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IQ - The Lost Attic

Artist:	IQ
Title:	The Lost Attic
Label:	Giant Electric Pea GEPCD 0124
Length(s):	77 minutes
Year(s) of release:	1999
Month of review:	07/1999

Line up

Martin Orford - keyboards
Mike Holmes - guitar
Pete Nicholls - vocals
Paul Cook - drums
John Jowitt - bass
Paul Esau - bass
Paul Menel - vocals

Tracks

1)	The Universal Scam *	5.05
2)	Wintertell *	3.02
3)	The Last Human Gateway (middle Section)	4.02
4)	Hollow Afternoon (1999 Rerecording)	4.41
5)	Apathetic And Here, I...	7.27
6)	N.T.O.C. (Resistance)	4.49
7)	Eyes Of The Blind *	3.15
8)	Barbell Is In (12" Lizard Mix)	6.29
9)	The Bold Grenadier	3.38
10)	My Legs *	2.17
11)	Fascination	5.53
12)	Hollow Afternoon	4.52
13)	Awake And Nervous (radio Session) *	7.11
14)	Just Changing Hands (radio Session *	5.17
15)	Widow's Peak (radio Session) *	8.52

Summary

These are the times of completion it seems. Pendragon, Marillion, Pallas, all those bands are gathering up the songs lost along the way to make them accessible, in some cases once again, in some cases for the first time. This is another such disc, a follow-up we might say to Seven Stories Into 98 although this is a single disc and contains only one rerecorded song.

The music

Originally meant as the bonus track for Subterranea, The Universal Scam did in fact never make it to releasse. The song fits in with the religious sect part on the album and is quite typical for IQ (on that album). The song is somewhat riff driven with plodding drums, but also features a dark and gloomy middle section. The Genesis-influenced acoustic Wintertell was supposed to become a song on Tales, but was replaced with My Baby Treats... and although I favour the latter, this is certainly not a bad track. The included middle section of The Last Human Gateway brings the first goosebumps. This is the version as played recently with a slow beginning and a great climax, settling down quietly afterwards. Hollow Afternoon is one of the rarest IQ tracks to be had. It was only featured on a single given out at one single concert and up to now I haven't seen a live copy (but maybe this will change now). The song is a darkly melodious one in the old style. The vocal part is sad and in a way a bit overmelodious, but I can stand it very well, oddly enough. The guitar is the prominent instrument here. Apathetic And Here, I... was a cover for the Geoff Mann tribute album, and in my opinion also the best one, bringing greater variety to the song and in fact it is better to say that the original has been embedded in something new and very IQish. (This leads me to remark that IQ might consider a cover album as is. I do know they played a lot of covers in the old days (Bowie's Suffragette City and recently even Abba's Mama Mia).) N.T.O.C. (Resistance) is a rock track released only on the second SI Compilation Disc and because of this quite hard to find. Notwithstanding little progginess, it is certainly a good and driving track. Eyes Of The Blind is an acoustic track from the Subterranea period. Not impressive, but again not bad. Barbell Is In is IQ going reggae. This is an Esau/Holmes track and is and stays an oddball track in the repertoire of IQ. The Bold Grenadier is a traditional and the photo beneath it (with Paul Cook looking as if he has taken a day of from a Mad Max movie and all the others also trying to look cool) belies the peacefulness of the track. The vocals are by Paul Menel on this track. My Legs is an even bigger oddball than Barbell Is In. Comparable to Geoff Mann's Fascination with Menel on vocals is quite different from the original with its marimba-like opening. Recognizably the same song, but recognizably different all the way. After the crackly original of Hollow Afternoon we close down with three live tracks from radio sessions. The first of these is the rowdy and energetic Awake And Nervous, afterwards we come to the more rare Just Changing Hands (which was also on the illegal Living Proof record) and the final song is the great Widow's Peak, one of the best songs on the Wake. The sound quality is not always great on these live tracks, but the songs come over well.

The extensive booklet is full of photographs and comments of the bandmembers about the songs.

Conclusion

A worthwhile document, not just because IQ is one of my favourite bands and also not just because it is nice to be complete, but simply because the level of the music is very high for a release such as this surpassing the other ones currently available, with Seven Stories being a possible exception. Do not expect a consistent album, since this is only a collection, but notwithstand, the IQ style is prominently available on almost all tracks, lending coherence to the whole.