INXS - The Album thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by mark winstanley, Nov 19, 2020.

  1. Moggio_4K_Ultra_HD

    Moggio_4K_Ultra_HD Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    The only parts of Put The Pieces Back Together that are half-cooked are the verse vocal melodies. And apart from the fade out, which happens too soon, everything else exudes consistency. The lyrical content (it's obvious who this song is about!), abstract basslines, bridges (yes, finally...and we get 2 different ones this time!), hooky choruses - complete with a perfectly written rock guitar riff, all greatly help to build, flow and blend these edgier elements together in order to create the necessary emotions that make PTPBT a great song.
     
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  2. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Breathe .

    She got the future wrapped up inside her
    Every day without her feels like a crime
    He wants to show her over and over
    The way two people turn into one
    Just keep breathing, breathing, breathing,
    Breathing

    Baby come closer whisper your secrets
    I'll tell you yours if you tell me mine
    Well here comes the reason deep in your nature
    We're creatures always trying to prove love

    Just keep breathing, breathing, breathing,
    Breathing
    Just keep breathing, breathing, breathing

    She got the future wrapped up inside her
    Every day without her feels like a crime
    He wants to show her over and over
    The way two people turn into one

    Just keep breathing, breathing, breathing,
    Breathing
    Just keep breathing, breathing, breathing

    Breathe out, breathe out, breathe out

    Songwriters: Michael Hutchence / Danny Saber
    Breathe lyrics © Music Sales Corporation

    Here we open with a synthetic bass sound, that sort of swirls and rumbles under a fairly slow beat. We get a swarm of sfx that crescendo and die off before we move into the vocals.

    We move into a semi-industrial groove, and the track works as a builder. We get a guitar come in doing a a riff style delivery, and then move into a short but effective lead break.

    I guess this has a Nine Inch Nails light kind of feel to it, and it is pretty effective.

    I don't particularly dislike this, but it would probably take more listens than I have time for, to really sink in. Nice groove, nice feel. The effects are effective and I like the guitar when it breaks through the wall of effects.


     
  3. Bluepicasso

    Bluepicasso Android Confused

    Location:
    Arlington, Va
    Breathe: 2/5. The theremin-sounding noise grates. A collage of noise that I hope not to hear again.
     
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  4. dirkster

    dirkster Senior Member

    Location:
    McKinney, TX, USA
    Breathe

    So this song is a co-write with producer Danny Saber, as opposed to a track with guitarist Andy Gill. A bit more hard edged and industrial. I like this one too. All the various flourishes and noise parts work for me in this song. It ends rather suddenly, as a way of transitioning to the next track I suppose. It seems I am preferring the album’s 2nd half better than the first half.
     
  5. Moggio_4K_Ultra_HD

    Moggio_4K_Ultra_HD Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    Breathe has an interesting hybrid of styles and would probably best be described as an industrial-lounge rock song. I really dig the intensity-build as the track slithers along - excellent dynamics. Despite containing most of the components you'd want to hear in a track like this, it still sounds like something is missing - I know...perhaps a bridge! But it's a great song either way...
     
  6. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Slide Away.

    Again we open with some nice atmospheric type things, and then we get a somewhat robotic drum and bass backing, with some nice electric piano stabs, with a bit of a riff going on. Some more sound effects wash around a little.
    The feel is actually pretty good here though.

    [Hutchence = Normal, Bono = Italics]

    Are you gonna wake again?
    Are you gonna take it down?
    Oh babe, I wanna deal it
    Oh, make it alright.

    Gimme some, my love
    Away, away, away

    I just want to slide away and come alive again
    I just want to slide away and come alive again
    I will see that love again and find a life again
    I just want to slide away and come alive again

    I wanted to let it go
    Just couldn’t let it go
    I wanted to let it go
    I just couldn’t let you…


    I would catch you (Just couldn’t let
    you go)
    I’d catch you as you fall (Just couldn’t let it go)
    I would catch you (Just couldn’t let it go)
    I’d catch you if I heard your call (Just couldn’t let
    it..)


