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Still held as one of modern day progressive rock’s most
sacred, Spock’s Beard again brings a live offering to the
table, this time in the visual aspect. Only about three years
after their first post-Morse live set Gluttons for Punishment,
these guys still prove to be great live heavyweights, no doubt
about that; yet this DVD shows them in somewhat of an intimate
light.***
Set up in a small theater in Zoetermeer, Holland during
their European tour, all four members plus one (drummer Jimmy
Keegan) look nearly cramped up on the stage, with just about
everybody having a keyboard; Dave Meros being set up a bit
in the background; but the audience, they are right there
within reach and they are much livelier than the ‘tea party’
prog festival crowds here in America; these fans get into
it, maybe not so much as a Zero Hour audience would, but you
get the picture – it adds to the upbeat atmosphere.***
Featuring an entire show rather than excerpts or selections
from various performances to be ‘edited’ into one large montage,
Spock’s Beard Live is one complete show; no if’s, and’s, or
but’s about it – with a tight performance that is flawless
throughout. Highlights include “In the Mouth of Madness,”
“Surfing Down the Avalanche,” “Walking on the Wind,” and the
“As Far as the Mind Can See” epic. There is even a drum duel
between Nick D'Virgilio and Keegan, where D'Virgilio often
switches between the kit and the front of the stage; at one
point prior to the encore he even stage dives, now how many
times do you see that at a typical prog show? You also get
a lot of dialog between the band members and the band creating
audience participation during and between songs making this
more of a personal experience – none of that is taken out.***
Shot with multiple angles going back and forth (very
good editing job) with both stereo and 5.1 sound options,
the concert is what you get on this DVD, besides a slide show;
there are no interviews or other major bonus features included
here. Nevertheless, bonus features or no bonus features, Spock’s
Beard Live is a testament to how tight-nit the band is musically,
proving that their showmanship goes beyond the studio and
the jam sessions.***
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