THE INMATES
Inside out / Wanted
|
No one really thought that the Inmates would come back so blazingly. Given at death's door in the mid-80's, after lead singer Bill Hurley left the band, one of pub rock's greatest band owed a French paper its resurrection. In 1987, Libération asked the Inmates to play for a tribute to the 20th anniversary of the Beatles' « Sgt Pepper » album in front of a 5.000 crowd at the Parc de la Vilette venue. The ensuing live album, « Meet The Beatles », enhanced the scenic legend of the Inmates. They came back sturdy as ever with 'Fast Forward' released on Sonet in 1989, only to find artistic redemption with their next albums, « Wanted » and « Inside Out ». Once again, the redemption would come from France. Like legendary Dr Feelgood at the same time, The Inmates signed a recording deal with New Rose. The results of this natural association were the band's best two albums since 1979's « First Offence », their debut lp. Sax player John 'Irish' Earle already present on « First Offence » is one of the key element of those two complimentary albums. Released in 1991, « Inside Out », The Inmates' eighth album, displays a change of sound, as evidenced by the arrival of steel-guitar player Richard Lightman at the production helm. He had been recommended to the band by The Godfathers after The Inmates's great producer Vic Mailé passed away. Powerful with nothing to lose, the tracks from « Inside Out » are some of the most energic ever recorded by the band, be it « Rescue Me », « Hey Landlord » or 'I Think I'd Better Move On', a great white soul ballad that could have been sung by Arthur Alexander. The cover versions are equally brilliant as the band tackles with Don Covay's « It's Better To Have (And Don't Need) », a song featured on Covay's 1974 « Hot Shot » lp. They had met with this legendary black singer/songwriter in New York City in the early Eighties. Bill Hurley ('the best British singer' according to Robert Plant) is all the more striking on Eddie Cochran's « Nervous Breakdown » and The Creation's « Making Time ». Also featured is Nick Lowe's 'You Got The Look I Like' from his 1990 album « Party Of One ». In the same mold, with an even more efficient production, « Wanted » also contains its stack of cover songs, a trick The Inmates got on the road, after they played so many gigs since their live beginnings in 1977. Written by Otis Redding and made famous by Etta James down in Muscle Shoals, « Security » is probably the band's best cover version, a song The Saints, another New Rose protégé, also did on « Prehistoric Sounds ». The Inmates also cover with class John Hiatt, Bob Seger and Eric Burdon's numbers as if the band itself had written those tunes. Under the aegis of Pat Collier, of Soft Boys' « Underwater Moonlight » fame, « Wanted » is almost more successful than « Inside Out », with a wider production approach. Some time after this ninth album was done, Bill Hurley would complete the recordings of his Elvis Presley tribute, « Angel to Memphis », an appropriate record given that the Inmates named themselves after The King's « Jailhouse Rock ». The band would go on recording with Pat Collier, with the release of « Silverio » in 1997 and the live album « The Heat Of The Night », the following year. Florent Mazzoleni |
|
|
|
|
Rescue me Breadown When I was young |
She's gone Rockin' Caroline Dirty Water |