    But you tore a hole in space
    Like a dark star that falls from grace
    You burn across the sky
    And I would find you wings to fly
    And I would catch you
    And I would catch your fall


    I just want to slide away and come alive
    again
    I just want to slide away and come alive again
    I will see that love again and find a life again
    I just want to slide away and come alive again

    I just want to slide away and come alive
    again / (Falling, falling oh let it)
    I just want to slide away and come alive again / (Oh
    let it… go)

    I will see that love again and find a life again / (Oh
    let it, go, oh let it)

    I just want to slide away and come alive again. / (Oh
    let it…)


    Songwriters: Michael Hutchence / Andrew Gill
    Slide Away lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Music Sales Corporation

    The final track on the album has Bono, or U2 fame singing some parts, and as Michael and Bono were apparently firm friends, I think that is a good way to close out the album.
    I think Bono adds a nice vocal that is restrained and song focused. It manages to sound like Bono, without him needing to move into any of his more well recognised vocal stylings, and changing the feel of the song.

    To some degree this seems to speak fairly directly to the situation that Michael found himself in over the last few years of his life. Again there is a certain cryptic edge that shades things slightly, but the indirect idea seems fairly clear.

    Musically I find this to be a fairly smooth sounding groove, that leaves the album with a good finish. I think the two vocalists work well together here also.


     
  7. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    The Michael Hutchence solo album is a good album, but not really one that makes me feel I am missing anything. It ends up leaning towards mediocre, and that isn't generally where we find his material with Inxs

    To be fair though, it is rare for album recorded over a long period of time to be as cohesive as albums that are recorded in one or two focused, thoughtful bursts.
    Obviously the main thing is, how complete was this when Michael died? Was he satisfied with the album, and more particularly the songs as it stood when he died?

    I think overall we can all agree that several songs feel somewhat unfinished in many ways, and that seems to be the downfall of the album overall. There are certainly some songs that stand out as being a little more finalised and coherent.
    For me Flesh and Blood is the stand out song, and I think it stand up a s a song that should be played and remembered, but a lot of the rest feels a little undercooked.

    So we know if Michael had done his final vocals? Do we know if he had gotten further than making solid demos for a final run, or was this somewhat how he viewed the completed album?

    To me there are too many questions surrounding this release for me to be too certain about where it really stands.
    If this is a fully completed Hutchence album, then it is slightly disappointing, and perhaps he misses Andrew's input too much to have really gone it alone. If, however, this is what it sounds like to me, which is some very well recorded pieces of work in progress, then it stands up pretty well for what it is. It has a couple of highlights, and there is a fair bit of potential, but I don't think in this album as it is, that it reaches that potential.
     
  8. Bluepicasso

    Bluepicasso Android Confused

    Location:
    Arlington, Va
    Slide Away - 3/5. Again, not a song that knocks my socks off. Cool that Bono added vocals. He gets a lot of knock but he cares for his friends. As usual with post-humous albums, these songs were probably only made to be in possible demo format. It's nice that these songs exist for public consumption. For years, I avoided this album. Something told me to pass, my instinct was right. I will not listen to these songs again probably, just like the Max Q project. He needed a partner like Andrew, a musical brother to help him create. This album is just a gathering of loose friends to help him.
     
  9. dirkster

    dirkster Senior Member

    Location:
    McKinney, TX, USA
    Slide Away

    “I just want to slide away, and come alive again”.

    Damn, that hits hard.

    My favorite song on the album. Bono on vocals is a nice addition, but without him this would still be a very good song. I believe Bono’s part was added posthumously however, and with the knowledge of MH’s death it’s as if he’s singing a eulogy of sorts.

    album recap:
    There’s a few songs here I’ll revisit more often now that I’ve listened a little more intently the past two weeks, but the majority of this album is missing a certain “spark” (for lack of a better word). I understand now why I haven’t listened to this album very much despite giving it some previous tries. At first, the lack of promotion for the album seemed strange, but now that I think about I have to admit this is a collection of songs that feel somewhat unfinished and was released two years after most of it was recorded.

