Inside Wants Out
Encyclopedia
Inside Wants Out is the debut extended play
(EP) and very first overall release by American blues rock musician John Mayer
. Released by Mayer Music on September 24, 1999, the album was later re-released by Columbia Records
on August 2, 2002 with the omission of "Neon 12:47 AM". The songs "Back to You", "No Such Thing
", "My Stupid Mouth", and "Neon
" were later re-recorded for Mayer's 2001 full-length debut album Room for Squares
.
in Boston, Massachusetts, at the age of nineteen. After two semesters, he chose to cut his studies short, and at the urging of his college friend and Atlanta native, Clay Cook
, the two moved to Atlanta, Georgia
. Quickly making a name for their two-man band, LoFi Masters, they began their career in earnest there, frequenting the local coffee house and club circuit in venues like Eddie’s Attic
. Cook has said, however, that they began to experience musical differences due to Mayer’s desire to take the duo in more of a pop direction. The two parted ways, and Mayer embarked on a solo career.
With the help of local producer and engineer Glenn Matullo, Mayer recorded the independent EP Inside Wants Out. Cook is also cited as the co-writer of four of the songs from the EP, most notably, Mayer's first commercial single release, "No Such Thing
". The EP includes only eight songs, all with Mayer on lead vocals and guitars, with the exception of "Comfortable" in which Mayer only recorded the vocals. For the opening track, "Back to You", a full band was enlisted, including the EP’s co-producer David "DeLa" LaBruyere
on bass guitars. Mayer and LaBruyere then began to tour throughout Georgia and the surrounding states.
Production personnel
Additional personnel
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
(EP) and very first overall release by American blues rock musician John Mayer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
. Released by Mayer Music on September 24, 1999, the album was later re-released by Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
on August 2, 2002 with the omission of "Neon 12:47 AM". The songs "Back to You", "No Such Thing
No Such Thing (John Mayer song)
"No Such Thing" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American singer-songwriter John Mayer. It was released in February 2002 as the lead single from his first album, 1999's Inside Wants Out. Like many of the songs from Mayer's early musical career, the song was co-written with Clay Cook...
", "My Stupid Mouth", and "Neon
Neon (song)
"Neon" is a song performed by John Mayer and written by Mayer and his former songwriting partner Clay Cook. The two wrote the song while they were known as LoFi Masters...
" were later re-recorded for Mayer's 2001 full-length debut album Room for Squares
Room for Squares
Room for Squares is the debut studio album of American musician John Mayer, released September 18, 2001 on Columbia Records in the United States. Originally released independently through Aware Records on June 5, 2001, the album peaked at number 9 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart...
.
Production and history
Mayer enrolled in the Berklee College of MusicBerklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
in Boston, Massachusetts, at the age of nineteen. After two semesters, he chose to cut his studies short, and at the urging of his college friend and Atlanta native, Clay Cook
Clay Cook
Douglas "Clay" Cook is a songwriter, producer and musician who co-wrote several songs with Grammy-winner John Mayer including "No Such Thing", "Comfortable", and "Neon"...
, the two moved to Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. Quickly making a name for their two-man band, LoFi Masters, they began their career in earnest there, frequenting the local coffee house and club circuit in venues like Eddie’s Attic
Eddie's Attic
Eddie's Attic is a music club in Decatur, Georgia. Founded in 1992 by Eddie Owen, it is a venue for both local musical talent and musicians of some acclaim who often got their start in the Atlanta area. Artists who developed their fanbase at Eddie's Attic include Shawn Mullins, Sugarland, Indigo...
. Cook has said, however, that they began to experience musical differences due to Mayer’s desire to take the duo in more of a pop direction. The two parted ways, and Mayer embarked on a solo career.
