Since I'm all about a certain Aussie Idol these days, I thought it would be appropriate to post a video by INXS. Jim Morrison begat Michael Hutchence, who begat Michael Johns, who will begettin' it on with me hopefully some time in the near future.
"Don't Change" was the first single from INXS's 1982 breakout album, Shabooh Shoobah. By "breakout," I just mean that it was the record that put them on the American radar. Their breakthrough moment came about five years later with the monster success of Kick.
This song was always a favorite among INXS fans, and it was a staple of their live shows. (I was lucky enough to see them once, and I remember this as the kick-ass encore.) Still, a lot of casual listeners forget about much of the band's catalog pre-1987. Some memories can reach back to Kick's precursor, Listen Like Thieves, but generally it's only to remember the hit single, "What You Need." Those people are missing out on a lot of gems like this one, as well as "The One Thing," "Original Sin," "I Send a Message," and "This Time," my favorite from Listen Like Thieves that never seems to get any love!
This video is fun to watch because the boys all look like they're about 15. There are some nice shots of drummer Jon Farriss (and his pink socks), who I was completely in lust with for years. The clip also features Michael Hutchence with shorter hair than I ever remember seeing on him! I'm not going to go into a whole thing about how much I adored Michael because it will just make me sad. But I will say that J.D. Fortune is a complete ass monkey. He may be the band's new lead singer, but he'll never be a true "frontman" and he'll never replace Michael Hutchence. I wouldn't even accept Michael Johns as INXS's singer. Some people are just irreplaceable. I never faulted the rest of the band for wanting to continue on with their careers, but they shouldn't have continued on as INXS.
"Don't Change" was the first single from INXS's 1982 breakout album, Shabooh Shoobah. By "breakout," I just mean that it was the record that put them on the American radar. Their breakthrough moment came about five years later with the monster success of Kick.
This song was always a favorite among INXS fans, and it was a staple of their live shows. (I was lucky enough to see them once, and I remember this as the kick-ass encore.) Still, a lot of casual listeners forget about much of the band's catalog pre-1987. Some memories can reach back to Kick's precursor, Listen Like Thieves, but generally it's only to remember the hit single, "What You Need." Those people are missing out on a lot of gems like this one, as well as "The One Thing," "Original Sin," "I Send a Message," and "This Time," my favorite from Listen Like Thieves that never seems to get any love!
This video is fun to watch because the boys all look like they're about 15. There are some nice shots of drummer Jon Farriss (and his pink socks), who I was completely in lust with for years. The clip also features Michael Hutchence with shorter hair than I ever remember seeing on him! I'm not going to go into a whole thing about how much I adored Michael because it will just make me sad. But I will say that J.D. Fortune is a complete ass monkey. He may be the band's new lead singer, but he'll never be a true "frontman" and he'll never replace Michael Hutchence. I wouldn't even accept Michael Johns as INXS's singer. Some people are just irreplaceable. I never faulted the rest of the band for wanting to continue on with their careers, but they shouldn't have continued on as INXS.
Comments
Man, I loved INXS. The real INXS ... not some TV facsimile.
This was before there were CD players in cars. In fact, my car was so crappy it didn't even have a tape deck. I stocked up on D sized batteries and put my boom box in the front passenger seat. I listened to INXS 'The Swing' on cassette over and over the entire 3 hours there and the 3 hours back home.
I really don't remember INXS being as young as on this video either! Man am I old or what!
The first strains of the keyboard in this video made my memory fly back to a very different chapter in my life.
BTW, my JC has a big ass sense of humor too. I am glad to be in agreement with you about that.
In fact he has a kind of ironic sense of humor at that!
Of course thanks to you, I'll be going to sleep thinking-
I miss the people
I miss the fun...
stuck in my head on repeat.
You are right about the surviving members of INXS. They should have followed the lead of what was left of The Grateful Dead after Jerry died...call themselves something else.
Hal Ozsan, former frontman for the LA band Poets & Pornstars, is someone whom I think could portray Hutchence in a biopic very well - just as yummy and a great singer too. Shoot me an e-mail if you want to hear some of their tunes.
And no, it's not the same without MH.