- You bring up a good point! Somehow, the early 80s went from about an album a year to two years, then to three years, then to four years with a lot of the bands that made it in the 80s, like Duran, Depeche, U2, Cure. It's good for longevity I guess, but the wait for albums during that time was the length of a new rock fad craze like baggy or Britpop.
Long enough that I had moved on with my musical listening and had very much “forgotten” about INXS by the time X came out. It really was a bit of a gap.
The big record labels had mastered the art of milking an album for 3,4 or even 5 or more singles and videos. The promotion cycle for an album went from a year to more like 2-3 years in some cases.
They were still huge when they came back, though. Played two nights at my local basketball arena, which basically makes you stadium-level these days.
True. I find it hilarious that bands are doing "10th Anniversary" reissues. It was 2 albums ago! Also worth noting that Max Q was released by CBS (at least in Australia) rather than INXS' already established network of WEA/Atlantic/Mercury. While CBS were probably to happy to have Hutchence on their roster, my guess is that given the loose nature of the group (and their inner-city-punks-turned-ecstasy-ravers schtick) and their unlikelihood to tour in support, they probably weren't going to throw a huge financial promotional push behind it, hoping that Hutch's face would do the work. So the whole thing worked well for everyone: CBS get some essentially free sales, Hutchence gets to look like the tortured artist who cuts his hair in protest of the straightjacket of fame and keeps the day-job on its toes...and then he blows the narrative by starting to date Kylie Minogue!
The above is a mostly accurate observation of this era. However, I don't think Michael was opposed to being rock star or minded being very popular. In fact, in the 2014 mini-series, Never Tear Us Apart, there are re-enactment scenes from this era and INXS' lean years in the mid-'90s, depicting the events. And apparently, MH was conflicted and frustrated about stardom. He wanted to be considered underground & alternative but he still wanted to be popular (which actually reflects in INXS' music). And while Chris Murphy was indifferent towards MQ and how to proceed with INXS in the midst of all of this, to my knowledge, the band weren't aware of the MQ project beforehand. Or at least Andrew certainly wasn't. Because he actually found out when friends saw a MQ video on tv and asked him about it. And instead of embarrassing himself by saying that he didn't know about it, Andrew acted like he knew all about it and told them it was a great album.
Sometimes is a relatively strong opening track - one of the few major highlights from Max Q. Lyrically, it's simple but thought-provoking. The hook is embedded in the wah-wah pedal guitar riff. Vocally and especially in the chorus, MH extends part of his baritone range and continues to shows us how good of a singer he is. It's a good song. Love Man has some interesting ideas. And the lead guitar & bass lines are my favourite parts. But of course, it's not fully-developed track. The Sometimes Rock House extended & dub mixes are relatively likeable and add a few enhancing elements. But they're nothing special.
Cool song! I like the house piano, and this mix of the track is pretty good. Was one of the band members truly wheelchair bound? I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in a music video before.
"Way of the World" Single by Max Q from the album Max Q Released 28 August 1989[1] Genre Synth-pop, electronic Length 4:08 Label CBS Songwriter(s) Ollie Olsen Producer(s) Michael Hutchence Ollie Olsen This song really grabbed my attention, and essentially was the track that led me to get the album. YOU WERE BORN INTO THIS WORLD LOOKING DOWN THE BARREL OF A GUN AND THOSE WHO HOLD THE GUN WANT YOU TO WORK FAST AND DIE YOUNG AND IF YOU DON’T WORK IF YOU DON’T OBEY THEY’LL MAKE YOU LIVE IN FEAR TIL YOUR DYING DAY THOSE WHO GOVERN HOLD THE GUN TO YOUR HEAD WITH RELIGIONS CORPORATIONS PROUD OF BLOOD THEY’VE SHED WHETHER IT’S GOD OR THE BOMB IT’S JUST THE SAME AND IT’S ONLY FEAR UNDER ANOTHER NAME AND THE CORPORATE SNAKES COMING IN TO FEED ON THAT PATHETIC FACT KNOWN AS HUMAN GREED SKIN AND BONE BEING RAKED OVER THOSE HOT COALS THIS DUMP NEVER SEEMS TO GIVE TIME FOR HUMAN SOUL AND ALL THOSE THINGS THAT WE HAVE LEARNT NO TIME FOR QUESTIONS, YOU JUST GET BURNT YOU’LL JUST GET BURNT WHETHER IT’S GOD OR THE BOMB IT’S JUST THE SAME AND IT’S ONLY FEAR UNDER ANOTHER NAME AND THOSE WORDS CRUSH YOU FLAT LIKE YOUR SOUL’S UNDER A BRICK AND THE FEELING’S SO DAMN STRONG THAT IT MAKES YOU SICK AND YOU CAN SEE RIGHT THROUGH THOSE EYES THAT MAKE YOU FEAR, THAT MAKE YOU LIE AND YOU’RE TAUGHT TO HOLD HIGH BUT YOU WONDER WHY DUMB VALUES FORCED UPON YOU BY THE LIVING LIE WHETHER IT’S GOD OR THE BOMB IT’S JUST THE SAME AND IT’S ONLY FEAR UNDER ANOTHER NAME What it says on the Hutch lyrics site This is a song with lyrics written by Ollie Olsen and brilliantly performed by Michael Hutchence on their collaborative album, Max Q. It’s message is an overt, profound yet incisive assessment of the Capitalist plight, its devastating effects on mankind, its insidious mechanisms and primitive root causes. In a prophetic moment, the video for this song, (which was shot in New York City by Richard Lowenstein in 1989), ends with a shot of Michael and Ollie sitting on a bench with the doomed twin towers in the background, fading out after Michael turns and looks at the camera. It is enough to give one goosebumps. