INXS - The Album thread

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

  1. Robert Bone

    Robert Bone Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Australia

    All of INXS' video compilations had inbetween track interviews and this one had Michael Hutchence with straightend hair.... INXS always seemed to just miss the mark with these compilations and documentarys, there is room for a comprehensive release which has 'all' the clips shot. Perhaps, with their last Best of getting a ARIA Diamond Award today they could release a blueray to go with it and have a deluxe version with all the clips (like the Beatles did with the 1 album)... another official release by the band was the 2013 two part mini series 'Never tear us apart' where they attempted to tell their own story https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3150144/ Tim Farris was heavily involved in this.
     
  2. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    I totally agree.... To me it seems like a necessity really. I would get a complete set... particularly if they were all mixed properly in 5.1.
    I really think that the band should look at releasing some of that classic live footage, in as complete versions as possible. US 83, being the one that springs to mind the most frequently for me. I remember seeing that in the tv as a kid and it really drew me into the band. I had liked them, but that show made me a fan.
     
  3. Robert Bone

    Robert Bone Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Australia
    It will be interesting to see what happens since Chris Murphy is no longer with us. I recently saw Kirk on Breckfast TV news talikng about the record sales of their last Best of and he spoke of releasing B-sides. The band don't own a lot of those concert appearences there would need to be a massive rights gathering mission around the world to all the various tv stations who own content. It was interesting reading that interview with Chris Murphy posted here a few pages ago where my thoughs were realised about the Mystify doco (how can you tell MH story without INXS?) Its a shame those two couldn't have worked together and made something better.
    There's still the deal done where they have with Giles Martin to oversee their cataloug. I would like to see deluxe album editions rather than a overall b-side collection.
     
  4. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    same
     
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  5. twicks

    twicks Forum Resident

    Location:
    Detroit
    With JD singing, or Ciaran?
     
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  6. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Or do they go the hologram route ? :)
     
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  7. Robert Bone

    Robert Bone Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Australia
    With Ciaran singing (I think they may have done something with Rob Thomas singing as well but i can't remember - probably Original sin - he did that on that 2010 album). The last time I saw JD sing with INXS was in 2011 in the Day on the Green concerts promoting the Original sin album with Train and the Baby Animals and the Models. I also saw INXS with JD in 2006 at Thebarton Theatre and in 2007 at the Entertainment Center with Simple Minds.
     
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  8. The MEZ

    The MEZ Forum Resident

    Location:
    CT
    Thanks Mark. Fantastic job as always! I learn so much with this one.
     
  9. Moggio_4K_Ultra_HD

    Moggio_4K_Ultra_HD Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    Tiny Summer & We Are United are competent songs at best. But unfortunately, nothing to my liking.

    The I'm Only Looking 2 DVD music video collection is highly enjoyable, and despite not being complete, is as complete a collection as we're probably going to get.

    Well, I guess it's time to wrap up the thread.

    Since 1992, INXS have always been my favourite band and will continue to be until the day I die. And that is because of not only how amazing most of their albums and songs are, but the creative spirit and personal bond they developed throughout their illustrious career. Despite all the positive and negative times, ups and downs, creative & commercial peaks & valleys, numerous lead singers, etc., INXS always seemed to find a way to continue on and perservere. These qualities greatly enhance the band's character and enjoyability. And never say never, we still just might hear from them again in the future...

    I'd like to take this opportunity to thank mark and everyone who contributed to this wonderful long-lasting thread. I greatly enjoyed analyzing the songs and learned a lot of things I didn't already know about INXS and I hope everyone did too?

    Btw, last week, the hosts of the Access All Areas podcast finally scored an interview with one of the band members, Tim Farriss. And it looks like a "proper" documentary is in the works...:righton:
     
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  10. David Jakubowski

    David Jakubowski Forum Resident

    Thanks everyone for the discussion and especially @mark winstanley for yet another awesome thread!!!
     
  11. twicks

    twicks Forum Resident

    Location:
    Detroit
    Yes, thank you, Mark. Among other things, this thread helped me discover the charms of Max Q and really appreciate the greatness of Shabooh Shoobah. I can't think of higher praise — cheers.
     
  12. van1

    van1 Forum Resident

    Personally I'd love to get a b-sides set, especially for the vinyl only tracks up to LLT. So many great b-sides and remixes from SS and The Swing, no need to rebuy all the albums again.
     
  13. pablo fanques

    pablo fanques Somebody's Bad Handwroter In Memoriam

    Location:
    Poughkeepsie, NY
    I’ve been a DJ for over 35 years now so I was there when Listen Like Thieves was current. Probably stopped playing INXS in the late 90’s but this thread got me reaching for them again and I’m happy to say that the host of a BBQ I played this Saturday requested a few tunes that I happily played. Great, often overlooked band whose hits have largely aged well. I too am grateful for the knowledge I obtained here. Cheers gang!
     
