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V (Spock's Beard Album)
''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 wrot ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spock's Beard
Spock's Beard is an American progressive rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1992 by brothers Neal (lead vocals, keyboards, guitar) and Alan Morse (guitars), John Ballard (bass), and Nick D'Virgilio (drums). Ballard was replaced by Dave Meros before the release of their debut album, '' The Light'' (1995), and Ryo Okumoto (keyboards) joined soon after. Neal Morse left the band following the release of their sixth album, ''Snow'' (2002), and D'Virgilio took over as the band's frontman. In 2011, D'Virgilio also left and was replaced by Jimmy Keegan (drums) and Ted Leonard (lead vocals), from '' Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep'' (2013) onwards. As of , the band have released thirteen studio albums and numerous live recordings. Four of their first six albums have featured in the Prog Report's "Top 50 Prog Albums 1990–2015", with ''The Light'' and ''Snow'' featuring in the top ten. History Neal Morse era (1992–2002) Spock's Beard was formed in Los Angeles in 1992 by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nick D'Virgilio
Nicholas D'Virgilio (born November 12, 1968), often abbreviated and referred to as NDV, is an American musician, singer, best known as a member of the progressive rock band Spock's Beard. He was also one of two drummers chosen to replace Phil Collins in Genesis on the ''Calling All Stations'' album. He has also done session work with many artists including Tears for Fears and Mystery, and is an official member of Big Big Train. Career Spock's Beard (1992–2011, 2017–2018) D'Virgilio was the drummer in Spock's Beard since the band began in the early 1990s. After Neal Morse left in 2002, D'Virgilio took over on lead vocals and became their frontman during live performances. In this line-up, Spock's Beard subsequently recorded four albums, '' Feel Euphoria'', ''Octane'', the self-titled '' Spock's Beard'', and '' X'', prior to D'Virgilio's departure in 2011. On July 26, 2011, D'Virgilio released a solo EP called ''Pieces''. He performed a show in Quebec City, Canada perform ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chris Carmichael (musician)
Chris Carmichael (born July 6, 1962) is an American musician, arranger and composer. Biography Carmichael was born in San Antonio, Texas. The son of an Air Force fighter pilot, he moved extensively before taking up the violin while living in Hampton, Virginia. After moving to Bowling Green, Kentucky in 1975, he entered into more formal training - studying violin with Western Kentucky University professor Betty Pease (a former student of Ivan Galamian) for eight years. While in the university environment, he also studied music theory, composition, orchestral and chamber performance under teachers; Dr. David Livingston (a former student of composer Roy Harris), Vsevolod Lezhnev, (principal cellist with the Moscow Philharmonic and Pittsburgh Symphony orchestras) and Leon Gregorian (head of Michigan State University's conducting program). After his formal training, he began a career as a touring musician for various artists in several genres including outlandish entertainers Joe Sava ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mellotron
The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which causes a length of magnetic tape to contact a Capstan (tape recorder), capstan, which pulls it across a playback head. As the key is released, the tape is retracted by a spring to its initial position. Different portions of the tape can be played for different sounds. The Mellotron evolved from the similar Chamberlin, but could be mass-produced more efficiently. The first models were designed for the home and contained a variety of sounds, including automatic accompaniments. Bandleader Eric Robinson (conductor), Eric Robinson and television personality David Nixon (magician), David Nixon helped promote the first instruments, and celebrities such as Princess Margaret were early adopters. It was adopted by rock and pop groups in the mid to late 1960s. One of the first pop songs featuring the Mellotron was Manfred Mann's "Semi-Detach ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hammond Organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert, first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, sound was created from rotating a metal tonewheel near an electromagnetic pickup, and Power amplifier, amplifying the electric signal into a speaker enclosure, speaker cabinet. The organ is commonly used with the Leslie speaker. Around two million Hammond organs have been manufactured. The organ was originally marketed by the Hammond Organ Company to Church (building), churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, or instead of a piano. It quickly became popular with professional jazz musicians in organ trios—small groups centered on the Hammond organ. Jazz club owners found that organ trios were cheaper than hiring a big band. Jimmy Smith (musician), Jimmy Smith's use of the Hammond B-3, with its additional harmonic percussion featu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
French Horn
