Outsideinside

For their second platter, 1968's OUTSIDEINSIDE (so named for being recorded both indoors and outdoors due to the band's penchant for playing at top volume, even when recording) BLUE CHEER added some psychedelic touches, among others, to their proto-metal stew. This was obvious the first time you see the album cover, an acid-dream portrait equal parts Dali and Bosch, unfettered by any font (the group's name and album title appeared on a shrinkwrap sticker). Designed by manager Gut and realized by Stefa Leinwohl it graced a L-shaped tri-fold sleeve which also featured photos by noted rock photog Jim Marshall. Success has it's perks. The platter within found the group stretching the rigid boundaries of it's pile-driving debut. Beside two covers (ROLLING STONES, Albert King) Bassist Peterson and Guitarist Stephens have five co-writes this go-round, with "founding member" and equipment manager Peter Wagner contributing lyrics to three cuts. Opener (and 2nd single) "Feathers From Your Tree" exemplifies their new direction, a twisting and turning slice of psychedelia, it features backing vocals and future band-member Ralph Kellogg on keyboards and reeds. A great live on TV version can be found on YouTube. "Sun Cycle" is prescient of soft-loud school of '90's grunge, in fact the instrumental "Magnolia Caboose Babyfinger" was covered/ripped-off by MUDHONEY on their debut as "Magnolia Caboose Babys**t." For those afraid the heavy-meisters have gone soft we have the followup single "Just A Little Bit" b/w "Gypsy Ball," a proto-speed metal take on "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" and album-ender "Babylon" which takes this version of the group out with a bang.....The 2007 Japanese mini-LP sleeve version reproduces the tri-fold L-shaped album cover to a "T" and sports a Philips Records label repro. The requisite excellent remastering and OBI goes without saying (yet I did). In 2012 U.S. reissue specialists Sundazed Records reissued OUTSIDEINSIDE in a straight tri-fold digipak with a Philips Records label CD ala the Japanese reissues. The stereo remastering sounds basically the same......the band:Leigh Stephens - guitarDickie Peterson - bass guitar, vocalsPaul Whaley - drumswithRalph Burns Kellogg - keyboards, organ, reeds "Feathers From Your Tree"Produced by Abe "Voco" Kesh1. "Feathers from Your Tree" (Dickie Peterson, Leigh Stephens, Peter Wagner) 3:292. "Sun Cycle" (Peterson, Stephens, Wagner) 4:123. "Just a Little Bit" (Peterson) 3:244. "Gypsy Ball" (Peterson, Stephens) 2:575. "Come and Get It" (Peterson, Stephens, Wagner) 3:136. "Satisfaction" (Jagger/Richards) 5:057. "The Hunter" (Booker T. Jones) 4:228. "Magnolia Caboose Babyfinger" (Peterson, Stephens) 1:389. "Babylon" (Peterson) 4:22 The LP has Tracks 1-5 as Side One, and racks 6-9 as Side Two.U.S. singles:"Just a Little Bit" b/w "Gypsy Ball" (Philips 40541-A&B, 6/68, #92US)"Feathers from Your Tree" b/w "Sun Cycle" (Philips 40561-A&B, 10/68)

Let's face it, this is as good as this album is going to get! Blue Cheer was a muddy band; they looked muddy, they sounded muddy, they recorded muddy, and any remaster of their first two albums is going to be just that....MUDDY. You can improve it, but you can't escape it. That's what's down on the tape kiddies and that's that. I seriously doubt Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab could do a better job. With that being said, this is the best CD re-issue of Blue Cheer's second album "Outsideinside." The sound is improved as much as it can be, which isn't much. It's a DEFINITE step up from the 2003 two-fer that was issued in the U.K., where it appears that a different master was used. I trust Bob Irwin knew what could and couldn't be done when remastering Blue Cheer and I'm sure he did all he could do. The sound is a bit clearer and more "open." It sounded awesome when I cranked the volume up (which is how you're supposed to listen to this band ya know). I always knew I loved "Gypsy Ball" but it's one of the murkiest tracks on the original LP. I could finally FOCUS in on the track with this remaster. All in all I'm satisfied with this and the packaging is great. It's the best "Outsideinside" has ever looked (aside from the original tri-fold cover in 1968) and it's the best it's ever sounded.

Besides the main, great original material on 'Outsideinside' I found the cover of 'The Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" on this album, to be the best cover of the song I've heard; it is full of wild abandon and genuine passion, that not only does the Stone's number justice, but makes it Blue Cheer's own, particularly when the famous riff is flipped to minor key towards the end, making an individual and bold musical interpretation, at a time when such twists were fairly new and innovative, but still keep their resonance today.As for the rest of the album: passionate, charismatic, hard rocking and stimulating tunes full of energy and charismatic power; brilliant, but not over-indulgent, guitar and soloing from Leigh Stephens; tremendous drumming (Paul Whaley), with very nice little fills and bass (Dickie Peterson, also on vocals), that is huge, but versatile and merges very subtly into the mix.There's heavy rock here, but also delicate moments; psychedelic overtones; solid compositions; groovy riffs and juicy songs and singing that make this an important record that, thanks to the great reviews here, lead me to an easily overlooked and brilliant classic...Great packaging (cardboard, but thankfully with a plastic jewel tray for the actual CD) and the latest, greatest, superior remaster (the lo-fi recording is part of it's charm, I think).Highly recommended.