With the help of local producer and engineer Glenn Matullo, Mayer recorded the independent EP Inside Wants Out. Cook is also cited as the co-writer of four of the songs from the EP, most notably, Mayer's first commercial single release, "No Such Thing
No Such Thing (John Mayer song)
"No Such Thing" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American singer-songwriter John Mayer. It was released in February 2002 as the lead single from his first album, 1999's Inside Wants Out. Like many of the songs from Mayer's early musical career, the song was co-written with Clay Cook...
". The EP includes only eight songs, all with Mayer on lead vocals and guitars, with the exception of "Comfortable" in which Mayer only recorded the vocals. For the opening track, "Back to You", a full band was enlisted, including the EP’s co-producer David "DeLa" LaBruyere
David LaBruyere
David "DeLa" LaBruyere is a musician, songwriter and producer, most notably known as the former longtime bass guitarist for John Mayer. He has also been a member of Vigilantes of Love and worked with Michelle Malone.-External links:*...
on bass guitars. Mayer and LaBruyere then began to tour throughout Georgia and the surrounding states.
Reception
Critical response to Inside Wants Out, that came mostly after the Columbia re-release, was warm and optimistic. David Thigpin (with Rolling Stone) called the album's sound, "curving, melodically rich tunes that weave folk, blues, rock and wisps of jazz [and] place him in the company of David Gray and Jeff Buckley, minus the melancholy." Gavin Edwards gave the album four out of five stars, and said, "Mayer's gift for melody was all because he allways went in full effect on this record".Track listing
Personnel
Musicians- John MayerJohn MayerJohn Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
– vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, stringString sectionThe string section is the largest body of the standard orchestra and consists of bowed string instruments of the violin family.It normally comprises five sections: the first violins, the second violins, the violas, the cellos, and the double basses...
arrangementArrangementThe American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
s on track 7, productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - David LaBruyereDavid LaBruyereDavid "DeLa" LaBruyere is a musician, songwriter and producer, most notably known as the former longtime bass guitarist for John Mayer. He has also been a member of Vigilantes of Love and worked with Michelle Malone.-External links:*...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
on tracks 1 and 5, drumDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
loopMusic loopIn electroacoustic music, a loop is a repeating section of sound material. Short sections of material can be repeated to create ostinato patterns...
and Moog bassMoog TaurusThe Moog Taurus is a foot-operated analog synthesizer designed and manufactured by Moog Music from 1974 or 1975 to 1981. Commonly called the Taurus I, it has a 13-note organ-style pedal board similar to the pedal keyboard of a spinet organ.-History:...
on track 1, production on tracks 1 and 8 - Matt Mangano – bass guitar on tracks 7 and 8, recordingSound recording and reproductionSound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
on track 7 - Stephen Roberson – drums on tracks 7 and 8
- Sigurdur Birkis – drums on track 1
- Clay CookClay CookDouglas "Clay" Cook is a songwriter, producer and musician who co-wrote several songs with Grammy-winner John Mayer including "No Such Thing", "Comfortable", and "Neon"...
– guitar, backing vocals and string arrangements on track 7 - Casey DriessenCasey DriessenCasey Christopher Driessen is an American bluegrass fiddler and singer. He plays acoustic and electric five-string violins, each of which has an additional low C string....
– strings on track 7 - Carrie RodriguezCarrie RodriguezCarrie Luz Rodriguez is a Mexican-American singer-songwriter and the daughter of Texan singer-songwriter David Rodriguez and well-known Texas painter Katy Nail, and is the granddaughter of prolific Texas essayist Frances Nail. She sings and plays the fiddle, mandobird and tenor guitar...
– strings on track 7 - Daniel Cho – strings on track 7
Production personnel
- Glenn Matullo – recording on all tracks except 7, production, masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Russ Fowler – mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
- Vlado Miller – resequencing
Additional personnel
- Media:Tom Wages – coverAlbum coverAn album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing...
and additional photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film... - Tyson Marsh – additional photography
- Carol Farrar Norton – graphic designGraphic designGraphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...