Love On The Inside [Deluxe Fan Edition] [ENHANCED] [EXTRA TRACKS]

Sugarland

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 22, 2008)
• Original Release Date: July 22, 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced, Extra tracks
• Label: Mercury Nashville
• ASIN: B001ASHELO
• In-Print Editions: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (101 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #237 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

People en Español

Jennifer Nettles’ voice is unmistakable: energetic, ferocious, and joyful. You can’t ask for anything better when it comes to this country band’s third album. Songs like "All I Want to Do" and "It Happens" are more upbeat than Sugarland’s previous efforts, while "Keep You" and especially "Take Me As I Am" stray from the genre to evoke the spirit of Heart. --Ernesto Sánchez (People en Español )

La voz de Jennifer Nettles es inconfundible. Enérgica y aguda, feroz y alegre. Nada mejor para aderezar el tercer disco de esta banda de country que con canciones como "All I Want to Do" y "It Happens" logran sonar más contentos que en sus previas producciones, mientras que en la balada "Keep You" y sobre todo en "Take Me As I Am," sobrepasan la frontera del género recordando el espíritu de aquella banda de los ochenta llamada Heart. --Ernesto Sánchez (People en Español )

Product Description

When Sugarland releases their third album Love On The Inside July 22 it'll be all about the fans. Lead members Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush wanted to deliver more than the average album to their loyal supporters. Together they created a Deluxe Fan Edition that will include 17 tracks (12 regular and 5 bonus) in special packaging with an expanded CD booklet, as well as access to download exclusive music video and "behind the scenes making of the album" footage.

Sugarland premiered the album's debut single "All I Want To Do" live on the Academy of Country Music awards. The single will be available at Amazon MP3 starting 6/24.

Sugarland Photos

Sugarland: Love on the Inside Cut by Cut

"All I Want To Do"
The duo’s intent here was to have a lot of swing to the lead single of this album. To funk it up a bit, and keep it very hooky. Musically, this number’s somewhere between Bonnie Raitt and Jack Johnson, with some Marvin Gaye and Van Halen thrown in. "I love the flirty sound," says Jennifer Nettles. "We just always want to bring different energies, and we got to play on the lighter side this time." If you listen close, the easy percussion from Matt Chamberlain gives the song its sexy heartbeat.

"It Happens"
Sometimes, you just gotta let go. That’s what this gritty little tune’s all about, says the duo. "We always say we should take the music seriously, but not ourselves," Nettles says. When the guitar comes in at the top, you know this is going to be a little more 80s pop than down-home country. Think "Walking on Sunshine". Because this tune wraps it all up with some very advisable lyrics: "Let go, laughing". And Nettles thinks the ironies, like getting in a fender bender with your ex and his new girl, shows listeners what a grand sense of humor the universe has. It’s a very uptempo way to look at a world that’s out of your control.

"We Run"
New love. Young love. Green love. There’s an excitement to that experience that Sugarland has captured in this intoxicating bluegrassy rocker. Nettles admits this grew from a seed of an idea that Bush had, since he grew up playing mountain music in Tennessee. And this song lends itself to that Appalachian sound, that driving four-on-the-floor beat. You can’t really describe that feeling, so the duo chose to show it rather than tell it. The imagery--of pockets of dirt and reckless weather on the breath--convey how beautiful, messy and powerful love can be.

"Joey"
Teenage love doesn’t always have a happy ending. Especially when a tear-jerker like Bill Anderson has pen in hand. He helped Nettles and Bush craft this modern take on the traditional teen tragedy, and yet much more alternative influences went into the vocals. "We ended up with a haunting wail in the chorus and this R.E.M. background vocal," says Bush of the melancholy music. "It’s simple and dark." The rich texture of this song is built around all those "what ifs" that run through your mind as you explore regret. "Nothing mitigates loss," says Nettles "But everyone has regrets, so we can all relate."