    There are some good sounds here, and it’s very competently done, but MH clearly missed having a songwriting partner in Andrew Farris to bounce ideas around with. He had opportunities to show his songwriting chops in Max Q and now this solo album, but without Farris and the rest of INXS to provide music most of MH’s songs don’t quite have “it” - whatever “it” is. The guys in Max Q, and now Andy Gill and Danny Saber on this album, are all accomplished musicians in their own rights but that’s nothing compared to the musical intuition that MH no doubt shared with the rest of the guys in INXS as they played for years and years together and lived together on the road.
     
  10. dirkster

    dirkster Senior Member

    Location:
    McKinney, TX, USA
    I’m going to have to think about this, but I’m pretty sure I can come up with a pretty enjoyable tracklisting of the best moments from MH’s solo efforts. The various Max Q tracks, the Dogs In Space soundtrack, the one-off compilation albums and now this solo album: there’s some good stuff to choose from there and the highlights should make a pretty nice 35-45 minute album. I’ll post something here when I’ve got it figured out.
     
  11. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    I would agree
     
  12. Bluepicasso

    Bluepicasso Android Confused

    Location:
    Arlington, Va
    -
    The inXs factor was missing. :cool:
     
  13. Moggio_4K_Ultra_HD

    Moggio_4K_Ultra_HD Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    Like a good chunk of this album, Slide Away's instrumentation falls into that semi-generic / electronic pocket. Lyrically, it reveals what was more than obviously a cry for help, since Michael was experiencing too much in his life at this point and apparently just couldn't handle it. In fact, one could argue, that this song is too personal and it's somewhat surprising that it was even released at all. Thankfully, Bono's vocal contributions that act as a counterpoint, bring much needed relief.

    While there are some gems here, in particular, A Straight Line, there's no grand-slam-home-run-out-of-the-park feel to this album, like there is with several of INXS' albums. The semi-generic / electronic rock production only seems to work well on about half the songs. And not to knock Danny Saber & Andy Gill, because I'm certain their contributions were important, but installing a top-name producer instead, would've more than likely enhanced the quality greatly. And despite it not being entirely fair to criticize it, since the album was clearly unfinished and probably would've been more refined if MH had lived to finalize it, it's a good, not great album, primarily because of that.


    Here are my ratings for the songs from Michael Hutchence...


    Michael Hutchence ~ 4.09/5


    Let Me Show You ~ 4/5
    Possibilities ~ 4/5
    Get On The Inside ~ 3.5/5
    Fear ~ 4/5
    All I'm Saying ~ 4/5
    A Straight Line ~ 5/5
    Baby It's Alright ~ 4.5/5
    Don't Save Me From Myself ~ 3.5/5
    She Flirts For England ~ 3.5/5
    Flesh And Blood ~ 4.5/5
    Put The Pieces Back Together ~ 4/5
    Breathe ~ 4.5/5
    Slide Away ~ 4/5
     
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2021
  14. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Kick ( The Anniversary and special edition issues)

    [​IMG][​IMG]

    1989 Japan special edition
    13. "Devil Inside (Re-mix Version)" 6:30
    14. "New Sensation" (Nick 12" Mix)" 6:30
    15. "Move On" 4:48
    16. "Need You Tonight (Mendelsohn Mix)" 7:02
    17. "Different World" 4:17
    18. "Guns in the Sky (Kick Ass Mix)" Hutchence 6:02

    2002 reissue bonus tracks
    13. "Move On (Guitar Version)" 3:48
    14. "Jesus Was a Man" 6:10
    15. "Mystify (Chicago Demo)" 4:11
    16. "The Trap (Demo)" 2:32

