Greg's Impressions of:
A Guy Named Sid  

Okay, here's basically what I sent to Nick and Tiff after hearing Nick's demo, on which he played all the instruments, of the epic tune "A Guy Named Sid". Please, PLEASE..... keep in mind that this was NOT the band recording or arrangement that I heard - nor have I yet. This is merely Nick's demo of the piece, and I do make some (hopefully) constructive criticism along the way.

I have NO idea how much or how little got added or subtracted to the piece I've heard - this is only a compositional critique, and by the way, I'm not worthy! I'M NOT WORTHY!!!!

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That keyboard lick that starts off this thing is a breath of fresh air! Totally unexpected, very cool rhythmically, nice shimmering clanging note against it, morphs into another fresh unexpected treat a great percolating bass/keys riff that is proggy but RAWWKKS.

The guitar whole notes that come in are simple but effective - I like the part, but my personal tastes would prefer the notes be sustained and sweetly distorted, singing over this uber-cool thing the band's blazing away on.

The breakdown into a quasi - techno - metal version of it, morphing into a snarling metal stepdown - fucking brilliant! This is NOT your father's Beard - it's a Beard for the cutting edge of a new era. Wow - another surprise (and I LOVE surprises) in that half time "Ooh! Ooh!" dissonant by stepdown vocal - very original! A way cool bassline grooves against it.

Then we're back to the bass/keys riff, though now on electric guitar with a great keyboard solo raging over the top of it.

YAY! An acoustic guitar breakdown out of a huge intro, a la The Good Don't Last - DOUBLE YAY! It immediately gets big and anthemic, and I'm rockin' out like a Parkinson's patient on a vibrating motel bed! Over this slamming rock progression, in comes the vocal, clear as a bell and full of conviction. The verse melody line is great, as is the chorus, and I love the quirky phrase "fell flat in his moment of glory" - leave it to Nick to write a line that unique.

The soft part that follows is a refreshing change, absolutely beautiful electric guitar part. The tune's breathing now, kinda like Tantric sex (wind up, relax, wind up, relax, don't squirt, Don't SQUIRT!!!). After the line about not being able to lie to himself anymore, the heavy change is great - very dramatic and powerful - then back into that intro figure, with sustained Jon Lord organ stabs over the top of it, different drum part than before (more slamming) crashing back into the chorus again.

Soft part returns (I love the constant change), this time with a Rhodes sound and a nice oh so nice slow melodic theme over the top of it. Vocal glides along, then builds up at the "no one can RESIST - You Don't Know" junction - man, this is powerful hooky stuff Another mellow verse (reminiscent of the slow verses in Harm's Way in setting a nice mood), then we're jarred by a bizarre funny analog synth lick over Phil Collins style toms and a muted electric almost-funk pattern on guitar. Great surprise, my only minor criticism is that IMO it could use a keyboard or bass pedal underpinning to give it a less ambiguous harmonic "setting" - maybe the bizarre ambiguity is what you are going for - it definitely works and I really like it, I just want to "ground" it in something more easily recognizable than those funky strummed chords.

"This is a story" vocal sounds huge, tension resolved, great production btw. The bizarre part repeats, then we get a GREAT heavy guitar part - with nice motion, each step it takes sounds wonderful. And then -

TA-DAH!!!! A GLORIOUS Mellotron wash, with sustained cymbal rolls, all the power and grandeur of the Beard - familiar but NOT predictable - I'm in ecstasy!

OH MY GOD! The BEST multi-part Beard vocal fugue EVER!!!!! It's a medieval madrigal with the Mozart-composed Beach Boy vocals weaving pure magic - (only this time, NONE of the Wilson's are Fucking NUTS!) Awe, man - this is just WONDERFUL!!! And the end? WHOA.... "Here comes the beginning of the end of it all" cuts across the Baroque serenity like Jack The Ripper slicing open a birthday girl's throat as she's being sung to - chilling, immense, brilliant!

Then the key figure intro returns (the really fresh sounding one that opens the song), only NOW it's coexisting with a heavy half-time electric guitar, batted about by just AWESOME vocals and keyboard chords - so powerful, the effect of hearing that delightful fast keyboard intro that you think just CAN'T be improved on, as one PART of a cinematic sound painting.

Then CLIMAX!!!! Majestic, Slow, Stately, Processional, Uber- Huge Beard Rainbowciousness washes all over me - incredible! This is RIGHT up there wth the orgasmic outros of the past, but somehow even more triumphant because you've beaten the doubters back with the radiant force of Spock's Beard. The Radiant Is, IS still here - This outro is SO huge, SO magnificent, it feels like God is swirling around like the Tasmanian Devil in a tornado of light, ejaculating all over creation omni-directionally, but it's a sweet cream cheese frosting and we're overjoyed to be glazed in glory!

Bravo, my friend - Bravo. If I smoked, I'd be holding up a lighter right now in my apartment. As it is, tears of joy are streaming down my cheeks.

By the way, lest you think I'm in newfound infatuation with this piece, I've been playing it for 4 days now, and didn't immediately like all of it like I do now. It grew on me - and that's what ALL your BEST stuff has had to do.

Can't wait till June.......  

A bazillion gratitudinal obligations from me to you both for allowing me the tremendous privilege to hear this.

Greg Jones