The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most often used by players in professional orchestras and bands, although the descant and triple horn have become increasingly popular. A musician who plays a horn is known as a list of horn players, horn player or hornist. Pitch is controlled through the combination of the following factors: speed of air through the instrument (controlled by the player's lungs and thoracic diaphragm); diameter and tension of lip aperture (by the player's lip muscles—the embouchure) in the mouthpiece; plus, in a modern horn, the operation of Brass instrument valve, valves by the left hand, which route the air into extra sections of tubing. Most horns have lever-operated rotary valves, but some, especially older horns, use piston valves (similar to a trumpet's) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stand-up Bass
The double bass (), also known as the upright bass, the acoustic bass, the bull fiddle, or simply the bass, is the largest and lowest-pitched string instrument, chordophone in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding rare additions such as the octobass). It has four or five strings, and its construction is in between that of the gamba and the violin family. The bass is a standard member of the orchestra's string section, along with violins, violas, and cellos,''The Orchestra: A User's Manual'' , Andrew Hugill with the Philharmonia Orchestra as well as the concert band, and is featured in Double bass concerto, concertos, solo, and chamber music in European classical music, Western classical music.Alfred Planyavsky [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dave Meros
Dave Meros (born 8 February 1956), is an American bass guitar player, best known as the bass player for progressive rock band Spock's Beard. Meros has also played or recorded with such artists as Gary Myrick, Bobby Kimball of Toto, Simon Phillips, Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere and the Raiders, Big Big Train, Martin Orford and played for Eric Burdon and The Animals from 1990 through the end of 2005, and was the bass player for Iron Butterfly from 2015 through 2023. He was also tour manager for Eric Burdon and has worked as a tour manager for further artists as well. As a bassist, Meros' musical influences are varied, including Paul McCartney, John Entwistle, Chris Squire, James Jamerson, Marcus Miller, Francis "Rocco" Prestia of Tower of Power, Chuck Rainey and David Hungate. Early life Dave Meros was born in Salinas, California. He has a Business Degree from U.C. Berkeley with Music Minor. Musical history Meros began studying classical piano at age 9, five years formal training ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sampler (musical Instrument)
A sampler is an electronic musical instrument that records and plays back samples (portions of sound recordings). Samples may comprise elements such as rhythm, melody, speech, sound effects or longer portions of music. The mid-20th century saw the introduction of keyboard instruments that played sounds recorded on tape, such as the Mellotron. As technology improved, cheaper standalone samplers with more memory emerged, such as the E-mu Emulator, Akai S950 and Akai MPC. Samples may be loaded or recorded by the user or by a manufacturer. The samples can be played back by means of the sampler program itself, a MIDI keyboard, sequencer or another triggering device (e.g., electronic drums). Because these samples are usually stored in digital memory, the information can be quickly accessed. A single sample may be pitch-shifted to different pitches to produce musical scales and chords. Often samplers offer filters, effects units, modulation via low frequency oscillation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ryo Okumoto
Ryo Okumoto (奥本亮; born May 24, 1959) is a Japanese rock keyboardist, best known for his work with American progressive rock band Spock's Beard. He joined the band in 1996 and has been a member ever since. When singer and keyboardist Neal Morse was in the band, Ryo played Hammond organ and Mellotron on the albums. Since Morse's departure, Okumoto has been the band's primary keyboardist. He resides in Los Angeles. Aside from his work with Spock's Beard, Okumoto has performed and recorded with numerous other artists and groups, including GPS, K², Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, and Asia featuring John Payne. For three weeks in 1998, Okumoto was a member of Eric Burdon & the New Animals, before being replaced by Martin Gerschwitz. Okumoto was a member of Eric André's house band on season 5 of ''The Eric Andre Show''. In 2019, Ryo joined the progressive rock supergroup cover band ProgJect. Discography Solo * ''Makin' Rock'' (1980) * ''Synthesizer'' (1980) * ''Solid Gold ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alan Morse
Alan Morse (born August 22, 1958) is an American guitarist for the progressive rock band Spock's Beard, of which he is the only constant member. He is the brother of co-founder Neal Morse, who left the band in 2002. Morse is married to Kathryn Morse and has two children, Julia and John. He has recorded with many artists including Chad & Jeremy, Spencer Davis, Neal Morse, and (Spock's Beard keyboardist) Ryo Okumoto. Along with the guitar, he sings and plays the theremin, the cello, musical saw, keyboards, drums, bass & bouzouki. Morse has a degree in electrical engineering and owns an electronics manufacturing company, DynaMetric, Inc. Unusual for a rock guitar player, Morse does not use a pick. Morse's first solo album, ''Four O'Clock & Hysteria'', was released on April 13, 2007. Discography See also Spock's Beard Spock's Beard is an American progressive rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1992 by brothers Neal (lead vocals, keyboards, guitar) and Alan Morse (guitars ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
