Reading these track reviews, I think my problem with the album overall is that Elegantly Wasted just isn't much fun. I don't need all music to be a thrill a minute and I do enjoy a downer album from time to time, but the unique sense of buoyancy that INXS specialized in and was apparent even in parts of Full Moon Dirty Hearts is in short supply here. They definitely sensed that they were out of step with the times, and maybe felt that introspection/moodiness was a creative avenue worth exploring. This one just never resonated with me.
Girl On Fire is just right song that EW needed at this point in the album's flow. After two emotionally dynamic ballads, INXS light up a hard rock-infused firecracker for us! I love how each instrument is introduced one after the other in the intro & 1st verses, bridges & choruses. Arrangement-wise, it's nearly as simplistic as can be - which is not a bad thing for a track stylized like this. And despite the well-executed horns parts that are intertwined throughout, especially the instrumental interlude, which lifts the intensity level considerably...thankfully, they're not over-cooked. Since GOF hits the enjoyability meter at every turn, I can't decide what my favourite part is. Also, it's too bad the last part of the fade out cuts Michael's scream instead of letting it last because the song sounds like it should've gone on a bit longer. Regardless, there's virtually nothing to dislike here! GOF is so good, that it also should've been a single...
Girl on Fire: Hey this song is fun and catchy enough to grab my attention. I get a Stones vibe here with the some great guitar work augmented by some well placed horns. Micheal once again channels his inner Jagger as he delivers the lyrics with panache. Like I said, it's a fun and catchy track that gets the body moving.
We Are Thrown Together A crisp acoustic guitar comes in with a nice easy feel ... I walk this mile Like anyone What could be found In this sweet damaged smile We are lost, we are found We are thrown together Would you take my hand Would you take my hand Let's go I walk this mile Like anyone What could be found In this sweet damaged smile The cage is found Fool's gold inside Is there a key to the Bars of the mind We are lost, we are found We are thrown together Would you take my hand You look for love You just get skin You turn around And the changes begin We are lost, we are found We are thrown together Would you take my hand Takes a second for your world to change Satisfaction's what you give away Sucks you in and spits you out again Picks you up and drives you down again Takes a second for your world to change Sucks you in and spits you out again Throws you down and picks you up again Satisfaction's what you give away We are lost, we are found We are thrown together Would you take my hand Would you take my hand Would you take my hand Songwriters: Andrew Charles Farriss / Michael Hutchence We Are Thrown Together lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group I like the lyric here. These are the lyrics of a man who is searching, observing .... Musically I really like this... it is somewhat erratic, and sort of fakes us out a couple of times and still manages to satisfy the want to hear something a bit different and interesting. We roll through the first series of lyrics and Michael says "Lets Go" and the obvious thing to do here would have been to burst into a rock section of the song. In stead we get a fake out, and we get a kind of aggressive guitar riff section, the brings to mind Questions, without particularly being like it.... it is just the eastern/Indian scaler idea.... but instead of raging into a rock section, we come back to our reflection. When we move into the next "We are lost, We are found" section the drum come in, and give us a nice change up to keep us interested. Then we move into that eastern musical bridge again. The beat is nicely spaced and then as we move into the chorus we go into the full beat. This then rolls around into a lyrical bridge, and it works really well. We have the music decorated with a sitar and percussion, and I think this all just works together really well. We move into a sort of reflective coda, and although we think that the song must be winding up, we have Michael adlibbing and we end up rolling around into a reprise of the vocal bridge. then we hit one final impassioned chorus. Again I think this is a really cool song. It keeps my attention well, and although I can see some thoughts may lead to a this should have wrapped up sooner perspectives, I think it actually runs at about the right length.
We Are Thrown Together A hidden gem of a track! We start off with the demo for the song, all scratchy vocals and rough guitar which give way to a burst of Indian style riffing. A nice little throwback to Questions off WTWYA. The song proceeds to build up steam until it reaches a climax with the final two verses. Again Hutchence delivers another powerhouse vocal. From this track on I think the album is flawless and points to the direction Hutchence may have wanted the band to continue in i.e. dark, seedy, menacing and rocking!
The acoustic start of We Are Thrown Together is a welcome change after the last couple of songs. At times it looks back to the experimentation of Welcome to Wherever You Are, but in a different way. It’s got a lot of different sounds, and is somewhat epic. It seems to be about how we’re muddling through a tough life together. This is the kind of song I can sink into, and I really like it.
We Are Thrown Together Starts with some lo-fi strumming and singing. Then, “let’s go!” And the crazy sitar swirl music starts, only to slow down for Hutchence to begin the song again. “Ahhhh, we’re lost/we’re found/we are thrown together - take my hand!” I like the thought behind the lyrics. This is a really cool song. And at 5:36 it’s another “epic”. Sometimes the song seems to wander off a bit, so maybe some editing would have been in order, but at least this song has ambition. It wants to be something. I’m not sure what “Girl On Fire” was - as it seemed like an exercise based on an algorithm (“put something here that rocks!”).
