-- I've been exploring Bandcamp since early 2020. There are fantastic newer bands out there reaching back to 80s bands. The sad thing -- they have nowhere to showcase their music to a wider audience. Always thought if I win a huge lotto, I can find a way to bring some of these bands to a wider audience somehow.
Six Knots This is a somewhat alternate type of blues type thing that moves into other territory. We open up with some tape sound effects, and then move into a nice slide guitar thing. Then it sort of feels like it moves into a ballad feel. This sounds like an idea that never really got focused on, and transferred into a finished song. It doesn't really sound very Inxs, but I have to say, I like the skeletal sketch we have here.
"What You Need": I was in 5th Grade when the song came out. Was totally blown away from the intro in the music video along with the song. Listen Like Thieves quickly became my third INXS album in a row.
Directed by Alex Proyas? Future director of such movies as The Crow, Dark City, I Robot? Interesting.
Kiss The Dirt Great production here. Every note is clear. The guitar strums, the drums are audible and have punch but don’t sit too high in the mix, the bass chugs along, and the keyboards breathe. This song is absolutely made by the instrumental break though - it is sooooooo cool. Again, showing that while INXS is a band with guitars, they aren’t generally into guitar solos - so when they spotlight a guitar the way the do in this song it really stands out because they’ve cooked up something special. The guitar “freak out” in Kiss The Dirt is one of my all-time favorite INXS moments. “Do Wot You Do” may not have been included on the album because it shares some similarities with this track, such as the breathing keyboard sound and some of the guitar work. However I’d gladly have them both. Listen to them back-to-back and hear how well they go together.
Mine too, as it drops into the quieter Kiss the Dirt. We’re treated to yet another great melody, with lively bass lines that keep the song moving, and drumming that sounds easy but isn’t. It’s obviously about lust but there’s a little more there. This is INXS doing what only they do.
I was 11 when this album came out and my dad insisted on reading the lyrics in the cassette booklet before he'd let me keep it. I'll always be grateful to Michael for not including anything too blatantly objectionable and keeping it (mostly) clean.
One of the best components in Kiss The Dirt, is the absolute contrast between the acoustic and electric guitar rhythm strums / riffs. But what really makes the song great, is the perfectly constructed crescendo build that blends right into Tim's rhythm guitar solo in the middle of the track. The day to night scenes in the music video enhances the atmosphere to such an extent, especially the night shots with the bonfire behind them, that it makes you feel like you should be there with them. Just amazing! Another killer track from LLT. The extended mix is enjoyable but doesn't really add anything special to the song. At just under 1 minute in length, I really wish Six Knots was longer (maybe there's a longer version out there?), as it's one of my favourite INXS B-sides. It's another example of Kirk showing us that he too can write catchy songs, even if they're short but sweet.
Listen Like Thieves (Song): Talk about an ear worm of a song. Every time I hear this fantastic rocker, I'm already turning up the volume, singing along. Kiss the Dirt (Falling Down the Mountain): Another good one. The opening strum, the rhythm section and the gentle keyboard textures all come together and have me grooving along. I do recall this being on the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City soundtrack. The song really fit the mood and landscape of the game.
Shine Like It Does I guess this track represents the ballad. It was hugely popular in the rock era to put a ballad in at track three or four on the album, and here the guys follow that tradition with a track that had a nice melody, and arrangement. To some degree this track looks forward somewhat to what is to come from the guys, with a smooth moderate tempo track with a somewhat reflective heart. We do still get a little punch though. This is the power Since time began Every single hour That we have known And from each moment All that is left Sleep of the innocent Just one desire Shine like it does Into every heart Shine like it does And if you're looking You will find it This is the story Since time began There will come a day When we will know Shine like it does Into every heart Shine like it does And if you're looking You will find it Shine like it does Into every heart Shine like it does And if you're looking You will find it You will find it You will find it You will find it You will find it Source: LyricFind Songwriters: Michael Hutchence / Andrew Farriss Shine Like It Does lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc, Universal Music Publishing Group We open with a crisp guitar, and underneath the bass thuds along, with a bed of keys that is doing the string section substitute. The guitar quickly disappears and becomes a series of smooth strums. the drums enter, and we get the vocal come in. Michael delivers this song with a nice delicacy that again has a sort of reflective feel, and a relaxed feel. This isn't a track where the vocals move into the urgent rock styling, it stays in a warm, mellow area in keeping with the feel and thoughts of the track. At the beginning of the thread we learned that their first manager wanted them to be a Christian rock act, and I found that somewhat puzzling, because I am not sure how big of a market that would have been. Looking through these lyrics though, we get some subtle references that suggest at least a passing interest or knowledge of christianity. It is certainly written in a way the has an open interpretation available, but looking through these lyrics, that's the first thing that strikes me about them. Again we get a nice arrangement, and the song moves along nicely. This is somewhat like a nice breather after a pretty powerful opening. I certainly don't dislike the song, it is very nice, but it plays a different part in the flow of the album.
Shine Like It Does -- 5/5. Another favorite song of theirs. Song construction is at a height here. Don't get the christianity reference at all which as stated above. To me, it's about love and of course finding it. The simplistic vibe of the song is moving and soulful. When I had a bad day in the past, I would sometimes put this song on -- immediately cured. Music magic!
Shine Like It Does One of the best “deep cuts” from INXS. This was not a single, but they thought enough of the song to title one of their early compilations with it. As Mark stated, this is the ballad, or the “breather”, after the rush of of energy from the first three tracks. I love the string section and the bluesy guitar licks. The lyrics are aiming at something more than bumping and grinding, and I feel like the song is worthy of something Otis Redding could have sung. The tracks ends but doesn’t quite fade out all the way before “Good + Bad Times” begins. INXS liked to do the occasional cross-fade or eliminate dead space between album tracks as a way to enhance the flow. It works yet again here - but more about that tomorrow.
