Customer Reviews

What's Inside

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been a long-time fan of Joan Armatrading and her music, and have been following her work since the 1970's and such classic lp's as "Joan Armatrading", "Show Some Emotion", "Me Myslef I", "Walk Under Ladders" and "Secret Secrets", the last shamefully unavailable on cd. She nearly lost me, however, in the late 80's and into the 90's, with such disappointing releases as "Sleight of Hand", "Hearts and Flowers" and "Square the Circle", all of which have their good moments but, on the whole, don't live up to the greatness of her work which preceded them. Thank goodness that "What's Inside" finds Joan back on track with one of the best albums of her lengthy career. Her voice is as great as ever, warm and tender on the ballads, strong and assertive on the more upbeat numbers. The songwriting is top notch, and the big treat here is the wonderful string section working with Joan, adding a new dimension to her funky, reggae, R&B style songs. This is highly recommended for fans of Joan Armatrading and anyone who wants to discover a singer/songwriter of the first magnitude who has been shockingly underappreciated for too many years.

this album by Joan Armatrading is amazing. The first time I heard it, back in '96, I was floored. The words, the music, Joan's voice...it is without a doubt one of my favorite CD's in my collection. the best song on the album is Everyday Boy....it'll give you chills. I had the pleasure of interviewing Ms. Armatrading this summer for a music show I produce for BET on Jazz: The Jazz Channel called Profiles at Wolf Trap. She is truly one of the most genuine, and gifted people I have ever met and interviewed. She talked about the song Everyday Boy and the performance that night was spellbinding. Pick this CD up now....it will be a cornerstone in your CD collection for years to come. Thank you Joan!!

I first became aware of Joan in 1977 at a concert at the Ramona theatre in Detroit, where she opened for John Klemmer To say that she upstaged the top billed act is an understatement. Show Some Emotion had just been released. I loved it, but when I heard her prior self titled album, which I believe was actually her 3rd or 4th, I was completely blown away. She's done some fine work here and there over the last 2 decades, but nothing could have braced me for What's Inside. She's always been one of the best rythym guitarists around, but the lead licks she lays out on Lost The Love are enough to make B.B. King stand up and take note. I've always thought that her 76 Joan Armatrding release was by far, her best. Till I heard this. It's a truly amazing work of art

I have been an Armatrading fan for decades and, like many of you, recognize she is very underappreciated by music fans in the U.S.. I have collected MANY (wife says too many) rock and jazz CDs and find myself going back to certain classics to play perhaps once a year because their music and message never gets old. This CD is one of those. Its a great blend of classic elements from Kronos and blazing electric guitar from Joan, one who can really play guitar. To top it off, the lyrics show a gripping knowledge of life and talk about issues that I find relevant.

Greetings from beautiful downtown Poughkeepsie!
Most people (including myself) adore Joan's 3rd CD 'Joan Armatrading' but I think "What's Inside" is her best work to date! What a great CD! The songs are all so rich and warm.
Joan plays all the guitars - gotta love that! You'll play this CD every now and then for years and years...
1.In Your Eyes - Joan coos through a nice soft intro song over synths and snare drums.
2.Everyday Boy - Song builds up brilliantly with guitars, piano, string, drums and of course, Joan, in a "poignant" tale (what an overused word). I must say, there are 3 words in this song that disturb me.
3. Merchant of Love - Another gem, Joan's voice is soft and longing, the piano and guitar intertwine beautifully throughout.
4. Shapes and Sizes - Kronos Quartet join in on this great song with a creepy important message "obituary columns are filled with love"
5. Back on the Road - the only possible throwaway - but does feature great acoustic guitar playing by Joan.
6. Lost the Love - yeah baby! Joan throws down on some serious blues guitar licks. Takes her time! Love this song!
7. Songs - beautiful song with lots of strings!
8. Would you like to Dance - funky little midtempo song with triple echo vocals and perhaps a little too much falsetto but still great. Nice solo sax!
9. Recommend My Love - see number 8 above. Keyboards are very cool..
10. Beyond the Blue - a little bit country, a little bit gospel ...acoustic guitars remind me of 'down to zero' - Joan seems to be having fun. She gets 'honey from the bee..DUH'
11. I cant stop loving you - Definitely having fun here...funky horns and baseline, goofy lyrics and an occasional wacky noise (he he he), funny repetitive singing of 'i cant stop, i cant stop, i cant stop '...and what is that one off beat drum doing about 2/3rds of the way through the song?
12. Shape of a Pony - nice light song with a bit of an island feel to it (no, not reggae) - I totally get this song.
13. Trouble - You may not agree but I think this song is a masterpiece. Joan sings her heart out over sweeping strings, distant echoing drums, and simple soulful keyboards. I have to play this song twice when I get to it.
Well, I've said too much. Clearly I get Joan. Hopefully you will too.

It was back in the later 70's and on the radio I heard something by Joan Armatrading, and I doubt if I will ever remember what the song was and forgot about her. Forward to the later 90's and I heard a song on the radio and discovered it was Joan Armatrading. I knew I had to get into her music in that it heightened my awareness to her smooth voice with varying vocal range.

This is my second CD of hers. I love this one, I can relax and know that the tempo and beat is soothing. Not knowing her songs, my favorite is "Everyday Boy" Her lyrical writing style is powerful and true to her spirit. Musically, the strings section stands out; there is also excellent background vocals to enhance her music. And, one more note: Her favorite singer/songwriter is VAN MORRISON, WOW! I LOVE HIM TOO! .....MzRizz

I was not prepared for how good this CD is, even though Joan is amazing and every one of her CDs is great and unique. What is so incredible about this CD is that each time I listen to it, I have a different favorite song. First, it was Merchant of Love (love the lyrics), then it was Shape of a Pony (which is infectious but not in a pop rock sort of way), then it was Would You Like to Dance (also, love the lyrics), then it was In Your Eyes (so haunting; what a great start to a CD). But, after I saw Joan in concert in 1999 and heard her talk about Everyday Boy and the meaning behind it, that rocketed to the top of the list. It's meaningful, beautiful, emotional, just like the entire album.

Joan Armtrading has an incredible smooth deep voice. She's a lyric singer. The CD is great -- just click Amazon's "listen symbol" for a sample of each song. As to the DVD, there are 2 promos: 1) Recommend My Love, and 2) Everyday Boy. The DVD also has a Biography & Photo Gallery. Reason, I gave only 4 stars was that I was hoping there were more promos on the DVD.

I have been fully mesmerized with Joan's work since 1976 when her song Somebody Who Loves You lullabied me each night. Her music has always and continues to speak to my soul. Thank you, Joan, for so many years of genuine music.

The more I listen to "What's Inside", the more I don't want to listen to any other CD's. It's so full of expression, emotion, and heart. It makes me want to leap around the room (and I do).