INXS ‎– INXS

I never really got into Australian band INXS until the time of their major success in the eighties; although I was very familiar with many of their singles, and, to my memory, they were not always taken seriously, being viewed as just another of those teeny bopper outfits. However, my subsequent collecting of cheap second hand vinyl has had me discovering a lot of INXS' body of work, and finding surprising enjoyment from some of their albums. INXS hailed from the pubs of Australia, which is part of the reason the band never comfortably fit in with new wave. Even when they branched out into synth pop on their early recordings, they were underpinned by a hard, Stonesy beat and the Jagger-esque strut of lead singer Michael Hutchence. Ultimately, these were the very things that made INXS into international superstars in the late '80s. By that time, the group had harnessed its hard rock, dance, and new wave influences into a sleek, stylish groove. This debut shows flashes of quality, especially with “Just Keep Walking”, definitely the best song here, and overall, it's really not a bad listen, although their signature, jerky style had yet to emerge.

Appropriately for a band that featured three brothers, INXS had their roots in a family act, the Farriss Brothers. The group came together while keyboardist Andrew Farriss, the middle brother, was attending high school with vocalist Michael Hutchence. The two formed a band with bassist Gary Beers. Simultaneously, guitarist Tim Farriss was playing in various groups with his friend, guitarist/saxophonist Kirk Pengilly. Eventually, the two groups merged in 1977, with Jon Farriss joining the unified line up as drummer. Two years later, when Jon graduated from high school, the band renamed itself INXS, moved from Perth to Sydney, and began to play the pub circuit. Within a year, the group landed an Australian record contract and released this eponymous debut on Deluxe in 1980.

 

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