    2004 deluxe edition disc 2
    1. "Move On" 4:47
    2. "I'm Coming (Home)" T. Farriss 4:50
    3. "On the Rocks" K. Pengilly 3:06
    4. "Mystify (Chicago Demo)"" 4:06
    5. "Jesus Was A Man (Demo/Outtakes)" 6:07
    6. "The Trap (Demo)" 2:29
    7. "New Sensation (Nick 12" Mix)" 6:30
    8. "Guns in the Sky (Kick Ass Remix)" 6:01
    9. "Need You Tonight (Mendelson Extended Mix)" 7:12
    10. "Mediate (Live From America)" A. Farriss 3:50
    11. "Never Tear Us Apart (Live From America)" 3:35
    12. "Kick (Live From America)" 3:47

    2012 deluxe edition disc 2
    1. "Never Tear Us Apart (Soul Version)" 3:31
    2. "Move On (Guitar Version)" 3:44
    3. "I'm Coming (Home)" T. Farriss 4:50
    4. "On the Rocks" K. Pengilly 3:06
    5. "Mystify (Chicago Demo)" 4:06
    6. "Jesus Was A Man (Demo/Outtakes)" 6:07
    7. "The Trap (Demo)" 2:29
    8. "Never Tear Us Apart (Live From America)" 3:35
    9. "Do Wot You Do" 3:16
    10. "Guns in the Sky (Kick Ass Remix)" Hutchence 6:01
    11. "New Sensation (Nick 7")" 3:40
    12. "Different World (7")" 4:16
    13. "Calling All Nations (Kids on Bridges Remix)" 3:09

    2012 super deluxe edition disc 2 (25th anniversary limited edition)
    1. "Move On (Guitar Version)" 3:44
    2. "I'm Coming (Home)" T. Farriss 4:50
    3. "Mediate (Live From America)" A. Farriss 3:50
    4. "Never Tear Us Apart (Live From America)" 3:35
    5. "Kick (Live From America)" 3:47
    6. "On the Rocks" K. Pengilly 3:06
    7. "Do Wot You Do" 3:16
    8. "Mystify (Chicago Demo)" 4:06
    9. "Jesus Was a Man (Demo/Outtakes)" 6:07
    10. "The Trap (Demo)" 2:29
    11. "Guns in the Sky (Kick Ass Remix)" Hutchence 6:01
    12. "Need You Tonight (Mendelsohn Extended Mix)" 7:12
    13. "Move On" 4:47
    2012 super deluxe edition disc 3 (25th anniversary limited edition)
    1. "Never Tear Us Apart (Soul Version)" 3:31
    2. "New Sensation (Nick 12" Mix)" 6:30
    3. "New Sensation (Nick 7" Mix)" 3:40
    4. "Devil Inside (Extended Remix)" 6:29
    5. "Devil Inside (7")" 5:11
    6. "Different World (7")" 4:16
    7. "Calling All Nations (Kids on Bridges Remix)" 3:09
    2012 super deluxe edition DVD (25th anniversary limited edition)
    1. "Track Baby Track - Documentary" 35:13
    2. "Kick World Tour Exclusive Band Footage" 15:43
    3. "Mystify (Video)" 3:50
    4. "Guns in the Sky (Video)" 2:21
    5. "Need You Tonight (Video)" 3:10

