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The Friday Five: March 9, 2012

Stop the running and check out the Friday Five with IckMusic.

The Clash - “Police on My Back” (Sandinista!, 1980)
“I been running Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday”

Queen - “Flick of the Wrist” (Sheer Heart Attack, 1974)
Quite possibly my favorite Queen album of all time. Seriously.

“Reduce you to a muzak fake machine, then the last goodbye.”

Spock’s Beard - “Made Alive/Overture” (Snow, 2002)
Opening track of the last album—a double-disc concept album at that!—to feature founder Neal Morse.

“Like a flaw that seeks perfection…”

Foo Fighters - “Bridge Burning” (Wasting Light, 2011)
From one album opener to another, this time the latest from Dave Grohl and company. I’m still impressed with how good this album is and how much I’m still listening to it (the true test).

“These are my famous last words!”

Atomic Opera - “New Dreams” (For Madmen Only, 1994)
Epic album-closing slow, crunchy groove from the third band in former ZZ Top manager Sam Taylor’s holy Houston triumvirate that also included King’s X and Galactic Cowboys.

“I use to think that Hell could last forever.”

Quite an eclectic and enjoyable set this week. Later.

The Friday Five: January 6, 2012

I’m not prepared to go on like this … until I do my Friday Five over at IckMusic!

Spock’s Beard - “Thoughts” (Beware of Darkness, 1996)
A 7:10 nod to old-school prog by one of the bands responsible for the prog revival of the 90’s and early 00’s.

The Police - “Can’t Stand Losing You” (Message in a Box: The Complete Recordings, 1993)
One of my favorite Police tunes.

Def Leppard - “Too Late for Love” (Pyromania, 1983)
I very nearly wore this cassette out playing air guitar in my room. I was so obsessed with this pastime that I got my dad to help me make a plywood fake guitar that was very similar to Phil Collen’s black Ibanez Destroyer, although I still much prefer Pete Willis era Leppard.

Soundgarden - “Slaves & Bulldozers” (Badmotorfinger, 1991)
Mostly uninspiring sludge-rock track from what is otherwise one of my favorite Soundgarden discs. It doesn’t get good until Cornell lets loose and starts screaming.

Teenage Fanclub - “December” (Bandwagonesque, 1991)
This short and sweet ditty reminds me a bit of Big Star’s “13.” I bet these guys got this alot, huh?

Could have had give
Could have had take
We could’ve made anything we wanted to make
So we made ‘Wheel Of Fortune’
And all the popular songs
We made a land where crap is king
And the good don’t last too long
Spock’s Beard, “The Good Don’t Last” from the album The Kindness of Strangers

Don’t You Want To Live My Way?

Spock’s Beard - “Day for Night”

I realized recently that I have posted here about the side projects of multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter and all-around über-talented musician Neal Morse, but I have neglected Spock’s Beard, Morse’s main gig for ten years before moving on to a solo career.

Spock’s Beard was formed in 1992 by Neal Morse and his brother Alan, and it is one of a few bands credited with a resurgence in progressive rock over the last decade. The Beard’s form of prog, especially on their earlier albums, is more akin to Peter Gabriel-era Genesis or old-school Yes than to the current crop of progressive metal bands—albums with only four tracks; sprawling, complex compositions that provide a proving ground to display the members’ technical proficiencies; and enough suites to make you think you’ve walked into a hotel chain.

But Spock’s Beard isn’t all indulgence and excess. Neal Morse’s writing has definite pop leanings, and he isn’t afraid of a hook, as evidenced by today’s video, the title track from Day for Night.

For those looking for a place to start with Spock’s Beard, this may well be the album to pick up, although I would also recommend the brilliant 2000 release V or the 2-disc concept album—and Neal Morse’s final one with the band—Snow released in 2002.