SEVEN STORIES INTO 98

This double album from the splendid British neo-prog band IQ contains the original recording of Seven Stories into Eight which is the true first full length of the band released in cassette back in 1982, and it's re-recording of 1998!

And I must say that the original one has a lot of charm, and I prefer it over the newest recording. It has its flaws and the sound is very improvable, but it's pure passion of a bunch of young musicians with true talent inside of them. And this album shows part of this talent in tracks like the very progressive and beautiful Intelligence Quotient, the complex Fascination and the very compelling It All Stops Here.

In all these tracks IQ shows the personality and proper sound that would make them one of the best neo-prog band in history! They were clearly not a Genesis or Marillion rip off, and they made it clear in this cassette.

The new version of the album has a better singing from Nicholls, beautiful keyboards and crystal clear guitars. Everything sounds perfect! But the flaws of the songwriting are even more evident than before specially in the new and worse version of Barbell is In and the strange For the Taking, which comes from the band where Peter Nicholls was prior to IQ and it contains incredible (and gruesome) lyrics.

All sounded better in 98 compared to 82, but part of the magic and authenticity was also gone. So, I clearly prefer the old version of the album!

Best Tracks: Capital Letters, Intelligence Quotient, Fascination and It All Stops Here.

Conclusion: another good album from IQ which gives you two version of the same record for the price of one! The newest version of 98 sounds better and the playing and singing are outstanding. But the subpar songwriting makes itself even more evident.

Therefore, I prefer the old version of Seven Stories into Eight with the typical cassette sound of 1982 and all the charm and passion of this musicians who would make history in prog music a few years later with a bunch of memorable albums.

My rating: ***