BERNARD FOWLER — Inside Out (review)

BERNARD FOWLER — Inside Out album cover Album · 2019 · RnB Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
snobb
Native New Yorker singer and percussionist Bernard Fowler was a back up vocalist for Rolling Stones during last twenty years. Is lesser known he was a member of Bill Laswell Material and participated recording Philip Glass ("Songs from Liquid Days"), Herbie Hancock("Future Shock" & "Sound-System") and James Blood Ulmer("America – Do You Remember the Love?") albums among many others.

His third album as a leader is a true success. Fowler takes "Rolling Stones" early years songs (far not only hits)and rework them deeply to beatnik-rap minimalist straight-to-your-face singing poetry, in a tradition of Gil Scott-Heron. It's always a risky business working with such renown material as Rolling Stones legacy, but here on "Inside Out" Fowler finds very his own and perfectly working take on material.

Predominantly rapping over the minimalist quartet of three percussionists and one of three drummers, Bernard takes renown songs lyrics on the front, and them almost always sound both very actual and poetical at the same time. Rarely if ever the Rolling Stones songs' lyrics have been so much in the center of attention when played by original authors during 60s or 70s.

There are very tasteful addition of some more musicians on separate songs, as wah-wah guitars from Geo Evan and Ray Parker Jr. on "Dancing with Mr.D" or long sax soloing from Tim Ries on "Must Be Hell".

Probably most difficult target was reworking of two bigger hits, "Undercover of the Night" and "Sympathy for the Devil", but even here Fowler generally succeeded. Differently from British r'n'b we so well know from Stones' originals Fowler offers very American album of proto-rap, African percussion and funky rhythms.

Started once, you can't stop listening it again and again.
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