How was it humanly possible that singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Neal Morse had time to reunite with Spock's Beard to record a concert film?
The Nashville-based Morse is like his friend and frequent collaborator, drumming superstar Mike Portnoy. Morse is constantly creating lyrics and song arrangements, be it as a solo artist pursuing his Christian faith or as a member of the bands Transatlantic, Flying Colors, Yellow Matter Custard and Morse/Portnoy/George. How Morse squeezed enough time to take part in the exceptional Spock's Beard gig is a wonder.
Fans of the band that was named after the evil counterpart version of Spock in the 1967 "Star Trek" episode "Mirror, Mirror" will be delighted with the results, as seen and heard in the new DVD/CD release, "Spock's Beard — Snow Live." Featuring a complete live version of "Snow," which was Spock's Beard's 2002 concept album about a fictitious, albino-like character who could help heal others, "Snow Live" glows thanks to an assertive-yet-beautiful sound.
And Morse's vocals, keyboard work and guitar playing aren't the only things in grand-champion condition throughout "Snow Live." All of the members of Spock's Beard — guitarist Alan (brother of Neal) Morse, keyboardist Ryo Okumoto, bassist Dave Meros, guitarist Ted Leonard and drummers Nick D'Virgilio and Jimmy Keegan — play and sing at maximum skill level.
The songwriting that forms the basis of the "Snow" LP also holds up well today. "Made Alive/Overture," "Stranger in a Strange Land," "Long Time Suffering," "Open Wide the Flood Gates," "I'm Dying," "I Will Go" and "Wind at My Back" are unlocked in their melodic, wonderfully complex fashion on "Snow Live."
The playing chops of Spock's Beard bravely stand far removed from three- and four-chord punk-pop music, yet the arrangements on "Snow Live" never collapse under the weight of the patented, always accessible ambitions of Spock's Beard. Like the sounds made by fellow instrumental wizards Yes and Rush, the melodies of Spock's Beard are never sacrificed for the simple act of showing how fast one can play. The intricate chord patterns and vocal harmonies peppered throughout "Snow Live" are bona fide magic, instilling a simmering urge for the viewer to click the repeat button again and again.