    2017 Kick 30 disc 2 (definitive four disc collectors edition)
    1. "Move On (Guitar Version)" 3:47
    2. "I'm Coming (Home)" T. Farriss 4:52
    3. "Mediate (Live From America)" A. Farriss 3:52
    4. "Never Tear Us Apart (Live From America)" 3:37
    5. "Kick (Live From America)" 3:49
    6. "On the Rocks" K. Pengilly 3:08
    7. "Do Wot You Do" 3:18
    8. "Mystify (Chicago Demo)" 4:08
    9. "Jesus Was a Man (Demo/Outtakes)" 6:09
    10. "The Trap (Demo)" 2:31
    11. "Guns in the Sky (Kick Ass Remix)" Hutchence 6:03
    12. "Need You Tonight (Mendelsohn Extended Mix)" 7:14
    13. "Move On" 4:49
    2017 Kick 30 disc 3 (definitive four disc collectors edition)
    1. "Never Tear Us Apart (Soul Version)" 3:37
    2. "New Sensation (Nick 12" Mix)" 6:32
    3. "New Sensation (Nick 7" Mix)" 3:42
    4. "Devil Inside (Extended Remix)" 6:31
    5. "Devil Inside (7" Version)" 5:12
    6. "Devil Inside (Radio Edit)" 3:56
    7. "Different World (12" Version)" 6:19
    8. "Different World (7" Version)" 4:18
    9. "Need You Tonight (Big Bump Mix)" 8:25
    10. "Need You Tonight (Ben Liebrand Mix)" 7:17
    11. "Need You Tonight (Mendelsohn 7" Edit)" 3:59
    12. "Guns in the Sky (Kookabura Mix)" Hutchence 2:22
    13. "Calling All Nations (Kids on Bridges Remix)" 3:12
    14. "Shine Like It Does (Live)" 3:25
    2017 Kick 30 disc 4 Blu-ray (definitive four disc collectors edition)
    1. "Guns in the Sky (Atmos mix)" Hutchence 2:21
    2. "New Sensation (Atmos mix)" 3:40
    3. "Devil Inside (Atmos mix)" 5:15
    4. "Need You Tonight (Atmos mix)" 3:01
    5. "Mediate (Atmos mix)" A. Farriss 2:36
    6. "The Loved One (Atmos mix)" Clyne, Humphreys and Lovett 3:37
    7. "Wild Life (Atmos mix)" 3:10
    8. "Never Tear Us Apart (Atmos mix)" 3:06
    9. "Mystify (Atmos mix)" 3:17
    10. "Kick (Atmos mix)" 3:14
    11. "Calling All Nations (Atmos mix)" 3:02
    12. "Tiny Daggers (Atmos mix)" 3:38
    13. "Guns in the Sky (Promo video)" Hutchence
    14. "New Sensation (Promo video)"
    15. "Devil Inside (Promo video)"
    16. "Need You Tonight (Promo video)"
    17. "Mediate (Promo video)" A. Farriss
    18. "Never Tear Us Apart (Promo video)"
    19. "Mystify (Promo video)"
    20. "Kick (Promo video)"
    ---------------------------------------------------------
    This album seems to be the blessing and the curse for Inxs ... In Australia the band were very well known and very popular well before Kick came out.... but internationally, it seems to be just about the only album anyone cares about on any kind of major level.

    I think that's why I have a love/hate relationship with this album. Although I like the album, I somewhat resent the fact that it seems to be the only album that gets any attention. As I say I like the album, but I prefer other albums, and since rolling through the later Hutchence albums that I was unfamiliar with, some of those get the nod over Kick for me.

    I think it speaks volumes that of all the band's album Kick is the only one to have received any kind of special release, or anniversary release ... and that just seems insane to me.... and I assume to anyone who knows the band's material outside of this album.

    So in 1989 there was a Japanese edition with extra tracks

    In 2002 there was an international version with a four extra tracks

    In 2004 we got a deluxe edition with 12 extra tracks.

    In 2012 there was a deluxe edition with 13 bonus tracks....
    But we also got a Super deluxe edition with 20 extra tracks and a dvd with 5 videos

    Finally in 2017 we got Kick 30 with 3 cd's and a bluray...

    All of that is fine and wonderful, but with the seeming lack of attention to any of the other albums, it leaves the false impression that Kick is the only album they made, or the only album worth having .... and this is a mentality that I just don't line up with, or get on board with....

    but anyway....
    Over the next little bit, we are going to look at the extended Kick releases and see what may have been missing for the folks enamoured with this album.

    Let us know your thoughts and feeling about all of this stuff please, and we'll hit a few songs in the morning.

    Cheers,
    Mark
     
  15. Bluepicasso

    Bluepicasso Android Confused

    Location:
    Arlington, Va
    Wish Shabooh and The Swing would receive this treatment. I would buy multiple copies and pass out to friends.
     
