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Livin' Inside Your Love

George Benson - Livin' Inside Your Love Audio CD

A fair review of the George Benson "Livin' Inside Your Love" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all George Benson reviews here, or go back to the George Benson tabs.

Band: George Benson
Title: Livin' Inside Your Love
Rating:

Release Date: 1990-10-25
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Livin' Inside Your Love 2: Hey Girl 3: Nassau Day 4: Soulful Strut 5: Prelude to Fall 6: Change Is Gonna Come 7: Love Ballad 8: You're Never Too Far from Me 9: Love Is a Hurtin' Thing 10: Welcome into My World 11: Before You Go 12: Unchained Melody

Welcome To Benson's World
The general sound of the album makes an ambitious attempt to blend Benson's standard jazz-funk sound with an orchestra arranged and conduced by Claus Ogerman. Still riding on the huge success of his massive success four years earlier with Breezin' George Benson dropped this double album as the decade drew to a close. So the effect was not to have been any different from the previous three albums right?Well in a way. . . . . . . . it was. In this case the orchestra is all over these songs at various points. And with ace players such as Greg Phillinganes,Steve Gadd,Ronnie Foster and Earl Klugh onboard you don't really need that much outside arrangement. Crowded over production aside the music on this album itself can only be rated with the five star treatment. These 12 songs showcase either intrumentals or vocal numbers. Some are covers,some are originals and all the songs are long enough to include at least one hefty guitar solo from Benson. Klugh's title song is a pretty nice beginning,kind of a nice smooth groove where the production doesn't get in the way too much. Of the vocal pieces there are nice covers in the same mellow mood such as "Hey Girl","Love Is A Hurtin' Thing" and "Unchained Melody",extending on the loose but obvious romantic concept of the album. There are two Ronnie Foster tunes. One is a smoother funk rendition of "Nassau Day",a melodic instrumental done in a more Stevie Wonderish version on Foster's own Love Satellite album and here it's basically a lighter weight version with Benson's guitar. . . . actually turning in some inventive guitar licks that even go beyond Ronnie's keyboard riffing on the original. "Prelude To Fall" features again more orchestration than solos. Two of the most impressive songs are. . well the big hit "Love Ballad". Originally a very slow ballad on LTD's album Love to the World this is transformed into a clavinet driven disco jazz number that's. . . . . sure somewhat linked to the time but it really couldn't be in a more wonderful way. "Welcome To My World",a Benson original is just a tad slower but no less catchy,again featuring all the qualities Benson does best in a lush melodic setting. He also does an excellent soulful turn on Sam Cookes "A Change Is Gonna Come";George's huge,rich voice and playing really bring new life to what was even by then a classic standard. On the instrumental side "Soulful Strut" has Benson throwing down some excellent guitar work. Some of the lushness of this albums heavily orchestrated sound may sound a bit discoish and maybe even corny to some people. But if you can peel back those layers to how strong and hefty a lot of these grooves are,regardless of tempo and how classic Benson's pop-jazz-funk hybrid was.

One of my top 25 favourite jazz albums ever!
He has a rich, warm and soulful tone and just as his guitar playing looks to Wes Montgomery for inspiration and influence, his singing style is clearly influenced by Donny Hathaway, who in my view was the greatest soul singer who ever lived. As well as considering him an incredibly accomplished jazz guitarist, I also happen to love George Benson's voice.

So I really don't mind it when Benson decides to sing on his albums. If anything, I look forward to it. Or at least I used to. I was happy as long as he kept the balance right and during what I refer to as the early Tommy LiPuma years, (which took in albums like 1976's Breezin', 1977's In Flight, 1978's Weekend in L. A. and this one from 1979), he seemed to do that that. As much as he may have wished to be a pop star, I feel he made a huge mistake when he later on seemed to turn his back on his fans that were drawn to him primarily for his guitar playing. 1980's Give Me the Night was an excellent record, (not least due to Quincy Jones's production) but it only had two instrumental tracks on an album of ten songs. With subsequent albums (20/20 and In Your Eyes particularly spring to mind), while there were moments of admirable artistry, the jazz elements, such as there were, seemed to be add-ons as opposed to the main event. The man apparently seemed to become less interested in being known as a great jazz musician and much more interested in being taken as a Billboard chart and MTV sensation. It wasn't until 1987's Collaboration with Earl Klugh and then 1989's Tenderly (both also produced by LiPuma, by the way), that I finally heard Benson return close to his jazz roots. Sadly, he didn't stay there but that's another story.

