WALK INTO LIGHT

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As ugly as the J T album that came out at the time (under wrap) full of [&*!#]ty keyboards of that era . People who accused Vettese for the crappy Under Wraps album can clearly see that althgough influential at the time, this was a blunder from the Tramp himself

It is so pleasant to hear an album on which all the songs are at least very good! It is the case here. The main attraction here are the keyboards: Peter John Vetteese (Eurythmics) plays very rythmic, catchy, accessible ans melodic modern keyboards, a bit like Eddie Jobson. The keyboards involved are very varied, and all the tracks are quite loaded. The bass rythm is made with synths too. Anderson's outstanding lead vocals are more mellow here, and slightly melancholic, if you compare to some JETHRO TULL albums of the early 80's. It sounds like "Under wraps" and "Broadsword & the beast" - minus the guitars and warm rythms.

My rating: 4 1/2 stars

A bit of an oddity, this, in more ways than one. Ian Anderson's first solo venture saw his collaborator, Peter John Vetesse, sharing the writing credits on half of the songs - Anderson had been Tull's sole songwriter (bar the odd fragment) since Stand Up. A further break with the established Tull prototype was the sheer amount of electronic instrumentation used. The majority of the backing tracks were generated on synths and keyboards - Anderson is credited with playing some conventional instruments, but aside from the odd whisper of flute they're well hidden in the mix. When I first heard it I wondered if it just happened to be by some new performer who shared the same name as Tull's mainman, but it really was old Aqualung, the Minstrel in the Gallery himself in a brand new guise for the 80s.

This is emphatically not a Tull spin off, although there are broad similarities between it and A, originally planned as an Anderson solo venture, and particularly Under Wraps. The sound is very 80s, with all the Linn drums and artificial bass lines that you'd expect. It's not his finest hour, but it's not the disaster some have said it was either. At this point in his career Anderson had matured as a songwriter, and on this collection he penned some superb lyrics dealing with aspects of contemporary life that would probably not have worked as Tull songs. He was also in good voice for these sessions, particularly on Made in England and Trains, and he adapts his singing style to a very different musical setting effectively. It's stood the test of time a lot better than the likes of Howard Jones or Nik Kershaw, who were writing similar material with a broadly similar sound in the early to mid 80s.

It's an album which shows a different side of Anderson's songwriting, and as such is worth a listen if you're a Tull fan with an open mind.

"Jethro" goes solo

Ian Anderson is of course the major part of Jethro Tull (to the extent that many of the unenlightened think his name is Jethro Tull). Here though he actually undertakes one of his rare solo ventures, assisted only by Peter-John Vettese. Vettese contributes various keyboards and backing (or blouse as Anderson refers to them) vocals, with Anderson performing all else. Song writing duties are either shared, or left to Anderson.

The album consists of ten tracks lasting between three and five minutes each. The opening "Fly by night" sets the scene for the entire album, being a slightly understated, commercial affair. Anderson's vocals are of course unique, and his flute inevitably appears at regular intervals. This naturally means a Jethro Tull feel from time to time, such as on the title track and "Toad in the hole". Overall though, the distinction between Tull and Anderson solo is apparent.

There is a general weakness to the album both in terms of production and the quality of the material. It has an air of being a home made effort, the keyboards in particular sounding like they were played on something you can buy from any catalogue shop. They lack any warmth or depth, causing the album as a whole to suffer in a similar way. The songs sound like Tull rejects, with dull lyrics about train travelling, performing live on stage, and a rather corny PCs vs. relationships comparison entitled "User friendly". Only the Barclay James Harvest tingled final track "Different Germany" rises slightly above the mediocrity, noticeably in the melody department.

There's nothing prog about the album to speak of, and nothing much to excite even ardent Tull fans. Even the sleeve is an unimaginative monochrome affair with a picture of smartened up (!) Anderson, and a colour test card band.

One to avoid.

Please do not expect that this album is in the vein of early albums of Jethro Tull as it has contained a lot of keyboards / electronic instruments compared to old records of Jethro Tull. It's very close with Jethro Tull "A" album which received significant critiques by many rock music reviewers. "A" was actually intended as Ian's solo album but it turned out to be Jethro Tull's. The opening track "Fly by Night" (3:51) is a nice combination of keyboard and flutework in a good composition. "Made in England" (4:57) is techno music with Ludwig drums via Linn Drum. It has a lack of nice melody and too straightforward with little variations. "Walk into Light" (3:08) is good track exploring further the "serious" vocal of Ian Anderson combined with electronic drumming and keyboard work. Indeed, Ian does a serious vocal here because he uses an excellent singing style. "Trains" (3:18) brings the music in similar vein with previous tracks, performed in medium tempo music.

Even though this album brings good memories for me as it was released when prog music was dying, swept by the new wave and punk music, I still only recommend this album for those who really love Jethro Tull and willing to own any release of Jethro Tull and Ian Anderson albums. For me, the music is too boring especially listening to the music loop through programming. Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

Appreciable 80's experimental from Ian Anderson, supported by the talentuous Peter-John Vettese, the keyboard player who joined Jethro Tull in the 80s (albums Broadsword And The Beast-1982; Under Wraps-1984). It's surely not a good JT album, but a good Anderson's one! His continuous tendency to elaborate new sounds and styles has always been appreciated by me who am a JT die-hard fan! Fly By Night it's the best here, also with Different Germany, a created one thinking to a different ending to the second world war...

Lots of electronic instruments here...not for JT or Ian's newcomers, good anyway!

This album should have been much better. The songs are not bad in themselves, with some very Tull-like flourishes. The problem comes from the cheesy 80's synthesizer sounds and completely flat drum tracks. And playing along with sequencers in lieu of a real band made up of live musicians usually produces a lifeless sound. This is no exception. I wonder what this would have sounded like if it had been released by Tull, and not just Anderson and Vitesse.

But again, if you can get past the synths and sequences, the songs are typical Ian Anderson, well written with witty lyrics, and some interesting musical twists.

I'd really rate this 2.5 stars. I'm rounding up because Anderson deserves it.