New Spock's Beard, er...Neal Morse

[BarryL]

I have always been interested in the CD and your review was encouraging Barry so thanks for posting that.

This CD has been on my back burner for awhile now, since it was released actually. Been putting off buying it mostly because of the $24 price tag (I guess it is 3 CD's fwiw) and I kept finding things I wanted instead that weren't so expensive.

I look forward to hearing this.

Darren

What a change when an album becomes controversial for a reason other than explicit lyrics and violence. The more I listen to it, the more I like it. That the man was able to put togther over two hours of solid music with no weak tracks, and prog full-out through a lot of it, is amazing. I was really down on Morse for the trashy Snow. I hope his new positive outlook leads to more great music, but hopefully he'll tone down the praise the lord routine. U2 and other bands have very religious and preachy lyrics also, but they usually make them more ambiguous. Also, I find that after the first few listens, I don't actually listen to they lyrics. Most of the time the music is there is the background.

Anyway, this rates highly. I didn't know there was a three-disk version. What's on the third disk?

[DarrenH]

What a change when an album becomes controversial for a reason other than explicit lyrics and violence. The more I listen to it, the more I like it. That the man was able to put togther over two hours of solid music with no weak tracks, and prog full-out through a lot of it, is amazing. I was really down on Morse for the trashy Snow. I hope his new positive outlook leads to more great music, but hopefully he'll tone down the praise the lord routine. U2 and other bands have very religious and preachy lyrics also, but they usually make them more ambiguous. Also, I find that after the first few listens, I don't actually listen to they lyrics. Most of the time the music is there is the background.

Anyway, this rates highly. I didn't know there was a three-disk version. What's on the third disk?

Lyrics written to express a religious belief don't bother me. What's being played by the band is most important with me. Crappy music will ruin even the best lyrics whereas cheesy lyrics can be forgiven as long as the music flows well with good melody and a decent beat. And I agree, I find myself not paying attention to the lyrics after awhile anyway.

I guess the 3 CD version is a limited edition thing. Most likely in a digipak. The 3rd CD has some extra cover tunes performed by Neal and Mike (Tuesday Afternoon - Moodies and Can't Find My Way Home - Blind Faith to name just a couple). Probably some videos. That's all I really know about it. I wouldn't have bothered with it actually except my favorite online CD vendor, The Lasers Edge, only had that version.

Something extra to look forward to at any rate.

Darren

[BarryL]

I guess the 3 CD version is a limited edition thing. Most likely in a digipak. The 3rd CD has some extra cover tunes performed by Neal and Mike (Tuesday Afternoon - Moodies and Can't Find My Way Home - Blind Faith to name just a couple). Probably some videos.
Darren

I usually try to buy the CDs with the bonus material, which usually is only a couple of bucks more. I ordered mine on-line and there was only one choice, so that's what I got. Sometimes the bonus material of cover versions is pretty good.

Let me know what you think after you give yours a few listens.

[mad rhetorik]

I can understand why a lot of people find Neil Morse's new direction controversial. I don't like 99% of Christian rock, and I'm a Protestant myself. It's not like I disagree with the content of the message or anything, just that I find most of their attempts at preaching to make for insipid and dull lyrics. I feel the same way about metal bands who use either agnoticism or Satanic imagery (OooooH!) as a crutch for their lack of songwriting skills.

Even early on, U2's lyrical content, while containing Christian messages, wasn't overly preachy or corny but heartfelt and sincere. I liked U2 up to The Joshua Tree, which I found to be a dull, commercially slick record for the most part. Another band that seems to write good Christian lyrics is King's X (despite the fact that they don't claim to be a Christian outfit).

Anyway, Neal Morse isn't even the only artist to do this "Christian prog" thing either. Have a look at Glass Hammer: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...glance&s=music

As far as Neal Morse himself is concerned, he doesn't appeal to me much. I never got into Spock's Beard, they are too prog-by-numbers for my liking, and while Neal is a decent musician I can easily find better examples in the same genre. Steve Wilson, for instance.

[Dave_G]

Glass Hammer is pretty good stuff, I like them but not a ton.

Didn't know they were associated with religious types of music, I thought they were just regular old proggers.

Dave

[3-LockBox]

>[QUOTE=mad rhetorik]I can understand why a lot of people find Neil Morse's new direction controversial. I don't like 99% of Christian rock, and I'm a Protestant myself. It's not like I disagree with the content of the message or anything, just that I find most of their attempts at preaching to make for insipid and dull lyrics. I feel the same way about metal bands who use either agnoticism or Satanic imagery (OooooH!) as a crutch for their lack of songwriting skills. <

PFR and maybe the first Jars Of Clay album are the only acts who hold my attention for more than two songs (probably why comps work so well for this genre). I like songs that are evocative, not provocative or blatant (don't know why, just do). Most Christians I know feel that I should like all songs with the word Jesus in them, and not critique them in the slightest. But I don't believe in canonizing a song just because it someone's singing "I love Jesus". I'm just as touched by a song like The Rebel Jesus by Jackson Browne, as I am song like Amazing Grace. A lot of Christian songs are terribly self serving and ingratiating, and isn't that just a tad un-christian?