The Toy Box: INXS

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Retro Spins: INXS - Kick

The sun, for me, sets on INXS with their final 1980's album, Kick. While it would go on to be the band's best selling album, spawning multiple Billboard hits, their label Atlantic didn't initially see this. Instead, upon its completion, the label offered the band one million dollars to return to the studio to record a new record. The fortunately declined.

Worldwide popularity ensued upon its release, with Kick landing at number one in Australia. Its success would be aided by hits, Never Tear Us Apart (Billboard number 7), New Sensation (3), Devil Inside (2), and their number one hit, Need You Tonight. They found additional success with their single, Good Times (7), which was featured in The Lost Boys.

While their music videos occupied airtime on MTV in 1988, the band focused on a world tour. They would wrap up the year by sweeping that year's MTV Music Awards, winning in five categories for their videos for Need You Tonight / Meditate.

With all that said, let's dive headlong into Kick. It's an album I've heard many times before, but will gladly listen to again for today's Retro Spin. This unto itself is ironic because truth be told, as I may have mentioned before, INXS was not a band I liked in the 80's. I knew the hits, which is what led me to ultimately buying this album. This in turn led me to buying more from them, eventually amassing their entire 80's catalog.

For me, the album delivers hand over fist. Yes, you have the above noted hits, but then you also get the likes of Meditate, and The Loved Ones, which should have been a hit. Not enough for you? No problem. You also get Wild Life, Mystify, Calling All Nations, and Tiny Daggers.

Kick is solid. There's just no other way to say it. It's also a fantastic end of the 80's era for INXS. Granted, they did go on to the 90's where they continued to be successful. Sadly, the momentum came to an end in 1997 when Michael Hutchence was found dead in a hotel room, ruled as suicide. The singer struggled with depression, as well as substance abuse. Further, he was struggling with not being able to see his daughter much. That in and of itself is a story which includes Bob Geldof, and Paula Yates. It's tragic to the core, and a sad note to end on, though an ending none the less.

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Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
June 21, 1980

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
June 21, 1986

Retro Spins: INXS - Listen Like Thieves

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

Retro Spins: INXS - The Swing

With a platinum album under their belts, 1983's Shabooh Shoobah, work commenced on their fourth album, The Swing, originally titled, Brand New Day. The lead single, Original Sin, was not only produced by famed producer (and Chic founder) Nile Rogers, but also featured backing vocals from Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates. It would not only garner them international recognition, but become their first number one single in Australia, Argentina, and France. Despite also charting in New Zealand (number 6), Canada (11), Switzerland (23), Netherlands, (31), and USA (58), it was widely ignored by the UK.

After the album's release, INXS would embark on a major tour, performing across Europe, the UK, and USA. By December, The Swing would reach double platinum status, and to date has gone 6X platinum It's their second highest selling album, just behind 1987's Kick.

Well, that's a high expectation set right out of the starting gate. So, nothing left to do but dig in and find out if the album meets the high expectation of myself.

Things kick off with Original Sin, which is ultimately the tune I bought the CD for. From there, the energy level stays high with the equally enjoyable tracks, Melting In The Sun, and I Send You A Message. What I noticed in hearing these was the strong funk sound which joined the pop sounds familiar from Shabooh. This blend works well, and really allows singer Michael Hutchence to shine with his distinct vocal style, a mixture of what feels like he's talking to you, the listener, while blending in singing.

By track "X", I had consecutively added each song to my shuffle list, a decision I may regret in the long run. As noted in my last post, I have a problem where I add songs that are okay at the time to this, but ultimately aren't all that memorable in the long run.

What I found was that from song to song, I was digging it for specific aspects. Whereas Original Sin intrigued because of the lyrical style, tracks like Melting and Message appealed for the funk sound. However, then you had the title track, The Swing, which caught my attention from its drumming, and Johnson's Aeroplane grabbed me with the synthesizer. Every song worked with the last, but had its own thing going for it. What I also took notice of was that the album was devoid of ballads, which I don't hate it for.

