INXS (album)

Last updated

INXS
Inxs.jpg
Studio album by
Released13 October 1980
Recorded1979–1980
StudioTrafalgar (Annandale, New South Wales)
Genre New wave, rock, post-punk
Length33:23
Label Deluxe, Mercury
Producer Duncan McGuire, INXS
INXS chronology
INXS
(1980)
Underneath the Colours
(1981)
Singles from INXS
  1. "Just Keep Walking"
    Released: October 1980

INXS is the debut studio album by Australian rock band INXS. It was released on Deluxe Records in Australia on 13 October 1980. The band recorded the album in midnight to dawn sessions during 1979 to 1980 after performing, on average, two gigs a day at local pubs around Sydney. All tracks were credited to band members, Garry Gary Beers (bass guitar and double bass); brothers Andrew (keyboards and guitar), Jon (drums, keyboards) and Tim Farriss (lead guitar); Michael Hutchence (lead vocals); and Kirk Pengilly (guitar, saxophone and backing vocals). The album was co-produced by the band and Duncan McGuire (ex-Ayers Rock). It spawned the single, "Just Keep Walking" (September 1980), which became their first Australian Top 40 hit. INXS peaked in the Top 30 of the related Kent Music Report Albums Chart. The album did not appear internationally until 1984.

Contents

Background

INXS released their first single, "Simple Simon", in May 1980. [1] [2] [ page needed ] [3] The single had its debut TV performance on Simon Townsend's Wonder World . [4] Their debut album, INXS, was recorded at Trafalgar Studios in Annandale, Sydney, it was co-produced by the band and Duncan McGuire (ex-Ayers Rock), with all songs attributed to the entire band. [2] [ page needed ] [5] [ page needed ] In 1977 INXS had formed with a line-up of Garry Gary Beers (bass guitar and double bass); brothers Andrew (keyboards and guitar), Jon (drums, keyboards) and Tim Farriss (lead guitar); Michael Hutchence (lead vocals); and Kirk Pengilly (guitar, saxophone and backing vocals). [1]

INXS signed with Deluxe Records which gave them a budget of $10,000 to record the album, during 1979 to 1980 they recorded from midnight to dawn, usually after doing one or more performances earlier that night. [2] [ page needed ] The album was released by Deluxe on 13 October 1980. Later Hutchence recalled working on INXS: [5] [ page needed ]

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.

Tim Farriss remarked that the lyric "Shove it, brother / Just keep walking" from the song "sort of summed up our attitude. We took on an 'angry young man' status because we were working our guts out and still starving." [6]

INXS' early records demonstrated their new wave-ska-pop style, and were followed by near constant touring with almost 300 shows during 1981 as the band developed their status as a live act. [1] [7] Between touring commitments, the band released their third single in May 1981, "The Loved One", which was a cover of a 1966 song by Australian group The Loved Ones. This track was recorded at Studios 301 in Sydney, [5] produced by Richard Clapton, [8] and peaked in the Top 20. [1] [3] [9]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]

AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine was not impressed by INXS "playing a competent but unremarkable variation on droning new wave synth pop" but noted that Hutchence "exuded a powerful vocal charisma". [10]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Garry Gary Beers, Andrew Farriss, Jon Farriss, Tim Farriss, Michael Hutchence, Kirk Pengilly [12]

INXS track listing
No.TitleLength
1."On a Bus"3:49
2."Doctor"2:37
3."Just Keep Walking"2:43
4."Learn to Smile"4:55
5."Jumping"3:21
6."In Vain"4:26
7."Roller Skating"2:47
8."Body Language"2:05
9."Newsreel Babies"2:41
10."Wishy Washy"3:51
Total length:33:23

Personnel

INXS [1]

Production details

Artwork

Charts

Chart performance for INXS
Chart (1980–1981)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [9] 27

