Well, to speak about the North American Progressive Rock quintet, SPOCK'S BEARD, is not as simple as many can think. They are a legendary band that arose on the 90s, bringing back the sophisticated sound of Progressive Rock in a time the whole style seemed to be dead, and when to make simple and accessible music was out of the fashion. But these guys are really nasty, and are here as the trendy music forms came and gone into oblivion. And they are releasing a compilation, which we have in hands now, "The First Twenty Years".

Ok, it's a kind of "best of" double CD, but in terms of musical quality, we are speaking of a true heir of the legacy of bands as YES, GENTLE GIANT, PINK FLOYD and old GENESIS, but with their personality. Their music is minimalist, full of great intricate moments, along multi-part vocal harmonies and use of counterpoint vocals. It's rich in a way that even DREAM THEATER fans couldn't dream of, and really tasteful. And they are different from anything you can think of.

The sound quality, as we could expect from a veteran Progressive Rock band, is perfect. Of course, because their style demands something really clean, because their songs can't sound nasty and aggressive (besides there are some distorted guitars on their work), and for "The First Twenty Years" is a compilation, you'll feel difference from song to song, due time of the recording, production resources and many other reasons.

And be prepared: some of their songs last more than 16 minutes (including the song that wasn't released before, the giant "Falling for Forever", that lasts 20 minutes), but as their finest moments, we could take intricate and melodic, "The Light" (with very good moments from bass guitar and drums, that guides the rhythm wisely, along with excellent keyboards), the strong presence of multi-vocal harmonies and great bass guitar presence on "Thoughts", the tender harmonies that are show by clean guitar parts on "June" (filled with excellent vocals and introspective harmonies), the complex and truly heavy "Day for Night" (very good guitar arrangements, along with fine bass guitar presence), the complex and creative "At the End of the Day", all of these ones on CD 1. On CD 2, their best songs are: "The Bottom Line", that is filled with melodic lines that remind a lot the Progressive Rock era on the 70s, as "She is Everything" is introspective, with those wonderful touches of Jazz Rock and fine work on vocals and guitars. The long ones "Jaws of Heaven" (with Jazz and Fusion elements, with excellent keyboards) and "Waiting for Me" (the complexity level is high, as well as some truly accessible moments) are perfect jewels of the band. And "Falling for Forever" can really be a new classic for the band, because it's truly perfect, showing wonderful solos in the middle on their intricate technique.

To deal with a SPOCK'S BEARD album demands time and patience. But as long as you are interested, I guarantee that "The First Twenty Years" will not be a waste of time, but a truly and fascinating voyage on their history.<