SUBTERRANEA

Oh the challenge of the infamous double album. It could sink your career in a wink, but also when it's properly made with a sense of decency for the listener, woo-hoo and up we go. I'm not the one bashing on the hard working pionneers of the double-album legacy, au contraire, those are one of my favorite treats.

The White Album (Beatles), Tommy (Who), The Wall (Pink Floyd), Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (Smashing Pumpkins), Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me (The Cure)...all success.

IQ is a definte survivor of the very, very ingrate 90's. They managed to pull through the 80's quite fairly. Easier than the 90's? Well, the neo scene was on the rise and they emerged in the right years with the right approach. Although the music wasn't what it is now in the 80's. Internet, boys bands, cult of the beauty (male and female) and the big $$$ factor is now the lot of a band of youngsters since Nirvana. Gotta have a look by all means. Gotta sell soda pop, clothes and half a million records. So if you're past your golden marketing years (IQ is for sure), the jump in the Y2K could scare the hell out of you.

Well the 90's are way behind and IQ gave a try to put all their material in one album at that time. George Harisson said: "What do you do when you have all those songs floating around? Gotta put them on paper before they're gone." The need to tell a story is probably the main attract for IQ to assemble a colossal project as Subterranea. And the whole thing about the allusion about The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is bullcorn, right?

A heavy meal for a newbie, I must admit it tooked me a while to digest all the songs, and getting my mind to anticipate the melodies. After a long digestion, I realized how solid this album is. Tends to get some filling in the end, but Disk 1 is a total, total killer. No kidding, some of the best stuff of the 90's.

Peter Nicholls' voice sounds like a cross of Neil Tennant (Pet Shop Boys) and Brett Anderson (Suede). Super groovy basses by John Howitt. This guy's really subtle, but I wish I could play as fluidly as him! And what a surprise when I realized that Paul Cook was the drummer! Is he THE Paul Cook from the SEX PISTOLS??? Oh wow! Man would it be cool if it was the same guy, but it's not. Major disappointment, but hey.

Anyway, Nicholls voice and airy keyboards in front, expect lots of melodies to enjoy and lots of headaches to understand the twisted story. But some will not share the lack of complexity and the sluggish progression of the plot.On top it sounds so badly from the past. Couldn't they change their approach?!? This record takes it's time to start and don't have any surprises. Just good music done professionaly.

Close but no cigar.