Album of the Day-May 6

INXS — Listen Like Thieves

INXS — Listen Like Thieves

INXS — Listen Like Thieves

6.May.2020
INXS
Listen Like Thieves
1985

A friend of mine suggested I watch Mystify: Michael Hutchence on Amazon Prime, so I did.

The documentary is a frustrating and ultimately sad reminder of what the world and the fans lost but an even sadder reminder of what his family and his daughter lost.

After going deep on the dance floor with the Niles Rodgers produced “Original Sin” (from the film Reckless) and then 1984's Nick Launay produced curveball The Swing, the band knew they needed a slight re-alignment.

Now, at the time the U.S. radio and MTV were dominated by pop and rock while dance music was marginalized to night clubs and major metropolitan cities like New York City and Miami. Internationally, the appetite for dance music was greater so while INXS had scored success with both The Swing and “Original Sin” the lucrative, and much desired, American market remained elusive.

And then the stars aligned and INXS met producer Chris Thomas (The Beatles, Elton John, The Sex Pistols, The Pretenders).

INXS was a young band, even if Listen Like Thieves was going to be their fifth studio album. Listening to their catalog, you hear that one of the band's strengths early on is that they sound as though they’re amenable to their producer's influence. You hear Rodgers influence on “Original Sin” and on Listen Like Thieves, you hear how Thomas is helping the band bridge that gap between pop, rock, and dance music.

In 1985, it would’ve been unthinkable to hear a song on Top 40 radio, and then an FM rock radio station and at a night club at 11:30 pm on a Saturday…until you heard that drum intro to the very first song on Listen Like Thieves “What You Need.” Somehow, it crossed the threshold of all three…and when you did hear it? The volume got turned up and the dance floor was swarmed.

Somehow it all worked on Listen Like Thieves.

And it wasn’t just “What You Need”, the first four songs are a cavalcade of songs that found a way to bridge those gaps:

• What You Need

• Listen Like Thieves

• Kiss the Dirt

• Shine Like It Does

Because 1985 was the height of both MTV’s popularity and influence, it made the lead singer that much more important (which seems impossible to imagine) — Michael Hutchence was a man that was made for just such a moment.

Hutchence wasn’t the most dynamic dancer but he was good-looking, had just a touch of danger and his passion and joy was impossible to fake. He truly appeared, in every aspect, to love what he was doing. His entire image was appealing and fashion sense transcended gender. The kind of confidence and je ne sais quoi is appealing, regardless of one's profession.

So, here’s this fashionable, good looking, successful, artistic man, who appeals to both men and women, later on, we would have a name for a guy like that — metrosexual, but in 1985…any guesses what he was called?

Despite MTV and the press, INXS was never the Michael Hutchence show. While the majority of songs on Listen Like Thieves were written by Hutchence and keyboardist Andrew Farris, guitar players Kirk Pengilly and Tim Farris (Andrew’s brother), bass player Garry Gary Beers and drummer Jon Farris (Andrews other brother) all have songwriting credits here and the albums after.

The importance of Chris Thomas certainly can’t be overlooked. Is it possible that INXS might’ve bridged the gaps between pop, rock, and dance music had those stars not aligned and they didn’t meet? Impossible to say. They did meet. And music, the band’s and as a whole, is a lot better because they did.

But the ascension of INXS started here with Listen Like Thieves. At the time critics reviewed the album mostly favorably but the album still failed to crack the Billboard Top Ten album chart, peaking at #11.

However, in 1987, the Chris Thomas produced Kick would defy all expectations, selling 20 million copies worldwide and peaking at #3 on Billboards Top Ten album chart (I promise you, there was a time when that really meant something.)

For the next ten years or so, INXS was on that rocket ship of superstardom but Listen Like Thieves is really ground zero. Even listening today Listen Like Thieves is the perfect mix of pop, rock, and a dash of dance (OK, a pinch of funk)…and I’ll be damned if I don’t see Michael Hutchence hopping around with his brown curly locks flailing about. Still.