INXS - The Album thread

Miss Shapiro/You Really Got Me

We open up with a blasting piece of early eighties rock. We have some tuning issues here I think, but again the sound is a bit of a wash.
We open with a big lead break, and then move into a sort of rap section, that actually sounds like some early Midnight Oil, with Peter Garret's rapid fire vocal stab styling seeming to stand out.
Around four minutes the band roll into a version of You Really Got Me, it comes across ok

 

On A Bus

We get the opening track from the debut album in a live scenario. Pubs have never been the best place to record.

 

There is a live version of The One Thing, but rather difficult to discern what live version they may have used here.

 

Underneath The Colours ( Chicken Mix)

I can't help feeling that we may have looked at this, but I didn't see it, and I am sure I would have linked it, so perhaps I just listened to it.

This is like an edited version of the song. this is one of my favourite early tracks by the band, and I prefer the original, but this is a pretty decent mix up, if that kind of thing is really necessary.

 

I posted these all earlier in the thread.

 

Wanda Beach 1982. Photos online if you search it.

 

No worries, I'm just following the album.
I thought I had linked everything, perhaps I missed something

 

In a 1990 radio special of the 10th anniversary of their first album, Andrew had been pondering how Need you tonight was similar to Underneith the colours, so there was no real suprise when this mix eventually was done.

 

Sonically, and theme wise, I group this in a folder with the “Capri Sessions” from 1993. I like this mix a lot! They’ve updated the sound while basically maintaining the original song. But yeah, I would always prefer the original if asked to choose.

 

I actually don't like their cover of Pretzel Logic that much. It barely resembles the original and at best, is decent.

Reasons sounds like a b-side and doesn't really go anywhere since the chorus is weak. I guess it's alright.

Apart from its gratuitously prolonged intro, Feeling Good has all the energy you'd want in an up-tempo pseudo-ska / new wave-ish song. And what a guitar solo!

Miss Shapiro / You Really Got Me are decent-enough cover versions. But nothing special.

These live versions of On A Bus & the moderately different new wave-ish arrangement of The One Thing, are abstract enough to spark interest and for early-era fans to marvel over...

 

Definitive INXS


Compilation album by
INXS
Released 14 October 2002
Recorded 1980-1997
Genre Rock, new wave, alternative rock, post-punk, dance-rock
Label Mercury Records
Producer Various

Definitive INXS is a compilation of Australian rock band INXS released in 2002. It has almost the same track listing as The Best of INXS. The compilation features most of their hit singles, as well as two previously unreleased tracks, "Salvation Jane" and "Tight". "Salvation Jane" is an outtake taken from the X sessions in 1990. The 2002 remaster of X features the song's original demo. "Tight" was written by songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Farriss and recorded by the band during the sessions for Welcome to Wherever You Are in 1992. The song was reworked by the remaining members of INXS in 2002 after the death of vocalist Michael Hutchence in 1997. The compilation also features a cover of Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild", which was specially recorded for the April 1993 launch of Virgin Radio in the UK[1] and was first included on the Japanese release of Full Moon, Dirty Hearts.

