Sphinx iQ 2

Stars gab es am Discohimmel der siebziger Jahre viele, Sternchen noch viel mehr. Doch die Disco-Queen gab es nur einmal: Amanda Lear. Die einstige Muse Salvador Dalís begann ihre Karriere als Fotomodell und Mannequin, war später in mehreren Ländern als TV-Talkmasterin erfolgreich und ist inzwischen selbst eine geachtete und geschätzte Malerin. Der größte Teil ihrer Fangemeinde besteht jedoch nach wie vor aus Musikfreunden. Kein Geringerer als David Bowie war es, der die Frau mit der geheimnisvollen Aura und der markanten tiefen Stimme dazu ermunterte, Schallplatten aufzunehmen

1993's blistering return to form finds IQ rediscovering the mojo they displaced after 1985's dark, stark, startlingly brilliant `The Wake', a fact not entirely unconnected to vocalist Peter Nicholls' return to the band. But there is more to it than this. It sounds like the whole band has taken stock after a couple of below-par albums, stopped trying to be something they are not, and asserted the collective personality, sound and approach that has served them well right up to this day.

Subterranea: The Concert is exactly what the title says: a complete live rendition of IQ's masterpiece Subterranea. The track list is exactly the same as the studio album (there is not even an extra encore). Following Subterranea's release in September 1997, one question immediately arose: It's a fantastic album, but can the guys pull it off live? This document proves without a doubt they did. Actually, IQ performed the work a few times in 1998 and 1999, turning it into a full-fledged stage production with light show, projections, and an actor, getting very close to Genesis' historical production of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway in 1974-1975 (minus the outrageous costumes).

The Archive Collection: IQ20 is a live album by British progressive rock band IQ released in 2003. The album is the first installment of a series of original bootlegs releases, and was recorded on 16 February 2002 at the Colos-Saal, in Aschaffenburg, Germany, during IQ's 20th anniversary tour. Recorded live in concert from the personal soundboard archives of the band, IQ's 20 is an essential acquisition. This 2 CD package is from the "The Seventh House" tour and contains many of IQ's great songs including a stunning opening into "Awake & Nervous", a great version of "The Wrong Side Of Weird" and a haunting beautiful version of "The Last Human Gateway".

This debut album represents the rich history of the Sphinx Organization and the vibrant future of classical music by centering the artistry of extraordinary composers and artistic visionaries of color.

The Road of Bones is a studio album by the British neo-progressive band IQ, released in 2014. It peaked at number 36 in Germany. It's the first album to feature Neil Durant on keyboards and it marks the return of original members Paul Cook on drums and Tim Esau on bass, the latter appearing on an IQ album for the first time since 1989. IQ are a British neo-progressive rock band founded by Mike Holmes and Martin Orford in 1981 following the dissolution of their original band The Lens. Although the band have never enjoyed major commercial success and had several line up changes, IQ have built up a loyal following over the years and are still active as of 2019, currently with the original recording lineup (with the exception of Orford). In 2011, IQ performed a series of concerts in the UK and Europe celebrating their 30th anniversary.

With a career that spans nearly 25 years, IQ remains one of the biggest names in the world of Progressive Rock. Getting their start in Southhampton England back in 1981, IQ was often compared to two other great Prog bands from the UK, Marillion and Genesis. For years the band struggled to create their own identity. And they did so by outlasting the glory days of Fish’s Marillion and Gabriel’s Genesis. Here again is IQ with their classic line-up of Peter Nicholls, Martin Orford, Mike Holmes, John Jowitt and Paul Cook. Originally released in 1989, Are You Sitting Comfortably? features Paul Menel on vocals, coalescing in Britain's foremost prog rock groups since the '80s. There is not a bad track on this album; lush soundscapes, thought provoking lyrics, brilliant musicianship, it's all here. Take a chance on this one, it is a classic and well worth investing in!

As progressive rock entered its revival stage in the early '80s, IQ was right in the middle of it. Without any emphasis on one particular instrument, Tales From the Lush Attic is an album that offers a balanced portion of hurried guitar and enveloping keyboards. Specks of prog-era Genesis glisten with every note sung by lead singer Peter Nicholls, who sounds eerily like Peter Gabriel. Even the structure of some of the songs resemble bits of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, but there's an air to this album that gathers attention, especially on the synth-ridden passages. Quick interchanges of 12-string guitar and Mellotron create an instrumental seesaw effect, peaking in the longer tracks like the 20-minute "Last Human Gateway" or "The Enemy Smacks."

‘Ever’ the hugely popular IQ album that saw the return of Peter Nicholls to the fold in the early nineties is now 25 years young! To mark this occasion GEP are releasing a special ‘definitive’ 3 disc edition of the album with a 2018 remix by Mike Holmes. Presented in a 4 panel digipak format with a 40 page booklet, the package includes extra material on the first disc, along with newly recorded live versions of the whole album on disc 2. Disc 3 (DVD) contains a surround sound mix of the studio album plus a surround mix of the live material, along with over 2 hours of ‘further listening’ files comprising album demos, studio outtakes rehearsal tapes and unused ideas. All in all disc 3 contains nearly 4 hours of music. The 40 page booklet is packed with lots of contemporary photos, stories and memories from the time and features contributions from all the band members of 1992.

Released in September 1997, Subterranea was quickly hailed by most progressive rock critics as a masterpiece and became one of the very few "classic" albums this style brought forth in 1990s. The two-CD, 103-minute concept album is indeed IQ's strongest effort and would even eclipse The Wake, if it weren't for the historical significance of the 1985 LP. An obscure story of subterranean beings, life-and-death chase, and initiatory quest packed with metaphorical implications, Subterranea, as a concept, is typical Peter Nicholls; all lyrics remain vague, only suggesting emotions and bits of plot, but to phenomenal results. The easy comparison would be Genesis' The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway and, yes, there is something of that in here, but the meaning of this album is even more cryptic…