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TALES FROM THE LUSH ATTIC 2013 REMIX

IQ

Neo-Prog


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IQ Tales from the Lush Attic 2013 Remix album cover
4.62 | 107 ratings | 10 reviews | 65% 5 stars

Essential: a masterpiece of
progressive rock music

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Boxset/Compilation, released in 2013

Songs / Tracks Listing

CD
1. The Last Human Gateway (20:20)
2. Through The Corridors (Oh! sh*t Me) (2:38)
3. Awake And Nervous (7:57)
4. My Baby Treats Me Right 'Cos I'm A Hard Lovin' Man All Night Long (1:51)
5. The Enemy Smacks (14:06)

2013 remix by Michael Holmes, engineered by Rob Aubrey

Bonus tracks:
6. Wintertell (2012 recording) (5:38)
7. The Last Human Gateway (End section, alternative vocals) (2:48)
8. Just Changing Hands (Unfinished demo) (3:06)
9. Dans Le Parc du Ch?teau Noir (Unfinished demo) (6:45)

Total Time: 65:14


DVD - Live at De Boerderij, Zoetermeer, Holland: October 23, 2011
1. The Last Human Gateway
2. Through The Corridors (Oh! Shit Me)
3. About Lake Five / Awake And Nervous
4. The Enemy Smacks

Bonus features:
1. Photo Gallery (Contemporary photos and artwork)
2. DIY Mix of 'Through The Corridors' : multi-track audio files and mixing software

3. MP3 files:
a. Tales From The Lush Attic (Original mix: August 1983)
b. Seven Stories into Eight (Original cassette album)
c. Tales from the Lush Attic - audio commentary by Peter and Mike
d. Further listening:
- The Enemy Smacks (First attempts: November 1982)
- The Last Human Gateway (Writing session: February 1983)
- Just Changing Hands (Instrumental demo: February 1983)
- Just Changing Hands (Rehearsal: February 11, 1983)
- Wintertell (Demo: July 1983)
- The Last Human Gateway (First complete version - rehearsal: July 27, 1983)
- Untitled version 1 (Rehearsal: August 1983)
- Untitled version 2 (Rehearsal: August 1983)
- Hollow Afternoon (Demo, original lyrics: 1983)
- Just Changing Hands (Cava demo: 1984)
- The Last Human Gateway (Middle section: 1991 recording)

Line-up / Musicians

- Peter Nicholls / voice
- Mike Holmes / guitar
- Martin Orford / keyboards
- Tim Essau / bass
- Paul Cook / drums

Releases information

CD+DVD GEP (2013, 30th anniversary collector's edition)

The 30th anniversary special edition of 'Tales' is a double disc hard back 32 page book with lots of extras, including the complete remix of the album and a DVD featuring live video footage of material from 'Tales' along with a host of MP3 files, original mixes, audio commentary and previously unreleased writing/rehearsal/demo material.

Thanks to rdtprog for the addition
and to NotAProghead for the last updates
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IQ Tales from the Lush Attic 2013 Remix ratings distribution


4.62
(107 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(65%)
65%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(26%)
26%
Good, but non-essential (7%)
7%
Collectors/fans only (2%)
2%
Poor. Only for completionists (0%)
0%

IQ Tales from the Lush Attic 2013 Remix reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by kev rowland
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Reviewer
5 stars Can it really be 30 years since IQ released their debut vinyl album? I still regret not hearing them back then, and to be honest only came across this album when it was reissued by GEP in '94. By then I had seen them in concert and was wondering why on earth I hadn't been a regular at their gigs in the Eighties. Originally this was just 5 songs long, yet this reissue (excluding the DVD) contains 33! And I loved hearing every one of them! IQ have been at the top of the UK underground prog scene for many years, and the original songs contained here seem like old friends, whether it be the 20 minute plus opener 'The Last Human Gateway', 'Awake and Nervous', the 14 minute 'The Enemy Smacks' or the much shorter 'Through The Corridors' and even Martin's great piano piece 'My Baby Treats Me Right 'Cos I'm A Hard Lovin' Man All Night Long' which makes me think of Spinal Tap every time I play it ('You know, just simple lines intertwining, you know, very much like - I'm really influenced by Mozart and Bach, and it's sort of in between those, really. It's like a Mach piece, really. It's sort of... this piece is called 'Lick My Love Pump'.)

