Alan Morse (Guitarist) Spock’s Beard :: Part One

{Al Morse is easygoing, laidback, and subdued. When we’re talking, he’s chilling as if he has no care in the world. He’s a real role model in terms of how to take it easy and go with the flow. He also mentions fun “a lot” of times. In this part of the discussion we talk about upcoming gigs and the current album. Afterwards, we begin to delve into other areas of interest.}


JT: Hello.

Josh?

JT: Hi.

Hi, it’s Alan from Spock’s Beard. {He talks in a subdued tone.}

JT: Oh, hey, how’s it going? I actually did not hear the phone ringing. I was listening to your album {I laugh} right now.

Okay, cool. {He laughs.} Well, I don’t want to interrupt you.

JT: I guess I had it up a little too loud. No, actually, I’ve got a ton of questions here for you, and like I said, I’ve been listening to the album this morning. So, I want to ask you some things about that.

Sure.

JT: But, before we get into that, I’ve been to RoSfest every year that they’ve put that on.

Aha.

JT: When I heard the announcement that you guys were playing there, I thought that was very exciting news.

Oh, okay.

JT: I’m wondering; how did you guys get involved in RoSfest and decide that you wanted to play at that festival?

Oh, gosh, I don’t really know. I think they just contacted us. I don’t know if they; I forget exactly how that all came about. I don’t even know if I was involved in that or not… Maybe. I don’t know.

JT: Okay.

But, yeah, they sent us an offer, said they’re interested in having us, and so, we said sure, you know.

JT: I mean, is that something you’re looking forward to?

Oh, absolutely, yeah. I mean, gosh, you know, we haven’t played out in a long time so.

JT: Like what other live performances do you have lined up before then?

Aw, I think they’re trying to book some stuff around that. I don’t really know exactly what the deal is, and other than that, we’ve got stuff in Europe. But, they’re booking some shows around it. I don’t really know exactly, you know, what’s what. I mean, I’m kind of out of the loop on that, but I’m always up for whatever.

JT: Okay. Now I’ve also got to tell you that you’ve put out a lot of good albums. You know, this is your ninth one.

Aha.

JT: And every album you’ve put out has been great.

Aha.

JT: And it’s kind of hard to say what my favorite would be, because it kind of switches all the time.

Right.

JT: But, currently, this is my favorite one.

Oh, wow.

JT: I just think it’s the most balanced. It’s got the most variety. There’s some really great moments in there. You’ve got epics. You’ve got long songs You’ve got short songs.

Aha.

JT: So, I wanted to go through and talk about each one of the songs in there.

Sure.

JT: Before we get into that, I’m curious, you know, you didn’t really give this album a title, or I guess you maybe named it after the band, but like what is the title exactly, and what was the idea behind that?

Well, I guess you could just say it’s self-titled. I mean, you know, it’s basically just Spock’s Beard, and we just wanted to do something simple and kind of, yeah, I guess simple and just pretty direct. It says who we are and where we are right now kind of a thing.

JT: Okay... I really like the opening track.

Oh yeah, that’s a good one, huh?

JT: Yeah, I mean, in my opinion, I think that’s the best song you guys have ever done?

Oh, wow, cool.

JT: Actually, I was just listening to that before we talked, but I’m wondering about that song. How did that song come about?

Well, that’s an interesting one. Actually, it sort of started off as a, I had like Nick and John Boeghold and Stan Ausmus over at my house in my studio, and we were kind of goofing around, you know, and Nick kind of threw off a couple of those melody lines, and then we all said, hey, that’s cool. And then, Stan sort of went out and took off with it, took a copy of it home and loaded it up into his rig, and he came back with that whole, most of that intro, you know, and it all bailed up, and it was pretty cool. So, it had just kind of went off from there, you know, it was one of these things where it just grew, which is kind of unusual, because, I don’t know, usually in my experience that kind of thing doesn’t usually work all that well.

JT: Right.

You know, I mean, it ends up coming out just sort of like a mishmash, but this time it worked really well, so I’m very happy with it. I guess it’s one of the coolest tracks on there.

JT: Okay, and the thing is, I don’t have the lyrics on me, so every time I hear the song, I’m kind of trying to make out what’s going on there.

Aha.

JT: The lyrics are very mysterious.

Yeah.

JT: What is it actually about?

Uh… I don’t know.

JT: It’s that mysterious, huh?

I don’t really know exactly. It’s just sort of impressionistic. It’s kind of like, and I didn’t write the lyrics, so you know, I don’t know.

