Linda Perry's music is both subtle and bombastic, sweet and aggressive, and intellectually and sonically challenging. After the singer/songwriter quit her job fronting mega-platinum rock outfit 4 Non Blondes in 1994, Perry spent some time underground and eventually recorded In Flight for Interscope Records. Producer Bill Botrell (Sheryl Crow, Susanna Hoffs) helps Perry on the 1996 release as she digs deep into very personal subject matter that could get overwrought without the softly detailed arrangements and mixes. The queen of '90s ultra-depressive mope rock, Lisa Germano deepens the disc's dour construct with her mournful violin. There are a couple overly personal moments within the In Flight playlist, like the opener "In My Dreams," but Perry leans on her expressive vocals to keep the dangerously sincere material interesting. "Success" borders on the excessively self-analytical, but Botrell's juicy production and a crushing hook elevate the track beyond its weepy predisposition. Other standouts include "Life in a bottle," "In Flight," and the Grace Slick duet "Knock Me Out" that features the legendary Starship vocalist in extremely rare form. A fondness for fellow '90s female mood rockers Germano and PJ Harvey will aid listeners in appreciating the sallow cast of In Flight. But with just a little patience, any fan can enjoy the tenderness that coats Perry's introspective material. ~ Vincent Jeffries, All Music Guide
Brian MacLeod (Drums), Mark Leroy (Art Direction), Grace Slick (Performer), Aubin Crowell (Paintings), Bernd Burgdorf (Engineer), Bill Bottrell (Bass), Mark Cross (Engineer), Linda Perry (Piano), Jill Rose (Project Coordinator), Bill Bottrell (Guitar), Bernd Burgdorf (Programming), Bill Bottrell (Drums), Mark Leroy (Design), Linda Perry (Guitar), Bernd Burgdorf (Mixing), Linda Perry (Bass), Lisa Germano (Violin), Bernd Burgdorf (Producer), Bill Bottrell (Producer), Jim Marshall (Photography), Linda Perry (Producer), Dan Schwartz (Pedal Steel), Blair Lamb (Engineer), Joe Gastwirt (Mastering), Greg Spalenka (Illustrations), Brian MacLeod (Percussion), Dan Schwartz (Bass), Kevin Gilbert (Keyboards), Kevin Gilbert (Guitar)
In Flight is the first solo album by singer and producer Linda Perry, released in 1996. It was produced by Bill Bottrell (Sheryl Crow, Michael Jackson). Perry re-released the album in 2005 on her own record label Custard Records. The re-release contains original videos from the singles "Freeway" & "Fill Me Up". Perry says that Interscope, her record label in 1996, which had been hoping for something a little catchier than In Flight, didn't promote the album, and the disappointing sales rattled her. "My gut feeling that I relied on failed me. . . . I was devastated", Perry says. She regards In Flight as unfinished business, a rare and deeply personal failure in an otherwise charmed professional life. It's only in hopes of giving it another chance that she consented to take on a few promotional chores.
Perry explains "Bill" as "like a mini rock opera, that I didn't put on the new album because it was too big of a production for me to deal with right now". She performed the song live on her unplugged concert "At Moondog Cafe", 1998.
Album information
In Flight was descriped by Perry as a "mini-concept album" inspired by Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon - she says it's something she would like to have done earlier in her career but "I didn't have enough influence in the band." Some songs, like "In My Dreams" & "Too Deep", were already written at the 4 Non Blondes-time but they never recorded the songs.