  16. dirkster

    dirkster Senior Member

    Location:
    McKinney, TX, USA
    I feel the same way. There’s so much more to INXS than Kick, and it’s not as if they didn’t sell much of any of their other albums. You think it would be economically worthwhile to reissue their whole catalog.
     
  17. David Jakubowski

    David Jakubowski Forum Resident

    I have the 25th Anniversary edition of Kick
    The good: tons of content for a reasonable price. Love having most of (all?) the B-sides in one place, nice book, fun documentary on the DVD.
    The bad: the mastering is terrible (sadly, the loudness war strikes again) and only 3 music videos provided (WTF?).
    I didn’t bother “re-buying” this in its 30th Anniversary form for the surround mix and extra videos.
    Despite it’s flaws, I like this set a lot. I, too, wish they’d try a set like this for some of their other albums. Too bad they haven’t figured out a way to do so.
     
  18. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    You're not missing much.
    I specifically bought this for the surround mix, but it is really quite a poor mix.
    It is uneven and sounds poor.

    Most atmos mixes downmix to 5.1 .... I dont know if there is perhaps something about this that prevents that or not, but listening to it in 5.1, it sounds like there are elements missing, or just poorly mixed.... So this was a big disappointment for me.
     
  19. Melllvar

    Melllvar No Matter Where You Go, There You Are!

    Location:
    Anchorage, Alaska
    ...and let's add Listen Like Thieves to that list!

    It's unfortunate, given the band's excellent body of work and Kick is the only one that gets any real attention.
     
  20. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    I sincerely think every album is very good or better. X is disappointing, but not because it isn't a good album... I think that because few people outside Aus knew anything except Kick, when X came out as the slightly unattractive cousin, too many folks thought they were a one trick pony, and so we are stuck with this silly idea that Kick was the only worthwhile album... or something.
     
  21. Moggio_4K_Ultra_HD

    Moggio_4K_Ultra_HD Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    I also didn't bother buying Kick 30, mainly because I bought the Kick 25 super deluxe edition a few years earlier and I find it to be the better of the two deluxe editions. And there aren't many differences between the two editions, apart from a handful of alternate mixes/takes, music videos and an incredibly dry Dolby Atmos mix - which to be perfectly honest, sounds horrible.

    And while I agree that Kick usually over-shadows the rest of INXS' catalogue for many non-hardcore fans, there are more anniversary / deluxe editions in the planning stages. And it was announced by an LA radio station last September that X would be getting the 30th anniversary treatment next. But since Chris Murphy just died in January, I'm not sure if that is going to happen sooner than later...?
     
  22. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Just a layout of what we'll be looking at here....



    Today we'll be looking at - Live From America -

    Monday - Jesus Was A Man - The Trap

    Tuesday - Different World - Mystify (Chicago Demo)

    Wednesday - Move On (guitar version) - Never Tear Us Apart (soul version)

    Thursday - Need You Tonight (big bump mix) - Calling All Nations (kids on bridges)

    and that will essentially cover the tracks we have not looked at yet, and the variations we haven't looked at yet...

    Then on the Friday we will open Switch...

    Hope that works for everybody.
     
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2021
  23. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Mediate - Live From America

    Recorded at San Diego Sports Arena, March 31 1988

    This is a cool live version with the drums over an atmospheric synth pad, and we get a nice little sax outro.

    I reckon this slightly extended live version works really well, and I think the sax outro makes me like this track a little more.



     
  24. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Never Tear Us Apart - Live From America

    Recorded live at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium, March 29 1988

    A solid live version of what has become one of the band's best known classics.

    These live tracks make one believe that there may have been a decent amount of taping on the Kick tour ... perhaps they only recorded specific tracks for b-sides and such, but if they recorded more, perhaps there will be an Inxs live in the USA, Kick Tour 1988?

     
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  25. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Kick

    Recorded live at San Diego Sports Arena, March 31 1988

    The has an atmospheric intro, and with the ambient synth pad and the sax, it almost feels like they could burst into Don't Change at any minute.
    Instead we burst into a solid live version of Kick

     
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2021
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