JT: Who in general writes the lyrics, or does it depend on the song basically?

Well, it varies, but John Boeghold writes a lot of the lyrics. He wrote the lyrics on that one, and yeah so, but I wrote on one of them. Nick wrote a few of them. It just depends.

JT: The middle section of that song sounds like the earlier days of Spock’s Beard. Was that the intent or did it just turn out that way?

Just kind of went that way. I mean, we don’t really come in with a preconceived idea of what we want it to be necessarily. It just sort of grows, and we take it where it goes. It’s that kind of a thing.

JT: When I first saw the title before I ever heard the song, I kind of thought about “All on a Sunday” and “At the End of the Day”. Is there actually a pattern or connection there or is that just coincidental?

That, I think, is pretty much coincidental. I don’t think there’s any real intent to tie it all together.

JT: What does that title mean exactly and what’s on a perfect day? Is it more like sarcastic, or is it actually about a perfect day? Or, again, would you not know that?

You know, I just think it’s sort of whatever it means to you kind of thing.

JT: Oh, one of those things, okay?

Yeah, I don’t think it’s sarcastic or ironic, you know.

JT: Okay.

I think it’s sort of like an impressionistic kind of a thing. I don’t think it literally means anything.

JT: Definitely… And then you follow up with a song that’s purely instrumental, and I think it’s great how it switches gears cause the first song is great, and it keeps you intrigued into the next one. What are skeletons at a feast supposed to conjure up? What’s the imagery going on there?

Well, you know, it’s just a really dark, manic, kind of nutty thing. I don’t know why they call it that exactly, other than it sort of sounds like that. I can see what they’re kind of getting at. I mean, it’s kind of a crazed…

JT: Like a pagan ritual kind of a thing?

Well, I don’t know about that, but it’s like a crazed Halloween thing.

JT: Yeah.

You know, Dave’s like really into skeletons and stuff. {What’s that supposed to mean?} That’s probably where it comes from I suppose. He’s got like a big collection of skeletons and stuff at his house. Not actual skeletons, {glad he clarified that point} but decorative types.

JT: Okay. Is the idea of having an instrumental; is that to give you something to jam to in concert and to kind of give Nick a chance to play the drums on stage? Is that the idea behind a song like that, or is it that it just came about that way?

I think it sort of came out that way. I mean, I don’t know if they intentionally meant it from the very beginning to be an instrumental or what, but yeah, I think they just started writing it, and they liked it that way. So, they kept it that way.

JT: Speaking about the drums and stuff, is Jimmy Keegan coming back on your next tour and all that?

That’s the plan yeah.

JT: Is he kind of a permanent fixture now?

Well, semi, yeah. Jimmy’s great and if he can come, we’d love to have him. I mean, I can’t think of anybody better, you know, that’s for sure.

JT: Right, he is pretty darn good.

We all know him and like him, and he knows his stuff and knows us, and it’s a good situation. You know, and there could come a time when it doesn’t work out for one reason or another. I mean, he’s got a regular gig and stuff like that, but as long as he’s up for it, I’d much rather have him than try to break in a new guy or something.

JT: Definitely. Now I’m going to continue stepping through the songs here.

Sure.

JT: I have a few comments on the next one, and it’s a short one. It’s funny, I have a lot of comments on the short one, but I have trouble reading the tone and the attitude behind this song. You know, this morning, I was thinking about it. I was kind of thinking, it’s a cross between Sammy Hagar’s “Can’t Drive 55” {he laughs} and like the Spice Girl’s “Wanna Be My Lover”.

Oooh, ouch.

JT: You know what I mean. {He laughs.} The funny thing about the size and all is I go jogging a lot and now I go running with my iPod Shuffle, and this is definitely going to be a song that I stick on there.

Ahh.

JT: Maybe on race day, this is a song I start with or something like that.

Right.

JT: I’m just wondering if you can share some comments. Like what is this about? Like the tone and the attitude? What’s the deal with this song?

Yeah.  Well, you know, I think it’s just sort of a romp. I mean, it’s just rock, you know, and it’s just fun, kind of a big blast kind of a thing. I mean, Nick wrote it, and I think he just wanted to have a straight-ahead rock tune, and that’s what came out. I think it’s cool. I think it’s fun. I mean, I like it. I get to play the baritone guitar on it and stuff, which is fun, and I get some nice tones and stuff. Actually, I think he wrote it, he got inspired when he was doing some drum loops with Bun E. Carlos from Cheap Trick, you know.

