The Boney 500: Album #138

[T_Bone0806]

138. SNOW-SPOCK'S BEARD (2002)

They are one of the few contemporary bands these days recording progressive rock music and
having some success with it..although they are far from being a household name. Speaking of
names, theirs was inspired by the "Mirror Mirror" episode of the original Star Trek series.
Critics of the band cite the derivative nature of much of their music. There is no denying
that you'll hear elements, from subtle to outright blatant, of Yes, Genesis, Kansas, King
Crimson, Jethro Tull..hell, pretty much every progressive band of the late 60's and 70's. But
as the saying goes, if you're gonna steal, steal from the best, and to my ears, the group uses
only the finest ingredients from the masters of the genre in the recipe for its musical stew.
This is my favorite of theirs, a 2cd "concept album" that tells the story of a young albino man
who moves to NYC and finds he seems to have healing powers, becoming a messiah of sorts in the
process (yeah, I know, "Tommy", anyone?). Standout tracks are "Open Wide The Floodgates", which
sounds a bit Pink Floyd-ish to me, and the uplifting "Wind At My Back". It's a polarizing album
for prog rock enthusiasts, even Beard fans..I'm definitely on the thumbs-up side.