BANG BANG.I'VE GOT MINE!

A lof of people say this is INXS best album.It's certainly their most commercial one.They went to the top 10 in both sides of the atlantic with this one.This brings back a lot of great memories.My personal favourite is THE SWING but this is second best.Unbeatable

Remastered version Kicks this sonically, but.....

...the re-issue suffers from real drag bonus cuts. The song "Jesus Was A Man" is an out take and SOUNDS it. The demo of "Mystify" is somewhat interesting, but the remaining tracks were unreleased for a reason. Better to just remaster the disc in its perfection than smear it with these leftover chunks of sonic vegetable matter. Michael Hutchence deserves better.



INXS took a major shift in their approach to the sound of their best album. Instead of the often smothering layers of sound that were the calling card of most of their prior albums, the band stripped the sound down to its bare bones. "Guns In The Sky" detonates with lead singer Michael Hutchence grunting over the crash of Jon Farris' drumbeat. A power riff worthy of fellow Aussies AC/DC begins cutting in and the band then tears into a plaint on the Star Wars global arm race.



Things just got better from there. "Kick" was INXS's crowning achievement in the studio, showing off a funkier, more confident band. The American breakout hit, "Need You Tonight," was beat driven enough to find a home on the dance floors (along with it's Dylanesque coda, "Mediate"), while the Stonesy howl of "Devil Inside" put some heavy duty spark on 1987/88 rock radio. This was a radio watershed album, with "I Need You Tonight," "New Sensation" "Devil Inside" and the soul-blues of "Never Tear Us Apart" becoming inescapable party songs and great videos before MTV abandoned music. There isn't a wasted song on "Kick." The remastered sound makes it even more punch than the original CD.

The Landmark Album that Put Inxs on the U.S. Map

Up until 1987, Inxs had been a band that had established themselves in their native Australia and was beginning to gain a following in the United States. Their 1985 effort "Listen Like Thieves" produced a hit single "What You Need" - yet this six member band from Australia still had not established themselves as a name band in the mainstream U.S. music scene. In 1987, that would all change when the follow-up to "Listen Like Thieves" was released - simply called "Kick".



One fact that I find amazing about Inxs is that this six member band stuck together from their formation in the late 1970s through Michael Hutchence's untimely death in 1997. During this period, the band would release 10 studio albums, 1 Greatest Hits album, and 1 Live album. This has allowed the band to meld together and grow professionally. Much of this is due to the fact that three band members are brothers: Andrew Farriss (Keyboards), Jon Farriss (Drums), and Tim Farriss (Guitar). The other three members also stuck tightly with the band the whole way. These members include: Michael Hutchence (Lead Vocals), Garry Gary Beers (Bass), and Kirk Pengilly (Guitar and Sax). Hutchence - known for his long hair and theatrical performances in concert often gets the most publicity. But the remaining five members all make major contributions from a musicianship standpoint. In addition, Hutchence is not just eye candy - he plays a key role in the songwriting. It is worth noting for "Kick" that the majority of the songs are written by Hutchence and Andrew Farriss.



I think Inxs' musical style can be considered an offshoot of the Punk and New-Wave movements of the late 1970s and early 1980s. They definitely fit in with the synth-pop movement of the early 1980s."Kick" does incorporate some more traditional Rock sounds into their portfolio - particularly with the use of Guitars. In 1987, 80s music landscape was moving away from synth-pop to a more natural guitar-laden sound. However, Inxs still basically stuck with their formula - still keeping to their roots and doing what they do best.



"Kick" consists of 12 songs for a total of just under 40 minutes of music. The title "Kick" comes from one of the tracks, but the word "Kick" is also referenced in the songs, "Devil Inside" and "Tiny Daggers". There were many Top 10 songs from this album, but it is actually some of the songs not released on radio that really make an impact.



"Guns in the Sky": This opening track immediately establishes the strong guitar presence of Pengilly and Tim Farriss. Jon Farriss kicks off the song with some nice drum work. The best part is when Hutchence sings the chorus "Guns in the Sky" followed by some guitar rifts. Very short track - under 2 1/2 minutes.



"New Sensation": This song brings in some of the New Wave roots of the band. This will have more of a balance of Andrew Farriss' Keyboards in it. This song was a hit on the radio, but I've always found it a bit overrated.



"Devil Inside": An amazing song. This was the second single from "Kick" and although it didn't go #1, it helped put the band on the map. While Hutchence's vocals are amazing, this is another song where guitar work dominates. The guitar work is incredible - particularly in the last minute of the song. Jon Farriss again shines on drums.



"Need You Tonight": This was the first single from the collection released - and it did go #1. More great guitar work to open the song. You'll hear some great guitar rifts as the song goes on. This song does incorporate some of the New Wave roots of the band. This song is augmented when it is played in conjunction with....



"Mediate": Very underrated song. "Need You Tonight" segues into this song. On the video for "Need You Tonight", they also play the segue into "Mediate". This is one of the most unique songs as almost every word in this song rhyhmes with the ending "...ate". This is one of the first songs where we hear Kirk Pengilly's sax.'



"The Loved One": Another very underrated song. This song almost has a bluesy like "jam" quality to it. The chorus to this song is amazing. This is a third party song.



"Wild Life": Another song that reflects the New Wave roots of the band. This is another song that has a catchy chorus - nice balance of keyboards and guitars.



"Never Tear Us Apart": This is a slower song, but it almost has a theatrical/epic quality to it. This song moves me every time I hear it. You'll hear some sax work in it - the band provides great background vocals as well.



"Mystify": Great keyboard intro to this song with Hutchence's vocals. This song has almost a "alley cat" sound to it - a nice spin to it.



"Kick": This is a song worthy of being the title track. Hutchence's vocals really help to elevate this song, but the rest of the band makes contributions from an instrumentation standpoint - including Pengilly's Sax. Another very underrated tune.



"Calling All Nations": This song is reflective of the New Wave roots of the band. Another song with a catchy chorus.



"Tiny Daggers": This is another great and underrated song. Once again a complete effort from the band. I love the harmonies and guitar rifts of this song. Garry Gary Beers delivers some great Bass work. The best part is when Hutchence sings "all you got to do is ''Kick' it in!".



My version of the liner notes are pretty thin. The lyrics are included in a compressed fashion with multiple lines of the lyrics on a single line - makes it difficult to read. Overall, this music on this collection backs up the enormous commercial success of this album. This is a great album and one that is highly recommended.