That’s my reading too. INXS catches me off-guard with the lyrics sometimes, as they can seem to be something surface-deep but then they hit me the right way and I realize there is something going on in there. This is a nice song, and a thoughtful way to end the album.
Underneath The Colours I think this is a very solid album. We see the band becoming more focused, and they have a more clear approach as to who they are and what they are trying to do. For me at least, a closer look has elevated this album a fair bit, and although I liked it, I do really like this album quite a bit now. It is probably more solid than I initially thought, and it does flow well. To be honest, I think that the two main songs (Stay Young, and the title track) I was familiar with were my mainstays on this album, but several songs have risen in my estimation. Just roughly, I think Horizons and Fair Weather Ahead are much better songs than I had really given them credit for, and there are others also, but mainly, although there may be lesser songs, i don't feel there are any really weak songs, and so this album gets a better chance of getting on the player than it used to. As we continue tomorrow, we move to an album that i see growth and development on, and i would have often said it was my favourite.... but this is going to a very interesting thread for me, and i feel my previous opinions are going to be challenged. Such a very solid catalog.
Absolutely. Very underrated. They really held down the bottom, but with a whole lot of subtle, but unique, flourishes at very well-timed spots. Prior to Listen Like Thieves, and even more so Kick, I was a hard rock/metal head and really into that crowd of drummers. But, Jon really opened my eyes to a cool, different style with a lot of different sounds (roto-toms, electronics, china cymbals, percussion, etc.), and his playing really clicked with me once I was able to also look backwards and dig into their earlier catalogue. He eventually became a huge influence.
Same story for me. My mate Dave was the drummer though. He had the obvious rock/hard rock influences, but Jon Farriss and particularly Rob Hirst from Midnight Oil were big influences because of their different approaches.
Honestly, I can't remember how it sounds on the actual record. It's been ages since I played it! I gave it a spin after I bought it and put it away. Cool story on how I acquired it though. I came across a seller a few years back on ebay getting rid of a lot of really cool INXS items I'd never seen before. A lot of it was just ephemera that a typical fan probably wouldn't have...more like items that someone would acquire if they worked in the biz or had some inside connection. Anyway, I got to talking with the seller and she was apparently a webmaster (or *the* webmaster) for the old INXS website way back. I forget what she told me verbatim about how she got the record, but it was something along the lines of her having gone to Australia a while after Hutchence had passed for a memorial service in his honor. While she was there, she met up with someone on the management team (she didn't say who). This person proceeded to take her around and ended up at a warehouse/storage facility where the band had a lot of their gear and miscellaneous stuff. She said they found three copies while they were digging around and that she was given a whole bunch of this stuff that she was (regrettably) having to sell. One of these being this record. Three were found: one was given to her, while the other two were going to be given to Michael's daughter and to Kelland Hutchence. Not sure there's any truth to all that, but she sure seemed to know a lot and had a lot of really hard to find stuff at the time!
Just To Learn Again Tim: In our early days as the Farriss Brothers, I used to play percussion as well and I had all these congas and chimes set up on stage. I always like Keith Casey, who was from Bermuda and we'd see him play percussion in Ayers Rock. So it was really exciting to get him to play on Just To Learn Again. Jon: I guess we were starting to experiment with ballads and the song worked. Michael's lyrics were very pretty and poignant. There was a dream quality to it that I can never get sick of.
Just To Learn Again is an appropriate closing track. Dreamy, reflective, moody and melodic. And Kirk's alto sax flourishes compliment the simplicity of the arrangements. Lyrically, I think it's fairly self-explanatory regarding what the song is about... I still don't feel Underneath The Colours is a better album than INXS' self-titled debut. However, overall, they were definitely improving, learning new techniques and ways of lyricizing & stylizing their craft and were quickly growing into the phenomenal band that they became a few short years later. My rating... Underneath The Colours ~ 3.15/5 Stay Young ~ 4/5 Horizons ~ 2.5/5 Big Go Go ~ 2.5/5 Underneath The Colours ~ 3/5 Fair Weather Ahead ~ 3.5/5 Night Of Rebellion ~ 2.5/5 Follow ~ 3/5 Barbarian ~ 3.5/5 What Would You Do ~ 4/5 Just To Learn Again ~ 3/5
Michael Hutchence - INXS Worldwide Tribute Page October 23, 2017 · October 23rd: On this day 35 years ago in 1982, INXS performed in Sylvania, NSW. At this gig Atco Records Managing Director Reen Nalli saw the band play and was very impressed, so in January 1983 INXS were signed to Atco Records (division of Atlantic) for North America. In the INXS TV mini-series 'Never Tear Us Apart' in 2014, Reen Nalli is played by Australian actress Jacinta Stapleton. #INXS #OnThisDay #ShaboohShoobah #MichaelHutchence #Sylvania #35YearsAgo
Date: September 12, 1982 Venue: Astor Theatre Location: Melbourne, VIC Night of Rebellion Soul Mistake To Look at You The One Thing Underneath the Colours Black and White The Loved One Just Keep Walking Don't Change Wishy Washy Stay Young
Date: August 12, 1982 Venue: Carringbar Inn Location: Sydney, NSW Night of Rebellion Soul Mistake To Look at You The One Thing Underneath the Colours Black and White The Loved One Just Keep Walking Don't Change Wishy Washy Stay Young
Is this your photograph Mark? Lived in Seattle from about this time to 87. We might have been passing each other all the time if you were there.
