Great Songs from My Favorite Year in Music: 1985, Part 12

INXS - "What You Need" & "This Time"





(Single Releases: 1985)
Long before the tragedy of Michael Hutchence's early death and the sideshow that became the Rock Star reality show, INXS was actually a great band that seemed to be on the U2 path, with the whole world ahead of them and longevity in their future. Yes, they're still playing, but most fans will tell you, it's not the same. I first became aware of INXS with their 1982 single, "The One Thing." From that point on, I remained a steadfast fan, my devotion only waning as the early 90s saw a paradigm shift in musical trends, from larger than life arena rock to garage, grunge, and hip-hop. I owned Listen Like Thieves on cassette and nearly wore it out listening to the above tracks, which only furthered the promise of "The One Thing" and "Original Sin." I became overly familiar with every song, something that only happened with the bands and albums I truly loved. I haven't been able to do that with any album in a long time, to let it seep into my pores, but every time I hear these songs, I am taken back to a time between early singles radio and iTunes selectivity, when albums were king and bands were neither faceless, nor anything other than the sum of its parts. Michael Hutchence might have been the most recognizable, and a charismatic frontman, but the Farriss brthers, Garry Gary Beers, and Kirk Pengilly were all indispensable elements of a successful act.