spock's beard : the great nothing

[@mikekohary1075]

Very few songs deserve to be 27 minutes long...this is one of them. Chock full of great ideas, and more importantly, all tied together in a way that makes sense and never bores or overstays its welcome.

[@proggydan8257]

This is my favourite spock's tune.

[@beckysarver3663]

Such a great band. Most people have never heard of them, which is a shame. Just excellent.

[@jamesreding6336]

I never heard of them until today exultant sound s like Kansas a little a

[@hyperionjazz1100]

One of the greatest songs ever! Complex & inspired! Unrivaled!!!

[@davetschopp]

I'm really glad, that i had the opportunity to see SB-still with Neal then-playing this song live, absolutely effortless and on fire.... It was the V-Tour back in 2000, the band was peaking and this particular show was the best i have ever seen, from any concert of any band i've ever seen (including such as Queen - WITH Freddie, Metallica, Genesis, Van Halen, Bruce Springsteen, Pain of Salvation or Porcupine Tree! ) ...

[@gthobaben]

Saw them summer of 2001 and agree, peak of their powers. Rare to see something that special. A highlight of my life for sure.

[@kris6038]

You saw Pain of Salvation AND Spock's Beard?! Where do you LIVE?

[@aitechnasus1041]

The Great Nothing Is An Absolutely Beautiful Excellent Great Rock Song And Fantastic Wonderful Masterpiece By SPOCK'S BEARD.

[@ccassano17]

If I ever need to remind myself of my faith in music and why I’m a musician, I listen to this song. So powerful and inspiring

[@oilingup]

Indeed. An epic tour de force (not a single second of self indulgence with every music tile perfectly inlaid, plus one of the finest, if not the finest itself, guitar solo by Alan Morse), very meaningful background story and bitter lyrics, the ending still gives me chills after almost 13 years

[@CoreaKixx420]

This has to be one of the most original and refreshing prog rock songs i've heard in years. Thank you so much for this electrifying post!!!

[@robertbobbygaryremkes2166]

These guys are incredible! I'd never heard of these guys until Neal Morse dedicated a song to them...

[@oilingup]

At 25:54, durin the closing soundscape, the chord change, from major to minor, hits me in the feels and sums up the whole meaning of the song.

[@tuomaskonttajarvi871]

Absolutely fantastic. Just heard it for the first time and god damn how hard it hit me! Reminds me so much of those 70's prog bands (Genesis, ELP, Yes etc.) They have successfully included almost all the best qualities of prog in one song!

[@dave78729]

+PootStip I'd suggest you listen to 'Supper's Ready' again. Or 'The Musical Box'. Sad comment.

[@leocrooks111]

or The Cinema Show

[@3halfshadows]

He said "at times", not "all the time". Counterexamples don't disprove what he said.

[@thijsbults]

what do you mean sad..?

[@Deelystaniel]

Bloody love SB. Prog in the Tony Banks vein and some! Love it.

[@dennoow]

guitar player is underrated! Solo at 17 min is absolute perfection! amazing build-up, awesome timing and great notechoise

[@RM-qb4zx]

Dennis Struijcken Alan Morse

[@adamgleason6013]

4:25 "I love the gravy muffin..." Awesome song.

[@aegistattoo]

I've known this song since 2007 and it never grabbed my attention. But suddenly, so many crazy things happened to me and I feel like there is a message from the universe in each line. This is fucking heaven sent to spock's beard for our delight. I don't have words enough to explain.

[@shirleyrudenko8745]

Well you experienced the end of days gazing down on earth on your way to heaven. See you there...

[@briarboy11]

the music is from an alternate universe where it's just normal pop. The band channels it to us. It's so..."Spock's beard!"

[@themoon73]

If that all-powerful, enormous, climactic finale (starting about 21:40) doesn't give you chills, you might want to check to make sure that you have a soul! Few moments in music are THAT powerful!