1. "Need You Tonight" Andrew Farriss, Michael Hutchence Kick 1987 3:04
2. "What You Need" A. Farriss, M. Hutchence Listen Like Thieves 1985 3:36
3. "Disappear" Jon Farriss, M. Hutchence X 1990 4:07
4. "Baby Don't Cry" A. Farriss Welcome to Wherever You Are 1992 4:41
5. "Elegantly Wasted" A. Farriss, M. Hutchence Elegantly Wasted 1997 4:34
6. "Mystify" A. Farriss, M. Hutchence Kick 3:19
7. "Just Keep Walking" Garry Gary Beers, A. Farriss, J. Farriss, Tim Farriss, M. Hutchence, Kirk Pengilly INXS 1980 2:51
8. "Suicide Blonde" A. Farriss, M. Hutchence X 3:51
9. "Never Tear Us Apart" A. Farriss, M. Hutchence Kick 3:03
10. "Shining Star" A. Farriss Live Baby Live 1991 3:43
11. "Beautiful Girl" A. Farriss Welcome to Wherever You Are 3:10
12. "Listen Like Thieves" G. Beers, A. Farriss, J. Farriss, T. Farriss, M. Hutchence, K. Pengilly Listen Like Thieves 3:45
13. "New Sensation" A. Farriss, M. Hutchence Kick 3:41
14. "Bitter Tears" A. Farriss, M. Hutchence X 3:52
15. "Original Sin" A. Farriss, M. Hutchence The Swing 1984 4:02
16. "Devil Inside" A. Farriss, M. Hutchence Kick 3:57
17. "The Gift" J. Farriss, M. Hutchence Full Moon, Dirty Hearts 1993 4:03
18. "By My Side" A. Farriss, M. Hutchence, Chris Thomas X 3:06
19. "Born to Be Wild" Mars Bonfire Full Moon, Dirty Hearts (Japanese Edition) 3:50
20. "Salvation Jane" A. Farriss 4:41
21. "Tight" A. Farriss 3:38
Disc 2 (Bonus content)
1. "Mystify" (Live) A. Farriss, M. Hutchence 3:28
2. "Suicide Blonde" (Live) A. Farriss, M. Hutchence 4:06
3. "New Sensation" (Live) A. Farriss, M.Hutchence 4:12
4. "Tight" (The Automator remix) A. Farriss 4:36
5. "Precious Heart" (Radio edit) 2:59
6. "I'm So Crazy" (Radio edit) 3:11
7. "Suicide Blonde" (Multimedia track) A. Farriss, M. Hutchence 3:30
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One of those ponderous compilations that is virtually the same as another.

 

The Years 1979–1997


Greatest hits album by
INXS
Released 10 December 2002
Recorded Various
Genre Rock
Label Universal
Producer Various

The Years 1979–1997 is a greatest hits compilation released by Australian rock band INXS on 10 December 2002. It is roughly the Australian equivalent of the American double-disc retrospective, Shine Like It Does: The Anthology (1979-1997), although it substitutes out several tracks that appeared on the American compilation (including additional tracks from the 1982 INXSIVE compilation and tracks from the America-only release, Dekadance (consisting of remixed songs from the Shabooh Shoobah album), as well as the band's duet with Jimmy Barnes, "Good Times") in favor of later tracks like "By My Side" and "Baby Don't Cry" and full-length versions of many songs that only appeared in their single versions on the American release.[1] This album also includes two previously unreleased tracks ("Tight" and "Salvation Jane"), which were not featured on Shine Like It Does.

Disc one

1. "Just Keep Walking"
2. "The Loved One"
3. "Stay Young"
4. "The One Thing"
5. "Don't Change"
6. "To Look at You"
7. "Original Sin"
8. "I Send a Message"
9. "Burn for You"
10. "Dancing on the Jetty"
11. "This Time"
12. "What You Need"
13. "Kiss the Dirt (Falling Down the Mountain)"
14. "Listen Like Thieves"
15. "Shine Like It Does"
16. "Need You Tonight"
17. "Devil Inside"
18. "New Sensation"
19. "Mystify"
20. "Kick"
21. "Never Tear Us Apart"

Disc two

1. "Suicide Blonde"
2. "Disappear"
3. "Bitter Tears"
4. "By My Side"
5. "The Stairs"
6. "Shining Star"
7. "Heaven Sent"
8. "Taste It"
9. "Baby Don't Cry"
10. "Beautiful Girl"
11. "Not Enough Time"
12. "The Gift"
13. "Please (You Got That ...) "
14. "Time"
15. "The Strangest Party (These Are the Times)"
16. "Elegantly Wasted"
17. "Don't Lose Your Head"
18. "Searching" (Leadstation Radio Mix)
19. "Salvation Jane"
20. "Tight"

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As stated above, this is pretty much just Shine Like It Does, The Aussie version.

