INXS won seven awards at the 1984 Countdown Music and Video Awards ceremony, and an international breakthrough was on the horizon. It would come in the form of 1985's Listen Like Thieves, led by lead single, What You Need. However, before this, the group would also be among the many to support Live Aid by performing What You Need, and the aforementioned single.
Listen Like Thieves would reach number three in Australia, and eleven in the USA. The single itself would reach number five on Billboard, becoming their first US hit. The album itself would become the group's third biggest seller of all time, with second being The Swing (1984), and Kick at number one (1987).
Ironically, their hit, What You Need, wasn't initially part of the recording process for the album. As work was finishing on Listen Like Thieves, Producer Chris Thomas would inform the band that he felt the only thing missing from it was an actual hit. The band left the studio that evening knowing they had just days left to come up with a hit, and record it. Andrew Farriss would sum it up best with his comment, "Talk about pressure." The end result was What You Need, a demo pulled from the remaining tracks he and Michael Hutchence had put together during production sessions for the album.
In hindsight, I honestly didn't know What You Need was from this album. I guess, personally, I just don't remember it becoming a big thing until around 1987 when the group was at their peek of success, and all over MTV. I always find it fun during these Retro Spin posts to back into this kind of history, and see the map as it was truly drawn.
Though a solid entry, Listen Like Thieves didn't really resonate with me the way that The Swing did. What I found here was a departure from the funk and pop sound that appealed last time, replaced by a more straight forward rock album. It's not bad. It's just now what I came to the table expecting, or necessarily wanting. I dare say it's overall sound would have been passable as an early 90's album, which overall doesn't necessarily appeal to me.
I suppose after hearing it, I agree with the initial statement of Thomas. Everything, other than What You Need was indeed okay, but not a hit. Without the final inclusion of the single, I dare say the album would essentially be passable in every aspect of the word. It's just not all that impressive without it. I won't be as harsh as the UK's New Musical Express, who called the band "INX-cusable", and calling the album a, "complete and utter turkey." Such fowl (See what I did there?) printed language in 1985. Still, Listen Like Thieves, with exception of a select few tracks, is going to be a pass for me.
With just one more INXS album left to go, I'm kind of on the fence. While on one hand, I know it's their biggest of all time, and certainly has the hits, I'm not necessarily chomping at the bit to get into it. Though you'll see that post tomorrow, for me, it will probably be a few days before I circle back to them.
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS June 20, 1981 |
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS June 20, 1981 |
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