INXSIVE Compilation album by INXS Released 1982 Recorded 1980–82 Genre Rock Length 50:36 Label Deluxe Producer Richard Clapton Duncan McGuire INXS INXSIVE is the first compilation album by Australian rock band INXS, which was released in 1982 on Deluxe Records for the Australian market only. It appeared in the top 100 of the Kent Music Report Albums Chart.[1] INXSive features highlights from the band's first two studio albums, related B-sides, and two non-album singles: "Simple Simon" and "The Loved One". The latter is a cover of a 1966 single originally by The Loved Ones; INXS later re-recorded this song and released it on the album Kick (October 1987).[2] It was described by Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane: "The budget-priced collection INXSive on Deluxe mopped up various album tracks and early singles sides".[2] It completed the band's contract with DeLuxe prior to their move to WEA and PolyGram in hopes of greater worldwide exposure. "Learn to Smile" "Wishy Washy" "Stay Young" "Prehistoria" "We Are the Vegetables" "Underneath the Colours" "The Loved One" "The Unloved One" "Simple Simon" "Fair Weather Ahead" "In Vain" "Big Go Go" "Lacavocal" "Just Keep Walking" ----------------------------------------------------- This is a now very rare compilation from the guys. I was underneath the impression that it had been released after Shabooh Shoobah, due to the success of that album and often record companies release these kind of compiles to draw attention back to things new fans may have missed, but apparently this was released before Shabooh Shoobah. We have covered all the songs on here, and I am not sure how much anyone will have to say about this compile, but I certainly didn't want to not include it. I do believe that we now have more comprehensive collections that cover the tracks that weren't on albums, so aside from completist or collector reasons, I am not sure how important this release is these days. Please give us the low down though guys, I am not an expert on the band, just a fan.
In light of INXSive being somewhat of a sideline, I am going to go straight into the next album. If it turns out that people have a lot to say about it, I will hold off posting tomorrow, but I want to encourage folks to join in and move onto the next album, because it seems like this album would be a logical spot for folks unfamiliar with early Inxs to join us and share their thoughts. Shabooh Shoobah Studio album by INXS Released 16 October 1982 Recorded January 1982 (Paradise Studios) June 1982 (Rhinoceros Studios) Genre New wave, rock, post-punk Length 35:23 Label Warner Music, Mercury, Atco (US) Producer Mark Opitz Shabooh Shoobah is Australian rock group INXS's third studio album and was released on 16 October 1982. It peaked at No. 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart and remained on the chart for 94 weeks. It was the band's first album to be released worldwide and appeared on the United States Billboard 200 and on the Hot Pop Albums Chart. The album spawned four singles, "The One Thing" (July 1982), "Don't Change" (October), "To Look at You" (March 1983) and "Black and White" (June). It was produced by Mark Opitz for WEA Australia with most tracks written by band members Andrew Farriss and Michael Hutchence. The name "Shabooh Shoobah" is an onomatopoeia of a rhythm in the song "Spy of Love".[3][4] At the 1982 Countdown Australian Music Awards, the album was nominated for Best Australian Album.[5][6] INXS's third album, Shabooh Shoobah, developed after they decided in early 1982 to record a new song, "The One Thing", at their own expense, with Mark Opitz at Paradise Studios.[7] The song turned out so well that band hired Opitz to produce three more songs.[8] WEA Australia were approached with copies, leading to INXS signing a recording deal in July 1982 with WEA for releases in Australia, South East Asia, Japan and New Zealand; with sister label Atco Records (a subsidiary of Atlantic Records) for North America and with Polygram for United Kingdom and the rest of Europe.[7][9][10][11] Initially, INXS were not convinced that Opitz could produce an entire album that would attract international interest. Prior to recording the rest of Shabooh Shoobah, three band members, Kirk Pengilly, Michael Hutchence, and Andrew Farriss, visited the UK and United States, to select another producer. However, they found that no one they wanted was available and that most people advised them that Opitz's work on their single was as good as they could wish for.[3][7] So in mid-1982, they commenced recording at Rhinoceros Studios, with Opitz.[11] Tim Farriss felt "Mark was the first producer that was able to capture some glimmer of what the band felt it was like live. Prior to us, Mark had done bands like AC/DC, Cold Chisel, The Angels. Big guitar sounds, mighty drum beats".[7] In October, Shabooh Shoobah was released internationally on Atlantic/Atco Records and Mercury Records, peaking at No. 52 on the US Billboard 200 and No. 46 on the Hot Pop Albums chart.[12][13] In Australia it peaked at No. 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart and remained on the chart for 94 weeks.[14] The lead single, "The One Thing", brought their first US Top 30 hit on 28 May 1983,[15] it was a Top 20 hit in Canada,[16] and peaked at No. 14 in Australia on 23 August 1982.[14] "One Thing" was their first video to air on the fledgling MTV and added to the chart success of the single.