Tuesday 17 June 2014

The Distance to The Sun (Spock's Beard, 1999)

I confess "Day for Night" isn't my favourite album by Spock's Beard, not by far. But this ballad is one of their songs I constantly listen to and I still enjoy after so many years and so many listenings. This American band knows very, very well how to cook a plain song in a tasty prog sauce. A double vocal verse, an open wide chorus, a charming acoustic arrangement with light piano and guitar interplays, some original but direct lyrics and, last but not least, a dreaming finale.

"Day for Night" was the band's fourth studio album.

This recipe may seem very easy, but then why such enthralling ballads are so rare? Well, the reason is there aren't many composers like Neal Morse: he's got the gift of perfect tunes, fully enjoyable and still never trivial. That's why you can listen to "The Distance to The Sun" many times and never be bored by the song: a beautiful, evocative melody will always be fresh and brand new. A track like this one can even be part of your lifetime soundtrack, a discreet, inspirational, persistent part of it.

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