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'INXS'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. Allen & Unwin. ISBN   1-86448-768-2. Archived from the original on 30 September 2004. Retrieved 16 November 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 Bozza, Anthony (2005). INXS Story to Story: The official autobiography (doc). Bantam Books, Sydney. ISBN   0-593-05517-9.
  3. 1 2 St John, Ed; INXS (1992). INXS: The Official Inside Story of a Band on the Road. Mandarin. p. 74. ISBN   1-86330-207-7.
  4. Jenkins, Jeff; Meldrum, Ian (2007). "25: INXS – Sometimes You Kick". Molly Meldrum presents 50 years of rock in Australia. Melbourne: Wilkinson Publishing. pp. 179–184. ISBN   978-1-92133-211-1.
  5. 1 2 3 St John, Ed (1998). Burn: The life and times of Michael Hutchence and INXS (doc). Bantam Books, Sydney. ISBN   0-733-80182-X.
  6. McGee, David (June 1983). "Inxs: Angry Young Men at Work". Record. 2 (8): 3, 30.
  7. Nimmervoll, Ed. "INXS". HowlSpace – The Living History of Our Music (Ed Nimmervoll). Archived from the original on 21 February 2001. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  8. Holmgren, Magnus. "INXS". Passagen. Australian Rock Database. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2008.
  9. 1 2 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 149. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  10. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "INXS – INXS". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation . Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  11. Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. p.  406. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  12. "'On a Bus' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2012. Note: To search for other titles click on Search again and enter track name.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">INXS</span> Australian rock band (1977–2012)

INXS were an Australian rock band, formed as the Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. The founding members were bassist Garry Gary Beers, main composer and keyboardist Andrew Farriss, drummer Jon Farriss, guitarist Tim Farriss, lead singer and main lyricist Michael Hutchence, and guitarist and saxophonist Kirk Pengilly. For 20 years, INXS was fronted by Hutchence, whose magnetic stage presence made him the focal point of the band. Initially known for their new wave/pop style, the band later developed a harder pub rock style that included funk and dance elements.

<i>Full Moon, Dirty Hearts</i> 1993 studio album by INXS

Full Moon, Dirty Hearts is the ninth studio album by Australian rock band INXS. It was released on 2 November 1993, through East West Records in Australia and in the United Kingdom by Phonogram's Mercury Records label. It was followed by the Dirty Honeymoon world tour of 1993–1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garry Gary Beers</span> Australian musician

Garry William Beers, known as Garry Gary Beers, is an Australian musician and was the bass guitarist for the new wave rock group INXS.

<i>Listen Like Thieves</i> 1985 studio album by INXS

Listen Like Thieves is the fifth studio album by Australian rock band INXS. It was released on 14 October 1985. It spent two weeks at number one on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart. Considered an international breakthrough album for the band, it peaked at No. 11 on the United States Billboard 200, No. 24 on the Canadian RPM 100 Albums and in the top 50 in the United Kingdom.

<i>Welcome to Wherever You Are</i> 1992 studio album by INXS

Welcome to Wherever You Are is the eighth studio album by Australian rock band INXS, which was released on 3 August 1992. With grunge and alternative music breaking into the mainstream, INXS tried to establish a new direction for itself, incorporating sitars, a 60-piece orchestra, and a much more "raw" sound to their music. In its four star review of the album, Q called it "... a far more engaging and heartfelt collection than anything the group has put out in recent memory ... It rocks," and listed it as one of the 50 Best Albums of 1992. It was the first album by an Australian artist to debut on the UK album chart at number one since AC/DC's Back in Black, released in 1980.

<i>The Swing</i> (INXS album) 1984 studio album by INXS

The Swing is the fourth studio album by Australian rock band INXS, released in April 1984. It peaked at number one on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart for five non-consecutive weeks from early April to mid-May 1984. The lead single "Original Sin" was recorded in New York City with Nile Rodgers and featured Daryl Hall on backing vocals. Overall, the album featured a slightly harder-edged sound than their previous releases.

<i>X</i> (INXS album) 1990 studio album by INXS

X is the seventh studio album by Australian rock band INXS, released on 25 September 1990 through WEA in Australia, Mercury Records in Europe, and Atlantic Records in the United States and Canada. The follow-up to the massive seller Kick, X scored hits with "Suicide Blonde" and "Disappear". Both singles were later used in the soundtrack to the 1991 American teen comedy Mystery Date. Two other singles from X were "Bitter Tears" and "By My Side" but they had less chart success. A fifth single, "The Stairs", was only issued in the Netherlands to coincide with the release of the Live Baby Live album.

