NOMZAMO

When I take a look at the ratings and reviews for this album and the following one, I perceive the some antagonism that the one which strikes the Marillion's Hogarth era. On one side you have Nomzamo and Are You Sitting Comfortably for IQ and Seasons End and Holidays in Eden for Marillion ; on the other side, you have less accessible or "easy listening" stuff like Subterranea for IQ or Brave for Marillion. Most of reviewers and prog fans prefer the latter ones -not to add that many of them seem to deeply despise the first ones. Well I don't. I think that all of the four albums that I have mentioned before are masterpieces deserving four to five stars.

Coming back to IQ only, yes, indeed, there are pop-oriented songs on Nomzamo or Are You Sitting comfortably. And so what ? Isn't there a life aside pure complex prog rock ? To me, those two albums combine the best of different worlds. There are true prog rock epics like "Human Nature" or "Wurensh", beautiful against-war songs like "Common Ground" or "War Heroes" and, yes, some easiest but not crappy stuff that I could compare to, for instance, Kino's Picture.

I could add that if I had met IQ's music with, let's say, the much praised Subterranea, I wouldn't have gone further with the band since I can't, at this very moment, remember a single melody of this album !

So, please, to all the newcomers to IQ, give a chance to Nomzamo or Are You Sitting Comfortably and make up your own mind.