IQ - Subterranea. 1997 England

The two-CD follow-up Subterranea has always been tough for me to penetrate ever since its release in 1997 and my immediate subsequent purchase.  I know some folks don't want to hear this, but yea, it's definitely IQ's version of Genesis' The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. As with that work, this album focuses on a concept album with specific focus on heavy lyrical content while the instrumentation and complex arrangements (if they are complex at all) take a back seat. Subterranea is one hour and 42 minutes in duration. I'd say that's about one hour too long. For an album that features 19 tracks, it's amazing not one of them really stands out in an extraordinary way. Subterranea is one of those albums that I really want to like, since it's obviously very popular with fans of the band - and I am too a fan of the band - and yet this one is lost on me. On this last listen, I was bound and determined I would get everything out of it as possible. I sat there, headphones on, dedicated to hearing the entire album in one sitting listening to every note, without distraction. But I just couldn't find any major redeeming qualities. There was no 'Enemy Smacks' or 'Widow's Peak' or 'Fading Senses' or any of the other great tracks from the first two albums and Ever. I have to say there is a lot of down time with Subterranea. Long stretches of vocals and boom-boom-bash drumming over a wall of keyboards and guitar choruses - like any respected pop band would do. They just couldn't let go of those commercial aspirations, even a decade later. If nothing else, if you start with Disc 2, you are likely to have a better experience. Yes, the 20 minute track 'The Narrow Margin' is really the best thing here, and even it doesn't really get cooking until the halfway mark. It's not a bad album mind you, not at all in fact, but it's definitely their weakest studio release beyond those two albums that I hope need not name. They were to improve from here though - dramatically so.

CD: 2005 Inside Out

12/17/14 (new entry)