<i>Shabooh Shoobah</i> 1982 studio album by INXS

Shabooh Shoobah is the third studio album by Australian rock band INXS. It was released on 13 October 1982. It peaked at No. 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart and remained on the chart for 94 weeks. It was the band's first album to be released worldwide and appeared on the United States Billboard 200 and on the Hot Pop Albums Chart. The album spawned four singles, "The One Thing", "Don't Change", "To Look at You" and "Black and White". It was produced by Mark Opitz for WEA Australia with most tracks written by band members Andrew Farriss and Michael Hutchence.

<i>Underneath the Colours</i> 1981 studio album by INXS

Underneath the Colours is the second studio album by Australian rock band INXS. It was released in Australia in 19 October 1981 on the Deluxe Records label and reached No 15 on the Australian album charts.

<i>The Best of INXS</i> 2002 greatest hits album by INXS

The Best of INXS is a greatest hits album by Australian rock band INXS, released on 4 June 2002 by Atlantic Records and Rhino Entertainment. It featured digitally remastered versions of tracks from previous albums and reached #144 on the US charts, selling more than 373,000 copies since its release. The nearly identical counterpart compilation released in the same year, Definitive INXS, was a moderate chart success in the UK, peaking at #15.

<i>Switch</i> (INXS album) 2005 studio album by INXS

Switch is the eleventh studio album by the Australian rock band INXS, and their last to be composed of entirely new material. It was released on 29 November 2005 and produced by Guy Chambers. It was their first full-length studio album since the 1997 death of vocalist Michael Hutchence, and the only album to feature singer J.D. Fortune.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Farriss</span> Australian musician

Andrew Charles Farriss is an Australian rock musician and multi-instrumentalist best known as the keyboardist, backing vocalist, and main composer for rock band INXS. Farriss released his debut studio album in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Farriss</span> Australian musician

Timothy William Farriss is an Australian musician, founding member and the lead guitarist of the rock band INXS.

<i>INXS: Live at Barker Hangar</i> 2005 live album by INXS

INXS: Live at Barker Hangar is a digital download-only live album by the Australian rock band INXS, released on 4 October 2005. It had been recorded at the band's performance on 8 May 1993 at the Barker Hangar at Santa Monica Airport in Southern California. INXS performed to a crowd of nearly 4,000; the concert had sold out in less than three minutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirk Pengilly</span> Australian rock musician, saxophonist and guitarist (born 1958)

Kirk Pengilly is an Australian musician and member of the Australian rock group INXS. Kirk plays saxophone and guitar, and also performs as a backing vocalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">By My Side (INXS song)</span> 1991 single by INXS

"By My Side" is a single by Australian band INXS, the third UK single and fourth Australian single taken from their seventh studio album, X (1990). The song was written by Michael Hutchence, Kirk Pengilly, Garry Gary Beers, Andrew Farriss, Tim Farriss and Jon Farriss as part of the 1990 sessions for the X album. Record producer Chris Thomas, who produced the album, is also given songwriting credits, specifically contributing to the chorus and arrangement, as explained in the liner notes for the X album special edition in 2002. Farriss has said "By My Side" was written about missing family and friends while touring.

<i>Original Sin</i> (INXS album) 2010 studio album by INXS

Original Sin is the twelfth and final studio album by the Australian rock band INXS. It was released on physical media on 16 November 2010 by Epic Records, Atco Records and Polydor after having been released digitally on 28 October 2010. Original Sin features covers of their earlier songs, with each song featuring a guest singer. J.D. Fortune, who was the winner of the Rock Star: INXS competition and featured on the band's previous album Switch, performed lead vocals for the 1990 track "The Stairs", being the last contribution from Fortune before his departure in 2011.

<i>INXS: Never Tear Us Apart</i> 2014 Australian television miniseries

INXS: Never Tear Us Apart is a two-part Australian miniseries about the rock band INXS and was originally telecast on 9 February 2014, and concluded on 16 February 2014, produced by Shine Australia and airing on the Seven Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simple Simon (song)</span> Single by INXS

"Simple Simon" is the debut single by Australian rock band INXS, released in May 1980 via Deluxe Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Just Keep Walking</span> 1980 single by INXS

"Just Keep Walking" is a song recorded by Australian rock band INXS. Deluxe released the song in October 1980 as the only single from their debute studio album INXS. The song reached the 38th place on the Top 40 list and became their first Australian Top 40 hit, earning the band international fame.