Rock Revival Catches Up with Alan Morse of Spock's Beard

For those who don't know, Spock's Beard are a fantastic contemporary an LA prog rock band who started in 1992 and have nine studio albums to their name, including atheir latest self-titled album released in 2006. Alan Morse is their guitarist who has recorded with many artists, including Chad and Jeremy and Spencer Davis. Rock Revival caught up with him recently, about Spock's Beard and his solo album Four O'Clock and Hysteria

You have often been compared more with Floyd, or Genesis as opposed to current trends in prog metal, who do you identify with as your influences?

Well, both of those are definitely in the mix, as well as Gentle Giant, Yes, some guys you probably never heard of called The Beatles or something. We also dig some more current, heavier stuff, like Audioslave, System Of A Down, Tool, etc. I'm a big Green Day fan myself, but I don't hear a lot of that in SB!

How do you see the state of progressive rock today ?

I don't really follow "The Scene" that much, so I don't really know what's going on. I tend to focus on what we're doing and making the best records we can. There are some good bands out there, but from what I hear most of it is more metal than prog in my opinion.

Tell us about your solo album, Four Oclock and Hysteria, your known as a multi-instrumentalist, was this mainly a guitar album or did you employ theremin, bouzouki, etc ?

Four O'clock is definitely a guitar album, that was the intent. There were a couple of wackier tunes where I played the accordion and saw, but they didn't make it on the CD. Maybe the next one? I'm really proud of that record, I like listening to it, it's the record I always wanted to make.

My 9 year old daughter is a great fan of the song Waste Away, she has asked me to ask you, what is it about?

Well, I didn't write it, but as near as I can tell it's about people not taking full advantage of their lives, squandering the opportunity that life is. Not "seizing the day" as they say. Sounds pretty heavy, huh? It's about choices in life, we always have the choice to make the most of what we have. So let's Rock!

Image: Courtesy Inside Out U.S.