It is important to put this album into context. According to www.progarchives.com this is the third most highly rated album of the year, and the one above it? 'Script for a Jester's Tear'. But while that was getting the full EMI publicity, this album slipped out with little or no publicity (before you ask, the top album is Bacamarte's 'Depois Do Fim' which is well worth hearing but I wouldn't place it above these two). The one thing that let the album down was the production, so thirty years on the band have rectified that issue, and how. I have never heard these songs sound so clear and polished, yet the power and emotion is still there. This is a band that like Marillion, Pallas, Twelfth Night and others were looking back into the Seventies for their inspiration and in fact some of the music on this album was written and performed by the band's predecessor, The Lens as long ago as '76. So while some critics may say that some of this was influenced by Marillion they are way off base, and if you listen to Mike's guitarwork and Martin's keyboards it is obvious that they are coming from different places than Steve and Mark.

What this set brings together is remixes, bonus songs, the original mix of the album, the original mix of 'Seven Stories Into Eight' (which in fairness was also reissued when they revisited and re-recorded the album as 'Seven Stories Into 98'), plus unreleased songs, writing sessions, and an extremely interesting interview which brings that period of the band's history very much to life. Then to cap it all there is a live DVD recorded in 2011 where the band performs the album (minus Martin's piano piece as he is no longer involved) plus a photo gallery etc. If you are a proghead then you are probably already familiar with this album, but even if you already own it in multiple versions you also need to invest in this as this is definitive. As an IQ fan, all I can say is bring on the same for 'The Wake'! You've got two years guys to match that up to this!!!! www.iq-hq.co.uk

Review by rdtprog
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Heavy, RPI, Symph, JR/F Canterbury Teams
4 stars Along with Marillion "Script for A Jester's Tear" and Pendragon "The Jewel", this cd of IQ was a giant discovery for me, in a decade where prog rock was trying to relive after the golden age of the 70's. I purchased the vinyl with the nice red color cover and was immediately in love with the band's music. IQ's music was reminiscent of Genesis mainly for the similarity of Nicholls' voice with Gabriel.

Here we have the remix of that album on CD/DVD boxset set with a bunch of alternate versions and a very nice show that we can enjoy in audio and video. The remix is well done, clear and put a smile on your face, when you realize that it was done 30 years ago. I didn't felt any disappointment by listening to the original lp, sound wise, so i was not to be disappointed with the remix, who can only be better.

As for the alternate versions, the sound goes from bad to good, but there is some funny versions that are enjoyable. I imagine that the band wanted to include as many songs as possible just for historical value. The concert on the DVD is what i enjoyed the most, very professional like all their dvds, it is worth the price of the boxset alone .

Review by richardh
PROG REVIEWER
5 stars IQ have long been one of my favourite bands going back to the days of Tommy Vance and the Friday Rock Show in the mid eighties. What struck me immediately from the first time I heard them on a BBC session was this was a band that had the 'chops' to be a proper prog band and not a pale representation. The Last Human Gateway and Through The Corridors have splendid amounts energy and complexity that is unlike most neo prog of the time. This was punk clashing head on with punk and vocalist Peter Nicholls was well able to put across all the pent up angst you could possibly want. Dark atmospheric brilliant and complex. What more could you possibly want? Well a better production for starters and that is what this new package is about. Its NOT a remaster but a total remix. AS I learned from the interesting commentary on the bonus DVD Holmes was able to go back and fix many of the issues that existed with the original production. The synths and mellotron now have a much warmer feel altogether and there are some interesting vocal effects from the use of tailored'plug ins' (software devices apparently).

What was a masterpeice with a poor production is now a masterpeice. The bonus DVD gives you a live performance of Gateway and a few other tracks including The Enemy Smacks. Amusing to see 'I Quo' and good to see Tim Esau again (but cheer up a bit please Tim, it may never happen). There is also a good commentary with plenty of interesting info about that period of IQ (Nicholls and Holmes do the commentary). I love the story about them trying to break into the Marquee to see the Garden Wall gig (the rehearsal for the 6 man Genesis reunion at Milton Keynes) and they ended up on the roof ! As they admit this helped bond them together.

In summary this is a really nice package. CAUTION If you don't like the original album then don't buy this package because it won't change your mind and that is not its purpose.

