THE LIGHT

Spock's Beard had to start somewhere, and The Light is certainly a decent piece of prog rock. The title track is often heralded by fans of SB as absolutly fantastic, but it's a little overrated. Not bad, just overrated. Neal Morse has a very good voice, and the whole I Am section is fun to listen to. One thing that really annoys me about modern prog is the sudden, warningless switches in tempo and volume; something that earlier bands like ELP, King Crimson, and especially Yes excelled at. I did find the coolest line in a song ever. I am Senior Valasco. I drink my milk with Tabasco. Love it! Sounds disgusting, but I love it.

I saw a review somewhere saying that Go the Way You Go sounded very Yes like. Whoever said that got it wrong. Again, the sudden changes were annoying, and the jam session in the middle is far from what anyone would consider Yes quality. The piano solo particularly stands out as just being plopped there, whereas Rick Wakeman and Tony Kaye were better at making their solos fit in. Still, it's upbeat, and sets up the best song on the album.

The Water is where we see a little more Yes. The opening instrumental, sprinkled with Neal Morse's harmonies, is very effective and sounds great. (Can you say CTTE like?) Better still, the transitions were good! A lot smoother than other songs. FU in the middle was a little harsh, but it's the perfect song to crank up when you come home from a really sucky day and know at least someone else is having a more misrable life than you. Some also think this song plods on. I disagree. It flows smoothly, and everything seems to fit in place. Best song on the album, and I would put it next to Endless Dream or even Mind Drive

On the Edge is, like everything else, upbeat, fast paced, and fun. I like the bass work here. Almost sounds like something you could expect to hear on the radio, but not quite.

Overall, it's a great album. Maybe not their best, but its worth your time, money, and attention

4.25 Stars