We Are Thrown Together 5/5. Adore the free-flow of the song. Another highlight for me. They were truly branching out into hard rock to me, which I find to be an inspiration. This song beats like a beast at the end, matching any rock band in the past, present, and future.
“We Are Thrown Together” is another gem of buried treasure on this album. I love the adventure this song takes us on. It does go in several different directions, but they all work together and show that while INXS could write great, straightforward pop songs, they could also write some more complex pieces that challenge the listener and totally satisfy. Another song I wish I had given more attention to all these years.
We're Thrown Together's intro starts off slowly and acoustically. But even before the verses enter, it throws us through a loop and tricks us into believing what to expect next (a now signature INXS songwriting trait). We're then immediately hit, one x one ( ), with contrasting styles and riffs ranging from Kirk's Coral/Danelectro Electric Sitar 3S19, to hard rock punches and atmospheric soundscapes and ambience, as well as a partial reprise of the musical themes from Freedom Deep. Michael shines here too, and unleashes some of the greatest vocal gymnastics in INXS history. WTT is an emotionally dynamic & instrumentally charged song, that's like a rollercoaster ride that almost doesn't end. Satisfying on all levels. Definitely not a single, but a very good album track.
We Are Thrown Together: This song is really impressive in terms of its structure. The intro which is laid out with a simple acoustic guitar and Micheal's voice, treated in a nice dreamy effect; Just as he says 'Let's Go', we get a build up and then, back to the simple arrangement. Oh but wait, the song goes into full rock mode with some really groovy sitar work. I really dig the instrumental break that dips into psychedelia and suddenly I am lost in the music. It really does call back to the Welcome... album and with that, it's a solid deep track that has changes to keep the listener entertained.
Shake The Tree Interesting opening riff ... it seems like the darkest rock guitar riff the band has ever put down. A beat comes in, and then leading up to the vocals we get a sort of guttural vocal effect mixed low .... I'd love to take this lying down But the world we know has lost it's crown All night talking jazz cigarettes Is never gonna change this killer town I see her walking In perfect time She gives me reason To carry on Round the corner comes salvation Made to order is what you found Why oh why do we fool ourselves Is it just the need to carry on I see her walking In perfect time She gives me reason To carry on Shake the tree you find Shake don't cut it down Glamour takes it's toll on you You throw away what's out of view Pearls of wisdom hang round your neck They warm to the touch of your perfect skin High, high, high High, high, high I see her walking In perfect time She gives me reason To carry on Shake the tree you find Shake don't cut it down Shake the tree you find (I see her walking in perfect time) Shake don't cut it down (She gives me reason) To carry on I see her walking In perfect time She gives me reason To never say die I see her walking In perfect time (shake) She gives me reason (the tree you find) To never say die Shake the tree you find Songwriters: Andrew Charles Farriss / Michael Hutchence Some interesting yet somewhat obtuse lyrics. This is a really interesting track musically for me. This seems so different for Inxs. I have found the comments about the band having certain songs being hard rock fairly interesting. I personally have seen some harder rock, or some elements of hard rock that don't quite make a song hard rock, but not much that I personally would qualify as hard rock ..... but here we have an awful lot of elements that really do make this pretty much a hard rock song. The dark tone and the overall sound and effect of the main riff. There isn't really much in this song that sits in the pop music category. We have the drums pounding out hard, with not one joy of funk to them. The bass rumbles underneath in an almost threatening manner. The guitar riff in the verses has a sort of threatening tone, even though it is not a grinding distorted riff. The vocal delivery is almost spat out. The "I See Her Walking" section has an ominous sounding keyboard, that really adds to the texture, and when we get to the chorus.... well to my ears and memory, it is probably the hardest, heaviest guitar sound and feel that I recall ever hearing from the band. We get a lead break just passed the middle of the song that probably wouldn't be out of place on an Acdc album, in terms of its sound and texture. I really like this song, because the band really steps out of what we generally see as their comfort zone, and they deliver really well.... It certainly doesn't sound like they are out of their comfort zone, and perhaps that is having grown up in the Australian live music scene, where for most of their career hard rock was king.... interestingly at a time when hard rock was sliding out of the forefront the band really throw down the gauntlet and give the album a bit of face punching rock, that to my ears, is actually in hard rock mode.
Shake The Tree: 5/5. Another song in the string of hard rockers. Really liked this direction they were going. This song shakes the house, and it's a house I want to be in. Put this next to "Stay Young" from Underneath the Colours, you have the sound of two different bands yet refreshingly similar. This fact is another one which makes me love the band to this day. Many bands try different styles and sound weak -- they never did. This song, and many of the album, show men who are survivors to me, not unlike the badasses of the Old West.
Shake The Tree This is a killer track. I can actually imagine Dave Gahan singing it. The lyrics evoke mystery and danger while there is salvation in the chorus (she gives me reason to never say die). Perhaps another track that was written with Paula Yates in mind? It's worth noting how big Oasis were at this time. The cocky swagger of Liam Gallagher was what other singers were being measured against and Hutchence out-swaggers him in spades on this track.
