My obsession with INXS ran so deep that I actively sought out other items, up to and including high-priced items of their back catalog. In case you’re wondering, those earlier releases weren’t as good their more famous counterparts and if I would have just waited, I would have gotten those less-than-stellar releases in their domestic re-release configurations and saved a buck or two.But here it is, an import Aussie copy of INXS’ second full-length, Underneath The Colors, which shows some movement towards a tighter sound, while still wallowing in the unfocused spin of new wave pop.
“Stay Young” sounds like a precursor to “To Look At You” from their next album at first, until you get the chorus. Then you realize why Shabooh Shoobah was the breakthrough-they worked until the songs worked from start to finish.
The title track shows promise and a few other tracks hint at the greatness to come. But hadn’t it been for album three, four, and five, no one would have given two shits about Underneath The Colours and that’s the honest truth.
And if you do give two shits about INXS, you certainly have to agree that this is indeed an album of transition-a band who were lucky enough to document themselves growing into a tight and slightly funky outfit, even though they came from the very white confines of New Wave pop in a location that wasn’t fully discovered.
Even though Underneath the Colours needs to be prefaced with all of this, there’s no need to invest much time in observing a band discovering who they really are and who they’ll eventually come to be.
1 comment:
Ah, INXS...never got into the albums prior to Shabooh Shoobah, but from that one thru Kick, they had a great 4 album run, sadly overlooked these days, but very cool nonetheless.
I always thought INXS were an updated version of the Stones, with their '80s approach to a rock 'n' soul sound, and was not one bit surprised when they became huge.
I did lose interest after the Kick album, but in '86, during the Listen Like Thieves tour, I saw INXS play Madison Sq Garden the same day as Neil Diamond; "The Jewish Elvis" was playing the main arena while the Aussies had The Del Fuegos opening for them in the smaller Felt Forum. As we got ready to enter the building there were preppie looking folks asking us which line was for Neil Diamond and which was for "inks". Ha!
Oh, yeah, it was one of the best shows I've ever seen, and one of those wonderful times when I got to see an artist touring behind my fave album of theirs.
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