I thought it was pretty cool video and the band 'coming at you' effect was interesting, yet effective.
Suicide Blonde 4/5. Is it their best song? No. The video could have been better (like where a blonde comes to them one by one and makes them do something silly because she is too good looking and sexy). But, hey it surely rocks. Wish the rest of the songs were different from this though on the album. It's followed by 5 clones. Everybody Wants You Tonight 1/5. It annoys me that innovative rock bands copy the trends of the times. A rock band is the trend. When I hear the bleeps, I feel sick.
The album starts strongly with Suicide Blonde, very much in the Kick model. But somehow it seems a step down, an attempt to recreate what came before, not a step forward into something new. In this case it seems to be about love frustrated rather than love consummated. Despite treading familiar ground it’s a great start to the album. The term “suicide blonde” refers to a woman who bleaches her hair blonde, so it’s just a figure of speech and I never found it problematic.
Slightly OT: The models in the "Suicide Blonde" video look very much like a girl I was friendly with in high school here in suburban Detroit. A few days after the X tour stop in Detroit, she came over to my locker (knowing I was an INXS fan) and showed me some pictures of herself with a pajama-clad Michael lounging in his hotel room. She went on to become a model and years later dated Leo DiCaprio before briefly becoming engaged to Nicolas Cage. (If this is too TMZ-y for the thread, I apologize.)
I LOVE Suicide Blonde. It's without a doubt one of my top 5 favourite INXS songs. And yet another quintessential song in their cannon of greats. When Andrew wrote the music and presented it to the band and Chris Thomas, they totally dug the track. However, CT noticed that SB was in E minor AND E major and he actually had a problem with that. Once he got over that extremely irregular key change issue, the track was completed. And partly because of that, it is a very unique song. But it's also because of how the multiple funk guitar riffs / chord progressions from each differing key bounce off each other, Charlie Musselwhite's blues harp samples, as well as Garry's bass line. These elements all help to anchor the pulsating rhythmic feel of the track and are some of THE best hooks of any pop rock song I've heard. SB always came off very well executed live. In fact, they haven't played a concert since 1990 without playing it. What an amazing lead single for the X album. SB is top-shelf INXS! Apart from the annoying vocals, Everybody Wants U Tonight is a decent B-side with some interesting melodic components. But I almost think it should've strictly been an instrumental. The multiple remixes posted above are enjoyable but as usual, don't add much to the original version.
Suicide Blonde Cool track with a rubbery bouncy bass line, a nifty harmonica arrangement, some nice guitar work .....and it felt like the most vapid thing INXS could have possibly released at the time I first heard it in 1990. I can handle it now, and I can admit to its charms and its particular earworm qualities, but at the time I just couldn’t believe that a hip cool band like this would record - as lead single no less - as silly and insignificant a song as this one.
"Disappear" Single by INXS from the album X Released 8 December 1990 Recorded 1990 Genre Alternative rock, pop, new wave Length 4:10 Label Atlantic, Mercury Songwriter(s) Michael Hutchence, Jon Farriss Producer(s) Chris Thomas "Disappear" is a song by Australian rock band INXS, the second single taken from their album X. The song was written by Jon Farriss and Michael Hutchence while they were living together in Hong Kong in 1989. "Disappear" peaked at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100 in February 1991, becoming the band's seventh and final top-ten single. In Canada, the song reached number one for two weeks. It was a lesser hit on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 21 in December 1990. At the APRA Music Awards of 1992 the song won Most Performed Australian Work Overseas.[1] Dutch 7" "Disappear" (single version) "Middle Beast" UK CDS "Disappear" (LP Version) "Disappear" Extended 12" Mix "What You Need" (Coldcut 'Force' Mix) Australian MAXI CD "Disappear" (LP Version) "Disappear" Extended 12" Mix "Middle Beast" "What You Need" (Coldcut 'Force' Mix) Weekly charts Chart (1990–1991) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[2] 23 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[3] 19 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[4] 12 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[5] 1 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[6] 43 Germany (Official German Charts)[7] 43 Ireland (IRMA)[8] 9 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[9] 9 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] 15 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] 25 Poland (LP3)[12] 1 Portugal (AFP)[13] 5 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[14] 20 UK Singles (OCC)[15] 21 US Billboard Hot 100[16] 8 US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[17] 10 US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[18] 41 US Hot Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)[19] 38 US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[20] 6 US Cash Box Top 100[21] 7 Year-end charts[ Chart (1991) Position Canada Top Singles (RPM)[22] 24 US Billboard Hot 100[23] 90 ----------------------------------------------------- We open with what sounds like a pulsing synth bass, and then same held synth chords come in with the drums, and the doo doo vocalising come into play. Say I'm crying I'm looking at what's on T.V Pain and suffering And the struggle to be free It can't ever be denied, and I Never will ignore But when I see you coming I can take it all You're so fine Lose my mind And the world seems to disappear All the problems, all the fears And the world seems to disappear Say you're mine And give yourself to the Feelings that you know I'm needing All that you can give me All the things That you do so well Words are healing Sweet anticipation Making spells As the shadows close in Fall across all our yesterdays You're so fine Lose my mind And the world seems to