  14. Bluepicasso

    Bluepicasso Android Confused

    Location:
    Arlington, Va
    --
    I've been pining for a b-sides set, even for a downloadable venture.
     
  15. Interpolantics

    Interpolantics Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ireland
    I know I haven't posted much either side of the 90's albums but I wanted to add my gratitude to Mark and everyone else involved with this thread.

    Its been very enjoyable having a nuanced and detailed discussion of all things INXS.

    It also opened my ears to Johnson's Aeroplane which is a new found favourite :righton:
     
  16. walrus

    walrus Staring into nothing

    Location:
    Nashville
    It would make much more sense as a digital release...all the b-sides, remixes, etc, without worrying about format time restraints, considering there's several hours of material there. I hope this happens one day.
     
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  17. walrus

    walrus Staring into nothing

    Location:
    Nashville
    I dont' know if this has been noted, but it seems like the missing albums from their main studio discography (including Elegantly Wasted) have been added/restored to streaming.

    EW is listed as "remastered" but is exactly the same (unfortunately) as the 1997 CD. But at least it's there for your playlist/listening needs.
     
  18. markelis

    markelis Forum Resident

    Location:
    Miami Beach FL
    … and now my thoughts, album by album, (without going song by song but spotlighting some of my favorites or what I think may be interesting thoughts about certain songs):

    I had skipped the first two albums completely then (In fact, I don’t think I even knew they existed back then, thinking Shaboo was actually their debut, some completist I am ). Based on this thread, I cherry picked a few good songs to add to my playlist. Stay Young and Underneath the Colors in particular stand out to me is fantastic songs and are now getting played in regular rotation. On the Bus and Walk Away also get the nod.

    Shabooh Shoobah:

    Then: As noted above, this one did not move me at all when I first heard it back when I was a metal/hard rock loving 17 year old at the time of its release. That’s not to say I wasn’t open to other types of music as I was a big Prince fan, and was also open to plenty of pop and new wave music such as Duran Duran, the Police, Michael Jackson etc. All that said, Don’t Change rocked and did put them on my radar screen, I was just disappointed that none of the other tracks seemed to rock as effectively.

    Now: Again, thank you to Mark for this thread, as having gone back and carefully listened to each song independently and more than a few times, I realize now what a clever mix of dance, funk, rock and bits of ska this first album was. Beyond the obvious (One Thing and Don’t Change) Black and White, Old World, New World, To Look at You, and Spy of Love in particular are stand outs, but now I like it all.

    Special mention to the extended versions of One Thing, To Look at You and Black and White which really do an amazing job of pulling out different aspects of the instrumentation and highlighting them. The B-sides didn’t move me much, little did I know there was much better to come in that department.

    The Swing:

    Then: Ignored it. I liked Original Sin but was waiting for another Don’t Change. When it wasn’t forthcoming, I passed.

    Now: Love the whole thing. Beginning to end. Original Sin, along with I Send a Message and Love is (What I Say) are my favorites but I like every song. Again, special props to Dekadance, where pretty much every song is just that much cooler in its extended form.

    Listen Like Thieves:

    Then: Made me a fan from the moment I heard/saw This Time on MTV. Then I popped in the cassette and heard What You Need kick off. Every other song resonated. Listen LikeThieves straight in to Kiss the Dirt (Falling Down the Mountain) to Shine Like It Does into Good & Bad Times into, whoa, Biting Bullets (I saw many on here didn’t seem to like BB, but man, I think that one is one fast paced rockin’ race to the finish line that couldn’t be more fun). This time they brought the rock to the forefront. Like others said, side two wasn’t as strong, but still likeable. I didn’t understand that they were just emphasizing yet another genre in which they were musical powerhouses, I just knew I like the crunch and I was onboard the train!

    Now: Nothings changed. Love it. KisstheDirt still gets cranked every time, just same as the first time I heard the opening riff kick off. Not sure if LLTis my favorite by them nowadays, but no doubt still a contender.

    Kick:

    Then: After falling in love with them due to LLT, Kick was highly awaited and I bought it upon release. I was blown away immediately, I mean the 1-2 punch of New Sensation into Devil Inside alone was worth every penny. Plus I felt they brought the funk and pop of SS and The Swing back in to the sound without, and this was key, losing the rock and roll swagger that they had won me over with on LLT . Along with the aforementioned songs, Mystify, Never Tear Us Apart, Tiny Daggers and Kick were all A+ tunes and the rest of the songs were all well above average.

    Now: Curiously, I still love Kick. Usually an album like this, which was highly overplayed in the US, would’ve been ruined for me. Songs like Devil Inside and New Sensation would’ve been turned into background music from having heard them too often on the radio. Yet somehow, they still seem to possess the same immediacy and punch that they had when I first heard them. I realize that in many ways this album became an albatross for the band, their biggest success and yet arguably the album that ruined them as well. Regardless, I still think it’s great and will put it up with LLT as one of, if not their best.

