Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: IQ
Label: Giant Electric Pea
Released: 1983
Length: 56:21
Rating: 4/5
From their very first steps in the late seventies, when they started out under the name The Lens, England’s IQ were one of the most interesting, enigmatic and technically superior bands of the second wave of British progressive rock (the ‘neo prog rock’ label was invented a few years later by the American press; the members of IQ still fight it to this day), even though their career was never exactly a ‘bed of roses’. They recorded their debut »Seven Stories into Eight« in 1982 straight onto cassette for financial reasons (it only got an official release in 1998), and while their neo-prog compatriots Marillion struck a deal with the label giant EMI, IQ had to sweat it out for ages before finally landing a contract with the small label Samurai, where they recorded their second studio effort, »Tales from the Lush Attic«.
The rather avant-garde album cover, depicting individual characters and events from the lyrics, was designed by Peter Nicholls, a singer blessed with a big intellect and a lush imagination, the author of all of IQ’s poetry and one of the most charismatic figures of the neo prog scene. His vocal resemblance to the legendary Peter Gabriel was decisive in getting countless concertgoers to compare the band to Genesis from the very start. Peter’s stage shows certainly added fuel to such comparisons, since early in his career, much like Gabriel, he used makeup to transform himself into different characters from his lyrics. IQ did indeed come out of the legacy of the legends of symphonic prog rock, which was extremely unpopular at the time, in the early eighties. You can hear it not only in Nicholls’ vocals but also in the lavish symphonic arrangements by the versatile keyboardist Martin Orford. On the other hand, thanks to the rather distinctive guitar technique of Mike Holmes, who always liked somewhat edgier guitar phrases and was never particularly close to the classicism of someone like Steve Hackett, IQ already counted among the hardest-hitting neo prog outfits back then.
The biggest Achilles’ heel of the generally strong »Tales from the Lush Attic«, apart from some fairly rookie and somewhat half-baked-sounding arrangement ideas, is the weak production, which the band members were unhappy with for years, which is why they reissued the album in 2013 with a reworked, thoroughly improved production and bonus tracks. The best proof that IQ were an extremely ambitious band with an extraordinary creative fire even in their younger years is the opening, nearly 20-minute super-epic »The Last Human Gateway«, a fairly complex and unpredictable composition that opens with the innovative and distinctive sound of Orford’s mellotron flute. The moment Peter Nicholls’ melodramatic vocals and the symphonic layers of synths kick in, the resemblance to classic Genesis becomes a given. Just like Gabriel, Nicholls was a master of vocal theatrics and constant shifts in emotional mood, while the keyboard variety, with plenty of mellotron to be heard in it, was already very good at the start of their journey, if not downright fascinating.
Holmes’ fiery guitar passages and Orford’s vivid synth textures weave tastefully in and out of each other the whole time, building up a mighty atmosphere, while drummer Paul Cook unleashes quite a few breakneck and totally unexpected fills on his kit. Amid the turbulent, complex time changes you’ll find several calm ambient interludes with majestic mellotron curtains, offering some wonderfully contemplative moments. In the second half of this classic IQ epic there’s an interesting ambient twist as brighter arrangements break through, and Nicholls’ vocals, after their initial resignation, suddenly turn almost hopeful. There’s no shortage of clever improvisations on organ and mini moog either, so something is always happening between the individual instrumental sections. Even then the band members had enviable technical know-how, although as songwriters and arrangers they would improve quite a bit in later years.
The epic closing section, with a mighty mellotron backdrop and Nicholls at the peak of his theatrical singing, is a pure triumph of symphonic prog grandeur, the kind IQ would go on to reach many more times later in their career. For the early eighties, a track as complex and long as »The Last Human Gateway«, which remains the most beloved »Tales from the Lush Attic« moment among most IQ fans to this day, was definitely an extremely risky and bold move. On the less-than-three-minute »Through The Corridors«, which puts a mischievous guitar phrase and Nicholls’ chameleon-like vocal approach front and center, the band, over a quickened rhythmic pulse, also shows off a bit of a sense of humor. High-pitched synth textures, combined with supersonic guitar passages, interlock ideally and successfully carry the track to its fast but still interesting climax.
»Awake And Nervous«, marked by a pompous synth arrangement, is still a popular live standard to this day. According to the band members, it’s even one of the oldest compositions in their history, with roots going back to the time when they were still called The Lens. Here too there’s no shortage of epic and ‘uplifting’ sections, while Nicholls is once again in his beloved ‘carnival’ element, with his sarcastic vocals making it hard to tell mockery from mourning as he narrates a dramatic story. A completely unconventional guitar phrase, combined with a choppy synth motif, nicely ratchets up the turbulent atmosphere. »My Baby Treats Me Right ‘Cos I’m A Hard Lovin’ Man All Night Long«, with its burlesque title that sounds like some kind of Deep Purple parody, is a short solo instrumental through which Orford shows off his virtuoso piano skills.
The album closes with »The Enemy Smacks«, yet another complex, symphonic epic, where irritated guitar passages and dynamic synth textures, backed by vehement drum fills, make for a veritable combat carousel. Nicholls’ vocals are in quite a warlike mood this time, while the central symphonic arrangement sounds rather unusual for IQ, almost positivist. Some wild improvisational ideas that seemed like they wouldn’t be heard again for years after the end of the seventies mark the sprawling instrumental sections of this epic, of which there are plenty, in an intelligent way.
A psychedelic interlude with Nicholls’ mournful vocal confession is almost cruelly cut off by frenzied guitar improvisations and a furious drum cataclysm. Holmes’ bluesy-paced solo eventually paves the way to a sacral-tinged finale of this splendid epic, where Nicholls finally manages to successfully exorcise his inner demon. The reissue of the album on Giant Electric Pea also included a bonus track, the unusually cheerful »Just Changing Hands«, which as a hidden extra also contains a short, exotic-sounding instrumental with an electric sitar.
»Tales from the Lush Attic« is, despite some rookie songwriting slip-ups and the rather limp production that marks the original version of the album, a classic of the neo prog movement. Despite their inexperience, IQ managed to create an ambitious album that holds up pretty well to the test of time even today, and from a historical standpoint it’s also a very important achievement, since, alongside Marillion’s debut, it was one of the first studio releases in the history of the second wave of progressive rock, one that threw the doors wide open to future triumphs for an ambitious band, even though they never received the recognition they deserved for their work.
Lineup
Peter Nicholls – vocals
Mike Holmes – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar
Martin Orford – keyboards, synthesizer, mellotron
Tim Esau – bass guitar
Paul Cook – drums, percussion
Production
IQ
Track list
1. The Last Human Gateway (19:57)
2. Through The Corridors (2:35)
3. Awake And Nervous (7:45)
4. My Baby Treats Me Right ‘Cos I’m A Hard Lovin’ Man All Night Long (1:45)
5. The Enemy Smacks (13:49)
6. Just Changing Hands (bonus track on the reissue) (10:18)