The Swing was an overall solid success for me. I ended up grabbing every single track for my shuffle list, which could come back to haunt me in the future. In the interim, it excites me to jump right into the next INXS album. I'm seeing the train steadily moving down the track, and I want to be on it, even if I am three decades too late.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
June 19, 1982

Retro Spins: INXS - Shabooh Shoobah

I took a few days off from listening to music, mainly to enjoy Thanksgiving (2024), and continue packing up the house for an upcoming move. This not only gave me a well needed break from INXS, but reinvigorated me a little bit to jump into their 1982, third studio album, Shabooh Shoobah.

Personally, I wasn't too impressed with their prior released Underneath The Colours. My opinion seemed to mirror that of fellow band member, Kirk Pengilly, who felt they, INXS, didn't have enough material ready when it was recorded. Overall, it just didn't resonate with me as much as their self titled debut.

During my review of Colours, I noted the bands previous work on singles with Producer Mark Opitz, which led to them signing with WEA, as well as other labels for international distribution. However, when it came time to work on their next release, both the band and their manager didn't feel Opitz would be able to produce a full album which would garner international attention. After visiting the UK and USA in search of someone else for the job, they not only found that the individuals they sought after weren't available, but were informed that Opitz's work on their previous singles was the best they could hope for.

Lead single, The One Thing, would not only become their first USA chart topper, but be the first (of many) videos from INXS aired on MTV. Their native popularity saw a boost in 1983 when the band joined the lineup of musicians playing at the Australian Stop The Drop, a concert promoting nuclear disarmament. However, when performing their first show in the USA, there were a mere twenty-four people there. Things would eventually pick up as they continued touring the states, supporting acts such as Adam And The Ants, The Kinks, Hall & Oates, The Go-Go's, and Men At Work.

Shabooh Shoobah would become INXS's first platinum album, and even be nominated as Best Australian Album at the 1982 Countdown Australian Music Awards. Must be an amazing album then, right?

Well, it's okay. It's definitely better than Underneath The Colours. It ventures away from the prior ska sound of the band, and adopts a more pop friendly tone. This definitely, for me, makes things stand out a bit more for me. That 1982 - 1983 new wave sound is my sweet spot.

Let me explain that a bit. For me, the 80's can be broken down as follows:

1980 - 1981: Fading sounds of the 70's

This is the infancy of the 80's where you would still hear tunes that were akin to those of the 70's. This was a mixture of soft rock, disco, and what would become classic rock. I equate these years to the likes of Olivia Newton-John, Kool & The Gang, Pretenders, Eagles, Electric Light Orchestra, The Police, etc. Yes, many of these artists would go on to pop success, but in these early years, it was very much trapped in a decade of disco, soft rock, and again, classic rock.

1982 - 1983: New Wave and Synth Pop

This was the era of bands that embraced the synthesizer in all its glory, typically utilizing these with drum machines to bring about a full pop sound, even when accompanied by a full band. This is the time of Duran Duran, A Flock Of Seagulls, Kim Carnes, Devo, Men At Work, Hall & Oates, Culture Club, Thompson Twins, and far too many more to note here. These are the groups that built the foundation of the 80's. There was also that one cat, maybe you heard about him, Michael Jackson. He had this little album called Thriller, which was kind of a big deal.

1984 - 1985: Pop Rock and Legends

Here is where the legends came out to play. They took the 80's sound, built on it, and revolutionized the era; Madonna, Prince, Whitney Houston, Pat Benatar, Lionel Richie, Phil Collins, Van Halen (David Lee Roth would hate being categorized as pop rock), Billy Ocean, Huey Lewis And The News, Bruce Springsteen, and so on.

1986 - 1987: Hair Bands and Rap

A resurgence of guitars, shredding, and solos. Basically, things started to get loud. You had Mötley Crüe, Guns N' Roses, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Aerosmith, and Poison, just to name a few, leading the charge. It was all about the volume of the band, and the length of the guitar solo. A lot of "pretty dudes" in makeup, which as Steven Tyler himself said, (Dude) Looks Like A Lady, a song he wrote after mistakenly thinking Crüe lead singer, Vince Neil, was a hot chick from behind. Rap also went mainstream, ushering in the likes of Run-DMC, Salt-N-Pepa, LL Cool J, Beastie Boys, and even DJ Jazzy Jeff And The Fresh Prince.