 

INXS ‎– The Years 1979-1997
Label: Mercury ‎– 0600753010976
Format: Box Set, Compilation 2 × CD DVD
Country: Europe
Released: 2003
Genre: Rock, Pop
Style: New Wave, Ballad, Arena Rock



1.1 Just Keep WalkingProducer – Duncan McGuire, INXS
1.2 The Loved OneProducer – Richard Clapton
1.3 Stay YoungProducer – Richard Clapton
1.4 The One ThingProducer – Mark Opitz
1.5 Don't ChangeProducer – Mark Opitz
1.6 To Look At YouProducer – Mark Opitz
1.7 Original SinProducer – Nile Rodgers
1.8 I Send A MessageProducer – Nick Launay
1.9 Burn For YouProducer – Nick Launay
1.10 Dancing On The JettyProducer – Nick Launay
1.11 This TimeProducer – Chris Thomas
1.12 What You NeedProducer – Chris Thomas
1.13 Kiss The Dirt (Falling Down The Mountain)Producer – Chris Thomas
1.14 Listen Like ThievesProducer – Chris Thomas
1.15 Shine Like It DoesProducer – Chris Thomas
1.16 Need You TonightProducer – Chris Thomas
1.17 Devil InsideProducer – Chris Thomas
1.18 New SensationProducer – Chris Thomas
1.19 MystifyProducer – Chris Thomas
1.20 KickProducer – Chris Thomas
1.21 Never Tear Us ApartProducer – Chris Thomas
2.1 Suicide BlondeProducer – Chris Thomas
2.2 DisappearProducer – Chris Thomas
2.3 Bitter TearsProducer – Chris Thomas
2.4 By My SideProducer – Chris Thomas
2.5 The Stairs (Live)Producer – INXS, Mark Opitz
2.6 Shining StarProducer – INXS, Mark Opitz
2.7 Heaven SentProducer – INXS, Mark Opitz
2.8 Taste ItProducer – INXS, Mark Opitz
2.9 Baby Don't CryProducer – INXS, Mark Opitz
2.10 Beautiful GirlProducer – INXS, Mark Opitz
2.11 Not Enough TimeProducer – INXS, Mark Opitz
2.12 The GiftProducer – INXS, Mark Opitz
2.13 Please (You Got That...)Producer – INXS, Mark Opitz
2.14 TimeProducer – INXS, Mark Opitz
2.15 The Strangest Party (These Are The Times)Producer – Chris Thomas
2.16 Elegantly WastedProducer – Andrew Farriss, Bruce Fairbeim*
2.17 Don't Lose Your HeadProducer – Andrew Farriss, Bruce Fairbeim*
2.18 SearchingProducer – Andrew Farriss, Bruce Fairbeim*
2.19 Salvation JaneProducer – Chris Thomas
2.20 Tight
DVD - INXS / Ten From The Years
DVD1 Just Keep WalkingFilm Director [Directed By] – Gary Page*
DVD2 The One ThingFilm Director [Directed By] – Soren Jensen (2)
DVD3 Original SinFilm Director [Directed By] – Yasuhiko Yamamota
DVD4 What You NeedFilm Director [Directed By] – Richard Lowenstein
DVD5 New SensationFilm Director [Directed By] – Richard Lowenstein
DVD6 Never Tear Us ApartFilm Director [Directed By] – Richard Lowenstein
DVD7 Suicide BlondeFilm Director [Directed By] – Richard Lowenstein
DVD8 Taste ItFilm Director [Directed By] – Bailie Walsh*
DVD9 The GiftFilm Director [Directed By] – Richard Lowenstein
DVD10 Elegantly WastedFilm Director [Directed By] – Walter Stern
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This is just one of those special edition things, where we have the best of above with a ten track dvd video.
It isn't at all a bad idea to release a best of with a video hits collection, particularly when you were pretty big in the video age, but it just seems a little odd to have a dvd with ten tracks on it, when you know they had a stack more videos.

 

Repackage, Remodel, Resell. Not for me, but love the songs.

 

The Years / Definitive Collection:

Just happen to have both collections (Hey, I'm a collector here!) .

I find the Definitive Collection way better than the US release of 'Best of', but not by much. Things such as putting a non-essential track like Born to be Wild on it, which would of been better served on The Years. Of course another oddity is the unlabeled 1992 Capri Re-recording of Just Keep Walking, which is fine, but I would of preferred the studio version as it appears on the The Years. If anything, I wish it had Don't Change on it and then it would be Definitive to me.

