V (Spock's Beard album) explained

V
Type:	studio
Artist:	Spock's Beard
Cover:	SpocksBeardValbumcover.jpg
Released:	August 22, 2000
Studio:	Lawnmower and Garden Supply, Pasadena, California
Genre:	Progressive rock, progressive metal
Length:	62:59
Label:	Metal Blade Radiant Records
Producer:	Spock's Beard and Neal Morse
Prev Title:	Day for Night
Prev Year:	1999
Next Title:	There & Here
Next Year:	2001

V is the fifth studio album of progressive rock band Spock's Beard released on August 22, 2000.

The release of V also produced a CD single, this time promoting the track "All on a Sunday". The track itself was re-recorded in 2001 and is slightly different from the album track. Also on the single is an unreleased song called "The Truth", and the music video for "All on a Sunday".

This album is available as a limited edition as well, which contains a 32-page booklet that includes an interview with the band and a personal fact-sheet on all the band members, as well as a multimedia track showing the band in the studio.

Background and writing

"Thoughts" is the second part of a cross-album suite, with other parts being featured on the Spock's Beard albums Beware of Darkness and Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep, and on the Neal Morse album Momentum.

The Great Nothing is the longest song written to date for the band and is autobiographical for Morse who wrote the song from the perspective of being a struggling musician, which is what led him to starting Spock's Beard in the first place. Morse said, “‘The Great Nothing’ I think I actually wrote in ‘97 and we didn’t record it until ’99, and V didn’t come out until maybe 2000. I wrote from the perspective of a depressed musician being revived by music again.”^[1]

Critical reception

In 2017, Prog Sphere named V as the best Spock's Beard album in the discography.^[2]

In 2018, Classic Rock History named At the End of the Day and The Great Nothing in the top 10 essential Spock's Beard songs at #5 and #2.^[3]

Track listing

All songs written by Neal Morse except where noted.

Personnel

• Neal Morse - lead vocals, piano, all synths, acoustic guitar^[4]
• Alan Morse - electric guitar, vocals, cello, sampler
• Dave Meros - bass, stand-up bass, French horn, vocals
• Nick D'Virgilio - drums, percussion, vocals
• Ryo Okumoto - Hammond organ, Mellotron

Additional personnel

• Katie Hagen - French horn
• Chris Carmichael - violin, viola, cello
• Kathy Ann Lord - English horn
• Joey Pippin - trumpet

Technical personnel

• Rich Mouser - mixing

Notes and References

1. Web site: Spock's Beard fifth album V turns 20 years old . 22 August 2020 . 20 April 2022.
2. Web site: SPOCK'S BEARD Albums Ranked . 22 May 2017 . 8 April 2022.
3. Web site: 10 Essential Spock's Beard Songs . 22 March 2018 . 20 April 2022.
4. Web site: Spock's Beard .