INXS - The Best of INXS
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Free Music Notes for The Best of INXS
Free Music Review: Muddling the legacy further
Hit: 3 Stars
INXS has always been a bit of a curiosity. In their heyday, they never really were anywhere near the biggest band in the world, and yet they were everywhere musically. Then they faded into obscurity - and almost obsolescence with Michael Hutchence's tragic death - and then somehow they're everywhere again through the magic of Mark Burnett-sponsored reality TV without really having done anything to regain the lost cache.
I loved INXS in the late 80s/early 90s. With rock generally on the decline, Michael Hutchence's Mick Jagger-cum-Bono persona as front man combined with the musical talents of Farriss-Farriss-Farriss-Beers-Pengilly was able to keep me musically sane in an era generally considered dark for rock. But, to put in perspective, once bands like Oasis made unfashionable rock fashionable once again, INXS completely faded from view - and, almost, memory. To wit: INXS never made it out of my cassette collection; never quite made the CD upgrade.
So, with the attention given INXS of recent times through the "Rock Star" series, I decided that my iPod needed INXS - and what more economical way than "The Best of...". It's very interesting to listen to INXS with a good 15 years removed between real listenings. Some of the most popular stuff ("Need You Tonight" and "New Sensation", particularly) just sound obvious and worn. Some of the stuff that was never popular (the two tracks from the ill-fated "Welcome to Wherever You Are": "Not Enough Time" and "Taste It") sounds great. And then some of the stuff that I miss the most ("Shine Like It Does", "The Stairs") is simply not there. It's very quixotic: that which made INXS really great ("Devil Inside") alongside "The Gift" nullifies the impact of the great stuff.
On the plus side, though, the mastering sounds great (or maybe that's just not having to listen on my tinny old cassettes anymore), and "Don't Change" is included.
INXS deserve a four star (or better) compilation. This, however, is not it. As they were primarily a singles band, a true greatest hits album that hits all bases in the way that the Police's "Every Breath You Take" compilation did can only help the band's legacy. Perhaps the popularity and capital gained by "Rock Star" will force a better, perhaps tighter compilation that will truly highlight the great stuff.
Free Music Review: Wonders From Down Under
Hit: 4 Stars
In the 1980's, there are just so many acts that really didn't let the music flow. While most of them were just manufactured for a time, the feeling of the songs just missed out. Unlike most of them, Inxs really were real to the top. They definitely hit the nail on what great pop music anymore. Unfortunately that ended tragically with the suicide of Michael Hutchence in 1997. Nevertheless, their feeling of music is still around for anybody who like guilty pleasures from the 1980's. Yet, there hasn't been a well-noticed hits collection that has defined their careers.
The Best Of Inxs, is a compilation of 21 tracks from the files that made Inxs out of the ordinary with great pop songs. There is really nothing but the best from Michael Hutchence & company here on this great collection. The songs here range well with a lot of great hits like the #1 smash Need You Tonight, Never Tear Us Apart, the upbeat Dissapear, What You Need which was used a few years ago as a ad campaign from Ford, and Suicide Blonde to name a few. While there are so many great songs, there are a few disadvantages with this collection. One of them is that the collection overshadows a few songs here & there like Mediate, the rhyming masterpiece from their breakthrough album, Kick, as well as any tracks from the final Inxs album, 1997's Elegantly Wasted. Nevertheless, even with those minor dissapointments, the record doesn't dissapoint to any die hard Inxs fan.
It is just a shame Inxs isn't around to make music anymore. They definitely have had quite a run with that passionate music from the 80's. Hopefully, people will keep enjoying that great vibe that is still there.
Album Cover: B
Songs: B+
Price: A-
Mastering: B 1/2+
Overall: B
Free Music Review: Excellent INXS collection from Rhino
Hit: 5 Stars
It hasn't been that many years since the death of singer Michael Hutchence and his band INXS is already in the Rhino catalog. Rhino has presented a somewhat different collection of tracks than the previous hits collection offered by INXS' previous major recording label. Singles of several of INXS' biggest hits are here along with some remix version tracks. There are some tracks I would like to have seen added, such as Elegantly Wasted, Shine Like It Does, and Guns In The Sky, but overall this albums covers all the hits and most memorable INXS songs. INXS blended rock, funk, blues, soul, and new wave dance styles over the years into memorable modern pop hits. Their hits continue to be sampled by rap and dance DJs, and INXS songs stands up well in comparison to current popular music. For a collection of INXS songs or to review the career of Australia's most popular rock/pop export, this album is highly recommended.Free Music Review: The Essence Of INXS
Hit: 5 Stars
It's true that INXS made three great studio albums in KICK, X, and WELCOME TO WHEREVER YOU ARE, but THE BEST OF INXS contains the true essence of the band's appeal. That's because they were primarily a great 80s singles band; even the aforementioned studio albums contained a bit of filler. Their sound basically distilled 70s rock, new wave, R&B, and funk/disco into an appealing blend that was best heard on singles. This compilation is better than GREATEST HITS because it includes the hard rocker "Don't Change", which was not on GREATEST HITS, and it tells the story better than the double-disc ANTHOLOGY, which, unfortunately, starts off with some awkward early synth-pop. Unless you're a true fan or were a teenager (like myself) in the late 80s, this may be all the INXS you'll ever need.Free Music Review: This is the Best?
Hit: 2 Stars
The title of this album is definately a misnomer if they think this is the "Best" of INXS. While it does have many fan favorites, there are many tracks noticeable absent. Where is Mediate, Heaven Sent, The Stairs? How could they not put the most popular self-titled track "Elegantly Wasted" on an album of "The Best?" With the band no more, this should be the final "greatest hits" album, yet somehow they manage to screw it up. The bonus unreleased tracks are mediocre, but don't belong on an album that is already missing several notable favorites. Even though it was produced 7 years earlier, "INXS - Greatest Hits" is a superior album to this one, and I would recommend it over this poor sequel.