Inside (Matthew Sweet album)

Inside is the debut album by alternative rock musician Matthew Sweet.^[6][7] It was released on Columbia Records in 1986.^[8][9] Sweet was dropped from the label after the album's release, and would not put out another record for three years.^[10]

Inside
Studio album by Matthew Sweet
Released	1986
Studio	The Power Station, RPM Studios, Unique Recording Studios, Right Track Recording, Soundworks, The Hit Factory (New York City, New York); The Sound Factory (Hollywood, California); Can-Am Recorders (Tarzana, California); Park Avenue Sound (Massachusetts); RG Jones, Good Earth Studios, Marquee Studios, Westside Studios, Advision Studios, Air Studios, Mayfair Studios and Battery Studios, (London, UK).
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	41:22
Label	Columbia
Producer	Matthew Sweet, David Kahne, François Kevorkian, Stephen Hague, Ron Saint Germain, Don Dixon, David M. Allen, Alan Tarney[1]
Matthew Sweet chronology
Inside (1986) Earth (1989)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[3]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide	[1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[4]
Spin Alternative Record Guide	5/10[5]

Production

The album was recorded in multiple studios with a large number of producers and musicians, including Bernie Worrell, Chris Stamey, Scott Litt, Don Dixon, and Aimee Mann, among others.^[11]

Critical reception

Trouser Press called the album "a bit like R.E.M. and early dB’s doing sincere power-pop with keyboards."^[11] The Rolling Stone Album Guide wrote that the songs "come across like the snappy work of a brainy Tommy James."^[4] The Spin Alternative Record Guide called Inside "notable only because it features ten different producers, none of whom have a clue what to do with Sweet's music."^[5] The Chicago Reader called it "tuneful and pleasant but ... sunk by the electropop, machine-driven production Sweet was pursuing."^[12]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Quiet Her"	Matthew Sweet	Scott Litt	3:27
2.	"Blue Fools"	Sweet	David Kahne	3:43
3.	"We Lose Another Day"	Sweet Pal Shazar	Stephen Hague	3:11
4.	"Catch Your Breath"	Sweet	David M. Allen Matthew Sweet	4:00
5.	"Half Asleep"	Sweet	Simon Hanhart	4:26
6.	"This Above All"	Sweet	Litt Don Dixon	3:50
7.	"Save Time for Me"	Sweet Jules Shear	Alan Tarney	4:14
8.	"By Herself"	Sweet Adele Bertei	François Kevorkian Ron St. Germain	3:47
9.	"Brotherhood"	Sweet Shazar	Allen Sweet	3:31
10.	"Love I Trusted"	Sweet	Kevorkian St. Germain	4:15
11.	"Watch You Walking"	Sweet Shazar	Hague	2:57

Personnel

• Matthew Sweet – vocals, lead guitar (1), rhythm guitars (1), bass (1–3, 9, 11), acoustic guitar (3, 6, 8, 11), guitars (3, 7–9, 11), all instruments (4), keyboard figures (7), keyboards (8–10)
• Bernie Worrell – Yamaha DX7 (1), organ (1)
• Howard Benson – keyboards (2), programming (2), sequencing (2)
• David Kahne – keyboards (2), acoustic guitar (2)
• Rob Fisher – keyboards (5)
• Tommy Mandel – keyboards (6)
• Rob Sabino – keyboards (6)
• Alan Tarney – keyboards (7), acoustic piano (7), LinnDrum programming (7)
• John Mahoney – Synclavier programming (8)
• Jim Telfir – keyboards (9)
• David M. Allen – programming (9), sequencing (9)
• Jody Harris – rhythm guitars (1)
• Rusty Anderson – guitars (2)
• Steve Bolton – guitars (5)
• Keith Mack – guitars (6)
• John McCurry – guitar solo (8)
• John McGeoch – guitar solo (9)
• Mike Campbell – guitars (10)
• Chris Stamey – bass (1)
• Phil Spalding – bass (5)
• Gerry Thomas – keyboard bass (8), keyboards (10), keyboard solo (10), bass (10)
• Anton Fier – drums (1, 2, 6)
• Fred Maher – drum programming (3, 10, 11), keyboard programming (8), drums (8, 10), percussion (8)
• Tony Beard – drums (5)
• Debbi Peterson – backing vocals (2)
• Vicki Peterson – backing vocals (2)
• Eddie – backing vocals (4)
• Don Dixon – backing vocals (6)
• Aimee Mann – backing vocals (6)
• Adele Bertei – backing vocals (8)
• Valerie Simpson – backing vocals (8)
• Sara Sweet – backing vocals (9)

Production

• Steve Rallbovsky – executive producer
• Scott Litt – producer (1, 6), engineer (1, 6), mixing (2, 4, 9)
• David Kahne – producer (2)
• Stephen Hague – producer (3, 11)
• David M. Allen – producer (4, 9)
• Matthew Sweet – producer (4)
• Simon Hanhart – producer (5), engineer (5)
• Don Dixon – producer (6)
• Alan Tarney – producer (7)
• François Kervorkian – producer (8, 10)
• Ron St. Germain – producer (8, 10), recording (8, 10), mixing (8, 10)
• Tchad Blake – engineer (2)
• David Jacob – mixing (3, 11)
• Gordon Futter – engineer (4)
• Gerry Kitchenham – engineer (7)
• John Hudson – mixing (7)
• Mark Saunders – engineer (9)
• Jon Goldenberger – assistant engineer (1, 6)
• Jay Healy – assistant engineer (1), mix assistant (4)
• Mike Krowiak – assistant engineer (6)
• Noel Rafferty – assistant engineer (7)
• Acar Key – recording assistant (8, 10)
• Billy Miranda – recording assistant (8)
• Dennis Mitchell – mix assistant (8), recording assistant (10)
• Greg Calbi – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York, NY)
• Stephen Byram – design
• Harris Savides – photography
• Tony Meilandt and AGM Management – management