If you like Spock's Beard's mellower moments, and are a fan of tuneful
yet cynical music, then you are sure to like Neal Morse's solo release.
Though I'm sure the time really has passed for this comparison, Morse
has a dry style like the late Kevin Gilbert. This music that is deep in
its simplicity. By that I mean sparse, clear arrangements, a small
compliment of instruments, and honest feelings. No pompousness, no
posing, no over orchestration for the sake of it. This is music that
speaks on the human level - we've been there, we've done that, we've
felt this.
And here's a comparison that Morse probably won't appreciate, but I mean
it in the kindest possible way - his vocal delivery on "Lost
Cause" is very much like "Weird" Al Yankovich. Of course,
there's that same dry sense of humour that Yankovich has. You could
almost imagine that this is a parody of some other song sang in earnest,
that Morse has twisted to his own ends. That isn't to suggest that the
song sounds like a rip off of something out there, but has that keen,
self-effacing quality that parodies often take. Of course, Morse get's
serious on the next track, the bittersweet, tension filled
"Landslide." This is a great track and one of my favourites.
Although I wish the lyrics for this one had been included (some are,
some aren't), Morse sings clearly enough that there's no trouble
figuring them out. Like Gilbert, Morse has a voice that makes the
emotion in the delivery clear and very effective.
Overall this album is less progressive rock than it is intelligent pop
(though that phrase often seems to be an oxymoron) - rarely does he
stray into the same territory he does with Spock's Beard, despite the
presence of Nick D'Virgilio on drum, though you cannot deny the
connection to the band.. Glenn Caruba handles percussion on one track
("A Whole 'Nother Trip"), and Chris Carmichael provides
strings for "Emma" and "...'Nother Trip." Otherwise,
its Morse - guitar, piano, etc.
"Emma" is another one of those stand out tracks, and one that
cuts right to the heart - a heartfelt reflection on a tragic life. The
strings, the acoustic guitar, and the gentle vocals all add to the
melancholy of this tune. Another stellar track on this stellar album.
"Nowhere Fast" is a melding of Gin Blossoms, Goo Goo Dolls
(and others of the same ilk) and 60's pop - tuneful, poppy, not quite
Beach Boys and not quite the Beatles - a radio hit if there was one. And
very, very wry.
"A Whole 'Nother Trip" is the closest to the quirky keyboard
sound of Spock's Beard that Morse gets. "'Nother Trip" is one,
a trip through a variety of quirky textures and tones, funky and fun,
and a chance for the band to 'kick out the jams' as they say. Well,
that's just the first part of "Bomb That Can't Explode," that
moves into that expansiveness that SB has, that wide open epic feel.
This "trip" is too diverse to try to summarize or take a
verbal snapshot of, so I'll just tell you that this is great, and
varied, mixing elements like chugging guitars, whistling, vocal effects,
audio effects, flamenco guitar and whatnot... the final movement has a
mid to latter day Pink Floyd feel about it (Dark Side of The Moon is one
thing that came to mind).
This is a great album that doesn't suffer from the over-indulgence that
a lot of solo albums do. There's genuine warmth here, both in his vocals
and the arrangements - the sense that Morse respects both his built in
audience (SB fans) and new fans that may come to him from this album is
evident throughout.
Perhaps the weakest track, but not by much, is "Everything Is
Wrong." Even so, this is a very strong contender of my favourite
album of the year, and comes recommended to Spock's Beard fans and non
fans alike.
Most of you will know that Neal Morse is the brain behind Spock's Beard,
writing most of the songs, doing lead vocals and playing keyboards,
organ and acoustic guitar to boot. Those of you who have seen 'The
Beard' live know that Neal is an enormous entertainer and marvellous
front man. Now Neal has released his first untitled solo CD. Another
Beardy person who appears on the CD is drummer Nick D'Virgilio, who
plays on all but the first track.
Neal described his albums as follows: 'You can expect to hear a wide
variety of styles. There's piano oriented pop songs, guitar heavy ones
like Tom Petty or something, some Spock's sounding stuff....all in all
there's 7 regular songs and one 23:00 long progressive thing called "A
Whole Nother Trip." Actually I just said that for people who are
listening to the album and haven't heard Spock's Beard....for Spock's
Beard fans it won't be a surprise! It's a really cool album, if I do say
so myself, and I hope people dig it.'
Living Out Loud has an emphasis on the piano and acoustic guitar.
It sounds a bit like a cross between 'Out on The Edge' and 'Can't Get it
Wrong' from the last Spock's Beard album. Nice sing-along tune. Lost
Cause has a melody line which sounds exactly like Waste
Away. Like that track it's a very joyful and energetic song, despite
the lyrics ('I used to be a poor man, now I'm really broke ... I'm a
loser, I'm a failure'). This track also appeared on the CD Single of
Spock's Beard's Skin. Of the first 7 tracks, this is probably the
most 'Beardy' one.
Landslide is a quiet song with acoustic guitar and brush drums.
It's got a very nice vocal melody. Love it. The intro of That Which
Doesn't Kill You sounds a bit like the Rolling Stones. It's a rather
straightforward rock song in the vein of Crowded House, but a nice one !
Everything is Wrong is a whole different thing. It features a
very sad piano melody and sad lyrics.
Nowhere Fast is another joyful pop song which reminds me a bit of
Mary Jane of the album by Arena's guitarist's Urbane album. Emma
is another lovely mid-tempo song with acoustic guitar, strings and
lovely lyrics about a childhood friendship.
So far, it's been mostly straightforward rock songs and ballads in the
style of Tom Petty/Crowded House. Great stuff nevertheless, and a nice
diversion from the more quirky Beard style. But for those of you who
fear a full non-prog album, read on !
Now it's time for the big epic A Whole Nother Trip. It starts
with a very Beardy tune called Bomb That Can't Explode which also
features a cello. The first instrumental part reminds me a lot of
Gibberish and also features some growling guitar bits. After two
and a half minutes it goes into a rather The Time Has Come-like
part. Whistles, drum loop effects and an organ and guitar solo lead us
to a closing section with a different, acoustic arrangement and melody
which suddenly crosses into ... Mr. Upside Down ... headbanging
time ! Typical Beard goes Hard Rock track, not unlike Hurt. Great
drive ! A very simple but effective one-note guitar riff forms the basis
to this track. Lot's of weird computer-effects and snippets of speech
form the background. The Man that Would be King .... Latin time !
The cello melody of the intro of A Whole Nother Trip returns with
Flamenco like rhythms and percussion. This part also features a Spanish
guitar solo. I bet you can't sit still when this is playing. It's
Alright .... Beatles time ! A slow ballad with vocal overdubs. The intro
sounded slightly 'Strawberry Fields'-like. Later on there's a lot of
atmospheric vocal overdubs as if you're listening to The Eagles or
Crosby Stills Young & Nash. Wonderfully peaceful ending to a
marvellous epic and a great album.
This album is bound to become one of my favourites of 1999. It has the
Spock's Beard sound we have come to know and love, but it goes beyond
that to various musical genres and sounds a whole lot more adventurous
than Day for Night. This album ones again proves who's the brain behind
Spock's Beard !
