To celebrate the 25th anniversary of IQ´s classic album The Wake, GEP is to release an extraordinary 4 disc edition of this recording.
The 4-disc boxed set includes:
the remastered version of the album
two additional discs with:
- work in progress
- rough mixes
- studio outtakes
- demos
- writing sessions
a fourth disc containing:
- 47 minutes of ultra-rare live video from 1984 (the oldest existing footage of the band)
- a full album video commentary by Peter Nicholls, Mike Holmes and Paul Cook
- the multi-track files for a DIY-mix of the song “Corners“
- tons of additional audio-material and interviews as mp3 files.
a 60-page-full-colour-booklet, featuring new artwork, unseen photographs, memorabilia and a documentary of the album´s history with contributions from all members of the band.
a double sided poster featuring the original album artwork
PLEASE NOTE: This will ship on or before the 30th July
http://www.iq-store.co.uk/shop/
Obligatory swag:
NF t-shirt
NF program
NF pint glass
Not so obligatory swag:
Frogg Cafe t-shirt (came with the CD below)
CDs:
Frogg Cafe - Bateless Edge
The Enid - Journey's End
The Enid - Arise and Shine
King Crimson - Lizard 40th Anniversary Edition
Cabezas De Cera - CDC Live USA CD/DVD
Strawbs - Dancing to the Devil's Beat
Strawbs - The Broken-Hearted Bride
Strawbs - Live at NEARfest 2004
Deluge Grander - The Form of the Good
RPWL: The Gentle Art of Music
Birds and Buildings - Bantam to Behemoth
Renaissance - In the Land of the Rising Sun: Live in Japan 2001
The Tangent - Going off on One 2CD/DVD Limited Edition
IQ: Stage: Dark Matter Live in America and Germany 2005 DVD
The Enid: Something Wicked This Way Comes: Live at Claret Hall Farm and Stonehenge 1984 DVD
Serious change has been afoot in the IQ camp. After years of service, long-time IQ drummer Paul Cook left the band in 2005 following touring for their 2004 opus Dark Matter. Andy Edwards, who had formerly worked with Robert Plant among others, was deputised in, and appeared with the band for their North American dates. Following the touring cycle, the group convened to begin work on their follow-up release. Shortly after, Martin Orford also decided to part ways with the group he had been a member of since the very beginning. His spot was filled by Darwin’s Radio keysman Mark Westworth, and the band resumed sessions for the release that would become Frequency.It’s hard to compare this release to previous IQ albums; it holds so many of the familiar signposts that mark it is IQ music, yet in many ways this is a rebirth of a band that has been around for nearly 30 years. Mark Westworth adds a different orchestral voice to the band’s sound, while Edwards is a different drummer than Paul Cook was; not better, not worse, just different (of course, the circle turns, and on tour for Frequency Edwards will be replaced by Paul Cook, as Edwards is taking time off for personal reasons). Peter Nicholls’ voice is a constant, and he’s in fine voice throughout. Mike Holmes has always been a hallmark of the band’s sound, almost more so than the keyboardist (somewhat unusual in NWOBPR bands), and his playing is as incisive and cutting as ever. John Jowitt continues to produce as well…considering how many bands he is in, it is amazing he hasn’t simply run out of notes to play, or fingers to play them with, but his bass work here is as energetic as ever.
You want epic? IQ gives you epic on their opening, and title track. Some sampled radio chatter leads into a huge opening, with plodding, almost martial drums and guitar meshing with lengthy mellotron chords. One pictures some monolithic, massive thing moving inexorably forward, crushing all beneath its feet. The song does not remain thus for long, and some dynamics come in to play. Nicholls is in fine voice, and “Frequency” gives everyone a chance to step into the spotlight for a monent. Of note is the song’s closing moments, which offer a bit of a preview of the massive “Ryker Skies” to follow later on the album.
Gentle piano introduces “Life Support,” rising from the silence that followed the epic closing of the album’s title track. One might be expecting a quiet IQ ballad here, and one would need to be forgiven for that assumption. While we get 2 minutes of piano and Nicholls vocals, things shift massively 2:30 in, as the rest of the band decides to get into the mix. Long suspended notes hang like power lines as the band creates some sublime intensity. Jowitt’s bass notes pulse, Edwards’ drumming is nearly perfect, and Holmes and Westworth channel Steve Hackett and Tony Banks respectively as they trade off expressive guitar and keyboard solos.