    I’m going to end this post now, not only because I think it will get very long and be hard to wade through (some might say I am long winded and boring!) but also because this is where I break apart their music into two separate playlists. Everything from Kick working backwards to the beginning goes on one playlist and then the albums from X forward go onto yet another.
     
  19. markelis

    markelis Forum Resident

    Location:
    Miami Beach FL
    …and now for part two of my thoughts, running in tandem with my second INXS playlist, which covers from X through Elegantly Wasted:

    X:

    Then: Fine, I admit it, I’m just like everybody else was, a fair weather fan. At the time of its release, my interest in INXS had diminished significantly just due to their absence from the music scene and due to changing trends. I am embarrassed to admit that I was one of the sheep that flocked to the grunge scene. In my defense, hard rock and heavy-metal had gotten a little stale, what with all the hair metal and polished, processed 80s production techniques. In its moment, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden etc. sounded rough, ready and a little bit dangerous compared to Poison and Bon Jovi (G’n’R excluded, who really weren’t hair metal in my book, just good all ass shaking head banging rocknroll). When X hit the shelves, I bought it right away, but it was just a little too polished and poppy for me. The rough edges from LLT, slightly cleaned up on Kick, seem to have been totally polished away. The smooth pop songs, while absolutely gorgeous, didn’t seem to be balanced out with any songs filled with RAWK!!! I need my rock to RAWK! I dug a few tunes but, without something to keep the momentum going on the level of Kick or LLT, my interest waned.

    Now: Fine, I was wrong. In retrospect, taken as part of the overall catalog, X is a shiny, polished example of how poptastic INXS could be. Perhaps taken alone as an album, it would still be too smooth for me to listen to end to end, but when I mix it in with the great tracks from the next three releases, all three of which have a rougher harder edged rock sound, X does a great job of balancing and presenting the full INXS picture. I know this is an album by album, song by song thread, but I like my INXS mixed up and juggled around in a playlist so that I can get alternating doses of pop, funk, dance and (did I mention I like) RAWK!

    Welcome to wherever You Are:

    Then: Easy one, never heard it. Loss of interest, changing musical taste and trends, no radio play, ugly album cover (I mean, I have seen some unappealing album covers, but this one really had nothing going for it). The album and the band were not even on my radar screen at this point.


    Now: Damn, I missed out on a killer album, great songs, awesome flow, cohesive in presentation, and boy did they bring the rock with just the right amounts of funky, dancy, poppy, singable etc! …and just some killer tunes! Heaven Sent and Taste It brought the rock and Not Enough Time brought the beauty, and every other song (barring Baby Don’t Cry, which is still playable, very singable but a little long and repetitious) was just pretty fantastic. I am pretty disappointed to realize that I could’ve had this album in heavy rotation for the last 30 years of my life. 30 years that I will never get back.

    Full Moon, Dirty Hearts:

    Then: See above. Admitted: I was a fair weather friend, a lousy fan. I suck.

    Now: Is it their worst album? Maybe. Is it a great album? Definitely. Sure, compared to the rest of their output, it may be badly sequenced and have a few weaker cuts, but it’s still pretty bad ass when you get right down to it. The Gift, Days of Rust, Time, Cut Your Roses and the title track are all top notch. Even Viking juice, which almost everyone on here blasted, strikes me as just sort of a funky coda to The Messenger, and a good one at that. Sad I missed this, sad I didn’t show my support. Maybe had us fans been there then, maybe Michael might still be here now.

    …and finally, sadly, Elegantly Wasted:

    Then: No point repeating the above.

    Now: I wish they weren’t permanently gone. …but they are, and if they have to have a final, last album, this is a damn fine final last album. Sure, Girl on Fire isn’t their strongest moment, but swap in either bonus track (both are superb) and the release is pretty much perfect ( or leave as is, Girl on Fire may be just a dumb rock song with a good riff, but the world needs dumb rock songs occasionally). The first half being great examples of what they do best, the second half seeing them push their boundaries with more complex arrangements while still being excellent songs. I am sorry this is Michael’s swan song with the band, but it’s a great last statement. Michael, you will be missed.
     
  20. Moggio_4K_Ultra_HD

    Moggio_4K_Ultra_HD Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    These are excellent summaries! :righton:

    Thanks for your contributions to this thread.
     
  21. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    agreed.
    Nice posts @markelis
     
  22. Waymore Lonesome

    Waymore Lonesome Forum Resident

    The only thing I don't understand at all is the idea that Full Moon Dirty Hearts was anything but one of their absolute best albums. Total return to relevance for my money.
     
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  23. Moggio_4K_Ultra_HD

    Moggio_4K_Ultra_HD Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    I think it's their 2nd best album and acts as a perfect follow-up to WTWYA - which I believe is INXS' masterpiece...
     
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  24. twicks

    twicks Forum Resident

    Location:
    Detroit
  25. Interpolantics

    Interpolantics Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ireland
    Not sure if this was posted elsewhere but this appears to be a new song for Michael by Aaron Dessner, Lisa Hannigan and Sharon Van Etten

     
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