Dynamic And Funky
Andre S. Grindle | Brewer Maine | 12/29/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"My first exposure to Billy Cobham's music came from his debut album 'Spectrum' a very over the top rock/fusion drum attack that has absolutely no musical sudtlety.After that the few other Cobham albums I've heard sounded more refined THEN I heard 'Inner Conflicts'-and aside from the wonderfully artsy album cover art the title track-with it's strident drum and synthesizer interaction over a great space funk-jazz groove finds Cobham playing almost all the instruments himself.Before he lets you relax though the next cut is "Muffin Talks Back",an unbelievably fluid combination of funky latin-tinged grooves and yet more spacy textures."Nickles And Dimes" is straight up horn funk featuring the Brecker brothers,"Barrio" is a maddeningly manic latin percussion jam and only on the cooly jazzy 'Arroyo" does Cobham tone down the funky excess found everywhere else here but only slightly-the tune is still rhythmic and has a great "smooth" groove to it.So aside from perhapes the similar but slightly more commercial'Simplicity Of Expression-Depth Of Thought" this album stands as one of my favorites in Billy Cobham's catalog and I would easily recommend this to anyone as an introduction to his music aside from (what I feel) is the overrated and unbearably spastic 'Spectrum'.
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Inner Conflicts
Theodore J Lake Jr | Hopewell, NJ United States | 09/26/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"With Inner Conflicts, Billy Cobham continues the tradition of his funk-fusion along the same lines as a Funky Thide of Sings. The musicianship of course is superb, especially the guitar solos and Billy's continual drum attack. A must buy for Cobham fans."
Track Listings (5) - Disc #1