Spock's Beard: Day For Night (1999)

 

Generally speaking - and I know I am in the minority here - I tend to prefer the Spock’s era when (drummer) Nick DiVirgilo fronted the band. The four albums with him pulling double duty found them becoming a more collaborative band and led them down some very interesting paths. Prior to that, Neal Morse pretty much called the shots, wrote all the songs, and was the primary producer. While his genius cannot be overstated, I always felt like he was a bit too clean for my liking. That having been said, their fourth album, Day For Night, is perfection, my favorite from this era. The songs are polished but not cheesy, the playing is outstanding, and everyone sounds incredibly inspired. Highlights include the ten minute “Crack The Big Sky” and the album-opening title track, which is one of the greatest Spock’s Beard songs ever. But the whole record is fantastic and worthy of many spins.