JT: Aha.

Just from hanging with him and his whole sound and vibe, he got kind of inspired to do the thing, and that’s where that came from, but yeah, that’s kind of what it is. I mean, it’s just a regular old stomper, and it’s something different. We’re always trying to come up with something that we haven’t done like a bunch of other times before. So, I think that’s kind of where I think he was coming from with that.

JT: What’s funny is that before the track ever played, I kind of expected something more like a “Shining Star” type of thing.

Right, Right.

JT: It kind of tricked me actually.

That’s what a lot of people were expecting. Yeah, yeah, you’re expecting, you know, we did a live Internet thing and played the record. When they mentioned the titles, people were going, “Oh no, it’s Whitesnake or something.”

JT: Oh yeah, yeah. That’s pretty funny.

It’s definitely not a Whitesnake thing!

JT: Definitely not… So now the next song kind of takes things in a different direction. It’s more laidback, and it sounds as if someone is reminiscing about a past relationship. Is that what that’s about? Is there an actual real person behind the story, or is it just something that materialized in the songwriting process?

Yeah, well, yeah, that one’s got a pretty clear meaning to it. Somebody is sort of lamenting a lost love, I guess you would say. I don’t think it’s about any particular person, but it’s sort of about lost love in general. So, yeah, it’s like that. I don’t think it’s about anyone in particular. It’s just about that in general.

JT: Sure, and then going onto the next one, the song, “With Your Kiss.”

Aha.

JT: As you play through the album, you start to see a commonality here, and then this longer song is almost like three love songs in one. What’s this about, and is this part of a cohesive theme throughout the entire album?

Well, you know, I think it’s one that Nick wrote, and it’s just kind of your… I think Nick wrote that… yeah, anyway, it’s just a love song, and that’s pretty much all there is to say about it. I don’t think it’s part of a particular theme to the record. I don’t think there is one. It’s a collection of tunes.

JT: Okay, and probably the thing that makes me most curious on the album is the angry chatter between the first and the second movement. What’s that about? You know, there’s like that grumbling part, and there’s almost like a talking, chanting type part, and it kind of gets a little angry, and then it gets into that next movement. Like what’s going on there? What’s that about?

Oh, I don’t know. {He laughs.}

JT: You have no idea?

I don’t know what that is, huh. It’s just studio weirdness.

JT: Oh, studio weirdness? {We laugh.}

I guess. I don’t know.

JT: Okay, and with the next one, “Sometimes They Stay, Sometimes They Go.”

Aha.

JT: Who is they supposed to be? Who is that?

There isn’t a particular they. It’s sort of another way of saying, you know, stuff happens. You know what I mean?

JT: Aha.

It’s just like, hey, sometimes things, sometimes they stay, sometimes they go, sometimes things go your way, sometimes they don’t.

JT: Is that pretty much like you win some, you lose some?

Yeah, kind of like that. Right, right, it’s kind of like that. You can’t control what happens. You can sort of nudge it one way or another sometimes, but ultimately it just goes the way it wants to go.

JT: Definitely. The lyrics in this one are poetic and draw from much imagery. This one in particular. I mean, kind of the whole album is like that, but this one seems a little more poetic. You know, talking about mercury slipping through your fingers and that kind of stuff. Who’s actually responsible for these kinds of verses?

I actually wrote that one.

JT: Oh, okay.

Yeah, so you got me to blame for that, and I actually sang that one. I sing lead on that one.

JT: Oh, you sang that one, cool.

My first lead singing foray with Spock’s Beard anyway. That was fun.  I mean, that was cool. It inspired me. It was something different for me. I’ve never really done that on a Spock’s Beard album, so that was cool. Yeah, so I wrote it, and I was just trying to express myself. I just came up with that line. We had that line, “Sometimes They Stay, Sometimes They Go.” And so, I was just kind of just going, what does that mean exactly and just tried to flesh it out.

JT: Sure. With that song in particular, it actually ends like “The Ballet of the Impact”. Is that on purpose, or again is that another coincidence?

Oh yeah, well that was intentional. I mean, when I did the demo, I don’t know if it was really totally intentional on the first, on the demo, but you know, the demo has that just sort of everything falls apart, and so we just did it that way in the studio too.

JT: Cool.

Yeah, it was just like okay, well, we’re done. {He laughs.} So, I don’t know. I just thought it would be fun to kind of stop playing basically.

JT: Okay, and then when I’m talking about curiosities of the album, the second one, the second greatest one is probably, “The Slow Crashing Landing Man”.