While it’s far from the longest piece on Frequency, “Ryker Skies” is perhaps the epic to end all epics here. The song is massive, intense, builds throughout, with fantastic playing and singing from everyone in the band. You wouldn’t know it from the opening moments, filled with gentle singing and guitar playing, but when it hits, it hits with the power of a wall of bricks stopping a car going 60. I can’t pick a highlight here…the vocals and melodies, the sustained guitar lines suspended like eerie cellos, the orchestration…everything fits here. Pre-echoed in the final closing moments of “Frequency” several tracks, ago, “Ryker Skies” is the song I come back to time and time again on this release.
At over 13 minutes, “The Province” is by far the longest track on Frequency. Mike Holmes opens things up with some quiet picked guitar, Nicholls jumps in with quiet vocals, and Westworth adds some subtle keys underneath to richen the palate somewhat. The fast/heavy sectionthat rises from the pastoral opening at 2:30 is mind-blowing, and comes close to surpassing some of the band'’ most intense moments to date; I won’t say that this is IQ doing prog metal, because it certainly isn’t…but maybe some prog metal bands could take a lesson in how to create intensity from listening to how IQ does it.
IQ closes out things with a gentle, poppy, yet expansive track in “Closer.” This is a summer song for sure, filled with bright instrumental colours, light playing, and a positive, happy vibe throughout that really eases things up after the darkness and heaviness of “Ryker Skies” and “The Province.” “Closer” shows that IQs music, and prog in general, is not entirely about bombast and how many notes can be jammed into each moment, but about the playing of musicians with each other, creating intricate and beautiful music that evoke and mirror every side of human emotion. “Closer” is a brilliant closing track, offering a glimpse of light after the darkness.
Unlike the previous Dark Matter, Frequency does not offer up a single massive epic on a similar scale to “Harvest of Souls.” Most of the tracks fall comfortably in the six to nine minute range, with two mini-epics of 10 and 13 minutes respectively adding the length many prog fans long for in compositions. This is a boon for the band; the songs seem more tightly composed and to the point for their relative brevity, allowing room for development while keeping things tight enough to not slip away.
Is Frequency a stronger album than Dark Matter? No. It’s a different album than Dark Matter, and it is all the better for it.
01. Frequency
02. Life Support
03. Stronger Than Friction
04. One Fatal Mistake
05. Ryker Skies
06. The Province Of The King
07. Closer
Peter Nicholls: vocals
Mike Holmes: guitars
Mark Westworth: keyboards
John Jowitt: bass guitar
Andy Edwards: drums
As we rev things back up, here's a taste of what I have been listening to:IQ - Frequency. The new album. Expect a review post tomorrow.
Taylor's Universe - Return to Whatever. Expect a review by the end of the week.
UFO - The Visitor. I should be reviewing this next week.
Magnum - Into the Valley of the Moon King
Oceansize - Frames (US edition w/DVD)
All this and more to be covered soon.
And this year may well be the year of the live blog from NEARfest...details to follow!
The new IQ studio album ‘Frequency’ is scheduled to be released early next year but, to coincide with the forthcoming live dates, November will see the release of two new collectible Tour CDs. Both discs will feature about 40 minutes of exclusive material, unavailable elsewhere, including brand new recordings from the studio this year and rare archive material, stretching as far back as 1985.
These Tour CDs (Archive Collection Volumes 2 and 3) will be limited to 1000 copies each and will be on sale at the concerts in November and December. For those of you unable to attend these shows, the discs will also be available by mail order at a later date, details to be announced shortly.