[8] INXS undertook their first US performance in San Diego in March 1983, to a crowd of 24 patrons.[7] The tour was as support for Adam and the Ants, then support for Stray Cats, The Kinks,[9] Hall & Oates followed by The Go-Go's.[7][8] INXS played alongside many of their contemporaries on New Wave Day in May 1983, at the US Festival in Devore, California.[17] It was during this time that Gary Grant, their co-manager, relocated permanently to New York to ensure a continual presence in the northern hemisphere.[7] The band remained on the road in the US for most of the year, including support for Men at Work and by mid-1983 were headlining venues such as The Ritz in New York.[7] Michael Hutchence – vocals Tim Farriss – guitar Kirk Pengilly – guitar, saxophone, vocals Garry Gary Beers – bass guitar, vocals Jon Farriss – drums, percussion, vocals Andrew Farriss – keyboards, guitar Production details Producer – Mark Opitz Engineer – David Walsh, Andrew Scott, David Nicholas, Mark Opitz Studios – Paradise Studios (track 1), Rhinoceros Studios (tracks 2–10) Art works Cover art concept – Michael Hutchence, Grant Matthews Photography – Grant Matthews 1. "The One Thing" Andrew Farriss, Michael Hutchence 3:24 2. "To Look at You" A. Farriss 3:55 3. "Spy of Love" Tim Farriss, Hutchence 3:58 4. "Soul Mistake" A. Farriss, Hutchence 2:57 5. "Here Comes" A. Farriss, Hutchence 3:00 6. "Black and White" A. Farriss, Hutchence 3:40 7. "Golden Playpen" Hutchence, Kirk Pengilly 3:03 8. "Jan's Song" A. Farriss, Hutchence 3:18 9. "Old World New World" Jon Farriss, Hutchence 3:38 10. "Don't Change" Garry Gary Beers, A. Farriss, J. Farriss, T. Farriss, Hutchence, Pengilly 4:24 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It is funny that the band weren't sure if Mark Opitz was up to the task of producing their album, because Opitz had done a lot of great work with Australian bands, and was probably one of the premier producers in Australia at the time. A lot of things come together on this album for the band. I think their songwriting blossoms and moves into what most would fully recognise as Inxs on this album. I think the playing and singing reaches a maturity that helps the guys over the next 12 months move into being headliners, rather than a good support act. I think the sound they get on the album, certainly with Opitz production, moves to a level that is very able to compete with international artists, and i think this album is where the pieces all come together for the band. This is really where I came on board with the band. I had liked the couple of songs I was aware of, but this album was a next level situation where I was drawn into what the band was trying to do. I found the songs more appealing to my then rock music sensibility and when Don't Change hit the airwaves, I knew this was a band that I could get on board with. I had enjoyed the first single, and thought that the band had really pulled it all together, but Don't change was really the point where I really started to like the band. The band had followed a very natural slow swell into the limelight in Australian music, and although they somewhat grew up in public, I think this album was kind of a statement of "Ok, we're here" and for the most part the Australian public got on board with the band. The Australian music market was a very rock environment. It was unusual for pop bands to have particularly strong careers in the small Australian market, and Inxs kind of changed that whole idea. The band managed to get a really nice balance between the necessary rock sound, and pop direction of the band that drew a lot of rock fans into their camp, and really from here on, the band were considered very highly by the Australian public. As stated up above, this album was the first international release and it was by happy accident or good design that this occurred, because this was a fully formed and ready to go band now. The band toured a lot, and had a lot of success in the USA. I remember seeing a concert on TV of the guys playing a show in the US, that I will probably look at after we have finished with the songs here, and that show was excellent, this was a band that had arrived and the US was taking an interest. I suppose it is only natural, but there was always a feeling of joy when an Aussie band made it, to any degree, in the US, because anyone that knew the industry knew how hard it was for Australian bands to actually get the money and support to even make a small dent. This album and subsequent tour open the door, and the next couple swung it wide. Often this is, or has been my favourite Inxs album, but when I really listen to the material the guys have released over the years, particularly the peak period, it is a really hard call. Anyway. Please give us your opinions and feelings on this album. Did you know it at the time? What did you think? What do you think of it these days? Whatever you feel is relevant, please share it with us, and tomorrow we will look at the first track, which was also the first single. Cheers Mark
No, not my photo. I was about fourteen living in Perth Western Australia. The dogs woke me up at 2:30 this morning so I had a little extra time, and when I am able, I like to try and flesh out the thread with time relevant pictures and stuff. Thankfully some other guys have been posting some cool stuff, so it takes the pressure off a bit
