INXS - especially "Underneath The Colours"

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Previous INXS threads here are pretty pathetic, I think. So I'm starting one. I was crazy about The Swing as a teenager (still think it's amazing particularly the title track) and liked Shabooh Shoobah too. Then I pretty much left them alone for years, although liking some singles/videos here and there - "New Sensation" comes to mind, "Never Tear Us Apart". A few years ago I came across Full Moon, Dirty Hearts (which has Brian Eno involved for God's sake) and was truly truly shocked by how good it was. Then I left them alone again.

Now I'm experiencing their second album "Underneath The Colours" for the first time and wow, I can't believe this thing has hidden from me all this time! Sure I've seen it in record bins plenty of times, but just never got around to it. I took a listen to some of their earliest stuff and it sure sounds a lot like early XTC. Which is fine, I love XTC, particularly their early stuff, but it seems XTC will always be better at being XTC than INXS, so I'm sticking with Underneath The Colours for now.

Please weigh in, people. Pro or con.

― Bimble (bimble), Friday, 6 August 2004 03:27 (twenty-one years ago)

I can't imagine how anyone could really be truly con towards INXS. For some reason, they lacked the gravitas of many of their peers (more Duran than U2, etc.), but damn if there isn't a clutch of great goddamn tracks in their back catalog.

As far as favorite albums, I'd stick with Listen Like Thieves, m'self (though "Don't Change" on Shabooh Shabahh is flawless and "Burn For You" on The Swing is mighty ace too).

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 6 August 2004 03:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, it's really weird with me and Listen Like Thieves, you see I remember buying it like the day it came out, and played it once and was totally crazy about it, even deliberately held the phone to some unknown person's answering machine playing it (maybe I dialed a wrong number?) but then I played it some more and decided I didn't like it so much. I feel like I should try it again, though honestly.

― Bimble (bimble), Friday, 6 August 2004 03:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, definitely do try it again. "Kiss the Dirt" is a great great song, and the drumming on the last track (the title escapes me) is fierce!

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Friday, 6 August 2004 04:31 (twenty-one years ago)

OOOOooooOOOOOooooOOOOOH! Early INXS is so damn good. Album #3 Shabooh Shoobah is totally of my all time favorite albums. I think thats their high point. It's a perfect creation of subtle layered synths and really rocking guitars- I have rarely heard synths mixed so well with rock music except, maybe a strange comparison, on Sisters of Mercy Floodland. Favorite song is To Look at you. Which is really hard to pick since every song kicks ass. I like it better than the accepted classics One Thing and Don't Change.

Search the 1981-1983 comp. INXSive. It's really good pre-Shabooh Shoobah stuff. I don't know if this is anywhere else, but it has "the unloved one" a remix of Loved One which is all instrumental synth-pop. That's the only straight synth tune I know of theirs and I wish they had done more like that. It's very, very cool. They also did a cool synth opening for their live shows around that time- I have a really good one from 1983.

I think #2 Underneath the colors, #4 The Swing, and #5 Listen Like Thieves also very good. (Dancing on the Jetty, on The Swing- is amazing.) About half of Kick decent. A few songs after that are OK but nothing sticks in my mind too much. Have to listen to the later ones more. Although, even the 1997 album was not bad. (Speaking as a person who only started listening to them last year.)

They are still touring with no Michael Hutchence, what are they doing and with who now?

― Queen Electric Butt Prober BZZT!! BZZZZZT!! (Queen Electric Butt Prober BZZ), Friday, 6 August 2004 05:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh yeah and, any solo/side stuff worth seeking?

― Queen Electric Butt Prober BZZT!! BZZZZZT!! (Queen Electric Butt Prober BZZ), Friday, 6 August 2004 05:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Dogs In Space C, Max Q probably sadly dated now, Michael Hutchence D.

They're not actually touring with other people anymore, their longest-standing replacement vocalist quit in disgust at them having been unable to write any songs in his five years and only recording a footy ad. So they tried for the third time to get Suze DeMarchi to join, failed, and are instead doing a reality TV show to audition new singers. This fact has caused excitement here before.

― kit brash (kit brash), Friday, 6 August 2004 05:44 (twenty-one years ago)

"Sometimes" and "Monday Night By Sattelite" on the MAx Q record were good.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 6 August 2004 06:52 (twenty-one years ago)

They're starring in a reality show soon, where the winner becomes the new lead singer. I kid you not.

― mentalist (mentalist), Friday, 6 August 2004 07:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, heard about that. First they recruited Terrence Trent D'arby (or whatever he's calling himself these days), then they toured about a year and a half ago with the ex-lead singer of Aussie band Noiseworks filling in (unmemorably, as a friend reported) and now this? Have they no respect for the Hutchence family? It just seems awfully cheap and desperate for a band with such a successful track record. It's not like they need the money or anything (or I'd assume). At least they should call themselves something else.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 6 August 2004 15:20 (twenty-one years ago)

X-XS

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 6 August 2004 15:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Imagine a band called INXS doing something tacky!

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 6 August 2004 15:32 (twenty-one years ago)

They could call themselves SINX in honor of Mark.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 6 August 2004 15:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Whoops, back there I referred to "Loved one/unloved one" on INXSive but I meant "Stay Young/lackavocal", that's the all synth-remix. Stay Young is a great early tune. Also have to mention Original Sin. Excuse me I need to make a mix tape now.

Well, even without Michael Hutchence I still believe this band is capable of more greatness and i don't think it's such a tacky move to look for a new vocalist. How they're doing it, maybe. At least the reality show idea seems kind of original, since it's coming from an already great band, and not some TV suit's idea with a pre-fab band.

The reason I think they're still worthy is because of how tight a unit they were. It's the same 5 guys together since they started in 1977, right- Michael Hutchence was only 1/6th of the band and the rest had so many contributions to the music. He was charismatic and all, and nobody can replace him, but they wouldn't be the first giant aussie rock band to lose the main guy, and go on to achieve more greatness!

― Queen Electric Butt Prober BZZT!! BZZZZZT!! (Queen Electric Butt Prober BZZ), Friday, 6 August 2004 16:03 (twenty-one years ago)

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