IQ - Ever 25th anniversary edition + Archive collection reissue

[Progatron]

Pretty exciting news from IQ this morning! I will be ALL OVER both of these. Can't wait for the Montreal gig too, hoping Ever will be at the merch table.

Ever 25th Anniversary Edition

The studio work has now finished for the 25th Anniversary Edition of ‘Ever’, the hugely popular IQ album that saw the return of Peter Nichols to the fold in the early nineties. Post production began this week and (fingers crossed) we’ll be sending the final thing to the pressing plant early next week.

This special edition of the album will be presented in a 4 panel digipak format and features a brand new stereo remix by Mike Holmes on disc 1, live versions of the whole album on disc 2 and a surround sound mix of the studio album on disc 3, along with a set of ‘further listening’ files comprising demos, rehearsal tapes and unused ideas. There’s also a 40 page booklet with lots of photos, stories and memories from the time. Unexpectedly we’ve also managed to put together a surround mix of the live material – we’re just hoping we can fit it all on the 3rd disc…

We’re looking at a release sometime in Late September/Early October – keep checking back with us on the GEP website and facebook page for updates.


Archive Collection

Throughout the last (almost) 20 years IQ have released the occasional live or ‘rare’ recording as an ‘official bootleg’ type thing to help finance the band or to celebrate key events in the life of IQ. These have always been strictly limited (usually to 500 or a 1000 copies) and, understandably, some people have missed out on getting hold of them.

Recently we’ve had many requests for us to make some of these titles available again so we were looking into the idea of some kind of ‘Archive Collection’ collection, as it were. We’re currently thinking of releasing everything in the ‘AC00X’ series in one deluxe edition, probably a 12” x 12” hardback, 40 page ‘Artbook’ format.

In total it would be 11 discs of live and rare material so we’d love to hear your thoughts on this before we commit to a release – ideas and comments are very welcome on the IQ facebook page, IQ website and forum.

Full list of IQ dates in 2018:
3rd October: Salle Jean-Paul Tardif, Quebec City, Canada
4th October: Club Soda, Montreal, Canada
6th October: Progstock Festival, New Jersey, USA
14th December: The Legendary Christmas Bash, Islington Assembly Hall, UK
15th December: The Legendary Christmas Bash, De Boerderij, Holland

[Kanukisbrave]

Looking forward to Montreal... hope I bump into you there, Progatron!

[JKL2000]

Not sure how I feel about the Archive stuff being reissued. I was diligent in buying all the releases as they came out, since they were "limited editions." I'm guessing some people paid a lot for copies of ones they missed, and will have even more mixed feelings than I do. Overall, it's good for others to be able to hear the releases, but it's a little annoying the reissuing of limited editions. You do see that from time to time.

[moecurlythanu]

Not sure how I feel about the Archive stuff being reissued. I was diligent in buying all the releases as they came out, since they were "limited editions." I'm guessing some people paid a lot for copies of ones they missed, and will have even more mixed feelings than I do. Overall, it's good for others to be able to hear the releases, but it's a little annoying the reissuing of limited editions. You do see that from time to time.

Yep. Couldn't agree more.

[rickawakeman]

Will definitely pick this up at the Montréal show

[Progatron]

Not sure how I feel about the Archive stuff being reissued. I was diligent in buying all the releases as they came out, since they were "limited editions." I'm guessing some people paid a lot for copies of ones they missed, and will have even more mixed feelings than I do.

Yep. Couldn't agree more.

Well, I could see that attitude if the band charged a lot for those releases in the first place, but they didn't - they were reasonably priced. The people who have paid a lot for secondhand copies made that decision themselves... and if you spend $200 on a long out of print CD from Ebay, well, that's a risk you take in my eyes. There is a demand for these, and the band is releasing them in a different way to a different group of fans - who will likely have to spend more than you did in order to have them.

I've seen this kind of discussion before - here and elsewhere, and it seems to me that some people's attitude boils down to "I want to have this and I don't want you to."

[jcarr73729]

Release the Archive back catalogue for download (say, Bandcamp, etc.), which means those who need can contribute and have the music, and the originals can retain their "limited" status. I have no more room for discs and packaging, so for me future purchases are download wherever possible. Roll-on Bury.

[aith01]

Very cool news. I love Ever, it's one of the few "neo-prog" discs that I still spin with some regularity. I'd also be interested in hearing some of those archival discs, since I missed out on most of them.