Aha.

JT: Who is the Slow Crash Landing Man?

Well, there again, I don’t think there’s any particular person, but it’s just sort of fictional. It’s about some plane crash, and this one guy walks away miraculously.

JT: Ohh.

And everybody’s like, okay, what’s the deal with that guy, and how come, what happened there? How does that happen? You know, that’s kind of what’s going on there.

JT: Yeah, cause that was the next thing I was going to ask you about. Cause there’s kind of like this short Gospel section in the middle that says that he’s survived.

There’s a big Mellotron choir thing in the middle, yeah.

JT: Is that supposed to be religious or spiritual? Does that have religious or spiritual aspects to it?

Oh my, not that I know of. You know, it’s just we like Mellotron choirs in there. {I laugh and then he laughs.}

JT: It also mentions that he’s free again? Why is he free again? Is it kind of like he’s got a second chance type of a thing?

I don’t know. I never really thought about that. Uh, I don’t know. I don’t know what that’s about exactly.

JT: If I had to guess, I’d probably say you were responsible for this song, because it sounds similar to some of the ones that you wrote on Feel Euphoria. Is that correct or did somebody else do this one?

No, I didn’t write this one.

JT: No, really?

No, it was John and Dave.

JT: So, I guess there’s some cross-pollination going on between you guys?

Oh yeah, well, there’s a lot of collaboration on stuff. I mean, in different groupings. Yeah, this ones got, you know, it’s pretty eclectic. There’s a lot of hooking up, so, you know, yeah. There’s a lot of different, you know, everybody’s kind of working with one guy and then the other guy to see what we can come up with. You know, we’re just trying to come up with something fresh and cool and different, yeah.

JT: Okay, this kind of takes us to the next song, which is “Wherever You Stand”. When I saw that title, I expected something more like a Metallica type of a thing cause it’s kind of like “Wherever You Roam”. Is it kind of a play off of that, the title?

No, I don’t think so. I mean, I don’t even know that song myself.

JT: You don’t even know it?

No, but nah, you know, that was actually an instrumental that we recorded off of the sessions from the last record, and it just didn’t make it onto the last record. So, we figured, let’s see if we can pull it together for this one, and that’s what happened. I think it was just like I say an instrumental and then I think Nick kind of just went in the studio and just improvised most of the lyrics.

JT: Hmm.

Either that or he made them up and then just laid it down on the spot, but yeah.

JT: Wow. Yeah, cause this song you can tell. It’s upbeat and it’s got a bit of attitude. I mean, is he singing about anything in particular, or you’re just saying it’s more of an adhoc, improv-type-of-thing.

Yeah, I think that’s what the deal was. I mean, as far as I know, that’s what he did. It was just he kind of went for it.

JT: Is that your voice in the background singing, or is that just Nick’s voice being layered?

Yeah, I did some of the backgrounds on it.

JT: Yeah, I can tell that actually.

Yeah, it sounded a little bit different.

JT: In general, what songs are you singing on?

Aw, oh gosh, well.

JT: Is it hard to say?

What’s that?

JT: I was just saying, is it hard to say?

Well, it’s a little hard to say, because sometimes I don’t remember, but I sing a lot of backgrounds on a lot of stuff. I mean, I only sang lead on that one tune, “Sometimes They Stay”, but I sing backgrounds on, “They Know We Know” and “Dreaming in the Age of Answers”. Yeah, a few of them. Most of them actually at some point I make some kind of an appearance, which I like cause that’s a lot of fun. I always try to get my voice in there somewhere. {I laugh.} I mean, I can’t. I’m not a lead singer like Nick or something,  but you know.

JT: Yeah, he’s a pretty good singer as we’ve found out in these last couple albums.

Yeah, kind of, yeah, yeah.

JT: Even that one song where he kind of screams at the end of it. I think it’s “Is This Love”. Just the way he ends it. That’s pretty impressive actually.

Yeah.

: It’s like, “What, this guy is a drummer or what?”

Yeah, I know. He’s got some scary vocal chops. Sure.

JT: Yeah, um, also with that song “Wherever You Stand”, I hear an earlier song on there. I hear a section that’s from the last song on the last album, “As Long As We Ride”. I kind of hear that in there.

Oh yeah.

JT: Is that again on purpose? Are you trying to bring old themes back and kind of play with the listener and stuff, or is that just a coincidence in this case?