Shine Like It Does is an enjoyable ballad, but sounds just a little overproduced to me. It’s a solid album track but not really special to me, like it is to the above posters.
Shine Like It Does, the obligatory ballad, temporarily diffuses much of the tension and heavier elements from the album thus far and creates a nice segue into the next track. It's nothing spectacular but enjoyably provides a fleeting emotional shift. It's a good song.
This song got a lot of play on FM radio in Sydney. I'm not sure how radio worked in other countries, but FM radio was relatively new (10 or 20 years maybe?) so had positioned itself as the 'older brother' (album cuts, serious artists, rock canon) to AM's 'younger sister' (pop acts, DJs with gossip etc) Often the FM stations (not nationally-broadcast, but often syndicated with stations from the different Australian states) would latch onto an album track and, such was their reach in a relatively small marketplace, create 'hits' from songs that weren't singles. I remember a lot of songs from the 80s from radio play that were never officially singles. I'm a 47 year old guy who plays occasionally in suburban covers bands, and I bet that if we broke this song out, lighters would be in the air, people would be singing along, and couples would be sucking face.
Just watched it then and it reminded me on why they were so great. Six musician, which *should* sound busy and oversaturated and fat, but for much of the song they're individuals stabbing a sinewy keyboard motif, authoritatively laying down a baseline, plying a cheeky riff, strutting barechested waiting for the outro. In short, they all knew their role, and that it all added up to the band identity. There's so much more space in that song that I'd remembered. (other 40 year olds will also probably look back fondly at songs that had oxygen and light and shade in them!)
Good + Bad Times You must have heard Of all the rules Thick and thin Teaches you hard And all the tricks Come back on you Leave them behind There's a better way A better way All along you must have known Where your life was leading The good and bad times Where your life was leading And I know you've been through hell Yes I know all about it And I've seen your cool white face But I can't seem to care about it Care about it Source: LyricFind Songwriters: Michael Hutchence / Kirk Pengilly Good & Bad Times lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc, Universal Music Publishing Group This track has a very eighties sounding arrangement. We open with a synth pad, and a clucky riff, with a solid bass and drum base to play over. The chorus brings the song to life with some nice punchy chords and they add some dynamics and work well for me. We get a bit of a breakdown in the middle of the track, and Kirk rolls out some nice sax, and the band move through some changes in the background. We again get some nice punch guitars for texture, and then roll back into another verse. I think this is a good song and I like the elements in it, but it sort of feels a little unfinished in some ways. Certainly there is nothing wrong with it, but it feels a little like there is something missing, even though what is here works well, and I certainly don't dislike it.
Good & Bad Times. 3/5. Could be considered "filler", but I do not rate the band as having filler just lower-tier good songs. This one falls into that category. Feet tap to it, so it is worthy. This song and the following one drag the album a bit. Perhaps, extra expressos would have helped during the recording.
Not one of the album's best songs but it fits nicely in the flow and keeps my head bobbing. Doesn't overstay its welcome at under 3 minutes either. End of Side One and they're 5 for 5 by my count.
Good + Bad Times This is a perfect example of a so-so song made better by good sequencing and editing. The overlapping fade-in from the ending of Shine Like It Does allows this track to begin with a sense of urgency that adds a bonus point to whatever rating it deserves on its own. The edgy prickliness of the opening electronics then pays off in that heavy riff when MH sings “all along you must have known/where your life was leading”. The instrumental section with the sax is a great piece by itself, and then at 2 1/2 minutes the song doesn’t overstay its welcome. If it was longer at 3-4 minutes this song’s limitations would drag it down, but as short as it is we get a nice air of finality when it thuds to a conclusion of Side One of the LP. I like how the music stops just ahead of MH singing the last lines - one more nice touch that helps out the song. If you’ve only ever heard this album on CD or streaming, please pause right here and realize you have just listened to tracks 1-5 of the album and this was one of the great album sides of the 80’s. The 2nd side is a bit more of a mixed bag, but the 1st side is simply superb. Gotta take it all in just one sitting, no skipping around.
Shine Like It Does. We've all got a few songs that can immediately take us back to a life moment. Moments of joy and sadness. I first heard this song in 1988 when Kick was everywhere. I was 16. We had a group of 10 kids who did absolutely everything together. Inseparable. I didn't really get into INXS until X a couple years later. I was a stubborn "rock" guy and didn't care for pop music or most anything on the radio. The rest of my group, though, was obsessed with Kick. One night we gathered at a friends house, his parents had left him alone for the weekend! As I got there one friend said "you have to hear this song." Our whole group was there. I can vividly picture everybody's face as we gathered around the stereo. I can remember the beer we had illegally acquired for the nights festivities. Good ole Coors Light. As I took my first sip, this song began to play. I'd say we listened to it 20 times until we were all singing at the top of our lungs. It was undeniable in that moment. I'll never forget it. When this song plays today I get shivers, the memories are so vivid. We were indestructible. Life could not and maybe would not get any better than it was in that moment. I'm still pretty close to a couple of those guys. When I found this thread last weekend, I sent this album to them via text. They both immediately responded "Shine Like It Does". I've been blessed with a pretty great life so far, but if pressed to name the most joyous moments in my life, that hour would probably be top 10. It's why I love INXS. It's why I love music. Those other 9 kids are still some of my favorite people on earth, even though we lost track of each other for the most part. Music.....
