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Another solid effort from this under-appreciated band. Apr 22, 2009
The comings and goings of the members of Poco continues - from the original line-up we have scratched Randy Meisner and then Jim Messina, replacing them with Timothy B. Schmidt and Paul Cotton. For me these were good trades from both a short term and a long term perspective. As the years passed each of the new band members became major contributors. Cotton in particular was an excellent songwriter-singer and a more than adequate guitarist. I remembered him from his days as one half of Illinois Speed Press - a band whose two cds I continue to pursue, unsuccessfully (Amazon at over $70!).
Hall of Fame guitarist Steve Cropper produced From the Inside. He has been much criticized for his work here. Quite frankly, I don't see the problem. The album is loaded with excellent songs and first class playing. The vocals are exactly what we had come to expect from Poco. I detect no flaws with the sound of the record. Bad Weather is one of my favourite Poco songs - although I do have to admit that I prefer the Illinois Speed Press take on the song - then again that version is one of my favourite songs of all time. Schmidt's title song contribution is very pretty. Cotton and Furay share the credits for the remaining songs. Now, if you come to this record expecting a reprise of Pickin' up the Pieces you are probably in for a minor jolt. Even some of Furay's songs are less delicate, less country and more rock oriented than they were on the band's debut. However, all in all, while this was another fine effort from this under appreciated band, commercial success was still a few years away.
0 of 6 found the following review helpful:
 Their Weakest Epic LP Jul 11, 2006
"From The Inside," is, to me, a weak album. I'll go through it song-by-song:
"Hoe Down" is much too slow to be a good 'hoe down' song. It is not anywhere near as interesting musically or lyrically as their other hoe down songs that came afterward, beginning with "Blue Water/Fool's Gold" from "Crazy Eyes" and ending with "Ashes/Feudin'" on Cowboys & Englishmen."
"Bad Weather" IS a great song, but I never liked the odd quality that Paul Cotton had in his voice at this point in his career. I always thought he sounded like an old man on it, and so have called it his "old man" voice. I also think it goes on a bit too long. It should be noted that Cotton has been quoted as saying that the version of this song he thought was best is the one on "Live." I agree.
"What Am I Gonna Do?" is nicely sung, but I don't think it's any great shakes as a song. I don't dislike it, though.
"You Are The One" is also a moderately pleasant, forgettable song, but, again, no great shakes to my ear.
"Railroad Days" is a pretty good mid-tempo rocker, but it, too, suffers from Cotton's "old man" voice. I do like the song, though.
"From The Inside" is Timothy B. Schmit (now of the Eagles) finding his voice, both as a writer and a singer, but to my ear he is not yet there. Schmit has always been the weakest lyricist in the band (when he was in it) as far as I'm concerned, and I have never really figured out what the heck he meant when he sings that he's "talkin' it over from the inside." From the inside of what? Himself? I suppose that's probably what he means, but it just doesn't have any clarity for me and therefore leaves me cold. Also, I don't think melody is that great. I remember being surprised to see it included on "The Forgotten Trail" when it came out in 1990. "That's song's not that good," I thought. "Why did they put THAT on there?"
"Do You Feel It, Too?" is a song I never really cared for. It always sounded like a song that the band never really quite figured out what they wanted to do with. When the alternate version of the song was released on the Pickin' Up The Pieces" CD (which I am now convinced came from the sessions for "Poco", this feeling was confirmed. I finally heard a melody in the song that had escaped me when I had nothing with which to compare the "From The Inside" version. I think the alternate version is superior to this one, and they should have used it.
"Ol' Forgiver" is Cotton's "old man" voice at its worst. I don't know about it being the WORST Poco song, as some have stated, but it's definitely a contender in my book.
"What If I Should Say I Love You?" - see "What Am I Gonna Do?" I feel the same way about this song.
"Just For Me And You" is the only song I really think works on this album, and the only one I really enjoy listening to from it.
If you like this album, more power to you - what a boring world if we all had the same taste, but it does little for me. When I first bought it on vinyl, I really hated it, but have come to see some small virtues (mentioned above) and do listen to it occasionally. I had the same experience with "Legacy" when I bought it, and with "Head Over Heels" too, for that matter, though I find much more to appreciate about HOH these days than I ever did in the past. If you're looking for one of Poco's better Epic albums, definitely PASS on this one.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Laid Back Poco Nov 04, 2005
With the departure of Jim Messina, Poco lost a co-founder, their lead guitar player and their producer. "From the Inside" featured the arrival of Messina's replacement, the great Paul Cotton. Cotton settled right in on this record. The same can't be said for the producer. Blues legend Steve Cropper produced this record and totally missed the mark. Cropper's production does not due justice to some great material by Richie Furay, Cotton and Tim Schmit.
Despite this, "From the Inside" is a great record, largely due to the strong material and great musicianship. Cotton's "Bad Weather" and "Railroad Days" are top notch and Furay's "Just for Me and You", "What if I Should Say I Love You" and "You Are the One" are nothing short of fantastic.
If there is a downside to this record it is that it is a little short on rockers. Much like the Byrds' "Ballad of Easy Rider" album, this is a laid back release that shows that the band could produce mellower material and still sound great.
2 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Very good, considering.... Jun 14, 2005
The great Messina was gone, replaced by Paul Cotton. Most of us fans were prepared for a real letdown but were pleasantly surprised when the group delivered this tasty collection of songs. "Hoe Down" got my attention right away, announcing that the upbeat attitude wasn't dead yet. Then the gracious "Bad Weather" put me at ease over the change in lead guitarists. One after another the tunes played out, reassuring me that Poco was alive and well. It doesn't quite match the astonishing studio LP that preceded it but very few albums do. This has few "filler" songs and holds up quite well over the years.
3 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Almost A Masterpiece Oct 11, 2004
This is the fourth offering from Poco...well if you don't want to include the live album that came before this one you don't have to. This is without a doubt thier best album. It's practically a masterpiece musically. The arrangements straddle country and pop very well without losing the rock and roll feel. If there had to be a flaw it would be the uneven songwriting that made me feel that they were trying to stay in the lines as far as keeping the songs short. The longest song on here clocks in a 5 minutes and 32 seconds. "Hoedown" is the only song that needs to be short. The rest needed a little filler to make the songs whole in my opinion. There's still a chockful of good songs here though. "Bad Weather" Feautures Paul Cotton's debut as a songwriter, and a singer. "You Are The One" a nice bouncy country love song, the title cut is the best by far with tremendous harmonizing from Tim Schmidt, and The last song on the album "Just For Me And You" equals the title cut as the best song on this album a tasty little rocker to give you something to hum on the way home. This was a busy album where Jim Messina would leave after "Deliverin", and Paul Cotton enters, but Ritchie Fuary would now start to get cold feet about continuing on, but he hangs on for 2 more albums, and leaves after recording "Crazy Eyes". This was almost a masterpiece, and I enjoyed it when I first heard the promo 26 years ago, and things just never die.
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