This recording was one of my introductions into the psychedelic side of music. Im pretty sure they made it for head phones. Wow.It worked for me. Now While revisiting these lands on cd I find it sounds simpler. Of course I was simple back then. I digress, I like everything on this cd. I find the first half a warmup to the second half without having to flip the vinyl. " I can't get no satisfaction" starts out the second side and is great. Reminds me of "The Litter". What ever happened to them ? They do "The hunter" as well as anyone. Then onto the last two songs which just get better and better. At the end you just want to start it all over again. l Like this cd lots more than New improved. But still on New Improved you just gotta have "Peace of mind"

Blue Cheer's InsideOutside is an outstanding album - if you like your music LOUD... The album cover art is also excellent !

Big cheer what can I say great group great album

great music, great service

Blue Cheers Debüt "Vincebus Eruptum" war ein Wahnsinnsalbum, gerade auch in dem Sinn, dass die Platte rau, wild und explosiv war. "Summertime Blues" erreichte als Single die Hitparaden und bescherte der LP einen sehr guten Verkauf – Platz 11 in den Billboard-Charts ging schon schwer in Ordnung. Noch im selben Jahr brachte die Gruppe ihr zweites Album heraus, und das Cover sowie die ersten Takte der Platte konnten den Eindruck erwecken, als wäre die Band recht brav und zahm geworden.Aber damit täuschte man sich: Differenzierter ging es auf der zweiten Platte zu, so trashig wie das Debüt über weite Strecken geklungen hatte, klang der Zweitling nicht. An Power hatten die Drei aber nichts verloren. Die Eröffnungsnummer "Feathers From Your Tree" zeigte schon einmal, dass Dickie Petersons Bemühungen, gesanglich so melodiös als möglich zu klingen, nicht umsonst waren, was durch die Verdopplung seiner Stimme und durch eine entsprechende Studiotechnik gelang, wie überhaupt die Möglichkeiten des Tonstudios gut und häufig genutzt wurden bei der Produktion dieses Albums: Hatte "Vincebus Eruptum" über weite Strecken wie ein Live-Album geklungen, so war "Outsideinside" tatsächlich eine Studioplatte, wo sich die Band beispielsweise auch des damals modern gewordenen Phasing Jet-Effekts bediente. Nicht nur die Eröffnungsnummer, sondern auch Tracks wie "Sun Cycle", "Just A Little Bit" und "Gypsy Ball" klangen differenzierter, ließen in Refrains und schnellen Teilen aber erkennen, dass das Trio an Härte und Tempo nicht nachgelassen hatte. In straighten Rockern wie "The Hunter" und "Come And Get It" ließen sie dann ohnehin total die Rock-Sau heraus, simpel hingeknallter Powerrock, der 1968 in dieser Form noch sehr selten war.7 der 9 Tracks waren Eigenkompositionen und nur mehr 2 Covers, wobei jenes von "Satisfaction" wohl nie unumstritten war: Welchen Sinn es haben sollte, einen der absoluten Stones-Klassiker zu covern, und dazu noch in der Länge von 5 Minuten, war wohl damals schon fragwürdig, man muss Blue Cheer hier aber immerhin zugestehen, dass ihnen damit ein originelles und hartes Stück gelungen war, das sich vom Original auch ausreichend losgelöst hatte (was gerade in vokaler Hinsicht notwendig war – Peterson war nicht Jagger). Eine wohl zu allen Zeiten unumstrittene Coverversion war hingegen "The Hunter", was für ein Kracher!Dass Led Zeppelin und Deep Purple dieses Albums gekannt haben dürften, wird für mich deutlich, wenn ich mir Led Zeppelins "How Many More Times" (wo "The Hunter" zitiert wird) und Deep Purples "Into The Fire" (das Riff einmal mit dem von "Gypsy Ball" vergleichen, bitte schön) in Erinnerung rufe. Aber das hat man in den späten Sechzigern nicht so genau genommen, so wie es Blue Cheer mit der Erwähnung von "I See Nothing" von Elmore James bei der Schlussnummer "Babylon" nicht so genau nahmen. Heute haben wir das andere Extrem: Jeder Ton, jede Textzeile, jedes Riff, alles, was man von wo zitiert oder gesampelt hat, muss am CD-Booklet entsprechend erwähnt und der zuständigen Behörde gemeldet werden, aber das nur nebenbei."Outsideinside" hatte eines der schönsten Albumcovers von 1968, und verkaufte sich längst nicht mehr so gut wie das Debüt, in den Billboard-Charts reichte es nur auf Platz 90. Gitarrist Leigh Stephens verließ nach diesem Album die Band, in den Folgejahren gab es mehrere Besetzungswechsel (bei der ersten Auflösung 1972 war von der Originalbesetzung nur noch Peterson übrig), und auch mehrere stilistische Kapriolen, was dazu führte, dass sich Kritiker und die breite Masse der Plattenkäufer und Konzertbesucher immer weniger für die Gruppe interessierten. Kein Wunder, dass so ihre Pionierrolle in Bezug auf Metal in Vergessenheit geriet. Was aber an der Tatsache, dass Blue Cheer diese Pionierrolle zusteht, nichts ändert. Wer dieses Album nicht kennen sollte, oder nur als zerkratzte Vinyl-Scheibe oder schlecht überspielte CD besitzt, ergattert mit dem Kauf dieser vorliegenden Sundazed-Edition aus 2012 jedenfalls eine exzellent klingende, sehr gut remasterte Platte (wo Bob Irwin drauf steht, weiß man auch, was dann auf einer CD zu erwarten ist), wie "Vincebus Eruptum" auch mit einem ganz hervorragenden CD-Cover, und die Scheibe selber mit dem Philips-Logo von 1968.

ottimo