Yeah, it’s not intentional or anything. Like I say, it might have something to do with the fact that we did record it, you know, at the same time as the last record. So, maybe it sort of has a similarity in that respect. And, you know, we are of course the same guys and everything.

JT: Yeah.

So, we tend to sound like ourselves, you know. {He laughs.}

JT: That’s true. {I laugh.}

What can I say? But, yeah, it’s not intentional or anything… or that clever.

JT: Yeah, and in this song, again, there is a little bit of craziness with voices and stuff in there after that one middle section.

Yeah.

JT: What is that about or again, is that just Nick?

Nah, that’s actually Ryo going off in Japanese. I don’t even know what he’s saying.

JT: Oh, that’s what’s going on there?

Ryo is yelling crazy stuff.

JT: Cause I was trying to figure out what that was.

He’s just doing his Ryo thing.

JT: Huh. That’s cool.

 Ohhhkay.

JT: So, we’re getting further along in this album, but like I said, I like to step through all the songs, you know, because you have a new album. But, the next one is like melancholic, bittersweet, sad, I mean, those are the kinds of adjectives I’d use to describe it. What’s this song about? Did something sad happen here? What’s going on in this song?

Yeah, that I don’t really know that much about. John wrote the lyrics and then Ryo wrote at least the piano bit and stuff. So, I think it was just a piano bit that Ryo came up with, and John came up with some lyrics for it.

JT: Okay.

There you have it. I mean, I don’t think it necessarily literally means anything again. It’s not like a literal kind of a thing.

JT: Did you have anything to do with this song, or is it just Ryo’s piano and Nick’s voice and like, that’s the extent of it?

Uh, the latter there. Yeah, it’s pretty much they just did that. I mean, I didn’t really have much to do with it.

JT: You know what? With that said, then I have to say, this song sucks. {I get a big laugh out of him and pause before my next comment.} I’m just kidding. {I laugh.}

Well, off the record, it does. {He’s obviously joking and the laughter is a giveaway, which is why I left this in.}

JT: It’s a good thing you laughed. {He laughs some more.}

Well, what can I tell you?

JT: I’m just kidding. I actually do like it, and I like the balance and that kind of stuff.

Oh, okay.

JT: I’m just being kind of facetious here. Now this kind of brings me to the next song, and it’s funny, because I knew there was going to be an epic on this album. The copy I have doesn’t have the track-listing on it.

Oh, yeah.

JT: So, the whole album, I’m like waiting and thinking, where’s that epic? Where’s that epic? And I thought, maybe they were referencing that earlier one, that 11 minute one or something like that. So, I got kind of confused when I got to this multi-track thing, you know. What was really going on, and how it was sequencing and stuff. Because of that, I actually like the album more the second time I went through it since I kind of knew what to expect. I wasn’t looking for one thing and then getting something else.

Oh, right, aha, yeah.

JT: What’s the epic about? What’s the title “As far as the mind can see” mean, and why is this broken up into separate tracks?

 There again, I don’t as far as what it actually means, I don’t know exactly. I mean, I sang on it, and I, you know, {he laughs} I don’t know. I don’t know, and again, I don’t know if it actually does literally mean anything in particular. It’s sort of an impressionistic sort of a thing.

JT: Yeah, I mean, I’m one of those people that likes to get into the meaning, and then after I’ve heard a song a number of times, like I’m not sure if you’ve heard Octavarium by Dream Theater.

Aha.

JT: Every time you hear it, you get more out of it, and it’s like, “Oh, that’s cool what he said there” or whatever. So, I’m kind of into that. Some fans are into that. Some fans are just strictly into the melody and then don’t get all the lyrics and poetic aspects and stuff, but I’m kind of into it.

Yeah, like I’m much more, personally, I don’t even pay attention to what they’re saying most of the time.

JT: Is that kind of a guitar-player thing?

Yeah, I guess. Yeah, you know, I’m just waiting for the guitar solo.  I mean, even on some of my favorite records, I was like, okay, when’s it going to kick in.

JT: That is funny.

I just wait through all this jabbering until I can get to the good part. So, you know, what can I tell you?

JT: With this particular epic, it’s pretty clever how some of the melodies flow through it, and I’m curious, is it difficult making these themes return and work seamlessly without making them come out redundant?

Well, actually, not so much usually. It’s not. The hard part in my experience anyway is usually like tying it all up at the end, you know. Okay, you go through all these things, and you know, it isn’t really that hard to go off on all these tangents. The hard part is, okay, now we got to get back to the theme again and end this thing. How the heck are we going to do that? Now we’re in a different key and different time-signature, you know. We’re all over the place. And how are we going to do this without seeming like we just sort of cut-n-paste this together.

