INXS - Full Moon, Dirty Hearts

Following on from the Elegantly Wasted (INXS - Elegantly Wasted ) and Welcome threads (INXS - Welcome To Wherever You Are ) we come to the much maligned and often overlooked Full Moon, Dirty Hearts.

As touched upon in the other threads FMDH was something of a turning point in the career of the band. It saw them attempt to toughen up their sound to fit in with the grunge scene.

26 years on (26 years?!) what are your memories and favourite tracks?

 

I guess I'm one of the ones to have possibly overlooked this album. I can honestly say that I don't even remember any of the songs from it.

I loved "Kick", thought "X" was good and "Welcome" just alright. Since my liking of their album was on the decline, the first single must have done nothing for me and I probably just passed on the whole thing. Maybe time to check it out.

 

Wow, I missed a "Welcome to Wherever You Are" thread? I love this album - love it.

In comparison, this album was quite average but I've grown to like it. It came out pretty fast after "Welcome" - an album every year was not the standard in 1993.

Quite surprising, there was a commercial shtick with this album. Every song had a video and I believe it all came out on a home video which probably bombed terribly.

(I voted for "Freedom Deep" btw).

 

I remember being disappointed with this album. I don't mind it now, though it's not great, but there's nostalgia involved these days.

This was after Michael Hutchence started to become depressed and harder to be around for the other band members. I think that comes through on this album somehow.

I used to like The Gift, but not so much now. I'm Only Looking is quite nice track. Most of the tracks are kind of mediocre though. Viking Juice is probably the worst track they ever did IMO.

I voted for...

I'm Only Looking
Full Moon, Dirty Hearts.
Freedom Deep.

X has always been my favourite INXS album.

 

The cover was ridiculous. The whole "let's get back to the roots, at the back of the van, let's wear flannel shirts and be hip and alternative". Looked very contrived.

 

Voted Freedom Deep myself. I seem to recall a lot of the critics at the time ripped into that song in particular.

This mix is interesting.

 

I read elsewhere that this was supposed to be the album cover but Hutchence vetoed it (although it's possible the band vetoed it and Hutchence had to tow the party line)

 

Would have been much better! INXS adjusting to modern sounds like Depeche Mode and U2 was just fine ("Communication" on the previous album sounded so much like their version of "Achtung Baby"). The pseudo grunge posturing wasn't

Thanks! I didn't know this extended version.

 

The Gift rocks hard and should have been a bigger hit and launching point for new sounds.

I also voted for I'm Only Looking and Please (You've Got).

 

Supposedly Michael was offered the cover of Rolling Stone around the time of Kick but said he would only do it if the whole band was featured. (Nice story if true.)

 

I voted for "The Gift" and "Please..." with Ray Charles. In my bar days, for some reason one of my haunts had this INXS CD in their jukebox and I played the hell out of that Ray Charles duet. Couldn't make it a hit, though (haha). I have the CD, but honestly don't remember any of the other songs. Maybe I'll give it a listen soon. I do remember that the Welcome... CD sounds a lot better than Full Moon even though the songs were recorded in the same place during the same general time frame.

 

2 totally different sessions, actually. WTWYA was recorded in Sydney. FMDH was on the Isle of Capri.

 

I could swear I read that both were recorded in/on/whatever (haha) Capri. But whatever I read was a long, long time ago, so I'm sure you're right.

 

Agree Full Moon is underrated. Despite not being their best album, there are still some great songs here.

Voted for “Days of Rust,” “Time,” and “The Meesenger” though I could just have easily voted for “The Gift,” “Please,” or “Freedom Deep.”

 

I keep forgetting votes can be multiple!

 

I would vote for “The Gift”. Good tune, and the only one I remember.
Dim recollection that it was first and only composition the band played by drummer Jon Farris?

 

Jon Farris co wrote The Gift with Hutchence. He also co wrote a few other songs with the band ("Deepest Red", "Faith in Each Other," "Back on Line," "Never Let You Go" and most notably the chart hit "Disappear")

A lot of love for Please (You Got That...). While I like the song I always felt the chorus was a bit weak. Apparently Charles had the choice of duetting on Make Your Peace or Please and chose the latter.

 

Almost right. Yes, every song had a video made for it, directed by up & coming filmakers, but it did not come out on home video (at least not intially). They were all aired in succession on MTV one night only, which was Halloween night 1993. The videos, at least most of them, would later turn up on other INXS home video compilations.

 

Very true. His response to them was that - "INXS is a BAND, not just one individual. So it's all of us or none of us".

 

An underrated album, but it suffered for coming so soon after the previous album, and the strategy they employed ended up hurting the potential of both. The band should have toured behind Welcome To Wherever You Are, to better promote that album, but instead, rushed right back into the studio to make Full Moon, Dirty Hearts. True, they then did tour more or less promoting both albums - as I saw them on that tour - but things seemed too rushed. Also, the descusion to chase trends, the "Grunge" sound in this case, I think also hurt the band. They were always leaders in pioneering new sounds before - but once you start following instead of leading, it can often damage your credibility among your fanbase. There's a list of other reasons I could give why this album likely failed with the public, but in my ears, it's not due to lack of musical quality. I enjoy this album as much as I do any other INXS album, in some cases, even more.

 

This may be for another thread...but I'd be interested to hear opinions on the posthumous Michael solo album. I recall it being a letdown, but haven't attempted a revisit in years.

 

Definitely worthy of a thread of it's own. Next on the list

 

Maybe the oddity here, but I like the song Kill The Pain. Whilst listening to this album here and there last year, it's the song that stuck out the most. What a tortured life Michael led in the 90s. Sad on reflection. That song is a shout out.

 

There is a live release from this era, a show called Live at Barker Hanger, that features a good portion of this album. I got it off iTunes a few years back - not sure if it is still on there or spotify.

 

Went with Days Of Rust, The Gift, I’m Only Looking.

I did not get this upon first release.

Picked it up during the very late 90s and early 2000s INXS binge I went through.