IQ Appreciation Thread

I`ve been listening to more rock/blues lately.

that is a kick a*** song its also a kick a*** album too!.

It was an expensive CD (by prog standards) - I don't know how much mine cost because I told my youngest son to get me it for my name-day, but he bought me another (probably cheaper) CD (Anaesthesia) instead and got his big brother to buy the IQ one for me!!! My Mrs, and in laws just gave me Amazon monies so that I can pick what I want...
Anyway - Just given the IQ spin 2 - and CD 1 is a definite grower - as I think that each track has something to offer - though I still feel that CD II has the better tracks overall!!! Some lovely Mellotron and moog stuff, the end of the epic is typical IQ and has a delightful moog riff...still spoiled by the fade out as the hammer-on , hammer -off solo is cut out just as it starts to get bombastic!!!! When I am Master of the universe - I will ban all fade outs and pass a law that a band cannot call itself progressive unless every CD has one track over 30 minutes!!!

Warthur wrote: TheOcean wrote: 4. Nomzamo (I Really think that P. L. Menel did a great job on that album) Heh, I don't rate that album very highly myself but Paul Menel's vocals are a high point for me. I think Nomzamo loses me because it has a slightly unsympathetic production job - certainly, the live versions of songs like No Love Lost (still in the setlist today!) I've heard sound far better. I never felt the need to pickup the spruced-up new editions of Lush Attic or The Wake but if the band chose to give the same treatment to Nomzamo or Are You Sitting Comfortably? I'd definitely be interested because I think those albums could really benefit from an updated mix.

And the best thing about IQ - and the latest CD - The lyrics - not one use of the word "Angel", "Jesus", "Noah" in fact the only esoteric word is - Demon - and I think that Nichols is referring to the Daemons executing in the brain - as proposed by D.C. Dennett's multiple draft explanation of human consciousness...breaking on through way down low (in the subconscious workings of the brain!! - that were designed by the blind watchmaker that is evolution!!!) - YE-HAWWWW....

Edited by M27Barney - May 21 2014 at 14:05

I haven't heard the menel albums myself for a long while - I think both the CD's suffer with production problems to be honest! - I shall be reviewing Road of Bones shortly - the epic has grown on me...I think it's amazing now - still not impressed with the fade out though...

Edited by M27Barney - May 26 2014 at 06:23

sometimes all of us do

its a great album from IQ,

The Epic has grown on me - but as you say - it's basically following the party whip for symphonic prog.....

I am an IQ fan of very longstanding (7 Stories Into 8 cassette version was my first IQ album) and whilst I enjoy the new album it's certainly not one of their best.  I've listened to it plenty of times to judge too.

There is some great material on there but it didn't all make disc one.  In particular I am absolutely gobsmacked that Constellations is relegated to the "bonus" disc - what were they thinking of?  That's one of their greatest tracks ever imho, classic IQ but with those subtle nods to W&W era Genesis that I love from this band.  I also love Hardcore, thus my two favourites are from disc 2.  The opener and closer on the "main" disc are excellent, but the epic is leaving me cold.  It appears disjointed, there's some nice passages but it just seems stuck together without cohesion.  It also has some parts which appear a bit close to the bone (pardon the pun) to The Last Human Gateway, although it doesn't stand comparison with the quality of that classic piece.

It has been opined that the absence of Martin Orford has had a negative impact upon the band's songwriting process for the album (whilst he had retired by the time it was released he still played a large part in writing the tracks on Frequency).  I fear there may be some truth in that theory.