Brian May Another World 180g LP & 2CD Box Set (Sky Blue Vinyl)

When Brian May finished touring his debut solo album, Back to the Light, he began to throw open his doors to fresh possibilities. "I got all these little kinds of commissions and triggers and inspirations from outside," said Brian, who took ownership of these "triggers" and molded them into a second solo album in his own image. Now released as the second strike in Brian's Gold Series reissues campaign, Another World pays rich, raucous and fully felt testimony to the legendary Queen guitarist and songwriter's roots and reach: between its expansive energies and immersive craft, the album's world-class quality rings out.

Driven by the potent drumming of the much-missed Cozy Powell, who tragically passed away prior to the album's release, Another World is a superlative successor to Back to the Light. Drawn from many sources of inspiration, the record emerged in June 1998 as an album of roof-raising rock 'n' roll and scorching guitar and indelible melodies, plus a couple of impassioned covers. The album is full of dangerous unguarded feelings and uplift, with guests including Jeff Beck and Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins helping to stoke its fires.

Warmly received by the press on its original release in 1998, the album birthed four electric singles in "Business," "On My Way Up," "Another World" and "Why Don't We Try Again." It also ushered Brian and his band out on a hugely successful 42-date tour covering a large swathe of the world and packing out prestigious venues including London's Royal Albert Hall.

Long unavailable in any format, this timely reissue has been personally overseen by Brian himself along with original co-producer Justin Shirley-Smith, Queen and BM Pro Tools expert Kris Fredriksson and longtime Queen art designer Richard Gray.

Meticulously restored with mastering by Bob Ludwig, working from the true original mixes for maximum quality, the album is reissued on 180g heavyweight vinyl.

On all fronts, Another World documents Brian's personal journey, with "A Different Place, way across Time and Space" in mind, and pure emotional honesty at its core. As he explained of the record's concept, "I hoped that by the time I got to the end of the project, I would have brought about a change in myself. I thought, 'When the album is finished, I will have made this journey, and I will have got to this other place, and I can tell everyone how I did it'; but to be honest, I didn't really manage it. The truth of the album is that it's a journey which is still taking place."

The package comes in a special collector's 12" lift-lid box. Inside the box, the two CDs are housed in separate card wallets. The first CD is the original album, Another World, newly remastered by Bob Ludwig from the original master tapes. The second CD, Another Disc, contains alternative versions, B-sides and live tracks. The LP is presented in 180g heavyweight sky blue color vinyl in a spined sleeve with printed inner bag. Also included is a 32-page booklet containing photos and album notes, along with an enamel Another World badge. The whole set personally overseen by Brian May.

This vinyl reissue stands out simply by being the first non-picture disc version of wax, but also due to the insistence in the liner notes that they stuck to the original album mixes. Or as May writes in the liner notes, 'reborn just as it was originally created.' As this remastered edition bears out, his vision with Another World was clear from the jump.