JT: Right.

That’s usually the hard part.

JT: Would you say most of that comes naturally, or is it like you’re sitting around and there’s much deliberation and effort trying to figure out how to fit all the pieces together?

Well, yeah, sort of generally speaking of course, you know, it takes some work. Usually it takes some crafting and, okay, you know, how are we going to do this, you know.

JT: Yeah.

The flowing out a lot of times of just, okay, the melody, let’s do this, oh yeah, that’s cool, alright, that’s great, you know, that kind of stuff can just flow. But, ultimately when you have to try to pull it back, rein it back in, that can be, you know, that could take some real thought and real work.

JT: Okay, we have five more tracks to go through, and I hate to say this cause you said you’re not really into the meaning and stuff, but “Dreaming in the Age of Answers”, can you tell me what that means?

Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha. Um, yeah, again, I don’t know if it really has a literal meaning particularly.

JT: Okay, well then, how about this, the next one, “Here is a Man”. Who’s the man?

Uh.

JT: You’re unsure?

I don’t know. It’s not me.

JT: It’s not you?

I don’t know, yeah, I can’t really tell you, like I said, if there even really is a particular man they are talking about. Probably not, you know.

JT: I’m going to try one more time, the next one, “They Know We Know”. What do they know?

Yeah, and who are they, and what do they know?  Well, I don’t know, but they sure know it. There’s no doubt about that. That was a really fun one to actually record though cause I got to, we were sitting around, and we’re going, hey, this would be really cool if we had one of those big children’s’ chorus things, you know.

JT: Aha.

Uh, kind of a Floyd-ish thing or whatever, you know, and I was like, well, my kids are in a chorus, you know, maybe we could just go down there. And, I had like one day that I could go in there and record it. So, I went down there and set up a couple mikes and my laptop and did about 50 tracks of them just yelling their little hearts out, you know, and then we came back and edited it together for the track. And that was a gas. So, it was really fun and different, you know, something I haven’t done before, so that was cool. But as far as, we’re all in the studio kind of going, “Who are they and what do they know? What’s the deal?” It’s sort of vaguely about, well, the lyric is very odd. It’s all about how we turned our backs as the enemy landed.

JT: Yeah.

You know, it almost sounds sort of political, but we don’t generally sort of go in that direction.

JT: I guess like you’re saying, it’s just open for interpretation.

Yeah, it’s kind of one of those things, you know, it’s like, I don’t know, what did Bob Dylan say, “Hey, whatever you think of me, man.” You know, it’s kind of like that I think.

JT: I’m going to try one more time, and then I’ll stop bugging you with this.  “Stream of Unconsciousness”, does that mean something or is that just a play on words?

I think it’s mostly just kind of a cool sounding phrase.

JT: Yeah, it does sound pretty cool actually.

Yeah, it sounds cool, you know, and it’s sort of a pun, not actually, but something like that. But yeah, it is a cool little sort of phrase and I think John probably just had it pop into his head, and said, “Hey, that’s cool. We’ll call something that.”

JT: That could have almost been like the title for the album actually.

Yeah, well, that’s a good one. It would have made a good album title. Maybe we should have done that.

JT: Re-release this now! No, I’m just kidding.

Yeah, right.  Pull them all back. Yeah, it’s funny, because everybody’s been asking me about, you know, kind of well, alright, what’s up with the title, you know, or lack thereof, and I’m like, I don’t know. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

JT: As they basically say, there’s no such thing as bad press. Any sort of press is good press, and the fact that people are talking about it, and like, “What’s up with the album?” and this and that, and “What’s up with the name?” It’s just going to pull more people in.

Well, let’s hope. Yeah, you know, I always figure, well, hey, people don’t buy our records cause of the title, you know, uh.

JT: Right.

I mean, maybe somebody does, but I don’t know. I’ve never seen that happen. It’s got to be pretty unusual.

JT: It’s kind of like, a lot of bands, their first album is kind of their self-titled one, and you never really did that.

Right.

JT: So, it’s like you gotta do it.

We figured, yeah, we could get away with it at least once, right?

JT: Right. So, now we’ve got one last song, and the thing that I find interesting about this album is, from what I know there is no special edition, right?

No, it’s, everything’s right there basically.