I find The Years a pretty decent hits collection in its own right, but I do feel the same way about the DVD in terms of content.

 

Original Sin – The Collection


Compilation album by
INXS
Released 21 September 2004
Recorded 1980–1987
Genre Rock, pop
Length 71:40
Label Mercury, Spectrum
Producer INXS, Duncan McGuire, Richard Clapton, Mark Opitz, Nile Rodgers, Nick Launay, Chris Thomas

Original Sin – The Collection is a compilation album by Australian rock band INXS released on 21 September 2004. It spans their earliest six studio albums INXS (1980), Underneath the Colours (1981), Shabooh Shoobah (1982), The Swing (1984), Listen Like Thieves (1985) and Kick (1987). It is not to be confused with their 2010 release, Original Sin, nor the single of the same name from 1984.

1. "Just Keep Walking" (Gary Beers, Andrew Farriss, Jon Farriss, Tim Farriss, Michael Hutchence, Kirk Pengilly) 2:44
2. "In Vain" (Beers, A Farriss, J Farriss, T Farriss, Hutchence, Pengilly) 4:36
3. "Learn to Smile" (Beers, A Farriss, J Farriss, T Farriss, Hutchence, Pengilly) 4:57
4. "Underneath the Colours" 4:01
5. "Horizons" 5:14
6. "Barbarian" (Beers, A Farriss, J Farriss, T Farriss, Hutchence, Pengilly) 3:00
7. "Don't Change" (Beers, A Farriss, J Farriss, T Farriss, Hutchence, Pengilly) 4:28
8. "Spy of Love" (T Farriss, Hutchence) 3:51
9. "Here Comes" 3:03
10. "Original Sin" 5:20
11. "Melting in the Sun" (J Farriss, T Farriss, Hutchence) 3:26
12. "Johnson's Aeroplane" (A Farriss) 3:56
13. "Listen Like Thieves" (Beers, A Farriss, Hutchence) 3:47
14. "Same Direction" 4:58
15. "Biting Bullets" (Hutchence, Pengilly) 2:51
16. "Devil Inside" 5:13
17. "Wild Life" 3:11
18. "Calling All Nations"
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As we see from this barrage of compilations being released. The band were somewhat lost, and really unsure of where to go, and what to do.
I don't think I have ever seen the death of a band member leave a band so disheveled, and to some degree it seems like they should have just called it a day, and if later down the track they felt the need to get together and do something, then do so.

A barrage of compilations could well have been in order to fill a contract or something like that, but essentially it didn't do anything to get the band back in the front and centre of the music world.

This is a good idea, as it focuses on the somewhat ignored earlier material, but it probably need to be the first, followed by a later years collection, and then perhaps an anthology.

But to me, just in this stream of releases we see how unsteady the ship really was in the early post Michael years.

 

INXS²: The Remixes


Remix album by
INXS
Released 26 April 2004
Recorded 1985–97, 2004
Genre Rock
Label Mercury/Universal Music Australia
Producer Various

INXS²: The Remixes or INXS Squared: The Remixes is a collection of remixes of tracks originally by Australian rock group INXS, which was released in April 2004 by Mercury Records/Universal Music Australia.[1] It peaked in the ARIA Albums Chart top 100 and also reached No. 5 on the ARIA Dance Albums Chart.[1] "Suicide Blonde" was remixed by Paul Oakenfold, "New Sensation" by The Beginnerz, and "The Strangest Party" by Apollo 440.[1]

1. "Don't Lose Your Head" (Leadstation Solid Gold Mix)
2. "Bitter Tears" (Lorimer 12" Mix)
3. "Original Sin" (Epic Adventure)
4. "Precious Heart" – Tall Paul Vs. INXS
5. "New Sensation" (The Beginnerz Mix)
6. "Disappear" (Morales 12" Mix)
7. "One of My Kind" (Radio Edit) – Rogue Traders Vs. INXS
8. "Everything" (Jaxxclub Vocal)
9. "Tight" (the Automator Mix)
10. "I'm So Crazy" (Radio Edit) – Par-T-One Vs. INXS
11. "Suicide Blonde" (Oakenfold Milk Mix)
12. "The Strangest Party" (Apollo 440 Mix)
13. "Taste It" (Youth 12" Mix)
14. "What You Need" (Coldcut Force Mix 13 Edit)
15. "Searching" (Leadstation Radio Mix)

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Seemingly just another, in a long line of compilations. At least this one essentially brings something different to the table.

