Inxs - Overall Career (80's and 90's Era)

Members: Kirk Pengilly Sax, Guitar, Keys Michael Hutchence Vox, Andrew Farriss Keys, Guitars, Tim Farriss Guitars, Jon Farriss Drummer, Garry Gary Beers Bassist.

I learned about INXS from a modern music radio station called KJQ. KJQ broadcasted many bands from Australia such as Nick Cave, The Divinyls, The Church, Big Pig, Midnight Oil, Men At Work, (New Zealand's) Split Endz, Crowded House, Hoodoo Gurus, Max Q, and Icehouse.

Hailing from Sydney Australia they were one of many first international bands I took keen interest in. Starting out in the late 1970's with a distinct funky rock and roll vibe, and finishing out in the 90s as a kind of disco revival act.

My first entry into INXS was the Shabooh Shoobah(1982) record. Many of the songs were low key, and constrained. My initial assessment was heightened by a lack of knowledge to what this band was doing at that time.

I've tempered my views in the years since I was first introduced with this record (1988), yet I hold firm this wasn't their best work. What followed afterwards was influenced by a fast paced non-stop energy.

In recent years I finally got into uncovering Underneath the Colours(1981), and their self titled INXS(1980), For what came after Shabooh Shoobah, these records are straight ahead, vibrant, and somewhat carefree before notoriety hit them. Both records to my ears have a carousel aspect, a late 70's roller rink style.

Drum wise it's peppy, guitars are memorable, keyboards have a experimental side but stick to a formula to be recognizable to the early evolution of the band. I specifically enjoy how there is a a kind of fluidity with their composition.

Those records bring together rhythm, and hook. The songs are calculated, and premeditated. There is not a lot of wiggle room with variation (at first), but underneath there is a fatty gristle which grips the listener.

The Swing(1984) has a complete shift in tonality, whereas Shabooh Shoobah had a dry listening complexion. The Swing throws that record aside and pushes through what essentially becomes their 'first' real U.S. breakthrough record. It is pop without any care.

There are very noticeable levels of a last gasp of the post-punk/new wave component before settling into standard modern rock & roll, which Michael Hutchence declares dead with Full Moon, Dirty Hearts, (kind of prophetic in a strange way). The mix has a kind of stomp, pulsation with a deft producers hand. Very premeditated.

Listen Like Thieves(1985) drops a year later. This record piles on a few more memorable beats, vocal harmonies, and adds slabs of gristly punctuation to the production. A forceful core embodying a work ethic and concrete brand recognition. They had a kind of modern music component while balancing out The Swing's gloss.

When Kick arrives in 1987, this record punches the listener in the face. Its not overt, its blatant. Produced by Chris Thomas, each song feels perfected, nothing is subtle, there are calculated tracks which stand out on their own, but for all the international exposure this album got, I began to feel kind of burnt out by the polish elicited.

Their ten year as a band is celebrated with X, arriving in the early 90's giving a glimpse of where the band was morphing into something more contemporary and refined whilst not going outside of the precept set before with Kick.

Again produced by Chris Thomas, this record has a couple decent tracks, I felt the band knew they peaked, and knowing this, they opted to plug along trying out new avenues. Since it's release, I've let it grow, age, and feel confident the entire album has a type of lounge component.

Welcome To Wherever You Are(1992) places them in unknown territory. Much of the material here tries evoking grander things but it falls short of its intention. There are a couple standout tracks, but the overall package kind of lost its mark. I think one of the issues I had with this record was that they tried to push their comfort zone outside of what expected.

Even with the first track giving a traveled vibe, the feel of this record tries to balance out the saccharine but it oozes forth with an unsure template. There are precise tidbits of ideas jelling, but the overall cohesive work feels disjointed, while being a mangled mixture in a uncomfortable manner.

Full Moon, Dirty Hearts(1993), I think throws away any preconceived expectation, and starts from scratch. This record returns them to their roots with a live setting. Out of the 90's material, I like this record the most because it has a warmth, a charm that got me into what I initially liked about them. Having guests like Ray Charles, and Chrissy Hinde of The Pretenders binds them to prior era's of music industry, which gave the record an interesting variation. There is groove dripping all over, it isn't perfect and that I think sells it for me.

Elegantly Wasted released in early 1997 was difficult to get into. I was annoyed by the 90's disco revival component. I still feel a lot of the alternative at the later stages of the 90's was uninteresting, and not as cohesive.

Produced by Bob Clearmountain, INXS were indignantly trying to capture a last breath of relevancy. As I've gone back to this record in the last few years, I definitely can see why the aura was deliberate, but the message didn't capture what made them who they were.

Sure there is a funkiness, and quirky sense to the material, but the palate that was released seemed to encapsulate one last brilliance before  Michael Hutchence died in 1997. His death marked an end of the pop era for me.

Their catch was always about the simple yet accessible frontier. For being one of a few first international acts I grew into, this band had the ability to showcase their culture of Australia yet they elected to go in a route of topical subject matter. INXS held this allure before I started to dig further into the lore, and history. This I felt garnered me the ability to be a kind of global music listener and participant.

I'll close with this: fame can do interesting things to a person who is not equipped for that always on aspect. Through Michael Hutchence ordeals, he left the world something that I still actively listen to. I've uncovered his Max Q, his Dogs In Space work, and his last recordings as a solo artist.

Without INXS there is no world exposure for me. Without the introduction to a big untapped music sphere, I wouldn't have dug, learned, and fused with my growing palate. The one parting piece I leave with this post is appreciate what early material listened forth as that is the gateway to other styles, and viewpoints. Thanks for reading.

B.