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E-Dub 
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Joined: February 24 2006
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 Topic: Post-Neal Spock's Beard
Posted: March 03 2007 at 08:59 |
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I originally voted for Octane; but, I'm really beginning to like that self-titled new one.
E
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Prog-man
Forum Senior Member
Joined: February 22 2006
Location: Argentina
Status: Offline
Points: 350
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Posted: March 03 2007 at 03:34 |
 Drew wrote:
Self-titled- good stuff |
I AGREE. THE BEST OF THE "NICK-ERA". 
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Arriving somewhere but not here
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The T
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Joined: October 16 2006
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Posted: February 23 2007 at 00:27 |
No contest for me... feel Euphoria is mediocre.... Spock's Beard is good but has three of the most awful songs by the band (specially
'sometimes they go"  ).... Octane has not one weak song, and the melody is great. Let's go with the 8th.
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eMTee
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Joined: November 13 2005
Location: Hungary
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Points: 37
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Posted: February 22 2007 at 17:13 |
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Right, Feel Euphoria has no soul but at least it tends to sound like a Spock's Beard album. I can't tell this about the latter ones. They are average nowdays prog, average compositions performed by perfect musicians which is ok but not under the glorious name of Spock's Beard. The only post Morse era song meets the real SB standards is Ghosts of Autumn.
So I voted all of them poor ofcourse.
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Lazarus
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Joined: February 14 2007
Location: Scotland
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Points: 24
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Posted: February 22 2007 at 10:32 |
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In my view Feel Euphoria was pretty shocking. It had all the right elements but no soul - a lifeless imitation of previous Spock's Beard work and I thought it was all over for them at that point. Octane was much better - as if the band were slowly recovering, but to my mind Spock's Beard completes the revival. For the first time I'm able to listen to the band without noticing that Neal is no longer there. I love it!
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"Moonlight is bleeding from out of your soul"
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Guillermizzimo
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Joined: February 09 2007
Location: Argentina
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Points: 27
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Posted: February 21 2007 at 20:14 |
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I really like "Octane". True, the opening epic is a collection of short pop/rock songs, but I enjoy them anyway and I think the melody and concept behind "The Ballet of the Impact" and "Of the Beauty of it All" (this "song"'s opener and closer) are among the best stuff they've EVER done. Gives me the chills. Then you have a nice instrumental, "NWC" and a weird and very good song like "The Planet's Hum", to name a few.
"Feel Euphoria" is just ok for me, nothing special. And the self titled album... still a disappointment for me, specially after listening to the first two GREAT songs and then listening how it all goes all-too-simple-and-uninteresting after that.
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You can serve the Flower King.
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Drew
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Joined: June 20 2005
Location: California
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Points: 12600
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Posted: February 21 2007 at 19:28 |
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Self-titled- good stuff
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hebrius
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Joined: September 23 2006
Location: Brazil
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Points: 9
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Posted: February 21 2007 at 19:25 |
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I love the 3 albuns, but I think that the band is growing with each one... 'Octane' is terrific ... but 'Spock's Beard' is even better...
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Melomaniac
Prog Reviewer
Joined: May 07 2006
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 4088
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Posted: February 21 2007 at 17:28 |
Zappa88 wrote:
I personally prefer Dave's bass work to any of Al's solos. |
Incredible bass work, I agree, and MONSTROUS sound also !!!
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"One likes to believe in the freedom of Music" - Neil Peart, The Spirit of Radio
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Chris H
Prog Reviewer
Joined: October 08 2006
Location: Charlotte, NC
Status: Offline
Points: 8191
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Posted: February 21 2007 at 16:12 |
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I personally prefer Dave's bass work to any of Al's solos.
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Beauty will save the world. 
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E-Dub
Special Collaborator
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Joined: February 24 2006
Location: Elkhorn, WI
Status: Offline
Points: 7910
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Posted: February 21 2007 at 16:12 |
Melomaniac wrote:
Glueman wrote:
I was lucky to hear almost all of "Octane" played on Morow.com prior to it's release. By the time I got hold of it I knew many tracks intimately and had grown to love it. I have not heard the new one more than twice to reserve judgement as yet. The first one seemed to be of a transitional nature and I have not really warmed to that.
I would say that I believe Al Morse has become a VERY good guitarist over the course of this period of the band's history. It's impossible to say whether or not he has blossomed due to Neal's departure but I love his work now. His solo on "She Is Everything" is one of my few guaranteed spine-tingling moments. |
Amazing song, one of my all-time favorite ballads and true, goosebumps guaranteed. Al Morse is now in the vein of guitarists like Mark Knopfler, in my humble opinion. |
I'm not a huge Al Morse fan; but, he absolutely nailed that solo on "She Is Everything". E
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bhikkhu
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Joined: April 06 2006
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Posted: February 21 2007 at 16:08 |
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The only one I have heard is "Spock's Beard." This is supposed to be the best one one so far. It's not bad, but no where near as good as the Neal albums (or Neal's solo work). I may check out the other two, but based on this, I'm in no hurry.