"Love"
Nettles’ powerhouse pipes take center stage in this ballad. And that strength comes though in the form of questions, about how you can possibly define love. Is it the face of a child? Kindness in the eyes of a stranger? In a hotel room in Washington D.C., when Sugarland was chasing down the theme of the whole album, the topic of love came up. "No way could you ever narrow it down," Nettles says of their writing time with Tim Owens ("Settlin’"). There’s love lost, love found, new and old loves. So this tune gets right in the middle, and makes some reaches musically. Bush’s powerful voice is featured for the second half of this song. "When we were writing the back half, Jen said ‘I want you to sing these words I wrote just for you,’" recalls Bush. "I will always feel special singing those words."

"Genevieve"
Nettles said that Bush had the whole first verse worked out. That verse--and his pure, sweet mandolin work--were inspiring enough. But when the idea for some three-part harmony came up, it only made this dirge of a country heartache even better. Nettles says it reminded her of some of the southern Baptist hymns she grew up on, and likes that the story’s not clear cut. "It’s a beautiful thing when we get to play characters that are complicated." There’s a mystery of who this character is that is coping with such a dramatic loss. It’s a little twisted. But that creates an even stronger pull into the lyrics.

"Already Gone"
A waltz-time lope? On a country album? Writing with Bobby Pinson ("Want To"), the duo was determined to do a song in six-eight. And to keep it very personal. "This is the story of coming of age, literally and emotionally," says Nettles. And it’s such a healing tale, about a woman who is growing up, leaving home, falling in love and saying goodbye.

"Keep You"
Is it possible to write an emotional song about being numb? It’s like writing a song about being loud by being quiet, Nettles and Bush think. That irony, blended with a bittersweet epiphany of knowing it’s time to walk away, make this one of the most contemporary done-me-wrong songs of our time. "Subtlety and nuance make all the difference in this song. Painting emotions with broad strokes is easy, but this time we’re using a toothbrush to dig through the finer emotions," says Nettles, comparing the duo to archeologists. And the vocal range she plays with throughout keep this song on the edgier side, because of the way she explodes into huge notes that few singers can even attempt.

"Take Me As I Am"
When the curtain opens, there’s a woman in a hotel room at night. As the song unravels, so does the mystery of why she’s there. In this character-driven narrative, with a Pat Benatar influence and some solid electric guitar work, the empowering message is clear. When you reach that point, when you are comfortable in your own skin, the line about "I’m not perfect, but I’m worth it" makes all the sense in the world. This could very well be the anthem of the unsung heroes who walk among us every day. "This is a very grown-up place to get to in your life," Nettles explains.

"What I’d Give"
Written with Kenny Chesney’s long-time lead guitarist Clayton Mitchell, this one builds a lingering story around some Faces era guitar and mandolin stylings. The kind that Sugarland thinks make for a story of their own. Usually in country, the song ends when the bow is tied off neatly with a lyric. But after the last lyric ends, they still had more to say musically. Nettles vocals are sultrier than they’ve ever been, and she likes the romantic implications of the lyrics. And both she and Bush agree that if you aren’t making out halfway into this six-minute yearning, then you aren’t ever going to be.

"Steve Earle"
If you know anything about Steve Earle, this song will thrill you with its comic pining for his songwriting. If you don’t know him, it’ll certainly pique your curiosity. Both Nettles and Bush share a fondness for Earle’s brand of country. It taught them that country was still viable, and gave them confidence to reimagine the sound. And when the duo found out what a shameless romantic Earle was, they had to set all his comings and goings to music. This upbeat barn burner fueled by a big pedal steel, is a playful way to process a painful subject. Nettles looks at it this way: "There comes a point in life of a troubadour when the character can become heroic. Even legendary."

