Jethro Tull’s “Under Wraps: The Unwrapped Edition” brings together the band’s 1984 album and Ian Anderson’s 1983 debut solo album, “Walk Into Light”. they will release Under Wraps: The Unwrapped Edition on May 15 through Chrysalis Records. The new six-disc set .
The 5CD and Blu-Ray set has been overseen by Ian Anderson and includes both original albums, which have been extensively remixed twice by The Pineapple Thief’s Bruce Soord in 2026 Drums and Original Drums remixes. The discs also include associated recordings from that period, while the fifth CD is a live recording from a BBC Radio 1 concert at The Hammersmith Odeon in 1984 and the Blu-Ray contains stereo and DOLBY ATMOS mixes, along with promo videos from the era. The set comes complete with a 100-page book offering an extensive article on the making of the records.
Both albums saw Anderson embracoing cutting edge (for the time) technology, with increased use of synthesisers and drum machines, a musical move that had begun with 1980’s “A” and 1982’s “The Broadsword And The Beast“, a move that didn’t always sit well with Tull’s fanbase.
“We wanted to do something completely different with “Under Wraps,” Anderson explains. “It was about exploring the technology of the time and seeing how far we could push our sound into new territories. It was an experiment, and not everyone was ready for that kind of change from Jethro Tull.”
“Under Wraps” threw Tull fans a curveball on release with its embrace of the electronic sounds of the day and synthetic production. It was also the first Tull album since “This Was” that wasn’t mostly written by Anderson alone, with keyboardist Peter-John Vettese credited on seven of the songs. But for fans who’d heard Anderson’s first solo album, “Walk Into Light (which featured five Vettese co-writes), the synth textures of “Under Wraps” felt like a natural progression. Meanwhile, Ian Anderson’s lyrics reflected his fascination with Cold war spy novels, rooting the songs firmly in the early ’80s.
Jethro Tull’s latest tour of the UK starts later this month sees the band touring throughout April and May.
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