Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Spock's Beard
Spock's Beard is a progressive rock band formed in 1992 in Los Angeles by brothers Neal and Alan Morse. Neal played keyboards and was the lead vocalist, as well as being the primary songwriter; Alan plays electric guitar. The pair teamed with fellow musicians Nick D'Virgilio (drums) and Dave Meros (bass) and released their debut album, The Light, in 1995. The quartet were later joined by veteran keyboardist Ryo Okumoto.
The band played a brand of progressive rock with pop music leanings (drawing much influence from Genesis), as opposed to the hard rock approach of The Flower Kings or the metal feel of Dream Theater. In 2002, the band released a rock opera entitled Snow, whose story and themes bear a strong resemblance to that of The Who's Tommy. Many listeners and critics have noted the parallels between the storyline of Snow and Neal Morse's own highly-publicized conversion to Christianity.
Following the release of Snow, Neal Morse left the band for a solo career as a Christian artist. Drummer Nick D'Virgilio took over the lead singing and songwriting role, in a move reminiscent of Genesis' drummer Phil Collins taking over from Peter Gabriel. Their first album, Feel Euphoria , has a harder rocking and more experimental sound than the Neal Morse-led band, relying on Alan Morse's guitar to a greater extent.
The band was named for the Star Trek episode "Mirror, Mirror", where the crew enters a parallel universe in which the parallel Mr. Spock is differentiated by his beard.
Neal Morse also participated in the prog supergroup TransAtlantic.
Discography
Studio Albums
- The Light (1995)
- Beware of Darkness (1996)
- The Kindness of Strangers (1997)
- Day For Night (1999)
- V (2000)
- Snow (2002)
- Feel Euphoria (2003)
- Octane (2005)
Live Albums
- Official Live Bootleg/The Beard is Out There (1996) (recorded 1995)
- Live at the Whisky and NEARfest (1999)
- Don't Try This At Home (2000) (recorded 1999)
- Don't Try This At Home Either (2000) (recorded 1999)
- There and Here (2000) (live)
Compilations
- From the Vault (1998)
External Links
- Neal Morse official site
- Gibberish Closed down fan site, but still contains relevant information.
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