IAN ANDERSON’S SHIMMERING DEBUT SOLO RECEIVES HALF-SPEED REMASTERING AUDIO REMASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCES, PRESSED ON BLACK VINYL
In 1983, Ian Anderson, the iconic frontman & flautist of Jethro Tull, stepped into new musical territory with his debut solo album, ‘Walk Into Light’. Crafted during a time of transition & uncertainty for Tull, the album signalled a deliberate step away from his band’s hallmark progressive rock style, instead exploring a more electronic, synth-driven sound.
Now ‘Walk Into Light’ returns in a stunning half-speed remastered black vinyl edition, expertly carried out by Grammy-winning mastering engineer John Webber at AIR Studios in London with audio sourced from the original tapes. This new edition also features restored artwork & imagery, including photography by Martyn Goddard (The Who, Queen, AC/DC) & art direction by graphic designer John Pasche (The Rolling Stones).
By the early 1980s, Jethro Tull had enjoyed more than a decade of success with landmark albums such as ‘Aqualung’, ‘Thick As A Brick’ & ‘Songs From The Wood’ but change was in the air. Their 1980 album ‘A’ - initially intended as an Anderson solo project - introduced a more synthesised sound & sparked a major lineup shift, with longtime members such as John Evan & Barriemore Barlow departing. The 1982 follow-up, ‘The Broadsword & The Beast’, continued blending folk-rock with electronic elements.
‘Walk Into Light’, co-written & recorded with keyboardist Peter-John Vettese (also a Jethro Tull collaborator),
leaned further into the emerging synth-pop style of the eighties. More introspective & personal in tone, tracks like “Fly By Night” & “Made In England” reflected Anderson’s growing fascination with modern life, technology & isolation.
The album’s electronic textures would go on to influence Tull’s next release, ‘Under Wraps’ (1984) - the band’s most synth-heavy & polarising effort. In retrospect, ‘Walk Into Light’ served as a creative testing ground, setting
the stage for a new chapter in both Anderson’s solo career & Jethro Tull’s evolving sound. This single-sleeve, black vinyl LP edition of ‘Walk Into Light’ features audio that has been newly remastered at half-speed by John Webber at London’s Air Studios.