Shake the Tree Starts off with some grunting over a slow riff. I like that, but then the main vocals start and hmmmm, this one is a little iffy for me. I don’t like that vocal effect. It sounds like they are running his voice through one of those rotating Leslie speakers, producing a Doppler Shift effect. I like the chorus though, with its heavy riffing. I like this song actually, but with one major caveat: I dislike the treatment of many of the vocals. As a result, while I love the previous song, and I love the next song, this one is just “ok”. Jimi Hendrix used this to great effect for some guitar playing, but when I hear this used on vocals it grates on me. REM’s “The Wakeup Bomb” on New Adventures In HiFi has this effect on Michael Stipe’s vocals and it almost ruins an otherwise great song. Used on vocals, it sounds to me like the singer is gargling. Leslie speaker demo: I think Smashing Pumpkins may have used this on many early songs found on the Gish album as well, but I am no expert on these things. I like it on guitar, but I don’t like it at all on vocals. It’s to my ears what “handclaps” are to @mark winstanley.
Shake the Tree seems to be another song about desire. It’s got a rather heavy sound, including a relentless beat. But this time there’s enough going on to make it more interesting, and the result is an intriguing track. I'm enjoying this stretch of the album.
All of these "hard rock" observations are interesting; perhaps Bruce Fairbairn's influence? Also interesting that this is their longest album, just a few seconds shy of 48 minutes.
“Shake the Tree” Not my favorite INXS track, but this is another one I like much more these days than I did when the album came out. I think the “hard rock” elements might have turned me off a bit at the time, but now, 20+ years onward, I enjoy the relentless dark energy much more. LOVE @Interpolantics ’s observation that one could envision Dave Gahan singing “Shake the Tree” … it actually already sounds a little like a Dave Gahan & Soulsavers song.
Shake The Tree's gritty drop D-tuned guitar riffs throw us into what might best be described as INXS' darkest, heaviest & moodiest song within their catalogue to date. The descending chromatic scale (half steps) melody in the exceptionally-constructed bridges, as well as Jon's partially-syncopated drum rhythms/beats, significantly help to provide the track's slightly offbeat feel. The chorus hits us over the head and is a total barn-burner. In fact, it does its job to enhance the intensity level almost too well. STT presents even more proof that INXS were not strictly a pop rock band. It's an amazing song. And it's too bad they never played this deep cut live...
I appreciate your view; apples and oranges.... I'm one that thinks that EW was a whole new direction for the band. While I loved the happy, funky, buoyant INXS of old (of course I did, I was a huge fan), this album showed growth, maturity and a way forward. It truly blew me away upon first listen. While you seem to perhaps see it as contrived to get in tune with the times, I see it as their most emotionally honest, introspective, album with plenty of the ingredients that made them huge in the late 80's.
Shake the Tree: This track has become another favorite after my revisit of the album. Great elements of hard rock, a catchy hook and Micheal's twangy voice is a nice touch. By the time the chorus kicks in, I'm already drawn in to the song wanting to chant along. It would of made a great single, but as it stands, it's an excellent deep track.
She Is Rising A slow swell leads to a somewhat fractured sounding back and forth guitar riff. The beat comes in with a somewhat wandering bassline. Those pretty feet are stuck deep in the ground All all that junk keeps coming Must be the time to rearrange it all Another place another time has called She is rising above this world She is heading for an open door She is rising above this world She is heading for an open door Give it up, let her in All she wants is to begin Give it up, let her in All she wants is to begin One day he wakes up to a different drum Rhythm coming from so far away He had no time to tell anyone His hips were moving to a perfect sway He is rising above this world He is heading for an open door He is rising above this world He is heading for an open door Give it up, let him in All he wants is to begin Give it up, let him in All he wants is to begin Give it up, let her in All she wants is to begin She is rising above this world She is heading for an open door Give it up, let her in All she wants is to begin Give it up, let her in All she wants is to begin Give it up (she is rising) Let him in (he is rising) All he wants is to begin (aIl I want is to begin) Give it up (she is rising) Let him in (he is rising) All he wants is to begin (all he wants is to begin) She is rising He is rising All I want All I want is to begin She is rising He is rising Give it up We are rising She is rising She is rising Songwriters: Andrew Charles Farriss / Michael Hutchence She Is Rising lyrics © Chardonnay Investments Ltd This kind of sounds like a couple working at recovery. It seems like a fairly direct reference to Yates and Hutchence, but I will be interested to read what others think here. The rhythm of this song is pretty cool, it has a somewhat disjointed kind of rhythm, but it works well in context with the song. Again we have a thick wall of sound going on... It has elements of hard rock in it, but I don't really see it as hard rock. This is a solid track, I think the sections move between each other nice and smoothly and for me it works well.
She Is Rising: 5/5. The slow build is eargasmic to me. Always had the vision of belly-dancers dancing as a video to this song, if it had one. Another song that makes me wonder about the next album with Michael, alas. Like how the slow beginning, rises in tempo, then goes back to being gentle. Clever that. Side 2 is clearly the better of the two. They were taking chances here.
