This solo disc from Ian Anderson is not as meaty as one might think. It’s actually pretty mellow and keyboard oriented. It’s a good disc, but not really a great one. That said there are some exceptional tracks, but it tends toward monotony at times. Some of this music could have fit pretty well onto some of the releases Anderson put out with Jethro Tull in the 1980’s.
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Track by Track Review
Fly By Night
Electronic music rather like Vangelis or Kraftwerk opens this tune. It works out from there with a bit of drama and some symphonic vibes. As it continues to evolve it makes me think of The Buggles quite a bit. The vocals don't really seem like Ian Anderson in a lot of ways. They seem rather processed. This just doesn't really grab me all that well.
Made In England More like Jethro Tull music, this still has that electronic feeling a bit, but tempered with a more rocking sound. This wouldn’t have been out of place on one of the 1980’s Tull discs.
Walk Into Light This is closer to the music of the first track, but with more of a rocking element added to it. There’s a bit of a jazzy scat on this. It’s a good tune, but not the level of the last one.
Trains Another rocker, this one actually feels to me like something from Jon Anderson – but with Ian Anderson’s particular flavor. It’s a faster paced tune that’s quite keyboard oriented. I like this one a lot. It’s one of the highlights of the set.
End Game This is a great song and one of the highlights of the disc. It’s very prog oriented and also keyboard dominated. It really feels like it would have been at home on Tull’s Crest of A Knave.
Black and White Television Not one of the highlights of the set, this song is OK, but a bit of a sleeper.
Toad In The Hole This one’s a bit stronger than the one before. It’s another that feels like it could have fit on one of the 1980’s Tull discs. It’s a step up, but I wouldn’t call it a highlight of the set. The whole disc is starting to suffer a bit from too monolithic a nature.
Looking For Eden Keyboard oriented, this one is a little bit of a change of pace. I just don’t think it’s all that strong of a number. It’s not bad, just not very special, either.
User-Friendly Quite electronic in nature, this feels a bit like Jethro Tull does Kraftwerk. It’s a good tune and a bit of variety. It’s also a step up from the last couple.
Different Germany
He may have saved the best for last. This is a cool song that again has something in common with Crest of a Knave era Tull, but it’s also quite original. It’s probably the most unique track on show here and a good one.
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