Italian pop star Laura Pausini's first English LP, From the Inside, is a guilty pleasure for any closeted fan of easy-listening pop (Celine Dion, Michael Bolton, Backstreet Boys). The album kicks off with the glorious "I Need Love," a song that earned her U.S. exposure when the ABC daytime drama All My Children used it as a love theme. Other highlights include "Every Day Is a Monday," a Europop mainstream song laced with a wah-wah guitar, and the Dion-like "Without You." Pausini is clearly influenced by Dion. Her voice doesn't soar to the heights that Dion reaches, but she comes close in songs such as "If That's Love" and "Every Day Is a Monday." Like most albums filled with love songs, "surrender" is a theme throughout From the Inside, especially in the funky ballad "Do I Dare" and the Europop "Surrender." This is one album to surrender to. ~ Christina Fuoco, All Music Guide
Laura Pausini (Executive Producer), John Shanks (Producer), Guy Roche (Programming), K.C. Porter (Engineer), Ali Thomson (Programming), Tom Coyne (Mastering), Rob Chiarelli (Mixing), Michael Landau (Guitar (Electric)), Greg Burns (Assistant), David Campbell (String Conductor), Laura Pausini (Producer), Craig Kallman (Executive Producer), Christian Saint Val (Assistant), Carl Sturken (Guitar), Dado Parisini (Synthesizer Bass), Pam Reswick (Engineer), Jeff Bova (Keyboards), Fredrik Andersson (Engineer), Daniel Chase (Programming), Ali Thomson (Arranger), Patrick Leonard (Piano), Riccardo Galardini (Guitar), Eric Kupper (Contractor), David Cole (Engineer), Eric Kupper (Keyboards), Bernie Grundman (Mastering), Andrea Derby (Production Coordination), Luis Quine (Engineer), Mark Taylor (Keyboards), Andy Schlesinger (Engineer), Mark Taylor (Contractor), Mike Shipley (Mixing), David Cole (Mixing), Alfredo Cerruti (Executive Producer), Sheryl Nields (Photography), Alfredo Cerruti (Producer), Daniel Chase (Engineer), Pete Novak (Assistant), Dado Parisini (Producer), Sarah Sykes (Production Coordination), Nathan East (Bass), Jeff Rothschild (Assistant Engineer), Guy Roche (Producer), Jimmy Bralower (Producer), Leo Song (Digital Editing), Eric Kupper (Production Coordination), David Channing (Engineer), Rusty Anderson (Guitar), Bernard Löhr (Mixing), Kara DioGuardi (Vocals (Background)), Alexander Richbourg (Rhythm Programming), Patrick Leonard (Producer), Tim Pierce (Guitar (Acoustic)), Michael Landau (Guitar), K.C. Porter (Keyboards), Chandler Bridges (Assistant), Andrew Logan (Producer), Evan Rogers (Vocals (Background)), Todd Shoemaker (Assistant), Jimmy Bralower (Engineer), Andreas Carlsson (Arranger), Curt Bisquera (Drums), Patrick Leonard (Programming), Baraka (Digital Editing), Peter Zizzo (Vocal Producer), Reed Ruddy (Engineer), John Shanks (Guitar), Andrew Logan (Engineer), Jen Scaturro (Keyboards), Kristin Barnes (Vocals (Background)), Shari Sutcliffe (Contractor), Ramon Stagnaro (Guitar (Acoustic)), Yvonne Williams (Vocals (Background)), Andreas Carlsson (Keyboards), Jimmy Bralower (Drums), Kara DioGuardi (Producer), K.C. Porter (Programming), Al Hemberger (Engineer), David Sabee (Orchestra Contractor), Eric Buffat (Keyboard Programming), Steve Churchyard (Engineer), Dorian Cheah (Guitar), Michael Landau (Guitar (Acoustic)), Carl Sturken (Producer), Kara DioGuardi (Engineer), Patrick Leonard (Arranger), Eric Kupper (Producer), Mark Taylor (Producer), Windy Wagner (Vocals (Background)), Jong Uk Yoon (Assistant), Dado Parisini (Arranger), Pam Reswick (Producer), Evan Rogers (Producer), Ron Shapiro (Executive Producer), Darlene Perry (Vocals (Background)), Elisa Fiorillo (Vocals (Background)), Laura Pausini (Vocals (Background)), Richard Bates (Art Direction), Andrew Logan (Vocals (Background)), Eric Kupper (Programming), Dushyant Bhakta (Engineer), Melodye Perry (Vocals (Background)), Ali Thomson (Keyboards), Andreas Carlsson (Producer), Brian Reeves (Engineer), Lynn Davis (Vocals (Background)), Thelma Leemans (A&R), Eric Buffat (Keyboards), Mark Taylor (Production Coordination), Paul Bushnell (Bass), Lee Sklar (Bass), Chris Athens (Mastering), Mick Guzauski (Mixing), John "J.R." Robinson (Drums), Joe Marlett (Assistant), Daniel Chase (Producer), Adam Phillips (Guitar), K.C. Porter (Executive Producer), Jeff Bova (Programming), Shari Sutcliffe (Production Coordination), Lori Perry (Vocals (Background)), Andreas Carlsson (Programming), Bill Schnee (Engineer), David Campbell (String Arrangements), Marlena Jeter (Vocals (Background)), Patrick Leonard (Keyboards), Luis Quine (Assistant), Michael Landau (Sitar), Tom Bender (Assistant), Allen Hori (Design), Michael C. Ross (Engineer), Johnny Britt (Vocals (Background)), Kara DioGuardi (Arranger), Mark Taylor (Programming), Phillip Ingram (Vocals (Background)), Jessica Paster (Stylist), Olivia d'Abo (Vocals (Background)), Sharon Perry (Vocals (Background)), Brad Gilderman (Mixing), K.C. Porter (Arranger), Dorian Cheah (Programming), Pam Reswick (Keyboards), Vinnie Colaiuta (Drums), Daniel Chase (Keyboards), Jamie Muhoberac (Keyboards), K.C. Porter (Producer), Dado Parisini (Keyboards), Russ Desalvo (Guitar), Jimmy Bralower (Editing), Dorian Holley (Vocals (Background))
Most of the album's twelve tracks fall in the pop genre, Two of the songs, Love Comes From The Inside and I Do 2 Be are outside pop. Two songs were first released in Italian and Spanish in former albums: It's Not Goodbye and Everyday Is A Monday. The latter was originally written in English and adapted later into Italian and Spanish, though it first released in these languages. Important songwriters appear in the credits of the album, such as Andreas Carlsson, K. C. Porter, but above all longtime Madonna's collaborator Patrick Leonard. The recording company (Atlantic Records) promoted the single Surrender more as a dance song (helped by the several remixes of the song) than a pop song. In this way, Surrender was able to reach #1 in the Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play. The same happened for the second single If that's love. In January 2003 the album was released in Europe as well.
Despite all Pausini's efforts, the album did not get the success she expected in the United States. Some blamed what they called an incorrect promotion strategy by Atlantic Records, which promoted it as a dance album. Laura Pausini disliked that choice and asked to meet with Atlantic's president. She asked to have From the Inside promoted in line with what she considers her singing style, i.e., Adult contemporary. When Atlantic refused, Laura Pausini threatened to drop the whole plan, but Atlantic still did not respond. Pausini, self-confident from her success in Europe and Latin America, kept her promise and went back to Italy, leaving From the Inside to its destiny. The promotion of the album went on in Europe for some months.
Track listing
From the Inside
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Title
Length
01
“I Need Love”
• Music & lyric: Kara DioGuardi, Ulf Lindström, Johan Ekhé