Review by tszirmay
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
5 stars Boy, am I glad IQ decided to reissue their debut masterpiece, a recording that has somewhat disappeared from my earshot , even though it is presumably one of the iconic pillars of prog's survival with Marillion's Script and Twelfth Night's Fact and Fiction. These three kept the flickering flame of progressive glowing in the dark night and eventually kick starting a global renaissance which has never been healthier than in 2013. I still have my vinyl copy in storage so when this colossally re-worked, re-mastered and essentially "cleaned up" work was lovingly unleashed by Mister Holmes and Co, I took a leap of faith and hunted this gorgeous package down. Everything is perfect from the lush book-like packaging that includes a DVD and samples, beautiful artwork and most importantly a pristine sound that almost qualifies as a current album! From the opening bars of "The Last Human Gateway", a spectacular progressive epic that sprawls over 20 minutes and remains a fan favorite as well as a prog classic together with the other seminal IQ extravaganza, "The Enemy Smacks". These 2 giants are now less obscure sonically, with clean production and added oomph! Truth is, there will always be an audience for quality music, regardless of trends and fads. When you witness a huge melody as in the mid- section, you just cannot help to feel overwhelmed at their audacious counter-revolution. In 1982, Prog became a rebel with a cause and has not abated since, impervious to the Rolling Stone slight (a lousy elitist pseudo mag anyway, named after a guileless band of profiteers!) and countless other musician wannabees who have given themselves license to spew their jealousy-ridden bile. I prefer bombastic, pompous and overbearing to bloody formulaic anytime!

The boys in the band did not hesitate to begin their recorded journey with barely hidden sarcasm: "You want a long track- OK, a short track, no problem or how about a medium sized one, ey?" Wham-bam thank you, ma'am! So "The Last Human Gateway" straddles a wide musical berth, wishing to immediately express its status as a rebellious middle finger to the punk explosion that ultimately went nowhere, funny that just like with Rock n Roll, the real musicians came to the fore with prog, the two riff punkers were replaced by new wave master musicians who jumped on the fad/bandwagon (Magazine, Thomas Dolby, Ultravox, John Foxx, Depeche Mode etc?)! A sprawling epic opener in a disenchanted world of 3 minute disposable songs with MTV video that was balls, man! Peter Nicholls will never be accused of an owning an original voice, he just took the Gabriel style one step beyond. Occasionally dreamy and pastoral, for the most part the band prefers an organ-driven rollercoaster assault, propelled by solid bass and drums. Orford splashes some sporadic mellotron just to keep the symphonic momentum, while Mike Holmes throws in some inspired guitar work. You can actually feel the hot smoke emanating from the mighty mellotron. Nice trip indeed! So as to prove an imaginary point , "Through the Corridors" is wee tiny at barely 2 minutes and a half but bruising in an almost punkish mode, Holmes stinging guitar licks shoving the keys along, while Peter sings his anger succinctly. "Awake and Nervous" finds a classy middle ground, a boisterous undertaking in sound and fury with discernable rage and fine bluster. There are some stylish sections that verge on metal rampaging, which just provides more "weight" to their vision, like the elegant synth/guitar interplay three quarters in. A short Emersonian piano interlude keeps things in melodic perspective but shows Martin's talent to be a real thing! Love the title though, full of British irony and sarcasm. "The Enemy Smacks" is appropriately explosive, angry yet also playful, a classic track still expected by fans at IQ concerts (I saw this live in Montreal a few years back and was stunned). The piece is just a huge snow plow of sound (especially with all the new fixings) , giving each player a platform to divulge some astonishing inspiration (Holmes, Orford, Esau and Cook) but Nicholls steals the show, taking the 'Foxhead' a step forward in so many ways, his pleading voice keeping things palpably poignant. The acme is reached at the circa seven minute mark, the instrumental brew becoming a storm of brutality and relentless pummeling, boom-boom bass and tectonic drumming , with surly organ and searing guitar blasts exploding all over the speakers, I mean it sounds almost like Deep Purple for a few minutes.

Add the bonus tracks "Wintertell" (2012 recording), "The Last Human Gateway" (End section, alternative vocals), "Just Changing Hands" (Unfinished demo) and "Dans Le Parc du Château Noir" (Unfinished demo), plus a DVD , Photo Gallery, samples and interviews and you get a timeless copy of a formative classic, a cornerstone icon of progressive splendor.

5 opulent lofts

Review by Magnum Vaeltaja
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
5 stars I've posted this before on the original release of the album, unaware that this remaster has its own entry on the site, so I'll post it again since it holds even more true here:

In the midst of the 1980's, when the prog giants turned to pop and AOR, IQ stood true to the genre's fundamentals as one of the most talented, competent and creative of neo-prog groups. Although they'd soon go the commercial route, too, with the more new wave and pop-influenced releases that they're churning out even to this day, this debut LP "Tales From The Lush Attic" found the band filling their symphonic shoes and running a marathon. The album spans 5 tracks, ranging from short interludes to grandiose epics and each song is crafted wonderfully and with care and emotion, even the "filler" tracks.