[@lpiglet8479]

Yeah that gives me chills everytime ...incredible . Its chilling snd euphoric all at once .

[@schienschnepfer]

Everytime again: that song sucks my whole energy. This one is the perfect symbiose of the water and the light. Thanks Mr Morse and the beard: that one showed me the doorway.

[@AllMediaReviewsPodcast]

RIP Kevin Gilbert. 19 years ago tomorrow.

[@johnhassink6875]

I just discovered SB - love it!!!!!! Long live prog

[@Progoctopus]

YES! thankyou, I can't find my cd anywhere, and I have been dying to hear this song again, an absolute classic of modern symphonic progressive rock, and one of the best songs they ever wrote in my opinion. :)

[@dave78729]

last of the great spock's beard. thanks for the upload....

[@Sam-oq1zm]

dave78729 X and Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep are 2 of the best SB albums for sure

[@ghendar]

V was my first Spock's Beard album and in my opinion, the best one with The Light a close second. Just amazing stuff

[@shirleyrudenko8745]

I had heard many good things about this band and believe it or not, I purchased their first 4 CDs without hearing a single note . 100 dollars of unknown and I made a grandiose decision...

[@cdawg4391]

This was great. I see a mix of Genesis and elp here.....with a helping of Spock's own creativity. More, please!

[@rbdn1]

Yes too !

[@FHDTV]

cdawg4391 lot of genesis. Kind of a mix of the calling all stations era, fox trot era, and duke

[@stefantimko8980]

Somehow, after first listen to The Absolute Universe (Abridged Edition) by Transatlantic, exactly this track came to my mind and I couldn't help but have a listen... it seems to me that it sums up the best Neal Morse influences and ideas. I even see it as a some kind of a predecessor of today's great release. Even the titles seem to collate - The Great Nothing births The Absolute Universe!

[@mattsmith-drums]

I bought this cd as well as Fates Warning's Disconnected in 2000 and it changed my life.

[@zachih3800]

Never really got into the beard's, but this piece has always stuck with me. The buzz never fades. It has a sense of deus ex machina to it

[@kris6038]

STILL one of my favourites to sing 12 years later! I live for 13:58

[@tylerharrington8670]

11:53-love this time change. Beautiful melody going on there. Love this band.

[@filosofoneysarrandoanitta341]

13:59 is the moment this song freaks me out.

[@Jiggerjaw]

It's my favorite part, for me, the culmination of the whole album.

[@felmac83]

This song is THE Master of Epicness of various Neal Morse/NMband/Spock' Beard/Transatlantic Anthems.....SUBLIME!!

[@nuckyjohnson3213]

One of the greatest songs ever written

[@j4stice746]

For the record, watch the DVD- The making of V, Neal has a hard time recording the last section of the song as he gets so emotional he cries a bit. An insight into just how much his music and the story he is telling means to him.

[@mvunit3]

+J4stice - I had the "VHS" and it made ME tear-up :'(. I could very much relate, I've had some hard times trying to pursue my Conceptual Design career in Film. I wonder how affected he is about Keith Emerson :( Ryo must be destroyed, I met Keith at a Spocks Beard show in LA at a very small venue last year. I think he is real good friends with Ryo. I'm still reeling about his passing . . . .

[@IvorThomas]

J4stice I just ordered the DVD... thanks for the suggestion! This album is so damned good.

[@bundleofjoy9634]

Ivor Thomas What is the DVD called. I want to order one. And yes thanks for suggesting that I'd love to watch that. This is one of my favorite bands

[@j4stice746]

Years later and it still has the same effect on me, 27 minutes of everything music should be.

[@LaSagadeF]

I just got to know about this band, fantastic music

[@sidecardog5244]

A full two minutes for the aftersong wind down! With just a final piano sound. Brilliant!