"Very Last Country Song"
Aptly named, the last song on the album is a look at what would happen if nothing ever went wrong again. "If life stayed the way it was, if those conditions weren’t in our lives, then this would literally be the last country song," says Nettles. Everything is as it should be was the impetus and inspiration behind this song. Co-writer Tim Owens told the duo that someone had once asked him why country music was always so sad. Owens’ answer was that if bad things never happened, then what would we have to write about? The ethereal tones underneath this song stay quiet enough so the insight into the human condition can be felt. Like when you can hear Nettles smile as she sings the verse that looks back on the unexpected joy of an unexpected child.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE is all you need. . ., July 24, 2008

By	A. Gammill (West Point, MS United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

While I enjoyed Sugarland's first two albums, which produced a total of 7 Top Ten hits, I felt there was a bit too much filler. So I'm delighted to report that Love On The Inside is a very solid disc all the way through. I was intrigued by pre-release comments from Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush that the album would break new ground for the band. And while LOVE does find the duo stretching their musical muscles a bit, fans will be happy to learn it's not that different from what we've come to expect from them. Here's a few highlights:

ALL I WANT TO DO is one of those love-it-or-hate it songs. And no matter on which side of that fence you find yourself, once that incessant chorus gets stuck in your head, you may never shake it off.
IT HAPPENS is a fast and funny song, with some ingenious wordplay from Nettles
WE RUN is traditional Sugarland: Love and longing wrapped around a solid modern-country beat
JOEY is a sad number about losing a friend to a drunk-driving accident. The chorus is simple yet effective.
LOVE is easily the album's best song, and is probably the U2 reference Nettles has referred to in interviews. The band builds from a whisper to a scream, with Kristian Bush adding some rough but passionate vocals to the mix.
TAKE ME AS I AM casts Nettles in the role of a hotel custodian named Maggie, asking simply to be loved in spite of her faults. "I ain't saying I'm perfect/But I promise I'm worth it."
STEVE EARLE is a comic highlight, although it's probably funnier if you know anything about its namesake.
OPERATION: WORKING VACATION is a fun, silly number which is growing on me.
LIFE IN A NORTHERN TOWN, their cover of the 1985 Dream Academy hit, has gotten plenty of exposure on the internet. And it's a great number, although guest stars Jake Owen and Little Big Town detract somewhat from Nettles' performance.

As I said above, there's not really a bad song on the disc. The band sounds like they're having fun, and potential breakout star Nettles is in fine form. Even if she decides to go solo one day, her pronounced twang and ability to write her own material will (hopefully) keep her from becoming the next Faith or Shania. For now, Love On The Inside is best Sugarland has to offer.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Raise the bar high... and then just a little bit higher!, July 22, 2008

By	D. Curtis "#1 Fan Of The Sugar People" (Minnesota) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

First off... I LOVE this record!

If it's even possible, the songs on the album got my heart to smile and soul to dance... and it's impossible not to feel SOMETHING* when listening to it! I laughed at times (the ending to 'Steve Earle' is hilarious), I cried at times ('Keep You' and 'Fall Into Me'), I got up and boogied at times ('It Happens') and at times I just smiled ('Love', 'We Run', 'Come On Get Higher').

With their last record, which was pretty darn good, Sugarland "raised the bar high" musically... and they continued to do so with this album. It's a lot of fun, but also packs in a lot of heart and, as the title suggests, love.


*(I've also come to the conclusion that, if someone doesn't feel anything when listening to this record, they must have a little black coal heart.)

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid effort for Fans of Sugarland, July 26, 2008

By	Dave Myers (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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So far, I really like the album, and am VERY happy that I ordered the Fan Edition because two of my favorites include their cover of "Life in a Northern Town" and I really love the live version of "Come on Get Higher". "All I Want To Do" is growing on me, but it's still not my favorite. I made the decision to pre-order this CD right when I heard "It Happens" in concert, and I'm not sorry that I did. "We Run" and "Love" are also excellent. I haven't made it through the whole disc twice yet, but if you are a fan, then it's a good addition to your collection. ALSO -- you need to download the videos included on the special edition - I really enjoyed them.