They say the hardest thing to do once you’ve climbed the peak of a mountain in a sporting or artistic sense is to stay there!
So when INXS graduated to the biggest band on the planet during 1988 and 1989, the pressure was on to surpass “Kick” with it’s next album.
Album X as Michael Hutchence often referred to it marked a shift in songwriting, lyrical maturity and Michael’s vocal delivery.
Front ended with the dynamic Suicide Blonde, Disappear, By my Side and the unsurpassed The Stairs, X definitely consolidated INXS’ reputation as a band to be reckoned with.
However, 30 years later, was it the artistic statement the band wanted?
Did it play safe?
Did it achieve the intended goal of maintaining that position at the apex of the mountain?
Tune into the first of our two part special that is Album X and “hear that sound” that was INXS 1990.
X for X marks the spot, the Roman numeral for the number 10 and the Generation X (which is the generation for INXS band members and all of us around the same age). It is the album that produced raw emotion in a mature way. Band members do grow up like everyone else and it shows with this album. I didn't listen to X when it came out as an album. I just relished the singles, Disappear and Suicide Blonde. In fact, when the Greatest Hits album US version came out, I did not listen the Stairs at all and shame on me. What a gorgeous song! X does mark the spot in the INXS story. Suicide Blonde is so…
Was looking forward to this one. 1990 marks the start of my INXS journey. I got Kick as a Christmas present by 1990, i enjoyed it so much, i just went out and bought X. I remember 14 year old me reviewing like "it has even better tunes than Kick but i don't like all of them like i did with Kick". Kick is better than X, i don't often go back to X. Yet when i do i always think it's a bit unfair cause it is a great album.
I was visiting Berlin circa 2012 and i walked into a huge cd shop and X was playing (they had a few copies of it on sale, so it's…
Hello INXSers! Can't wait to read your reviews. Love Bee