IQ - Seven Stories Into 98 (1998) {2021, Japanese Reissue, Remastered}

Even though Tales From the Lush Attic was IQ's first LP, the band had self-released a cassette in October 1982 entitled Seven Stories Into Eight. Recorded on a domestic four-track machine, this collection of songs shows the band in its formative months, as members were trying to agree on the musical direction they wanted to follow. The cassette was sold at shows and via mail order until 1984, when it was deleted. Each copy was packaged with handmade artwork by singer Peter Nicholls. The album opens with "Capital Letters (In Surgical Spirit Land)," an atypical high-octane fusion number à la Brand X or National Health. Speaking of atypical, one must mention the reggae song "Barbell Is In" (which became the band's first single). "For Christ's Sake" is a rocking medley of Christmas themes. More typical IQ songs include "Intelligence Quotient," "Fascination," and "It All Stops Here," all later re-recorded with Paul Menel on vocals (these versions are available on J'Ai Pollette d'Arnu). The sound quality is of course lousy, but these cassettes are now worth quite some money for collectors. In 1998, the band re-recorded (with Nicholls on vocals) all eight songs from the original cassette and released it as Seven Stories Into 98. The first pressing included a second disc containing Seven Stories Into Eight. By the way, the first song segues into the second, hence the title.