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Chris H
Prog Reviewer
Joined: October 08 2006
Location: Charlotte, NC
Status: Offline
Points: 8191
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Posted: February 21 2007 at 16:08 |
salmacis wrote:
For my taste, none of these really are as good as what they did with Neal Morse, imho anyway.
I think they are all of the same quality myself- competent but not great. Feel Euphoria is patchy with some good stuff (Onamatopoeia, The Bottom Line, Ghosts Of Autumn), some odd disjointed tracks (East Of Eden..., the title track) and one clunker (Shining Star, imho).
Octane is more coherent but not really a prog album, save the opening 'Flash Before My Eyes', imho. The epic is just several short songs put together. The other songs outside of this 'epic' are mostly uninspired, rehashing past glories or straight ahead ballads/rockers, imho.
Thinking about it, even though I wasn't so fussed on it as an album and felt it was patchy, the self titled album IS the best of these. On A Perfect Day, Skeletons At The Feast, All That's Left and With Your Kiss I rate a lot higher than anything on the last two albums. But sadly, I don't really like anything else on it much...  That still gets my vote for the good songs, though. |
Pretty much what I was thinking...
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Beauty will save the world.
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Melomaniac
Prog Reviewer
Joined: May 07 2006
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 4088
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Posted: February 21 2007 at 16:04 |
Glueman wrote:
I was lucky to hear almost all of "Octane" played on Morow.com prior to it's release. By the time I got hold of it I knew many tracks intimately and had grown to love it. I have not heard the new one more than twice to reserve judgement as yet. The first one seemed to be of a transitional nature and I have not really warmed to that.
I would say that I believe Al Morse has become a VERY good guitarist over the course of this period of the band's history. It's impossible to say whether or not he has blossomed due to Neal's departure but I love his work now. His solo on "She Is Everything" is one of my few guaranteed spine-tingling moments. |
Amazing song, one of my all-time favorite ballads and true, goosebumps guaranteed. Al Morse is now in the vein of guitarists like Mark Knopfler, in my humble opinion.
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"One likes to believe in the freedom of Music" - Neil Peart, The Spirit of Radio
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Yito
Forum Senior Member
Joined: November 28 2005
Location: Mexico
Status: Offline
Points: 145
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Posted: February 21 2007 at 13:23 |
Neal Morse is the man 
i vote for "Spock's Beard" because sounds like the hard rock of the 70's, but modern.
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Psalm 96
1 Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.
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eddietrooper
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Joined: February 27 2006
Location: Spain
Status: Offline
Points: 940
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Posted: February 21 2007 at 12:58 |
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They're good, but clearly weaker than any of the Neal Morse's era albums. The best for me is the self-titled, but I would not give it more than three stars. There are some great moments (specially the first two tracks) but several weak ones too.
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Beastie!
Forum Groupie
Joined: August 09 2006
Location: South Africa
Status: Offline
Points: 56
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Posted: February 21 2007 at 12:54 |
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I picked "Feel Euphoria" because even though all three albums are on the same level for me (all equally good), FE contains my favourite post-Neal SB song, namely Ghosts of Autumn.
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Guests
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Posted: February 21 2007 at 12:53 |
I was lucky to hear almost all of "Octane" played on Morow.com prior to it's release. By the time I got hold of it I knew many tracks intimately and had grown to love it. I have not heard the new one more than twice to reserve judgement as yet. The first one seemed to be of a transitional nature and I have not really warmed to that.
I would say that I believe Al Morse has become a VERY good guitarist over the course of this period of the band's history. It's impossible to say whether or not he has blossomed due to Neal's departure but I love his work now. His solo on "She Is Everything" is one of my few guaranteed spine-tingling moments.
Edited by Glueman - February 21 2007 at 12:55
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Melomaniac
Prog Reviewer
Joined: May 07 2006
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 4088
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Posted: February 21 2007 at 11:43 |
Feel Euphoria had a few good tracks, but was unequal as a whole.
Octane was a much better album as a whole, the band's self confidence without Neal Morse grew significantly.
The latest is very good, but I find that the weak tracks (Is This Love, Sometimes they stay, sometimes they go and another I forget the title) are a step down. Nick D'Virgilio 's vocals though are now excellent, to the point I prefer him now to Morse (as a singer).
So I will pick Octane, but the self-titled release is very, very close behind.
Edited by Melomaniac - February 21 2007 at 11:56
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"One likes to believe in the freedom of Music" - Neil Peart, The Spirit of Radio
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E-Dub
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: February 24 2006
Location: Elkhorn, WI
Status: Offline
Points: 7910
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Posted: February 21 2007 at 11:38 |
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I have all three, and still prefer Octane. Didn't really click with me at first, but grew to really enjoy it.
E
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Post-Neal Spock's Beard
