Look Inside the Asylum Choir

Look Inside the Asylum Choir is the 1968 debut album by Asylum Choir, a studio group consisting of the session musicians Leon Russell and Marc Benno. Russell arranged the songs, complete with sped-up trumpet section, and multi-tracked himself playing piano, guitar and drums. Benno contributed multi-tracked vocals, guitar and bass guitar.^[2]

Look Inside the Asylum Choir
Studio album by Asylum Choir
Released	1968
Recorded	1968
Studio	Skyhill Studios, Hollywood, CA
Genre	Psychedelic[1]
Length	25:53 LP (39:56 bonus CD)
Label	Smash
Producer	Leon Russell, Marc Benno
Leon Russell chronology
Look Inside the Asylum Choir (1968) Leon Russell (1970)

Release and reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[3]
The Rolling Stone Record Guide	[4]
The Village Voice	B[5]

The album was issued by Smash Records in 1968 with catalogue number SRS 67107^[6] (stereo edition). The vinyl's original Smash label designates the name of the album as Look Inside the Asylum Choir by the Asylum Choir, while the album cover titling suggests that it is entitled simply Look Inside. The original gatefold cover featured an image of a roll of toilet paper. The image created sufficient controversy that Smash records reissued the album with a cover featuring a portrait of Russell and Benno.^[7]

Look Inside the Asylum Choir received positive reviews from critics in 1968, but sold poorly. Village Voice critic Robert Christgau wrote in 1970 after its re-release that it "more or less" deserved such a reception, deeming it "a nice record to write reviews about: strong studio work with a heavy Zappa flavor, quality of satire ditto".^[5]

On May 2, 2011 Rev-Ola Records re-released the album on CD with four bonus tracks. On February 5, 2016 Smash Records re-released the album on CD in the original LP format.^[8][9]

Track listing LP

All songs by Leon Russell and Marc Benno; except where indicated:

1. "Welcome to Hollywood" – 2:35
2. "Soul Food" (Bill Boatman, James Markham) – 2:05
3. "Icicle Star Tree" (Russell, Benno, Wally Wilson) – 2:55
4. "Death of the Flowers" (Russell, Benno, Greg Dempsey) – 2:08
5. "Indian Style" – 3:30
6. "Medley: N.Y. Op./Land of Dog/Henri The Clown" – 6:07
7. "Thieves in the Choir" (Russell, Benno, Jerry Riopelle) – 4:04
8. "Black Sheep Boogaloo" – 2:29

Track listing CD

All songs by Leon Russell and Marc Benno; except where indicated:

1. "Welcome to Hollywood" - 2:45
2. "Soul Food" (Leon Russell, Marc Benno, Bill Boatman, James Markham) - 2:10
3. "Icicle Star Tree" (Leon Russell, Marc Benno, Wally Wilson) - 3:03
4. "Death of the Flowers" (Leon Russell, Marc Benno, Greg Dempsey) - 3:15
5. "Indian Style" - 3:46
6. Medley: "N.Y. Op./Land of Dog/Henri The Clown" - 6:07
7. "Thieves in the Choir" (Leon Russell, Marc Benno, Jerry Riopelle) - 4:04
8. "Black Sheep Boogaloo" - 2:29
9. "Soul Food" (Leon Russell, Marc Benno, Bill Boatman, James Markham) - 2:19
10. "Welcome to Hollywood" - 3:03
11. "Icicle Star Tree" (Leon Russell, Marc Benno, Wally Wilson) - 3:07
12. "Indian Style" - 3:44

• Bonus Tracks 9-12 Mono single versions

Personnel

• Leon Russell - producer, piano, lead vocals
• Marc Benno - producer, guitar, lead vocals
• Joe Foster - re-issue producer, synthesizer
• Andy Morten - re-issue producer, artwork, design, liner notes
• Nick Robbins - synthesizer
• Lou Kimzey - design
• Gordon Rudd - engineer
• Ralph Poole - photography

In usage

The sixth track "Medley: N.Y. Op./Land of Dog/Henri The Clown" was sampled in singer Usher's song "Get In My Car" featuring rapper Bun B which appears in the EP Versus and the deluxe edition of his album Raymond v. Raymond.

References

1. Ruhlmann, William. "Look Inside the Asylum Choir". AllMusic. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
2. Art Music Lounge, Leon Russell, the Neglected Genius, July 20, 2016, by Lynn René Bayley
3. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.), Volume 1. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 285. ISBN 0-19-531373-9.
4. The Rolling Stone Record Guide. Random House. 1979. p. 13.
5. Christgau, Robert (May 28, 1970). "Consumer Guide (10)". The Village Voice. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
6. "Look Inside the Asylum Choir - The Asylum Choir - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
7. "the Asylum Choir ~ 1968 ~ Look Inside the Asylum Choir - Oldish Psych and Prog". Oldishpsychprog.ucoz.com. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
8. All Music, Look Inside the Asylum Choir release
9. All Music, Look Inside the Asylum Choir bonus release