When is the last time you broke out this cassette/cd or cued this up on your personal listening device? If it hasn't been in the past month or so then it has been too long, my friends.
INXS was the first alternative band that ever cracked my rotation. I didn't like U2, I wasn't a fan of The Cure or Depeche Mode. Yes, if you can believe it, Kick was able to dethrone such stalwarts as Billy Ocean, Madonna, and NKOTB and led to experimentation with Duran Duran and Erasure. Not sure if I should have 'experimentation' and 'Erasure' in the same sentence when discussing the early years of KG but I just did. In my opinion, INXS does not get the credit they deserve as a band not only from myself but from the general public. However, every few years something sparks my INXS flame, I break out this album and then many of their others and I am reminded of how great they were. The last time I really listened to them was when Rockstar: INXS hit the airwaves during the summer of 2005. Still the greatest reality show of all time. Each week as the contestants sang the INXS hits I couldn't believe how many truly great songs I had forgotten.
For me, Kick is like my Sandlot, a reminder of a simpler time. Playing baseball with my friends and then listening to Kick. Going to Classic Waterslides, watching INXS videos in the skating rink and then heading home to listen to Kick. First slow dances, courtesy of Never Tear Us Apart followed by a sleepover with friends that involved listening to Kick on repeat until 5:00 in the AM.
This album was released in 1987 and it was the perfect time for the band to really break on through to the mainstream. MTV was in its prime and the videos (although they don't hold up nearly 20 years later quite as well) were incredible. Michael Hutchence was the second coming of Jim Morrison - the ladies loved him and the guys wished they could be him. Although the videos now seem a bit cheesy- they are cheesy in a good 80's way. I have compiled as many of them that I could find. Checkout this murderer's row of hits from this album:
Guns In The Sky, New Sensation, Devil Inside, Need You Tonight/Mediate, The Loved One, Wild Life, Never Tear Us Apart, Mystify, Kick, Calling All Nations, and Tiny Daggers.
Seriously, not a bad track on that album. Not one. I suppose I should have warned about the outfits not holding up as well but seeing that it was the 1980's that should be assumed by the viewer. My favorite song on the album was The Loved One which apparently was a cover of a 1960's Australian Band called The Loved Ones. You have to wonder how many Abbott and Costello conversations this might have caused in the 60's.
DJ - That was 'The Loved One' by The Loved Ones
Caller - Who sang that?
DJ - The Loved Ones
Caller - No, not the name of the song...
You get my drift. Anyway, give this album a spin and see for yourself that Kick is definitely an oldie but goodie.
9 comments:
I loved this album. I remember playing tennis listening to this on my boom box at Dewey Bluth Park. Good times.
I love this album as well. I just looked INXS up on my ipod and the only song on there is Never Tear us Apart. Great Song. INXS has always reminded me of Ann Sloan. I still remember her pronouncing the name wrong....'inks'. What the what? I'm glad I had older siblings to teach me the correct pronounciation so I didn't look like an a$$.
The Other KG
INXS reminds me of Robyn (when she was a Uribe) and of her brother Lee..and I love that album. But I love Depeche Mode and The Cure and I'm thinking of boycotting your blog because you don't.
Nothing drags me back to my past faster than this.
I remember spending hours in art class drawing the cover of that album. I think I still have it somewhere (the drawing).
KG will appreciate that the first poster I ever purchased was of INXS (followed quickly by U2 and Duran Duran), but out of an irrational fear of my father I hid it under my bed for three weeks. When I finally put it up he walked in, said "what is inks? He looks like a girl." Ahhhh the good old days.
On a related note, seeing this album caused me to quickly find and download Wild Wild West, by the Escape Club.
One time, I complained to Eric Lloyd that we didn't have 'a song' and Escape Club's 'I'll Be There' happened to be on the radio and he said 'how about this one, then?' and I figured it was as good as any other so, why not, right? It makes me laugh every time I hear it (which is roughly 1 in every 5000 songs since it's on my ipod rotation).
Without thinking too hard, I would have to say this is in my top 10 albums of all time. Okay, maybe top 20 to be safe. Great, great album.
So many memories associated with these songs...
A class officer planning meeting at the G house was the first time I heard anything from inks. I did not know his name at the time, but the funny kid with the pretty green eyes and the nose was trying to convince the class officers it was the perfect song for junior prom. Too bad his debating skills were not quite as sharp back then.
The Loved One still remains my favorite song. I remember you blasting it over and over and it may have been the song that won me over.
Thanks for the memories.
Why would you go with Inks, when you can have Stryper for a prom theme song? Rocio was must more persuasive than AB.
The 'inks' line made me laugh as did Stryper being used for Jr. Prom. Who am I to mock though? I'm the guy who signed off on 'To Be With You' by Mr. Big for our prom. Not much better.
Corbie - no reason to boycott the blog. I NOW like The Cure and if you recall the song of the day when my Mate died was 'Boys Don't Cry.'
Bro - I remember that poster and I would have been fearful to hang it in front of your old man as well. No shame there. There is some shame in 'Wild Wild West' though because it is just a rip off of 'Pump it Up' by Elvis Costello. Give it a listen and tell me I'm wrong.
Alright back off a little. There SHOULD not have BEEN a debate.
Cindy only took Rocio's side because she felt bad that Jenny, Todd and I gained up on her. TWO, H.F. took Rocio's side...well I guess it doesn't take a genius to figure out why that was the case.
AND for the record the Jordan High 1988 Junior Prom theme WAS "Never Tear us Apart" not some metal balad Stryper song. What I may have lacked in debate skills that night, was compensated by love for INXS. I would not yield!
Brad DeHaan was playing The Swing, 1984 while we played ping pong in the garage. He was the coolest teenagery guy I knew at the time, and the songs were soooo RAD!
If you look closely at the cover art for this album and then some photos of Mike S. at that same time you can see we both loved this band!
Good post!
Good thoughts!
Post a Comment