[@labcatluke]

Ok, This is the first ever time and first song i have listened to this band, and I'm surprised I haven't heard of them before.I sat through the whole song and gee golly was this song amazing. Thanks for uploading this man, I'll be sure to keep a tab on this band and listen to more of their tunes when I'm not busy. :D

[@fabioriato]

Well, you just started with their best song, which coincidentally comes from their best album (a lot of people will say that Snow is their best, though). :)

[@mvunit3]

If you get the DVD "The making of V", you may tear-up about the story behind it as Neal Morse records the vocals. Very touching moment :').

[@erinestrada1813]

22:03 to the end. The whole thing, I truly enjoyed!

[@NovaLovebright777]

After hearing this song I told my ears Thank you!

[@jensronnqvist4980]

The final ”out of the great nothing” is just amazing! It’s a very ”Neal Morse type of outro”. Listen to the end of The Creation, World withoud end.

[@thegerrie19561]

Spock's Beard is fantastic band. I support them and buy a lot of their albums.

[@sanfordson2551]

I remember, I was in the Navy Exchange music section of music and saw this CD and said to myself it is worth a chance because "Spock" is in the name of the band.

[@ivanyiattila3547]

This band reminds me the Genesis good moments.

[@naudio1806]

I'd like to listen to this song once without crying thank you

[@ThrawnTheater]

So many great moments in this song, just noticed the amazing drumming at 18:30! I wanna hear your guys' favorite parts!

[@EdvdH1959]

21:20 till the end ;)

[@gabrielaino320]

The first time the guitar comes in. At 1:04. Incredible!!!

[@VertexHero]

21:46 chills till this day. Ties it all together. Then the piano bits at 23:07 🥲

[@richardrobbins9660]

I love the folky kinda country prog lol acoustic part awesome harmonies. I just started listening to this So it's really washing over me. I am old school Genesis. Yes. Neil definitely got it right on so many levels. The keyboards the guitars the rhythms I love the spiritual feeling you get with this music. I am falling in love with this stuff. Wow.

[@flanexism0165]

was never a big fan of prog rock, but GameGrumps urged me to check these guys out, and i dont regret it. This is amazing

[@JoeChewBaca]

Such an excellent tribute to Kevin Gilbert!

[@doughodges5093]

I was thinking Toy Matinee as soon as the VOX started Great band just discovered by me!

[@sidecardog5244]

This song is mis- titled; Should be called The Great Everything. Fucking incredible song!

[@juancampoy3984]

Impresionante fusión de estilos y una ejecución impecable para un resultado brillante.

[@elvistorresperez3414]

19:55 awesome guitar!!... i can see the face of Alan Morse!!!

[@itkojecockot]

Spock and Fates Warning may be two most talented american prog bands ever....... so much brilliant music from both bands......

[@FHDTV]

1:45 one my favorite parts of the song

[@davetschopp]

Damned, it was sooo entertaining and impressive, f.e. when the morse-brothers were playing together on one guitar, or, as i said before, when they were performing 'the great nothing' in its full length... I'm so looking forward to the new album with Ted Leonard as new singer :)

[@weldore1]

what a finish !

[@ivanyiattila3547]

Great thing!

[@wilmarsantos858]

The only part I really liked

[@BradenMcClure-q6k]

​@@wilmarsantos858😑

[@cremesupreme]

your welcome. i saw this version was not uploaded anywhere so i had to put it up. just had to. thanks.

[@terencechaulk6464]

Excellent, Love the 🎶

[@scottanderson6166]

" the epic to end all epics" as Neal would say...

[@Jiggerjaw]

Maybe if he was talking about The Whirlwind.

[@fabioriato]

@@Jiggerjaw He originally said that about "Stranger in Your Soul". But if we're talking SB songs, this one deserves the title, with all due respect to "At the End of the Day" and "Jaws of Heaven"

[@MrHarry0000010]

Fantastic bravo!!