JT: So, to me, it’s almost as if this last song is a bonus, because by the time you’ve gotten up to this point, you’ve given the fans more than enough in my opinion, and even the way the epic ends. I mean, you could have definitely ended the album right there. But the last song is a great song. So, don’t get me wrong. I’m happy that it’s on there. But I’m just curious, why put this at the end when you could have just ended on the epic?

Well, it is sort of a coda I guess, you know, it’s just kind of… Um, and it just seemed like it was a nice little tag to stick at the end there. You know, it’s always a weird thing about trying to figure out the order of the tunes and that sort of thing, and it’s hard to tell, and it’s sort of a semi-voodoo-ish sort of a thing. So, you know, it just seemed to flow pretty well that way.

JT: You mention putting together the track-listing, um, the tracks in this one are sequenced perfectly. Just the way it goes from one mood to the next. It really flows nice between the songs. Was there a lot of thought put into this, or did they just kind of fall into place?

Oh yeah, well, it’s something that you definitely spend some time kicking around, you know, and going back and forth. But there wasn’t like a whole lot of controversy on this one. I think it was pretty, you know, we reached a pretty good consensus pretty quickly. So, it wasn’t too hard to figure out. But we did spend some time figuring it out.

JT: Well, and it’s kind of ironic too cause like I said, it is sequenced, you know, perfectly. The way the songs lay out is fairly ideal, and the song is called “Rearranged”. And it talks about “Falls and fades away and then gets rearranged.” It’s almost kind of talking about that. Is that kind of what that’s about or what?

 Uh.

JT: Or am I reading into things too much here?

Yeah, probably. I think it’s more just generally about, you know, sometimes things don’t work out in the way that you hoped.

JT: Right. Well, and this one talks about “Fortune and fame and being in the game.”

Aha.

JT: My understanding is that is kind of what “The Great Nothing” is about. Is this kind of like a short version of that?

Oh, I don’t know. I think it’s just sort of Nick saying, hey, you know, it’s more about where he’s coming from, and his attitude in life, I think, to some extent.

JT: Okay.

I don’t think it really ties into that necessarily, although it could if you want it to.

JT: Now I’m actually going to switch gears here.

Okay. {He responds quickly, almost relieved to get onto another thread of discussion after my grilling of the meanings of the songs in Part One.}

JT: I want to talk about your website. Who’s actually the brains behind the operation as far as that’s concerned?

Actually, John does that. He kind of handles our website. John Boeghold does most of the work on that.

JT: The thing that I find is that if anybody wants to find out anything about the band or what’s currently going on, you just go there. It seems like you guys are pretty diligent about getting information out to the fans.

Well, we try to be and he’s really good about staying on top of it, and yeah, that’s where I go when I want to find out what’s going on.  Half the time I don’t even know what we’re doing until I go look at the website and go, oh,  that’s where we’re going.

JT: Oh, that’s funny.

You know, I mean, that’s how I find out for sure whether something’s really going to happen or not.

JT: Well, and the thing is that I would say that Spock’s Beard is the most fan friendly band that I know of.

Oh, wow.

JT: What’s the philosophy and attitude behind that?

Well, you know, we just,  well, I guess you could say number one, we really appreciate that we have fans.  You know what I mean? It’s a good thing to have, you know, and especially because they’ve stuck with us through all the changes and what not. I mean, we have really awesome fans. Our fans are really cool. I mean, they’re good people. They’re, uh, yeah, they’re good people. They’re nice and friendly and, you know, they’re, I can’t say enough good things about them. So, we feel like we owe them at least, certainly to give them the best that we can do number one, and you know; we want to keep them as happy as we can.

JT: The thing as well is that you have a positive message. So, you’re probably going to have positive people. I mean, you’ve got songs like “Healing Color of Sound”. That just kind of epitomizes what you’re about. So, it would make sense that you’ve got, you know, that that’s your fanbase. I mean, if it was like Hardcore Metal or something like that, obviously, you’re going to get crazy fans. With the kind of message that you guys put out, you’re probably going to get positive, friendly, you know, kind people I guess. You know, most of your songs aren’t that angry.

Yeah, well, I guess you’re probably right about that, and that’s a cool thing. I’ve always been proud of that fact that we’re generally positive and a good messenger or whatever we’re sending out. Yeah, I think that it’s like you said, and I’m proud of that, and it’s a cool thing.

JT: You seem like a pretty cohesive bunch. Nobody seems to operate individually. You actually steal the show as a team and kind of keep the solos down to a minimum. I mean, there are little breakout things and that kind of stuff, but usually, everything’s kind of working together. It’s almost as if you can read each other’s minds.  I’m curious. What’s it like sitting around with you guys while you brainstorm and try things out?