Now, just who is IQ? Well, Genesis, frankly. Or so the accusations are made: "hero worshippers", "plagiarists", "copycats", all of which are titles that this debut has earned IQ. It really is impossible to deny the obvious Genesis influence that defines this album. However, I don't see it as a weakness at all. In fact, the blatant Genesis cloning is what makes this album truly great. Where Genesis was rich in inspiration, they were pretty down lousy at making flawless albums. For all of their greatest highs, they had equally magnitudinal lows. Whether it was the unnecessary and unfunny attempts at comedy like "Harold the Barrel" or "Epping Forest", soulless and mechanical material like "Watcher of the Skies", or putting awkward verses into what would have been a perfect instrumental (*cough* Firth of Fifth *cough*), Genesis just had a real knack for watering down their best output.

But "Tales From The Lush Attic"? This album is all killer, no filler, baby. Each track is a substantial, developed, well-paced, and well-placed musical experience. As well, frontman Peter Nicholls, while sounding very similar to Peter Gabriel, has much less rasp to his voice, leading to a more refined, less abrasive listening experience, all while retaining the same emotional wealth. The best part, though? IQ has far more instrumental firepower than Genesis ever did. No flaccid Tony Banks tinkling to be heard here, and no dated-sounding Hackett guitar tones. Instead we have the boisterous and confident-sounding attack of four top notch players who have no trouble getting a little untamed when the music calls for it. The only thing that I think might make this album even better would be if they included more acoustic sections, as that was the one thing that classic Genesis did nail consistently. That really is just a minor complaint, though, because this is high calibre symphonic prog through and through.

The best part, though? IQ has found a way to make "Tales From The Lush Attic" even better than when it was first released. This remixed version of this album by Giant Electric Pea is the one that you should seek out. The production is fantastic and it includes several bonus tracks such as the shorter ballad "Wintertell", the dramatic and well-orchestrated "Dans Le Parc Du Chateau Noir" and "Just Changing Hands", a jam-like instrumental that shows off the band's soloing capabilities. And unlike bonus tracks on many other albums, these ones can actually be cut and spliced into the original album and flow very well as a cohesive unit.

So there you have it. This 30th anniversary version of "Tales From The Lush Attic" is truly essential for fans of symphonic prog. Like I said to finish off my review of the original release, I'll say once again: this isn't just Genesis revisited, this is Genesis improved.

Latest members reviews

5 stars I think, as in my case, rating assigned to original of 1983 is mainly due to the low quality and poor sound recording. This remastering enhances the work to another level, similar to what happens with The Wake remastered. About music has already been told enough. Tales from the Lush Attic is a ... (read more)

Report this review (#1112416) | Posted by sinslice | Saturday, January 11, 2014 | Review Permanlink

5 stars Being a massive IQ fan from the early 80's meant I already had the original version of this album. What a surprise to learn that it had been reissued this year and had been given a total overhaul sound wise. Rob Aubry and Mike holmes have done a fantastic job bringing this album to us sounding li ... (read more)

Report this review (#1003297) | Posted by coe3231 | Monday, July 22, 2013 | Review Permanlink

5 stars TALES FROM THE LUSH ATTIC: REINVIGORATED WITH FRESH, CLEAN SOUND! As a huge fan of IQ, I am so delighted to say that TALES FROM THE LUSH ATTIC has finally got the attention and care it fully deserves. Back in 1983, the original recording of TFTLA was absolutely marred by poor audio and producti ... (read more)

Report this review (#997008) | Posted by progbethyname | Saturday, July 13, 2013 | Review Permanlink

5 stars (9/10) Well, I've been saying for years that all that it would take to push this album up to 5 stars would be a decent re-recording. So I guess my prayers have been partially answered in 2013 when Mike Holmes, took it upon himself to remix (not re-record) "Tales From The Lush Attic", and add a bu ... (read more)

Report this review (#921337) | Posted by ScorchedFirth | Saturday, March 2, 2013 | Review Permanlink

2 stars If I'd known that this album came from the 1980's, I'd have been more reluctant to try it... But, having said that, 'The Wake' came after, and that's a great album! What we have on 'Tales' is a band perhaps intent on establishing their own Prog sound, but it doesn't really deliver. This certa ... (read more)

Report this review (#912923) | Posted by sussexbowler | Tuesday, February 12, 2013 | Review Permanlink

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