[@amaurymielle8546]

the best prog ever

[@tacobrewthyme8168]

I would have loved to hear Zappa produce this one. This song has always reminded me of a cross between YES, Zappa with a dash of The Flock. (not flock of seagulls) I wish the lead part at about 17:00 would have been done with the style of Billy the Mountain at about 25:00 minutes into the song. (playground psychotics version) Starts out quiet and slow and builds. Well, can't have everything. Great song.

[@petersmith3328]

Never met anyone who know about SB but I have been educating friends who are now fans.

[@zerospacer]

I'm interested in prog, for sure, but I'm interested in synchronicities, too. I found out about this album because of the strange coincidences (?) with the Symphony X album also entitled V. Which is brilliant and proggy, though probably not as prog as this. I will be buying this album for the sync alone. But I'm sure I'll enjoy it.

[@northernvigilant4203]

You won't be disappointed, Spock's Beard is great.

[@cremesupreme]

aww dude, i know what that is like not finding my discs anywhere. it happens to me all the time. too many times to be exact. haha. Glad you were able to sink your teeth into it once again,my friend.

[@christopherhuot2826]

First time hearing this, F-ing AMAZING

[@chromabotia]

Brilliant

[@KyleJPie10]

Quite the musical journey

[@b.scottfarthingsworth]

Awesome stuff right here

[@iainspence3650]

Amazing!

[@D.Norton]

There are 2 sides of Prog Rock : the one represented by difficult, complicated and evolutionary play style (ELP, King Crimson, Gentle Giant, Yes, PFM, U.K., Porcupine Tree, Anekdoten, Opeth, Wobbler, Steven Wilson, some of Mike Oldfield etc) and the other represented by simplier and easier style of play (Genesis, Marillion, Flower Kings, Spock's Beard, Neal Morse, some of Peter Gabriel etc). I am 100% CONVINCED that the 1st side is the RIGHT DEFINITION OF THE SUPERIOR / FUTURE-LIKE KIND OF MUSIC WHICH IS CALLED "PROGRESSIVE ROCK" and I thank GOD for that...

[@rockonthestone4907]

Most badass organ solo, along with Carrying No Cross by UK

[@RockMadeHome]

The 13:57 part is justttttt 🤩

[@sidecardog5244]

Quite possibly the greatest rock song ever written....and that spot was previously held by Suppers Ready. Sorry Genesis but you’ve been dethroned.

[@bradleydayton5906]

That ending! (23:20 and on)

[@sanfordson2551]

It's like listening to a modern day symphony.

[@ccraven95]

Cant resist pointing out the cover is like the same place as Symphony X- V (also released in 2000)

[@bradleydayton5906]

From 23:19 to the end. It doesn't get any better than this.

[@j4stice746]

Nothing short of Epic.

[@Lambonbrod]

GANTLE GIANT + YES+SUPER TRAMP+ GENESIS

[@denniskinch6267]

The best emulation of Yes ever. Maybe they could get Jon Anderson to sit in on a song. Progrock Forever!

[@johnoconnor8721]

Musically very YES influenced.

[@fabioriato]

They're much more influenced by Genesis, though.

[@jorgenmathijssen4446]

This is an absolute masterpiece. Better than Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody? Don't know. It levels it for sure....i had the pleasure this being executed live in a 30+ minute stretch....still feeling blessed.

[@LucasMendesSantos]

Has anybody noticed that the interlude at 11:53 is exactly like DT's illumation theory interlude? o.O

[@matieyzaguirre]

Lucas Mendes Santos it serves a similar use, but is not really akin, this one is very minimalistic in comparison to what Rudess did there...

[@fabioriato]

If anything, they've played together before. It wouldn't be too chocking if Jordan took some inspiration here.

[@terragenguy]

Kick myself all the time now for not catching this band. Listen endlessly and have pre-ordered an autographed copy of the new one. So I am hooked! I have no excuse as I have attended hundreds of shows and this should have been one of them. Closest I got to any of them was NDV filling in for Fates Warning's drummer. Porcupine Tree, live in a small club - was like a religious experience for me. Really twisted my head off, and could not get the sound or images out of my head for weeks!