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One of the big contentions for me here are the lyrics. Although I agree with the majority of the lyrics, from the way I personally relate to the world, the Hutch lyrics site states that this is directed at capitalism, and for them to only be directed at capitalism shows a distinct lack of understanding of other systems .... I'm trying to not get to political here, but it's difficult, and forgive me if I fail, but I'm trying to explain problems I see with the lyrics, even though the majority of them are pretty spot on. Also tying God to atomic bombs, is a little ignorant as well. I will be the first to condemn the religious organisations that have failed to be what they are supposed to be, but God isn't religious..... and I'm going to leave it there.... So much potential in these lyrics, but they get sidetracked by biases, that fail to really nail the issue they are trying to. Now the song itself.... excellent. The sort of newsreel samples work really well, and the percussion and drums bring us in really nicely. The piano, is simple but very effective, and the string samples, or synth, or whatever they are using, also just beautifully dress up the musical atmosphere. The real thing that sells this song is Hutchence vocal. He manages to pull all the bile from his stomach, and spit the lyrics out with the contempt they are trying to deliver. Yet at the same time, he delivers a pretty great vocal in spite of the affectation. At this stage of his career Michael could sing anything he believed in with such power and passion, it is hard to believe that this is the same guy from that quirky ska-ish debut album.
Zero 2 0 (Terry Todd mix) We open with some drum machine programme. Then what sounds like an edited guitar sample comes in. This is one of the chopped up layered and sample type tracks, that I appreciate the work put into them, but they don't really appeal to me.
Way Of The World 12" mix The basic song here is pretty much the same, but we get a slightly different backing. We get that stuttering sample type thing going on, and it is effective, but it kind of steals the beautiful simplicity of the piano and strings arrangement.... for me at least. I am certain some folks will prefer this.
Just in case there is a difference between the video version and the single version, here is the single version. The album version and the single version are the same.
Reference guide The band's origins May 1980 Simple Simon / We Are The Vegetables Aug 1980 Live Paris Theatre, Sydney Oct 1980 Inxs (debut album) On A Bus Doctor Just Keep Walking - On TV Learn To Smile Jumping In Vain - live - interview Roller Skating - live Body Language Newsreel Babies Wishy Washy - live Just Keep Walking b-side Scratch Mar 1981 The Loved One/The Unloved One Sept 1981 Stay Young/Lacavocal Oct 1981 Underneath The Colours Stay Young Horizons Big Go Go Underneath The Colours Fair Weather Ahead Night Of Rebellion Follow Barbarian What Would You Do? Just To Learn Again Prehistoria - bside 1982 INXSive Live 8/12/1982 -Sydney Four Corners - Flavour Of The Month After Dark Interview Oct 1982 Shabooh Shoobah - Ad The One Thing - 12" - live - countdown To Look At You - 12" - live 84 Spy Of Love - live Soul Mistake - live Here Comes - live Black And White - live Golden Playpen - live Jan's Song - live Old World New World - live Don't Change - Countdown b-sides Space Shuttle Phantim Of The Opera Sax Thing You Never Used To Cry Here Comes II Go West Long In Tooth 1982 Freedom Soundtrack - with Don Walker Speed Kills Forest Theme Stop The Drop - live Feb 83 Inxs at LA Zoo Mar 1983 Live At Perkins Palace May 1983 US Festival Sept 1983 Dekadance US Black And White 12" To Look At You 12" The One Thing 12" Here Come II new version Apr 1984 The Swing Original Sin - single - video Melting In The Sun - video I Send A Message - single - live - live - live Dancing On The Jetty - video The Swing - live Johnson's Aeroplane Love Is (What I Say) - video - videos Face The Change - live Burn For You - single mix - live All The Voices - video B-sides Jans Song/To Look At You (live) Mechanical The Harbour Johnson's Aeroplane alt. April 1984 Dekadance Original