  Once
upon a time there lived six grown men whose voices and creativity
made them famed throughout the land. To children and parents alike,
these men brought smiles to thousands of a cappella fans. One day
they made a CD that featured innovative arrangements of familiar children's
songs. Families at last had music to share, and they all lived happily
ever after.
InsideOut's
reunion CD "Primary Colors" follows the Brett Raymond
concept of contemporizing primary songs to make them listenable
for adults. You know, it's that combination of Innocence
(1999) and Experience
(2000) that always proves a pleasant treat. Though the guys dress
these songs in new clothes, nothing is left unrecognizable. And
Kimball Brown's arrangements show their maturity and thoughtfulness.
In
fact, it's the first collection of primary songs that I've wanted
to keep hearing since graduating from Blazer B's (class of '90 rocks!).
It also scored a memory with my family the first time we popped
it in the living room CD player. My two-year-old son started shaking
his hips and singing along to the first song, "Give Said the
Little Stream."
And the rest is history.
InsideOut
has style and class. They also have a quirky sense of humor that
reaches its ultimate manifestation here. Fans are familiar with
their parodies "Squirrels" (a take on the Beastie Boys'
"Girls") and "Jackie Chan" (based on the Abba/Erasure
hit "Take a Chance on Me").
"Primary Colors" boasts similar laughs on several tracks.
A professor sounding remarkably like Harry Potter's Gilderoy Lockhart
explains the scientific phenomenon of the "Eensie Weensie Spider."
On "I Hope They Call Me on a Mission," kids respond to
questions about geography and other missionary subjects from a Bill
Cosby-like interviewer. But the CD is worth getting simply for the
13 different versions of "Once There Was a Snowman" in
every style imaginable. A personal favorite is their take on Mike
Myers' beatnik poetry from "So I Married An Axe Murderer."
Classic InsideOut.
The
group's arranging talent again sets creative standards. You wouldn't
think there was a new way to sing "Smiles," but the guys
tack on some serious barbershop slides that could win the blue ribbon
at any county fair. My biggest smile on the whole CD came on "Popcorn
Popping on the Apricot Tree" when bassist Ryan Hinton croons
"Sooooooooo sweet" sooooooooo low that I wondered if Barry
White himself had paid a visit.
The
reverent spots are "We'll Bring the World His Truth,"
Brown's original "Lullaby," and "I Feel My Savior's
Love." The group winds an enchanting medley of "I'm Trying
to Be Like Jesus" and "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring"
that almost gives you goosebumps.
I'm
asked to review each CD partially to explain whether it is worth
buying. The simple answer for this album is a resounding "Yes."
There's too much innovation and refreshment on this one to deny.
------------------------
Jared
Johnson
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