[@youngmand6952]

fav part would have to be 2:38-3:05

[@ЗВУКОГРАФИЯ]

отличный звуколепно

[@frankcarmack1442]

I agree with the idea of the song and it's structure having something to do with Kevin Gilbert; Toy Matinee, Thud, suite-like structure. I also hear music elements reminiscent of Ambrosia-especially LIFE BEYOND L.A. in there...NOT a bad thing.

[@sanfordson2551]

this song is fucking fantastic. Fuck.

[@Ericake]

13:58 reminds me of the pokemon tv theme

[@marekondrasik5106]

OMG 😱

[@isaacgonzalez2930]

holy shit im shitting my pants

[@SemperSlick]

To bad Neal left the band high and dry....leaving them to fend for themselves and all albums after misses that spark Neal gave it. On the other hand his solo music is incredible. Check it out.

[@bassplayer12]

PootStip Nothing wrong with that. On the contrary. :-)

[@ausacadotblogspot]

PootStip Maybe he found something !!

[@ausacadotblogspot]

Left high & dry? Did he owe them his whole life? Is he not entitled to make new decisions and changes? Since then we have NM solo, Transatlantic, Flying colours! + . Seems good to me.

[@scarrie729]

T-O-O bad, with TWO O's.

[@Kae6502]

The irony of course, is that he he got drunk with god and never achieved commercial success. Sad.

[@bemersonbakebarmen]

Dinner's Ready The 80's had Marillion the 90's had Spock's Beard. When are you going to let this die?

[@zerospacer]

If you like this, you might checkout Haken - Affinity. The best I can describe it is kinda maybe: Yes + TOOL. Amazing album.

[@TheJuicyTangerine]

I wouldn't say it's similar to Yes + Tool. It's similar to Dream Theater in the atmosphere that Haken tries to put out, but with much more Jazz and influences. Affinity is an album where Haken tries to take you back to 1985 in a retro/cyberpunk kind of way. I think Spock's Beard reminds me a lot more of Yes in terms of atmosphere and sound, with a hint of Christian Rock influences.

[@zerospacer]

Kevin Tang That's funny, when I listened to this I thought it sounded like the Christian rock I grew up with. :)

[@johnoconnor8721]

Haken is too derivitave and kinda boring. Too slow getting to the juicy parts i guess. Not a fan.

[@BradenMcClure-q6k]

​@johnoconnor8721 who asked

[@BradenMcClure-q6k]

​@@johnoconnor8721idiot

[@ivanyiattila3547]

Jerry Springer lost in a desert.

[@matheking67]

What's the song about?

[@patrickcampbellhatesthesoup]

Their late friend Kevin Gilbert, lead singer for Toy Matinee.

[@paulmarr7873]

@@patrickcampbellhatesthesoup Has this been confirmed? Kevin was a true, ahead of his time genius that continues to inspire.

[@moonlitknyght]

18:28 God damn

[@hugoball4019]

for a song that calls itself "the great nothing", this is kinda long

[@robertvillarreal7055]

Must have received inspiration from YES.

[@timebandit0123]

PLEASE QUIT COMPARING THIS BAND TO YES AND TOOL.....they are a sound all their own

[@bundleofjoy9634]

7:55

[@P0WeRaF]

I don't get it :(

[@oilingup]

Genesis, Porcupine Tree and Queen ok, but all the aforementioned names can't hold a candle to Spocks Beard, Mentioning shitallica, in particular, upon all comments sounds offensive to the masterpiece epic above and its authors. The only good thing about crapallica is the tattooed "drummer" 's wife. P.s. i was in Pratteln in 2000 too ;)

[@MiraSnelder]

What an appropriate song title.