1988 - 1989: Everything Everywhere All At Once

The final two years of the 80's were a mish-mash of everything which had become the decade all sandwiched together. Rap, rock, pop, new wave, and synth pop all jumped in a blender together, with everything considered mainstream. On any given day you could hear most, if not all of these genres on The Weekly Top 40. The end results were Roxette, Rick Astley, Richard Marx, Debbie Gibson, Tiffany, Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown, Public Enemy, and even a resurgence of Cher.

Anyway, I type all of that just to then summarize that while Shabooh Shoobah definitely has that distinct sound which resonates with me, what it lacks, for sure, is the hits. The One Thing is probably the best it has to offer, and being the leading track on the album sets a stage that the rest of the songs just don't perform well on. It wasn't bad by any means.

I did grab a couple extras for my shuffle, Black And White, and Old World New World. However, I'd be lying if I said I honestly remembered them at this point. That in and of itself has been a common problem I create for myself. My shuffle list is riddled with songs that are just okay, but not necessarily memorable. I add them as I hear them, but then by the time they come back around, I find myself skipping them. I really need to do better in this regard.

Overall, I'm not hating INXS. I'm just waiting to hear that amazing sound that is garnering them accolades and awards across Australia. Maybe that will happen next time when I jump into their 1984 release, The Swing.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
June 18, 1983

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
June 18, 1988

Retro Spins: INXS - Underneath The Colours

Hot on the heels of their top 20 single, The Loved Ones, INXS returned to the studio to craft what would become their sophomore album, Underneath The Colours. Upon its release in October 1981, it would peek at number fifteen in Australia.

Soon after its recording, some of the members worked on other projects, which included Eric Clapton's album, The Great Escape, and a single for the soundtrack to the film Freedom. However, by 1982 they were all back on the road, touring in support of their album. It was during this time that their manager began to feel their future with current label Deluxe wouldn't last much longer. Instead, he had his sights focused on RCA, who were the distributors for Deluxe. Their manager felt that they needed a label who could get them the international attention they deserved.

Paying out of their own pockets, INXS recorded the single, The One Thing, with producer Mark Opitz. The results were so well received that they opted to record three more tracks. These recordings would also lead to WEA Australia signing the band for releases in Australia, South East Asia, Japan, and New Zealand. Atco Records (a subsidiary of Atlantic Records) would also sign them to release their albums in North America, and PolyGram for Europe including the UK. However, to fulfill their contract obligation to Deluxe, the band released the compilation album, INXSIVE.

Before we go any further in the history of the band, the pause button needs to be hit to actually sit down and listen to Underneath The Colours. Will it be good? Will it suffer the same fate as most debut follow-ups?

Let's first start by reviewing what some of the members of the group have said about it. Guitarist Kirk Pengilly stated, "It was very difficult for us. We'd toured the first album and then we had to come up with a follow-up. We weren't really prepared for it and I think the album suffered a bit because of that."

Meanwhile lead singer, Michael Hutchence said he was very happy with the album: "The first album was a cheapie, but with this one we had time to spend. We had Richard Clapton producing and he was a big help. We looked at things from a straight studio perspective."

Hmm...That's two very different perspectives.

For me, I'm going to lean more so towards the opinion of Pengilly. Colours doesn't have that punchy sound that their self titled debut had. Further, it doesn't have anything really memorable. Admittedly, I think this particular album ended up in my collection simply to check off the "last one" in my collection. Basically, there wasn't anything that really drew me to initially buying this album other than ticking a box.

Underneath The Colours is a pass for me. For me, it just doesn't have anything to offer. Nothing memorable at all. It truly felt like a list of throw away tracks, generic 80's at its best. If this was my first exposure to INXS, I would not have been impressed. I'm hoping things pick up with their next album.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
June 17, 1989

Retro Spins: INXS - INXS

We'll see how this goes, but the plan is to dive headlong into the 80's catalog of INXS, and go straight through all six of them back to back. Hopefully the band delivers big, and that plan goes off without a hitch.

