Outside Looking In (album)

Overview

Following the success of Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams and having been voted Best New American Band by Rolling Stone, the band wished to expand their sound and shed the "roots" label, which they believed categorized their music unfairly. They returned to Los Angeles to work with producer Mike Campbell, but the sessions were shelved after disagreement arose over the album's sound. Campbell wished for the album to resemble Tom Petty's brand of 1960's rock and wanted Kurt Neumann to alter his guitar-playing style accordingly. The band, however, felt that this style did not fit their music and instead wanted a state-of-the-art production. Jerry Harrison had previously expressed interest in working with the band, an offer which they accepted after returning to Wisconsin. Drummer Guy Hoffman had taken some time off from the band to be with his newborn baby, so session drummer Rick Jaegar filled in on the album. Hoffman left the band for good shortly thereafter. The album was a departure from their rockabilly-influenced debut and featured a much bigger, heavier sound bordering on arena rock. Although it was their highest-selling album, it was not as well-received critically.

Reception

Music critic William Ruhlmann, writing for AllMusic, wrote of the album: "The songwriting wasn't as impressive, and the de-emphasis on such signature sounds as Sammy Llanas' nasal voice inclined the album toward anonymity."

Track listing

All songs by Kurt Neumann and Sam Llanas.

1. "Dreams" - 3:36
2. "Pick Up the Pieces" – 3:24
3. "Take It Tomorrow" – 3:55
4. "Say About Love" – 4:12
5. "Don't Be Lonely" – 3:51
6. "Runaway Love" – 3:50
7. "Only Love" – 3:08
8. "What It Feels Like" – 2:31
9. "The Ballad of Jenny Rae" – 3:50
10. "Forever Young (The Wild Ones)" – 3:56
11. "Someday" – 3:31
12. "Fool" – 4:30
13. "I'm in Trouble Again" – 4:26

Personnel

Additional Personnel