Customer Reviews

Inside Out

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Inside Out" was the Elektric Band's pinnacle. The music is as great as this band got. Those who saw the tour for this cd know, based on the explosiveness of the material live, it appears that the band had the best time during this recording. Before or after this disc the other cds or concerts were not as amazing. The disc doesn't contain many songs but it still is as long as the others. Tale of Daring is the best suite that Corea has ever written including his RTF days. The band is in top form as they move through this piece with each of them displaying amazing improvisational skills in addition to reading Chick's music. The other songs are typical for Chick during this period, that is to say great. This disc should be bought by any fusion fan because there is something for everyone. Great compostion as well as playing should give any musician something to work on. Highly recommended.

The music sound revitalized in this release by the Elektric Band. some of the tracks are reminiscent to the Mahavishnu Orchestra work, with excellent musicianship. Frank Gambale's guitar is at his best, specially the great solo in "The tale of Daring part III" It doesn't have the commercial sound of the other releases by the band. It's a nice introduction to Chick's Elektric Band.

in response to the music fan from denver....beneath the mask was released two years after inside out. the first elecktric band album was released in 1986. inside out is definitely more challenging than your average corea record........but beneath the mask (1992) was a very powerful and polished new frontier for the corea gang.

I found it quite odd to see this album labeled smooth jazz or brunch music. Because I have always viewed this album as a bold experiment, aimed at the technical listener. Most of the album walks up to the edge of a cliff, being very atonal or chromatic sounding. If one tried to combine modern jazz, and 20th century atonal classical, this album may very well the the result.

At the time I bought this I was really into smooth jazz, and was put off by all of the complex tonal stuff. Yet I couldn't stop listening to it because of the passion I heard in the playing, especially Frank Gambale and Dave Weckyl. It was the first time I had heard sweep picking and wondered how in the world Frank was playing so fast and yet so cleanly. Even though the dissonance bothered me a little, the musical performances were on fire and kept me listening. It soon won me over and I credit this album with opening my ears to whole new world of tonally complex music, and reviving my passion as a musician, after years of being in a pentatonic / blues rut.

It is not just the tonality, it is the rhythm and geometry of this music that fascinates me. Going from a groove, to tightly coordinated statements with exclamation marks, you won't hear endless repetition here, or a lot of "wandering around, lost" free jazz pieces here. It is well coordinated and bold. I seriously doubt that the average non-musical person would appreciate what is going on here. But it is one of my all time favorites.

1988's "Eye of the Beholder" had Chick playing primarily grand piano with just a little synthesizer,giving more of a straight jazz vibe. 1989 saw Chick, John Patitucci & Dave Weckl in an acoustic trio, furthering the straight jazz vibe.
1990 brought the return of the Elektric Band, and though the instrumentation was similar to 1988, the compositions were much more complex.
Chick' albums tended to spotlight a given band member, and this time around saxophonist Eric Marienthal was the lucky recipient of Chick's generosity.

"Inside Out" the title cut opens the album, and after the groove is established, Eric lays out the melody, setting up Chick's piano solo. After a return to the melody, guitarist Frank Gambale plays a brief transitional line setting up Dave's drum solo, which finishes the piece.

"Make a Wish" is a 2-part invention with an intro sounding as though it came from a science fiction movie.
The intro segues into the main body of the song, with Eric again laying out the melody and Frank harmonizing. Chick adds little flourishes, setting up the first solo: Frank's. Frank's love of saxophonists is displayed in this excellent guitar solo, building in speed and tension from start to finish. Eric's sax is next, played in his distinctive style, with lots of high notes throughout.
Chick's piano solo follows, played in classic jazz style as a Bill Evans or Vince Guaraldi would, which leads back to the main theme and careens to a dramatic finish, followed by a gentle, spacy ending.

"Stretch It" starts at high speed, laying back during the head, and turning to an almost bebop feel for the solos. Chick and Eric are both featured doing much the same as "Make a Wish", but it's John Patitucci who electric bass solo is the track's highlight. John proves he can "stretch it" with the best of them.

"Kicker" is pure funk, and showcases Chick from start to finish.

"Child's Play" is a short ballad, which is simply a duet with Chick and Eric.

The album's 15-minute / 4-part finale part is the epic "Tale of Daring". The first part sets the mood of the action to come. Part 2 is a speedy jazz tempo, highlighted by extensive solos from Eric and John.
Part 3 has Cvhick soloing over Dave's powerful backing. As Chick's solo concludes, the whole band adds punctuation. A momentary quiet section explodes into a monumental solo from Frank, who despite having been held in check for much of the album, cuts it loose to devastating results.
Part 4 starts with trade-offs from the whole band, an energized drum solo from Dave, a return to the opening theme, and the album ends with what sounds like a mountain stream running along as the music subsides.

A very creative work from the Elektric Band. 5 stars.

This cd is a work-out for both the band and the listener - some of the most intense passages, complicated rhythms I've ever heard. It's a case of extremely talented musicians digging deep and letting loose - but keeping cohesion and purpose. Definitely a must-have for Chick fans and jazz fans and lovers of all intelligent, well-crafted, powerful music.

How someone feels about this release is going to depend completely on what "realm" of jazz he/she is into. If you're into classic "traditional" jazz, this may not be for you. This is full of complex rhythms and wacky progressions, all of which are performed seamlessly. No...this is NOT background music. This is music that requires an ear for minute details. In my opinion, it's an album that represents the Elektric Band's epitome of group composition. They couldn't have gone any further with their music...thus Beneath the Mask came next and was a dud.

For those who like it when Chick wants to make a statement. I've heard that this album was in made in response to some critics that said his last album, Behind the Mask sounded to much like bubble gum jazz, light easy funk...Inside Out is what happens when Chick is mildly dissed. The track Tales of Daring (particularly chapter 3) tells it all. The results here make this album a must have for all music fans. -Brad

I'm not a big fan of Chick Corea's electric work. I think he shines most with his acoustic setups and most of the electric stuff I just find lame. This was music that was trendy in the late 80s, but it's fallen out of favor, for good reason. Most of this fusion stuff is just trite and unimaginative, and the electric instruments didn't really add anything to the music.

But Inside Out is the rare exception. It's the only Elektric Band album I come back to repeatedly, for sure. It's edgy and energetic and the technical brilliance of Chick really comes through. Probably the only good electric album Chick has put out.

It's hard to lsten to this cd now and say the sound is very up to date. I bought this cd when it was released in 1990 and i can say it was probably considered the most serious Electric Band effort. The players had been playing together for a few years and it really sounds like it. The solos are burning, the players were surely on their toes and nobody could deny that Chick had the greatest fusion band ny then. Chick's solo(clearly showing his admiration for Bertok's work)near the end of the cd is nothing but serious.Gambale puts in a great statement also and Marienthal shows that his sometimes cheesy sound can be overcomed by his feelings and his technique. This cd is not to be misjudged. The rythmic section is at the peak and everybody was very focused. Chick was clearly writing for his friends...