Sin - Dance Mix I Send A Message - ext Burn for You - ext Dancing On The Jetty - remix Melting In The Sun - remix Love Is ( What I Say) - remix Jackson 1985 The Swing And Other Stories (video) The video Merry Christmas (fan club) Oct 1985 Listen Like Thieves What You Need - 12" Listen Like thieves - 12" - video Kiss The Dirt - video - 12" Shine Like It Does - live Good + Bad Times Biting Bullets This Time Three Sisters Same Direction One X One Red Red Sun b-sides Sweet As Sin I'm Over You Different World Begotten Six Knots 1985 The Living Inxs 1985 Oz For Africa Feb 1986 Do What You Do - Pretty In Pink Dec 1986 Dogs In Space Dogs In Space Golf Course The Green Dragon Rooms For The Memory - movie version Jul 1987 Laying Down The Law - Lost Boys 1987 Australian Made 1987 Inxs and Jimmy Barnes Good Times - live Oct 1987 Kick Guns In The Sky - Kookaburra mix - Kick Ass Mix New Sensation - Nick's 12" mix Devil Inside - video - radio edit - 12" mix Need You Tonight - full video - Mendelsohn Mix - Ben Liebrand Mix - Andrew Farris Mediate The Loved One Wild Life Never Tear Us Apart - video - alt. Mystify - video - Chicago demo Kick Calling all Nations - Alt. mix Tiny Daggers b-sides On The Rocks I'm Coming (Home) Move On Aug 6th 1988 Toronto Live 1988 Kick The Video Flick 1989 In Search Of Excellence Sep 1989 Max Q Sometimes - video/straight rock mix -Rock House ext. - dub The Way Of The World - 12" b-sides Love Man Zero 2 0
Way of the World 3.5/5. Okayish. Lyrics, as stated, are what they are. Political lyrics immediately put me off, especially when directly in the ear of the listener. Don't want to preached to while listening to rock, either liberal or conservative. I want to be set free from politics by music. I see why I got rid of this album back in the day, or gave it away, memory is hazy. Good thing YouTube is here to remind about these songs as I was about to buy this used. Zero 2/5. Sounds like a personal demo. I can see why Chris Murphy became annoyed by this release and probably was until his recent death. INXS had the world in the palms of their hands and this release delayed the upward spiral, and quite, frankly, knocked it out of the sky a bit. Sorry, if I am a bit rough on this, but just seeing this songs and album from this point of view.
It's all good mate. Everybody has their own perspective. I can certainly understand why Murphy and the band may have been concerned about this album, particularly when they had just finally hit it big time..... In days gone by, the band would have been sent straight back into the studio after about a month off, post tour, and got straight into it again. It keeps the name up, and if they had released a very good Inxs album in 1989, it may well have allowed the success to float along a bit longer. The break, just when you finally make it, is a dangerous game.
I can understand the concern from management but they definitely enjoyed a victory lap with X in 1990-91. They squeezed it in before tastes changed too much.
Way Of The World is arranged and performed wonderfully, both instrumentally and vocally. And because of that, it's possibly the strongest track from MQ. However, as mark exquisitely points out, lyrically, the song, while partially accurate and relatable, is ripe with ignorant & hypocritical political statements. The Terry Todd mix of Zero 2 O is kind of unique and is more dance-oriented. And it also tends to emphasizes the guitar parts more than the original. The 12" mix of WOTW presents a grittier, edgier texture than the original. But I don't think this mix betters it.
I feel that's generally a true assessment. However, as heavily documented in the 2005 Story to Story: The Official Autobiography and the 2014 Never Tear Us Apart mini-series, INXS had to take 1989 off because of being over-worked for 11 straight years, without almost no time off. So in other words, X would've still been released in 1990, whether MH had done the Max Q album or not...
Ghost Of The Year . I'm counting on you To count my blessings I'm countin' on you To count the fingers on my hands That's the amount of time I've got I'll always feel drowned and I'll always be around I'll always feel drowned and I'll always be around And now they want to crown me For the Ghost of the year New message from the airwaves One saved one alive A new message hits my brain I'm alive I'm alive I'm alive I'm somebody today There's a great deal of fear inside That I'm right in my conclusions A great deal of pain inside And I'm supposed to be alright Down on the street To search for feel The people on the street they make me real So I'm counting on you To count my blessings I'm counting on you To count the fingers on my hand That's the amount of time I've got Songwriters: Olsen Ollie Jngbert Christian I like this track. It is like a bouncy folk song that takes on the clothes of a more modern song via the type of mix it receives.
