Spock's Beard

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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. The band is also well known for their intricate multi-part vocal harmonies and use of counterpoint on cuts such as "Gibberish," "Thoughts (Parts I and II)," "June," and "Devil's Got My Throat."

In 2002, the band released a concept album entitled Snow, which tells a story of an albino psychic who achieves a messianic following. 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's 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.

In early 2005, after a long writing and recording process, Spock's Beard released Octane, their second album after the departure of Neal Morse. This was seen by many fans as a return to a more bright and epic sound after the previous songwriting differences in Feel Euphoria.

On May 17th, 2006, Dave Meros updated on the band's webpage that they will be in the studio this summer to work on their next album. Demos have already been passed around, and they expect an early fall 2006 release for their 9th studio album.

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.

Members

Current lineup

Nick D'Virgilio - Lead Vocals, Drums
Alan Morse - Guitar, Vocals
Ryo Okumoto - Keyboards, Vocals
Dave Meros - Bass, Vocals

Former members and additional musicians

Neal Morse (1992 - 2002) - Lead Vocals, Synths, Acoustic Guitar
Jimmy Keegan - Tour drummer
John Boegehold - Song co-writer
Stan Ausmus - Song co-writer

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums and compilations

Official Live Bootleg/The Beard is Out There (1996) (recorded 1995)
From the Vaults (1998) (rarities - From the Vaults, Series 1)
Live at the Whisky and NEARfest (1999)
Don't Try This At Home (April 2000) (recorded 1999) (live)
Nick 'n Neal live in Europe - Two Separate Gorillas (October, 2000) (From the Vaults, Series 2)
Don't Try This @ Home Either (2000) (recorded 1999) (live - From the Vaults, Series 3)
There and Here (2000) (live)
Gluttons for Punishment (2005) (live)

Videos

Spock's Beard Home Movie (Video, 1998)
Live At The Whisky (Video, (1999)
The Making of V (Video, May 2001)
Don't Try This At Home (2 DVD Set, November, 2002)
The Making Of Snow (DVD, 2004)

External links

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