 

TV Show - A Bad Decision By Management?

Also in 2004 the band were back in the news, as they announced that they were going to have a TV Show to find a new lead singer .....
In my world this was met with a sort of stunned silence followed by a disappointed mockery ... Yea, I guess that makes me a bad person, but it was just such an awful decision, in my opinion, and most people I knew.
The band had had several very good lead singers over the course of these wilderness years, and any one of them could have been a contender to sing on a new album, but the reality was, the band just weren't ready, and by the time they were, everyone else was kind of over it.
Jon Stevens looked like a good option early, TTD would have been a very interesting call, and there were other folks around the place who had taken a look under the veil .....

I think to some degree management thought this would be a good publicity stunt to raise interest up in the band again, and it certainly worked in some demographics, but so many of the band's long term fans were somewhat horrified that rock and roll, or pop, or whatever, was no the victim of the reality tv plague.

On 11th July 2005 the show started with 15 contestants, and on the 20th of Sept J D Fortune arose as the new singer for the band ...

I believe the show rated pretty well, and there were some people from the industry involved, but for the most part, most folks I know just sort of shook their heads and walked away ...

Certainly that is just the reaction of people in my demographic, and it wasn't a hatred of the band or anything like that, it was just a very sad time, from our perspective, and we didn't want to see this unfold....


Anyway, as I say, that is just the perspective of myself and the people I know, and there is every chance that although alienating one demographic, the band probably opened up another, with the Big Brother, Housewives of New York, and all that kind of crew.

I would be interested to hear others experience of this event/situation.
I kind of wanted to avoid this topic, but it is a big and unavoidable part of the band's later history.

Cheers
Mark

 

INXS’ TV show search for a singer never seemed like a good idea to me. I read about it when it was announced, and I made the decision to not watch it. Something about it rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe I missed out on something good, but I couldn’t get past my gut reaction.

Have we skipped past Hutchence’s posthumous solo album? That’s another one like his Max Q effort that was very hit or miss for me but I was going to give it another shot for the sake of the thread.

Also in 2004 we have a digital-only release called Bang The Drum which is an EP with another outtake from the Elegantly Wasted sessions. I didn’t know about this until a couple months ago myself!
https://www.discogs.com/INXS-Bang-The-Drum-EP/release/1517405

 

We'll be doing the solo album next.

I wanted to take stage one of Inxs to its logical conclusion first.

So for reference, the way I am going to roll on this....
Next up the Hutchence solo album
Then we'll look at the Kick big box, and the sets that led up to it.

Then we will look at Inxs phase 2.
I know it messes with the timeline a little, but it just seems more logical musically to me.
I hope that's ok with everyone?

 

Yeah that’s cool - I just wanted to make sure I had a handle on what to expect. You’re doing a great job, and I’ve appreciated this thread for ..... 5-6 months now?! Wow.

 

I remember watching the show and it seemed pretty obvious early on that JD would be the best fit. I thought it seemed like a bad idea at first but I did watch all of it and will admit I kind of enjoyed it. I always wondered if they had already picked JD and used the show as a way to introduce the new version of the band.

 

Wow indeed.. it's flying by

 

It seems very possible, that it could have been predetermined.
In some ways the reality tv angle is the issue.... it is rarely real, and the stigma attached to it is pretty big.
I have no doubt it would have been interesting, but a market flooded with (fake) reality shows just made me ill to be honest lol

 

Agree with this. I watched the show out of curiousity and got the distinct impression JD Fortune had already been selected as the new singer.

I'm looking forward to covering the Hutchence solo album as I think there is some excellent material on it. Hopefully we will see it re-released one day with some of the other solo tracks from the period included. Sadly Andy Gill is no longer around to be involved.