The full track listings are as follows:
DISC 1 (AC002)
1. Frequency (Alternative Mix, from ‘Frequency’ sessions, 2008)
2. Already Gone (From ‘Frequency’ sessions, 2008)
3. Lost In Paradise (From 'The Tsunami Projekt', 2005)
4. Crazy Horses (Live at the Mean Fiddler, London: December 15, 2001)
5. Corners (Original Demo, January 1985)
6. Suffragette City (From ‘Frequency’ sessions, 2008)
7. Crashed And Burned (Stronger Than Friction) (Live at De Boerderij, Zoetermeer: December 1, 2007
DISC 2 (AC003)
1. The Province (Studio Outtake, from ‘Frequency’ sessions, 2008)
2. One Fatal Mistake (Extended Version, from ‘Frequency’ sessions, 2008)
3. Chemical Rain (From ‘After The Storm’, 2005)
4. Jet (Live at the Mean Fiddler, London: December 15, 2001)
5. Outer Limits (Original Demo, January 1985)
6. Frequency (Live at De Boerderij, Zoetermeer: December 1, 2007)
RiversideReality Dream Tour 2008 (with special guest Lazuli)
10.12.2008: NL-Amsterdam/Paradiso
11.12.2008: FR-Paris/Scene Bastille
13.12.2008: D-Bochum/Zeche
14.12.2008: BE-Limbourg/Kursaal
15.12.2008: D-Mainz/Kuz
16.12.2008: CH-Pratteln/Z7
Ritual
The Hemulic Voluntary Band back in England
07.11.2008: GB-Southend/Riga Music Bar08.11.2008: GB-Rotherham/Classic Rock Society
IQ
Live 2008
22.11.2008: D-Aschaffenburg/Colos-Saal
29.11.2008: GB-Bury/The Met
13.12.2008: GB-London/Astoria
The Summers End Festival is delighted to announce that Abel Ganz will play the third slot on Sunday 28th September. The resurgent Scots will shortly release their eagerly awaited new album Shooting Albatross, which features guest appearances from former band member Alan Reed of Pallas and Chris Fry of Magenta. The album combines melodic prog with delicious Celtic textures and promises to be one of the releases of 2008.
www.abelganz.com
The current festival line up now looks like this, with 4 bands still to be announced:
Friday 26th September - Threshold (UK - headliner) www.thresh.net
Support band TBC
Saturday 27th
IQ (UK - headliner) www.gep.co.uk/iq
Magenta (UK - special guests) www.magenta-web.com
Quidam (Poland ) www.quidam.pl
Abarax (Germany) www.abarax.de
Opening band TBC
Sunday 28th
The Tangent (UK / Sweden - headliner) http://thetangent.org
Frost* (UK - special guests) http://thenewcube.blogspot.com/
Abel Ganz (UK) www.abelganz.com
Other two bands TBC
The 2008 festival will take place on the evening of Friday 26th, Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th of September, at the Hall, Lydney, with 1, 2 or 3 day tickets available. There are no age restrictions.
More details of the festival, including further bands, ticket sales, accommodation, and sponsorship packages will be released very soon.
We are delighted to announce that the 4th Summer's End, the UK's finest Progressive Rock Festival, will take place on the 26/27/28 September, at its new home at The Hall, Lydney, Gloucestershire.
We are also thrilled to announce the first 3 bands for the Festival:
Following their inspirational set at the festival last year, Threshold will make a welcome return to Summer's End as headliners on Friday 26th. With Damian Wilson now firmly re-established as vocalist, prog-metal's brightest stars have gone from strength to strength in the last 12 months. Their most recent album, Dead Reckoning, has been rapturously received by prog and metal fans alike.
www.thresh.net
Prog legends iQ will headline Saturday 27th September. 25 years into their prestigious career, iQ continue to excite audiences all over the world. A new album - the much anticipated follow up to 2004's Dark Matter - is in the works, which will be the first with new keyboard player, Mark Westworth.
www.gep.co.uk/iq/
Special guests on Sunday 28th will be Frost*, whose 2006 album, Milliontown, was a huge hit amongst prog and rock audiences worldwide. Their new album, Experiments in Mass Appeal, is due for release in 2008 and looks set to further enhance their reputation, adding the vocal talents of Declan Burke (Darwin's Radio) to the existing band of Jem Godfrey, John Mitchell, John Jowitt and Andy Edwards.
http://thenewcube.blogspot.com/
The Hall, Lydney
Lydney is on the edge of the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, just 20 miles from Gloucester, 25 miles from Bristol and 40 miles from Cardiff and with excellent communications in every direction. The venue itself has a 400 capacity, with a comfortable atmosphere, great sound and a good-sized stage. Festival Co-organiser Huw Lloyd Jones explains the reasons for the move:
"The past 2 years at the Robin have been fantastic and we can't thank Mike Hamblett and his staff enough for their support and generosity. However, Summer's End was always conceived as a South-Western festival (our first edition was in Gloucester) and the time has come for us to move back home. The contacts we have established with local accommodation providers, combined with the charm of the venue, the town and the fabulous Forest of Dean will, we believe, deliver the best Summer's End yet."
The 2008 festival will take place on the evening of Friday 26th, Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th of September, with 1, 2 or 3 day tickets available. There are no age restrictions.
More details of the festival, including further bands, ticket sales, accommodation, and sponsorship packages will be released very soon.
Visit us online at www.summersend.co.uk (to be updated soon)
www.myspace.com/summersendfestival (to be updated soon)
Join the yahoo group at: http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/summersendfestival