Well, gosh, it’s hard to say exactly. I mean, we don’t really do it that often. You know, it would be nice if we could do it more, but we’re all kind of spread out and doing different stuff. So, it’s kind of hard to get together. But, we’ve done it. I mean, we just kind of like set up in my studio or something or somewhere and just kind of, you know, somebody will pick up an acoustic or something and start banging away and seeing what comes out. You know, until somebody goes, “Hey that was cool.” Something comes out that seems to stick out, you know, and then you just kind of take it from there.

JT: Okay, and then I just kind of want to ask you some things about your background. Are you actually classically trained?

A bit, I mean, I’m not like, you know, actually, on guitar I’m pretty much self-taught.

JT: Really?

Aha. I have that weird style with the, you know, not using the pick and stuff. You know, I don’t think anybody teaches that. You know?

JT: Yeah.

So, yeah, I’m pretty much self-taught on guitar, but I’ve had a lot of classical training over the years, you know, starting with piano lessons when I was five years old type of thing. You know, all down through the years. When we were kids, my dad was a choir director, and so he would teach us to sing harmonies when we were little kids. We were like, you know, we performed in operas and stuff when we were ten. So, yeah, I had that a long time, but the guitar part is pretty much sit down and pounding away until it seemed like something that sounded decent.

JT: Sure, you’re style is fairly unique. What are some of the things that you’re doing differently than other guitarists out there?

Well, like I said, you know, I never used a pick really, although every once in awhile for something special, I might use one in the studio. But I generally don’t do that. I play a lot better with my finger style, and so that’s like the main thing. Other than that, you know, I mean, I’ve got, my guitar is pretty tricked out with some semi-custom-type of stuff on it. And so, my main Strat that I use most of the time, um, well, I’ve been getting some other guitars these days and getting more into some different tones and stuff, but yeah, I like to use some kind of weird effects some times. I’ve got a cool like a Moogerfooger pedal and stuff, a Ring Modulator that’s really cool, but you know, other than that, it’s just that I always liked guys that would go for unexpected notes and stuff like that. So, I try to do that a lot. I try to pick something that you would go some place where you’re not expecting it to go.

JT: Right. You know, I’ve heard that term Ring Modulator before, but I don’t know what it is. I think of Lord of the Rings when somebody mentions that.  Like, what is that exactly?

Well, it’s kind of hard to describe. It basically is a pedal that puts out a tone, and it takes the sum of the differences of the frequencies from the frequency that you’re playing, and it puts that out as well as the frequency that you’re playing. So, whatever, if that helps. I don’t know.

JT: So, what kind of sounds is that responsible for? Is it more of a ringing or a wah-wah or like what?

It makes this kind of crazy spaceship kind of sound depending on what you do.

JT: Okay, now I know.

I use it on, if you remember, “East of Eden, West of Memphis”.

JT: Okay.

There’s that big riff on that tune. That’s a Ring Modulator.

JT: Oh, okay.

And that’s if you tune it a special, particular way, you’ll get a sound like that.

JT: I think I know exactly what you’re talking about now, um; I’ve actually heard people say that you also do, aside from being a musician, that you’re an electrical engineer? Is that true?

Yeah, I’ve got a degree in electronics and stuff.

JT: And you’re responsible for the special effects and the customized equipment and stuff? You’re making that yourself?

Oh, no, not really. I mean, I don’t really build. I used to do some of that, but I haven’t. I don’t really get into the tweaking of the electronics particularly, I mean, except I can fix my stuff if it breaks, you know, but I don’t really customize it or anything. I used to. I used to get in there and put new, different chips in and play around. As for now, I haven’t done that much.

JT: What I have noticed is that you seem to have gotten exponentially better with every album. What’s the secret behind that?

Wow, well, I don’t know, thanks. I guess I don’t know what to say, but that’s very flattering. Yeah, I just keep trying to do the best I can and play the best that I can. I think that’s what we all try to do, I think, pretty much. You know, make the best record you can and, yeah, I don’t really have a secret other than I don’t really practice particularly.

JT: Yeah.

I don’t know. I probably should, but I don’t usually. You know, unless we’re getting ready to go out and play or something.

JT: Now I actually have a few more questions about your background and influences and that kind of stuff, but I wasn’t sure what your schedule is right now. Do you have anything that you need to run off to?

Not really, fire away.

{To be continued…}

Spocks Beard official website