# Inside (Matthew Sweet album)

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 5/10 |
Inside is the debut album by alternative rock musician Matthew Sweet. It was released on Columbia Records in 1986. Sweet was dropped from the label after the album's release, and would not put out another record for three years.

## Production

The album was recorded in multiple studios with a large number of producers and musicians, including Bernie Worrell, Chris Stamey, Scott Litt, Don Dixon, and Aimee Mann, among others.

## Critical reception

Trouser Press called the album "a bit like R.E.M. and early dB’s doing sincere power-pop with keyboards." The Rolling Stone Album Guide wrote that the songs "come across like the snappy work of a brainy Tommy James." The Spin Alternative Record Guide called Inside "notable only because it features ten different producers, none of whom have a clue what to do with Sweet's music." The Chicago Reader called it "tuneful and pleasant but ... sunk by the electropop, machine-driven production Sweet was pursuing."

## Personnel

* Matthew Sweet – vocals, lead guitar (1), rhythm guitars (1), bass (1-3, 9, 11), acoustic guitar (3, 6, 8, 11), guitars (3, 7-9, 11), all instruments (4), keyboard figures (7), keyboards (8-10)
* Bernie Worrell – Yamaha DX7 (1), organ (1)
* Howard Benson – keyboards (2), programming (2), sequencing (2)
* David Kahne – keyboards (2), acoustic guitar (2)
* Rob Fisher – keyboards (5)
* Tommy Mandel – keyboards (6)
* Rob Sabino – keyboards (6)
* Alan Tarney – keyboards (7), acoustic piano (7), LinnDrum programming (7)
* John Mahoney – Synclavier programming (8)
* Jim Telfir – keyboards (9)
* David M. Allen – programming (9), sequencing (9)
* Jody Harris – rhythm guitars (1)
* Rusty Anderson – guitars (2)
* Steve Bolton – guitars (5)
* Keith Mack – guitars (6)
* John McCurry – guitar solo (8)
* John McGeoch – guitar solo (9)
* Mike Campbell – guitars (10)
* Chris Stamey – bass (1)
* Phil Spalding – bass (5)
* Gerry Thomas – keyboard bass (8), keyboards (10), keyboard solo (10), bass (10)
* Anton Fier – drums (1, 2, 6)
* Fred Maher – drum programming (3, 10, 11), keyboard programming (8), drums (8, 10), percussion (8)
* Tony Beard – drums (5)
* Debbi Peterson – backing vocals (2)
* Vicki Peterson – backing vocals (2)
* Eddie – backing vocals (4)
* Don Dixon – backing vocals (6)
* Aimee Mann – backing vocals (6)
* Adele Bertei – backing vocals (8)
* Valerie Simpson – backing vocals (8)
* Sara Sweet – backing vocals (9)

## Production

* Steve Rallbovsky – executive producer
* Scott Litt – producer (1, 6), engineer (1, 6), mixing (2, 4, 9)
* David Kahne – producer (2)
* Stephen Hague – producer (3, 11)
* David M. Allen – producer (4, 9)
* Matthew Sweet – producer (4)
* Simon Hanhart – producer (5), engineer (5)
* Don Dixon – producer (6)
* Alan Tarney – producer (7)
* François Kervorkian – producer (8, 10)
* Ron St. Germain – producer (8, 10), recording (8, 10), mixing (8, 10)
* Tchad Blake – engineer (2)
* David Jacob – mixing (3, 11)
* Gordon Futter – engineer (4)
* Gerry Kitchenham – engineer (7)
* John Hudson – mixing (7)
* Mark Saunders – engineer (9)
* Jon Goldenberger – assistant engineer (1, 6)
* Jay Healy – assistant engineer (1), mix assistant (4)
* Mike Krowiak – assistant engineer (6)
* Noel Rafferty – assistant engineer (7)
* Acar Key – recording assistant (8, 10)
* Billy Miranda – recording assistant (8)
* Dennis Mitchell – mix assistant (8), recording assistant (10)
* Greg Calbi – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York, NY)
* Stephen Byram – design
* Harris Savides – photography
* Tony Meilandt and AGM Management – management