disappear All the problems, all the fears And the world seems to disappear You're so fine Lose my mind And the world seems to disappear All the problems, all the fears And the world seems to disappear [Chorus] Disappear, disappear, disappear, disappear, disappear, disappear, disappear, disappear Say if I could Look into myself and reason But I could never never see or Make sense of the dealings Turn around Am I looking at salvation? Make me realize all that I am, baby You put the light inside this man You're so fine Lose my mind And the world seems to disappear All the problems, all the fears And the world seems to disappear You're so fine Lose my mind And the world seems to disappear All the problems, all the fears And the world seems to disappear You're so fine Lose my mind And the world seems to disappear All the problems, all the fears And the world seems to disappear You're so fine Lose my mind... Songwriters: Michael Hutchence / Jonathan James Farriss Disappear lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc, Universal Music Publishing Group, Spirit Music Group Interestingly, Michael's vocal has a slightly unusual timbre to it. There is a slightly unusual reverb effect on it, but I'm not sure that is what I'm hearing. Not bad at all, just slightly different, in the verses at least. I really like the dynamic between the verses and the choruses, but I think a little more guitar would have accentuated that a little more. The way the song pulses and surges is quite infectious, and I do like this song, but listening really close, I am not sure that I like that bouncy/wobbly reverb that they put on the vocal. Nice harmonies though. It is interesting in some ways that so often with The Swing album, the statement was made that there wasn't much guitar, hence we got Listen Like Thieves, but there was actually a lot of guitar on The Swing .... There isn't that much guitar on this track at all. Anyway.... sorry this morning kicked in early and I got distracted, so I'm a little disjointed there. I like this song, not a favourite Inxs song, but I think it is a good one.
Middle Beast We get some altered voices to sound like kids, and then move into a drum and bass groove, with a couple of wah guitar chords. Then we get a sort burbling synth thing underneath that. I like the groove, and the way this is constructed actually. It doesn't sound very Inxs to me, but it works pretty well for me. We get some taped voices mixed in here, and it gives the track a certain type of atmosphere. We break down to a Preacher of some sort speaking biblically and more child noises to close out.... Interesting.
What You Need - Cold Cut force mix I think this is a different mix again, forgive me if we did this prior, I don't think we did. Again we have this drum and bass thing. We get a few saxes, the chorus gets a floating kind staccato synth thing, some suppressed guitars. Then we move into a bass thing
I'm sorry to have to disagree here, but I absolutely love that track as it is. I do wish Jon and Michael had worked on it more, but to me there's something unique about the recording. I still listen to it and love it as much as when it came out.
Disappear The 2nd single. This is what saved the album for me. After Suicide Blonde I hadn’t ran out to buy X, and probably wouldn’t have unless I hadn’t heard this song and The Stairs. That pulsating bass and Hutchence’s “doo doo” vocalizations intro the track, and the shift to the chorus “You’re so fine/lose my mind/and the world/seems to disappear” is such a positive upbeat infectious moment each time. This song is a ray of sunlight in an overcast sky. Yes, there isn’t much guitar at all in here, but they’ve written such a catchy beautiful song and I’ve never tired of hearing it. This might be a step too far in the pop direction for some listeners, but if the rest of X was this good there wouldn’t be all that talk of a “letdown”.
Disappear - 5/5. Wonderful track and such a cool vibe to the verses. Agree that the chorus should have had more guitar but that is a small quibble. Upon first hearing this song, it made me happy and feel good -- 31 years later, it still does the same. To my ears, thumbs-up, whistle, and score-card that reads, "10". Middle Beast -- 2/5. B-side. I remember buying this online about 10 years ago now or so. Remember putting it on and thinking -- oh well, another one to forget.
Yeah, I find Michael's falsetto here just heavenly. Can anyone confirm that Andrew was against its inclusion on the album?
From the INXS Anthology liner notes: Michael wrote the lyrics, and Jon wrote the music. Jon had a great demo he had made of the song when we met to discuss the X album. It was unusual for Michael to sing a verse as high as he did on that recording. When we toured we changed the key from E to A for live shows. A Top 10 hit for us. Jon Farriss: I had this progression in my head when I was buying a guitar in Dallas 1989. Eventually, when I arrived at our home in Hong Kong that Michael and I were sharing, I wrote the music to "Disappear." Michael could hear the song coming from the studio, and while I was recording it he was writing the lyrics and creating a melody. He came running in and just threw a guide vocal down, and it jelled beautifully with the track.
This article says it was suggested in the "Mystify" documentary. PressReader.com - Your favorite newspapers and magazines.
-- Okay, interesting read. Really feel sorry for Andrew, his grief is always on show for interviews all these years after.
Suicide Blonde and Disappear make for a great 1-2 punch album opener. The chorus for Disappear is SO good...I quite like the verses being a little bit sparse, you know, not having quite as much to say because that then provides a really effective contrast with the chorus - which does have a lot to say. lol. Michael's vocal is awesome as usual. I normally don't like doo-up and shooo-up type sounds in songs - don't know why (hate them in Beatles Happiness is a Warm Gun for example) - but it works here and actually adds something. You can't help but sing them. lol. 10/10
It's a great performance to my ears - to be honest I was kinda distracted by Michael's singing. He really gives a great vocal performance in that video. Such an awesome frontman, so full of energy. LOVE the moment at 2:32. real powerhouse.
