in between, then The First Twenty Years is well worth considering for your collection.