INXS - Listen Like Thieves

 Listening to this hurt
I got this as a package deal with INXS"s Kick album. Except for one or two songs, I just couldn't get into the music. I expected a little more zing to the music, and didn't feel it. March 8, 2008

 One of the most under-rated rock albums of all time
Virtually forgotten since the band's two hit albums, Kick and X topped the charts, Listen Like Thieves nevertheless represented the gelling of INXS's sound into the danceable hard rock that would eventually make their career. Most of the songs could have been singles; "What You Need", "Listen Like Thieves", and "This Time" apparently were released as such. A very listenable album and unfortunately, all but forgotten.
September 6, 2007

 My pick as the best INXS album

When I rate bands as being amongst the best of all time, I usually include three Australian bands as being in the top half dozen...AC/DC, Midnight Oil and INXS. AC/DC are the premier riff band of all time, in my estimation. INXS would probably be second to them.

INXS has been charting in Australia since their very early days. I think that "One thing", from their album "Shabooh Shoobah" was their first chart success in America, and that had a terrific guitar riff to it. "The swing" was probably the album that cemented their status as a major band in Australia, though I don't think it really did much in the US.

This cd, "Listen like thieves" marked their return to the US charts, I think, with "What you need". Even though "Kick" was probably their most successful album, especially in the US, I don't think it is as good as "Listen like thieves". Sure, I gave "Kick" 5 stars in my review of it here, but that was mostly for having an album chok full of songs that did really well in the US.

When it comes to an album with songs that I really like on it [ignoring how well or otherwise they did in the US], this album comes out tops against the three other albums I used to own [used to have them on cassette-now have Kick, and this album on cd-plan on getting one of their hits compilations too].

Like "Kick" this cd has two songs which I count amongst INXS' best, i.e. "What you need" and "Kiss the dirt". "What you need" has a cool, discordant intro and a great, dirty guitar riff. It's guitar rock at its best-fused with a funky sound.

"Listen like thieves", the title track, is by no means a classic INXS song, but hey, I REALLY like it. I prefer it to the kind of songs that did really big business in the US off their "Kick" album, but which I can't really get into. It has a terrific ringing guitar lick in it.

Like "Kick", this album has a very strong opening line up of songs. One of my favourite INXS songs is "Kiss the dirt". It has a cool, swinging guitar riff, and later, a fantastic guitar bit where the guitarist just goes berko on the axe-a hot, funky, guitar riff to complement the previously cool guitar riff at the beginning of the song.

After the above three songs, comes the very nice "Shine like it does"-a slower tempo song with a cool bass line.

The other song from this album which may get some airplay in Australia is "This time". This song has a good, sing along kind of chorus.

I did make a note of the track "Three sisters" mainly because this is the bands first instrumental, as far as I can tell. It's not as good an instrumental as, say, Midnight Oil's "Weddingcake Island", or AC/DC's "DT", but it features an interesting rainforest noises like sound.

Both this album and "Kick" have two songs on each of them which I consider to be amongst this band's best [i.e. "What you need" and "Kiss the dirt", and "Guns in the sky" and "Never tear us apart"]. I give "Kick" 5 stars with my head, but I give "Listen like thieves" 5 stars with my heart, because it has a few other songs that I am more into than the other tracks on "Kick".

INXS are a band with a very strong focus on guitar riffs and cool beats and cool bass, along with cool sax solos, which is something different, but cool.

This is my pick as the INXS album you MUST own.

P.S. other Australian acts I have reviewed at this site include:

INXS-more albums reviewed here by me

Midnight Oil-multiple albums reviewed

The Vines

The Saints

Rogue Traders

Skyhooks

Alex Lloyd

Johnny O'Keefe

John Farnham April 10, 2007

 The Band With Legendary Michael Hutchence Kissed the American Dirt
Aussie rock superstar's 1985 breakthrough album that hit America is charactereized with heavily beating drums and uptempo rhythms. After untimely death of legendary vocalist Micheal Hutchence in 1997 they miraculously returned with the latest "Switch" in 2005.

This 1985 piece of work really rocks, yet with catchy pop songs such as WHAT YOU NEED which became #5 hit and extensily radio-airplayed tracks such as LISTEN LIKE THIEVES, THIS TIME, and KISS THE DIRT. THREE SISTERS is amusing instrumental featuring the image of the wild nature of Australia. SHINE LIKE IT DOES and SAME DIRECTION are fine tracks as well.

Verdict: Fine and rockin' album.
Rating: 89 out of 100
Recommended for: Every Aussie pop fans, 80s pop rock fans. Essential for anyone who listened SWITCH and their greatest hits package. March 18, 2006

 Just good plain rock 'n roll!
I recently rediscovered how much I love this album. It really came back to me after purchasing and watching INXS What You Need: The Video Hits Collection. I had heard of INXS before this album came out back in '85, and actually listened to my cousin's tapes of Shabooh Shoobah and The Swing, but INXS didn't grab me until this album. It's so full of great hooks and melodies! I love good guitar-driven music, and the songs here are excellent examples of this. Michael Hutchence had one of the very best voices in rock music and it shines on these songs. I think INXS on the whole had perfected their game. Their next album, Kick, would be their biggest smash hit and zillion-seller, but I think this is probably still their best album. My favorite tracks are "Shine Like it Does," "This Time" and "Kiss the Dirt." Those songs hooked me from the start and played great all the way through. They still thrill me as much as they did as a high school junior back in '86. Seeing the music videos for "This Time" and "Kiss the Dirt" was great as well.
I definitely think INXS was influenced by the Stones in their ability to write good melodies as well as rock out on songs like "What You Need" and "Listen Like Thieves." Hutchence even cultivated a Jagger swagger. Their guitar riffs are as good as anything by Keith Richards. The sax solos may be very '80s but they work.
Another highlight on this album is the moody instrumental, "Three Sisters," which very much creates mental images of the Australian Outback. An excellent piece of work! February 23, 2006

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