SUBTERRANEA: THE CONCERT

'Subterranea: The Concert' is the sixth live album of IQ and was released in 2000. This is the live version of the original studio album 'Subterranea' which was released in 1997. Beyond this double live album, it was also released a video version, with the same name and in the same year, and a DVD version also with the same name, in 2002. The line up on the album is the same of their last studio albums including the original studio version of their album 'Subterranea'.

So, the line up on 'Subterranea: The Concert' is Peter Nicholls (lead and backing vocals), Mike Holmes (guitars), Martin Orford (backing vocals, flute and keyboards), John Jowitt (backing vocals and bass) and Paul Cook (drums and percussion).

IQ had planned to produce a video with a live show of the original 'Subterranea'. Along the way the decision was taken to release a double CD live version of the concert as well. Still, instead of combining both items in one only box set, as they had done with the 'Forever Live' box set, they took the decision of to make a video and a CD versions available separately. Thus, the people could chose for themselves if they wanted the video, the CD or both versions, like me.

Personally, I think that a live rendition of an original conceptual studio album isn't that much different, from a strictly musical point of view. Besides, past experience has told me that when we have live versions from conceptual albums, I hardly ever played them. By the other hand, in general, there are some reasons that make me suspect of many live albums. Many live albums have many tricks and in the history of music, some supposedly live albums, have been recorded in a studio with background noise, or they've really been recorded in direct but altered too much in the studio.

Well and fortunately, this isn't the case of 'Subterranea: The Concert'. It's a part of a limited numbers of live albums that sound real and like the authentic live sound in direct. I sincerely think that IQ had in general varied the songs of the original versions. The performance is brilliant and energetic, some tracks, among which 'Subterranea', are performed at a slightly higher tempo, resulting in a total playing time that's lower than the original, even though some bits are slightly extended. Also some tracks like 'Sleepless Incidental' are more powerful than the studio versions. Some bits and pieces are different from the album versions, like the extended end section of 'Capricorn' with additional piano and saxophone, the few additional keyboard chords in 'King Of Fools', or the new musical section for the live version of 'Unsolid Ground'. Finally, Mike Holmes played some of the guitar solos slightly different in some parts of the album.

Peter Nicholls' voice has a high wide range and he knows perfectly well how to use it. Besides that, he has a strong sense for theatre and has a real stage personality. So, and naturally, it necessarily comes to my mind Peter Gabriel in the early Genesis. This is probably one of the main reasons, besides the concept, why 'Subterranea' is compared, probably unfavourably, with Genesis' album, 'The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway'. Instrumentally, on this live version, the band sounds very 'full', if you get what I mean, which is that this a more muscular version than the studio. Michael Holmes may not really be a stage personality but he sounds good and Martin Orford is excellent, as always. John Jowitt is walking around and 'gluing' it all together. One of the most interesting things on 'Suterranea', even on the studio version, is the amazing work of bass all over the piece. Paul Cook, who is mainly accompanying the band, is fine too.

In relation to the cover art of the album, as we can expected from any IQ album, the CD comes in a nice package featuring a twelve page booklet with many fine pictures of the show and a story line summary from the perspective of the protagonist, written by Peter Nicholls. So, the presentation and the artwork are of great quality, with many pictures, some additional information and annotations of the concept of 'Subterranea'. This is a nice addition to the live version.

Conclusion: 'Subterranea' is one of the better works of the neo-prog sub-genre. It was made by one of the few sincere bands and pioneers that exist inside this style of prog. I believe that 'Subterranean: The Concert' is recommended for all fans of the prog music, not just for IQ fans. The album has enough quality and personality and it's highly executed by one of the best bands in this sub-genre of prog. It's because bands like IQ that we keep the habit of the 70's, the release of some great double conceptual albums. Besides, 'Subterranea' be one of my favourite albums, and I think that it missed nothing played live. To be performed live it won another power and another new life. So, when I listen to the album I usually choose its live version. So, I'm not with those who say that for those who already own the studio version this live version isn't an essential must have, because it isn't that much different from the original version. However, if you have to choose between the studio and the live version, go for the live version. Although, if you want to be able to re-live the live experience without having to play the video every time, make sure you get the live CD as well.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

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