Outside Looking In - Demo

[thraxhead]

I thought I would start some discussion on this board, as I found some hidden gems on Youtube that has rekindled my appreciation for this fantastic band.

Up first: "Outside Looking In" - demo from the remastered Inside Out (1994) LP.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mwn2-Bl5bAw

It seems the chorus is pretty much identical to the studio version (and much more polished) than the verses or the bridge section later in the song. The creepy spoken word thing in the beginning verse was kind of interesting too.

As most know, the bridge from "Circles" eventually became incorporated into this song, so the entire lyrics and melodies are completely different in this demo on that section.

I think I actually like this version better than the one that ended up on the album. I like the raw sounds of the guitar, and also how the chord progression extends a little bit after each vocal line (giving what appeared to be a more epic feel to this song - Inside Out was normally criticized for being too poppy)

I also like Ray's disjointed note-jumping in this tune. Sounds more akin to where he was in his formative days.

Highly recommended to check out :-)

thraxhead

[OG]

Probably my least often spun of the bunch--until recently: the ol' Inside Out. I had "Afterglow" played at my wedding, which got a rise out of the only other Fates fan at the event. Since then, I've been lost in it, particularly due to the remarkable polish, I suspect. There's a crispness up and down the track list, which certainly speaks to the "poppy" flavor of the whole. I can't figure out why I was always so "eh" about it. I suppose I always felt like the damn disc was nothing more than a vehicle for "Monument." Silly me.

I get what you're saying about this demo track; in fact, I probably would have taken to the disc right away had this version--especially because of the vocals--been the opener. It's pushing the prog past the pop, making it instantly more challenging to listen to and, as a result, more interesting. (First thing that came to mind, actually: Watchtower.) The oddly timed "within" and the bridge do it for me. And now that I'm almost 40, that's an impressive feat, indeed.

Thanks for sharing.

OG

[BenMech]

Indeed. And Thank you Thrax for restarting communication here.