The Lens - Regeneration

[ChrisX]

Am playing this disc now for the second time today after having received it through the mail. This is basically Mike Holmes (IQ) own project now (the first album was an IQ spin-off project recording tunes written by the pre-IQ band The Lens) indulging himself and asking the question: "How would the Lens have developed if they had still been together instead of IQ?". The answer is probably: we would have had a bloody great band that incorporates both elements from spacerock, prog and even dance-music into a cohesive whole.

The opening track Choosing A Farmer Part IV is one of the best tip-of-the-hats toward Pink Floyd that I have ever heard. It has a vibe similar to the intro of Us & Them and similar mellow slow jams by Floyd. Love the very effective use of NASA samples (lift-off sequence). And then we plunge straight into the second track To The Power Of Five which is as prog as it gets on this album... very close to the early IQ sound. Interestingly, for an album made by a musician who is primarily a guitarist there aren't a lot of guitarsolo's on it but I don't miss them a bit. Holmes is really one of the most accomplished allround musicians I know.

This one comes highly recommended        

[Neilgwhite]

Can't agree more... To The Power Of Five was on the Prog mag Cd a couple of issues back and I ordered as soon as it hit GEP site, it's been on ever since (car, laptop and iPhone) .... very relaxing and a superb mix... hats off to Mike (and not forgetting Cookie) and shows off the keyboard skills too!

[DueyC]

I third that - a great CD!

[Brom]

Sounds like another one to add to the growing pile of "must have's"  

[catherine]

Definitely - I picked it up on Saturday when I saw IQ and I love it. Took it round to a friend's the other evening and he insisted on playing it twice as he liked it so much.

[ChrisX]

Can't agree more... To The Power Of Five was on the Prog mag Cd a couple of issues back and I ordered as soon as it hit GEP site, it's been on ever since (car, laptop and iPhone) .... very relaxing and a superb mix... hats off to Mike (and not forgetting Cookie) and shows off the keyboard skills too!

I agree... Paul Cook plays really well on To The Power Of FIve (I believe that is actually the only track he plays on). Except for Dark Matter where he also sounded pretty unleashed his playing since Ever seemed a bit too clunky and stale for my liking. Mind you, the rest of the music and performances really made up for it :-). I hope this new "passion" translates to any new IQ material that we might get in the future.

[L33VEY]

Didn't TBE do drums on Dark Matter - could explain the change........

[ChrisX]

Didn't TBE do drums on Dark Matter - could explain the change........

Nope, TBE played on the last IQ album called Frequency. And the drumming is clearly in Paul Cook's style.

[L33VEY]

Your Right!  Must be my age!