Spock's Beard
Beware Of Darkness

It might be that I'm not very experienced in historical prog, but the more I listen to Spock's Beard, the more I'm convinced that they are the best progressive rock band of the 90s and 2000s and certainly one of the best ever. Am I crazy? I don't think so! It's all a matter of opinion! And I don't think it's appropriate to criminalize simple opinions! I've heard many criticisms about them which, frankly, in my view, don't hold much ground. The most frequent one is that they are too derivative. Yes, it's true that they owe much of their metric structures and influences to 70s prog-rock, but these are adapted to a decidedly modern sound that manages to meet the needs of today's musical world with cleaner and catchier melodies (note how Neal's voice seems more pop compared to the more theatrical voices of historic band vocalists). They may be derivative, but they are not an identical copy of that prog.

The albums considered to be the absolute masterpieces of the group... are undeniably those from the Neal Morse era; this "Beware Of Darkness," the second album, dated 1996, which comes out a year after the good debut "The Light." This album is certainly more mature; both the melodies and the technical component are given more weight; it also turns out to be more varied, and each song seems to communicate something different. It's a pity that this album is never cited among the band's masterpieces because it's an album where things truly seem done well, there's not a note out of place, and the stylistic perfection is not inferior to albums like "V" and "Snow." They will manage to repeat themselves even with subsequent masterpieces like "The Kindness Of Strangers," "Day For Night," and the already mentioned "V" and "Snow"... With Morse's departure, they will slightly decrease in tone, but the albums with Nick D'Virgilio as the leader are certainly very valid works, also because they will bring a bit of innovation to the band, distancing them from the more canonical prog-rock and leading them toward other boundaries.

Going back to describing this splendid album, it begins with a cover. "Beware Of Darkness" is actually a song by George Harrison, dated 1970, from the album "All Things Must Pass." Spock's Beard creates a very particular version in a progressive key with some riffs originally not present. I don't appreciate the idea of inserting covers in an album of original tracks, but it's not something sinful to insert one. Track no. 2 is "Thought," a song with unique rhythms, with frequent melody changes, although not particularly sudden, unique jazzy touches, comedy-style melodies, and fine counterpoints well tuned by the group members. And here is what I believe is the true jewel of the album, the enduring "The Doorway"; introduced very well by the piano, it features catchy choruses, Hammond scales that flow very well, and always touching melodies. Noteworthy in this track is the splendid instrumental part that reprises the initial melody with a splendid Hammond-synthesizer unison, the beautiful and sophisticated acoustic guitar part in the middle, and the jazzy guitar touches at the end; perhaps it's true that the same melodies are somewhat repeated, but this happens with a constantly different approach, so much so that the song can be enjoyed for all its 11 minutes. What to say about the next track? "Chataqua," despite the unpronounceable title, is a delightful and complex instrumental track for solo acoustic guitar, with a slightly bluesy flavor and at times even slightly baroque. 2 minutes and 51 seconds is enough to move the more delicate listeners. Splendid as well is "Walking On The Wind," introduced very well by the beautiful Hammond lines that will also intervene further in the track, followed by verses marked by a nice bass and a delicate synthesizer. The final part is also beautiful with good atmospheres and a nice guitar solo.

"Waste Away" is instead the most catchy episode of the album, a simpler song but one that doesn't fall into the banality that is often encountered in this type of composition. Led by acoustic and electric guitar with light keyboard touches in the chorus, it proves to be a fresh and lively song. And we close with the 16-minute suite "Time Has Come," well introduced by keyboards and complex guitar riffs, then the rhythm drops, and we witness delicate guitar touches followed immediately by deep bass notes and Hammond touches framing a jazz-oriented rhythm. Later on, we find a beautiful acoustic part and a nice instrumental part where the delightful synthesizer and Hammond lines operate in close harmony.

It's really worth it to listen to this album; I dedicate it to those who love music played as it should be and to those who don't like superficiality.