“The Last Human Gateway,” the epic opening track by British neo-prog band IQ, never became a mainstream hit, but it helped establish the group and remains a key part of its story.
Released on IQ’s debut album, Tales from the Lush Attic, the song fills almost an entire side of the original vinyl record. Its long form, changing tempos and detailed keyboard and guitar work made it very different from the shorter rock songs dominating much of the music scene at the time.
Mike Holmes, Tim Esau, Peter Nicholls, Neil Durant and Paul Cook of British neo-progressive rock group IQ, taken on November 12, 2011.Photo by Will Ireland/Prog Magazine/Future via Getty Images/Future via Getty Images
“Prog was such a dirty word then,” says Holmes, according to Lourder Sound. “It really wasn’t something you admitted liking in polite company.”
By 1981, the band decided that London was the place to build a career. Holmes, Orford, Nicholls and bassist Tim Esau shared a two-bedroom flat in Kensal Green, while drummer Paul Cook remained outside London for a time.
“The music wasn’t all that punky,” admits Holmes, “but the attitude was onstage. We regularly had stage invasions at the Marquee.”
IQ, however, struggled to find a record label.
Recording Tales from the Lush Attic was rushed. IQ had only four days for recording and one day for mixing. Even “The Last Human Gateway” was not completely finished when the band entered the studio.
“I always had it in my head that Gateway should have a big reprise of the Mellotron flute intro at the end,” says Holmes, “and Martin really didn’t want that.”
The rest of the record mixed shorter and longer songs, including “Through The Corridors,” “Awake and Nervous,” the playful “My Baby Treats Me Right 'Cos I'm A Hard Lovin' Man All Night Long” and the 13-minute “The Enemy Smacks.”
More than 40 years later, IQ’s debut remains important to the neo-prog story. The band never achieved major commercial success, but it built a loyal audience that continued to grow across generations.
Related: '90s Rock Band Is Suddenly Climbing the Charts 34 Years After Forming
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