INXS was on my radar in the 80's, specifically with how much MTV VG's were forced to push them, a story unto itself, and one we may get into more in depth as this series of posts progresses. However, I wasn't as into them as the television expected me to be. Instead, I started to take notice around 2022 / 2023, when I was perusing my usual haunts of forgotten 80's, or my playlist videos and PDF's, actively hunting for "new" music. From there, I amassed their entire 80's discography, and it's relatively just sat there since.

The origins of INXS begin when Andrew Farriss asked his school friend, Michael Hutchence to join his band Doctor Dolphine. The group consisted of additional classmates, Garry Beers, Kent Kerny, and Neil Sanders.

In 1977, Andrew's older brother, Tim, asked his brother, Michael, and Garry to join his band, which was rounded out by additional brother Jon, and Kirk Pengilly. The group called themselves, The Ferris Brothers, and debuted on my birthday (!) August 16, 1977 at Whale Beach.

The band would briefly relocated to Western Australia in 1978, where they continued as The Vegetables. However, after ten months, they returned to Sydney, where a chance meeting with Midnight Oil manager, Gary Morris granted them the opportunity regularly support the band as an opening act. It would be a member of Midnight Oil's crew who would pitch the name INXS to the band, which they would adopt. Initially, Morris wanted to craft INXS into a Christian band, which the members briefly considered before ultimately rejecting the idea.

They would make their first appearance as INXS on September 1, 1979, and by the end of the year, after deciding against the Christian concept, hired manager, Chris "CM" Murphy. As an adept business manager and negotiator, Murphy was able to land the band a five album recording deal with Deluxe Records, run by former AC/DC manager, Michael Browning.

Hindered by a limited budget of $10,000.00, the band was relegated to the midnight to dawn studio schedule as a cost savings measure. This meant that they would typically go from playing a show straight to the studio, spending long hours working. Their efforts would pay off, as their 1980 self titled debut would ultimately reach the Australian top 40. It would also eventually receive gold status in sales, though this would take a couple years to achieve.

INXS would follow up its release by rigorously touring, performing three hundred show between its release and 1981. This time on the road helped to establish the group's live act, while also demonstrating their new wave, ska, and pop style to a broad spectrum of fans.

The single, The Loved Ones, a cover of the 1966 song by the group of the same name, would be recorded and released in May 1981, becoming a top 20 hit. This would invigorate the band, and lead to them returning to the studio to begin work on their second album.

However, we pause here to first jump into their debut.

It was a pleasant surprise to play through INXS (1980). I didn't know what to expect, having only heard Just Keep Walking, which subsequently was the song I purchased the album for. I definitely hear the ska elements, though it's not as "big band" as your typical record in that genre. I also get a solid, and straight forward rock sound from it.

I really dug it, and found some additional tracks to add to my shuffle. These included, Jumping, and Wishy Washy. With that said, there were others that intrigued, such as Newsreel Babies, and On A Bus. However, since I was hyper focused on typing all of the above while listening to it, these two tracks were really only memorable in name to me at this point.

My favorite aspect from hearing the record was that it left me wanting more. That's always been one of my biggest goals in doing these Retro Spins. I don't want to just hear the album at hand. I want to be psyched up enough to say, "What else has this band done." I suppose in the case of INXS, this is a good thing, because as I said, I already own their entire 1980's catalog. Boy, wouldn't that be awful to buy an entire stack of CD's just to find out the juice wasn't worth the squeeze (looking at you Laura Branigan).

Ironically, it was Michael Hutchence himself who wasn't particularly thrilled with the band's debut, saying "I'm not a great fan of the first album. It's naïve and kinda cute, almost. It's these young guys struggling for a sound. All I can hear is what was going to happen later and it's probably an interesting album because of that. 'Just Keep Walking' was the first time we thought we'd written a song. And that became an anthem around town. It's funny, I remember kids in pubs saying it and hearing it on the radio the first time. We'd never heard that before."

Well, Mr. Hutchence, we're going to have to agree to disagree. As for me, I'm diving headlong into their next album, Underneath The Colours, so we'll see if things get better, worse, indifferent, or make me a super fan. But, that's a post for tomorrow.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
June 16, 1984