THE WAKE

I give this CD 5 stars because it is a more "honest attempt at creating good and compelling progressive rock (as we have come to know it) than even the so - called neo bands of their era. Marillion was attempting some new things at the time but were, in my opinion, still trying to find their identity and thus lacked a certain punch to their music which IQ had already found on it's first release. Many compare this CD to alot of the early works of Genesis and therefore don't give it much credence as a legitimate album. While it is true that many references are used in shaping the overall sound of the material, this is not a Genesis clone. It is a group of musicians following a path that Genesis paved and few have had the chops or courage to follow.

Starting with OUTER LIMITS, you already know you're in for a treat with Tim Esau's haunting bass riff which gives way to Orford's equally spooky keyboard, leading into a trippy, uptempo track that showcases Mike Holmes as an up and coming virtuoso on the guitar.

There are no "bad" tracks on this CD. THE MAGIC ROUNDABOUT is an absolute gem as is THE THOUSAND DAYS but my favorites are WIDOW'S PEAK and particularly HEADLONG.

The latter reminds me of why I am such a fan of this genre. The crunching bassline is classic as are the keyboard riffs and even if Mike Holmes does sound as if he's trying to channel Steve Hackett, He's brilliant. It's a shame that Tim Esau had to leave because he really was awesome at his craft. IQ have made many classic progressive songs but this one stands out even though it doesn't get a lot of hype and was rarely ever played live. I believe the first time was at the 20th anniversary shows.

If you buy the CD with the bonus tracks you'll get 3 extra tracks which includes DANS LE PARC DU CHATEAU NOIR and demo versions of THE THOUSAND DAYS and THE MAGIC ROUNDABOUT.

The whole of the CD makes for one of the most enjoyable progressive albums to come along in a while. It's still fresh enough to raise eyebrows and familiar enough to be auditory comfort food.

I regard this as a must have in any collection.