[moecurlythanu]

I've seen this kind of discussion before - here and elsewhere, and it seems to me that some people's attitude boils down to "I want to have this and I don't want you to."

If you want to believe that, you can. It's human nature to impute impure motives to those who voice opposing opinions. (One only need look at highly partisan political websites to see that in action.) That's one of the many things that suck about humans. But another possible explanation is that they don't want the value of their collector's items to drop. Now that may seem somehow wicked to you, but I'd bet that those collectors don't care.

[Progatron]

If you want to believe that, you can. It's human nature to impute impure motives to those who voice opposing opinions. (One only need look at highly partisan political websites to see that in action.) That's one of the many things that suck about humans. But another possible explanation is that they don't want the value of their collector's items to drop. Now that may seem somehow wicked to you, but I'd bet that those collectors don't care.

Jeez, easily offended? Did it really come across that I found people to be wicked for being upset that a band is releasing some CDs? Really?

[moecurlythanu]

Jeez, easily offended? Did it really come across that I found people to be wicked for being upset that a band is releasing some CDs? Really?

No, and I didn't say that. Read a little closer.

[Gerhard]

I'd be interested in a vinyl release of the stereo remix, assuming it includes a 12 x 12 version of the "40 page booklet with lots of photos, stories and memories from the time".

[progeezer's ghost]

Sounds like a good buy. If the price is right, I may pop for this. Quality album from beginning to end by one of my favorite bands.

[JKL2000]

From the IQ website's description of The Archive Collection CD (AC01):

"A small quantity of the limited edition, Archive Collection (AC001) CD are still available. Please remember that this is a limited release and once sold, will not be re-pressed."

(I don't think any are still available - I think it's long ago sold out.)

I really don't mind other people having it, and it's true that it'll be in a different format. The thing is, it sounds like a BETTER format, so I'll most likely buy that new release. Mostly I just am surprised whenever I see a limited edition being made generally available, whatever the circumstances. It just comes as a surprise because it's a change of plans and what was originally advertised. However, because I'm so nice I'll let IQ know via their Facebook page that I'm in favor of the new release of the archive material.

[Progatron]

I really don't mind other people having it, and it's true that it'll be in a different format. The thing is, it sounds like a BETTER format, so I'll most likely buy that new release. Mostly I just am surprised whenever I see a limited edition being made generally available, whatever the circumstances. It just comes as a surprise because it's a change of plans and what was originally advertised.

Fair enough. I suppose this would come as a surprise (a pleasant one to some of us of course!) And I'm not suggesting that you specifically care that other people get to have it too, just that I've seen that notion in similar threads in the past.

[zeprogmeister]

I'm always wary of remixes. The original mix sounds pretty good to me.

[Steve983]

25 years?! How did that happen? Ever is my fave IQ album, great stuff.

[dropforge]

Ever is my favorite IQ album, too. Nothing they've done since can unseat that bad boy.

Needless to say, I'll be buying this. On the heels of Twelfth Night's deluxe 3CD reissue of Fact and Fiction, to boot!

[ChrisXymphonia]

I'm always wary of remixes. The original mix sounds pretty good to me.

It does sound pretty good but Holmes has learned a lot over the years and I guess sees room for improvement. What he did with Tales From The Lush Attic (which he felt was alway an unfinished mix cause they had sooo little time to do it properly) is pretty amazing. It has all the feel of the original but he made it sound like a million dollars without really overdoing it. Just with what he did there makes me really curious about what he can do to Ever. Certainly improving the drumsound which sounds very 'one dimensional'.

[Paulrus]

Ever is my favorite IQ album, too. Nothing they've done since can unseat that bad boy.

Ever is so good they've been essentially putting out various versions of Son of Ever... ever since.

[dropforge]

Ever is so good they've been essentially putting out various versions of Son of Ever... ever since.

Stick to Dad!

[iguana]

remember it well … i was in kleve/germany at the launch concert (“forever live”) and literally bought the CD straight from martin orford. cottage style rules!

[ca1ore]

I'm all for releasing downloads of live material ..... as long as it sounds decent! The live version of Subterranea remains my single favorite IQ recording.

[UnephenStephen]

just got this a few weeks back (a tad late). got it mostly for the live CD and the DVD but it was the DVD i was disappointed in. it would have been nice to have some kind of visual thing accompanying each song but all it had was some text header for each which really made it no different than the live CD. nice packaging though.