Anyway, this particular album, one of my top 25 jazz albums ever, is a prime example of how that balance should be struck in my view. Twelve songs spread over what I used to have on a double fold-out album but now have on CD, and there are six vocal tracks, five instrumental ones and one (the title track), which aims to be an instrumental but which I consider a half and half. Produced by the legendary LiPuma, recorded and mixed by Al Schmitt and with beautiful orchestration arranged and conducted by Claus Ogerman, this is probably one of Benson's best ever recordings. It's certainly his most well-rounded. Featuring regular collaborators like Ronnie Foster, Jorge Dalto, Ralph McDonald, Phil Upchurch, Greg Phillinganes and even Earl Klugh (who wrote and performed on the title track), this is one not to be missed. The album is a delight from start to end and I'm especially pleased I don't have to get up any more after every third song to change the record over.

My favourite tunes include the instrumentals "Nassau Day" (written by Ronnie Foster), "You're Never Too Far From Me" and "Before You Go" (both penned by Benson himself), the vocal tunes "Love Ballad" (written by the brilliant Skip Scarborough), "Welcome Into My World" (also written by Benson), "A Change Is Gonna Come", which stands up respectfully and respectably alongside the Sam Cooke original, and the best version of "Unchained Melody" I have ever heard in my life. And I've heard a number.

I hope Benson was happy with it. I know the album had huge success in the charts back then and I remember hearing "Love Ballad" (with Benson's brilliant scat along vocals on the instrumental break) on the radio day and night for ages afterwards.

And then "Give Me The Night" came along and changed everything. . .
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"You're Never Too Far From Me"

This collection consists of a dozen of his greatest hits and remarkable recordings in the seventies. George Benson shines anew with this album produced by one of the influential figures in the recording business, Tommy LiPuma, arranged and conducted by fine arrangers such as Claus Ogerman and Mike Mainieri, and mixed and engineered by the best there is, Al Schmitt. Standouts include the initial track, a beautiful tune "Livin' Inside Your Love" composed by an equally talented guitarist and a good friend of his, Earl Klugh, a heartfelt rendition of a beautiful love song, "Unchained Melody," an upbeat "Soulful Strut" and a terrific George Benson original tune, "You're Never Too Far From Me. "

When it comes to beautiful music, George Benson is never too far away from it. Listen to it and delight with his exceptional guitar talent and an effortless, stylish and creative vocal style.

Happy Listening!
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A Very Underated CD!!!!
I loved it then and still find it great today. I bought this on vinyl when it first came out. This CD has a mixture of remakes and new songs. Their isn't a bad song on it. Then again George Benson doesn't make any bad songs. . . He is one of the greatest guitar player's/singer's of all time. This CD is very underated yet is among one of his best. The title track, Love Is A Hurtin' Thing, and Welcome To My World are the outstanding songs on this CD. .

Go Disco George
Breezin
2. Here's the trilogy u must-have:
1. Weekend in LA
&
3. Livin' Inside your Love

Like 2 say they all classics which George put out 'cuz it made him a superstar in the jazz genre. This album is a blend of R&B, pop, easy-listening, disco, funk, upbeats 2 it and especially LAtin (I know everybody loves Latin but I do occassionally just has that feel 2 it. )

George Benson is such a Musical Genius when he puts out an album that so real and unique. I wish that he'll be a success in the business 'cuz I sure love to work with him he's my biggest influence. I've been learning to play guitar at age 10 but lay off of it 4 trumpet at age 12 but soon play it professionally at age 15 in high school. So now that I love jazz, I still be able to make a career outta it than I do with most music I like: hip-hop, R&B, gospel, blues, Latin, rock, pop, etc.

Seriously one of my favorites and the 1st I grew up or 2nd perhaps. He 'specially has my man Earl Klugh along on this one and orignally the conductor on them one on the strings is Mr. Claus Ogerman. Sure would love to listen to him.
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You can see a complete list of all George Benson discography, or go back to the George Benson tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.