VIA PRESS RELEASE | Roger Hodgson’s solo albums, In The Eye Of The Storm and Hai Hai, have been remastered at half-speed by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios. These definitive vinyl editions, featuring artwork faithful to the original releases, are set to be released on 21 August. Both releases are available to pre-order now.
In The Eye Of The Storm (1984) was Roger’s first solo album that came out a year after his departure from Supertramp. The album quickly achieved massive commercial success, including going Platinum in Canada within a month of its release. Having played most of the instrumental parts on the album himself, the record retains the experimental, progressive spirit of Hodgson’s earlier work while forging a distinct solo path.
Tracks like “Hooked on a Problem” and “Only Because of You” showcase Hodgson’s songwriting mastery. The album’s sound felt like a continuation from Supertramp. Songs like “Had A Dream” carried the experimental prog spirit of the band’s earlier work, paired with Hodgson’s trademark soaring vocals, high energy, dramatic lyrics, and catchy synth-and-guitar groove.
Hai Hai (1987) carries a sound a little more of the time. This release features all-original writing by Hodgson (except for “Land Ho” originally released only as a single). “You Make Me Love You” had the most popular feel-good melody, making it the radio single. “Puppet Dance” was an emotionally charged fan favorite expressing deep vocal intensity and synthesizer rhythm. The album draws from a multitude of genres and brings in talented session musicians, alongside late-80s production and synthesizer technology.
Half-speed mastering is a specialized vinyl cutting technique. By reducing the master lacquer’s speed by half during the cutting process, the cutting stylus has twice as long to carve the intricate audio grooves. This process results in an incredibly clean, unforced high-frequency response and a highly detailed stereo image, offering listeners the best possible analog experience.
These releases follow the reissues of some of Supertramp’s most loved albums, also at half-speed. They have been met with great esteem with Classic Rock Magazine giving Breakfast In America, Even In The Quietest Moments…, and …Famous Last Words a 10/10, 8/10, and 7/10 respectively, while Mojo rated Crime Of The Century a 10/10 with Prog Magazine calling it, alongside Crisis? What Crisis? “… even more evocative.”
Following the release of these two albums, Roger stepped back from music to spend time with his children. He returned to touring a decade later and released his third solo studio album, Open The Door, in 2000.
