IQ - Lost Attic: A Collection of Rarities (2000)

Released in the wake of Subterranea's success, The Lost Attic: A Collection of Rarities (1983-1999) is exactly what the title says. The reference to Tales From the Lush Attic, IQ's first album (its second if one counts the self-released cassette Seven Stories Into Eight), indicates most of the material included here focuses on the periods when Peter Nicholls was with the band (1983-1985 and 1991-1999), whereas the previous collection J'Ai Pollette D'Arnu was more centered on the Paul Menel years. The Lost Attic includes two unreleased songs from the Subterranea sessions, many fan club-only releases and compilation tracks, a couple of oddities, and three songs from a 1984 BBC session. "Wintertell," an unused song circa Tales From the Lush Attic, presents the band in a different light, very close to 1969 Genesis. The new recording of the obscure track "Hollow Afternoon" is welcome, and the middle section from the epic "The Last Human Gateway" works very well as an autonomous track. But the real ear candy is "Awake and Nervous" and "Widow's Peak" -- beautiful performances, stronger than those found on Living Proof. Of course The Lost Attic is aimed at IQ fans and newcomers should definitely start elsewhere, but it is a lot more satisfying than the previous collection J'Ai Pollette D'Arnu.