Spock's Beard: X-Tour Live (2012)

The sheer ability of the band is evident on the DVD with people changing instruments several times within one song and all this with only four days of rehearsal. For me this is Prog at its very best. The show opens with the sublime ‘Edge of the In-Between’ which ticks all the boxes with its wonderful refrains, arrangement, playing and vocal harmonies. Frankly, that sets the tone for the rest of the set with each track full of wonderful melodies as well as intricate playing and arrangements. ‘The Man Behind the Curtain’ is given an additional edge in the guitar department by one of its co-writers, Stan Ausmus, joining the band. Unlike his usual European set up Ryo Okumoto looks like a wonderful throwback to Rick Wakeman, surrounded by keyboards including two mini Moogs and a real Mellotron. His ‘Kamikaze’ and solo tracks utilise them all too great effect