What Are You Listening To Right Now?
Dec 8, 2013 at 11:05 AM Post #48,153 of 136,241

INXS

 

Shine Like It Does - The Anthology

(1979-1997) 2CD set

 
 

 

 

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine  [-]

From the vantage of 2001, the year Rhino released the double-disc retrospective Shine Like It Does: The Anthology (1979-1997), it's a little hard to believe that the Australian sextet really rivaled U2 for popularity in 1987/1988, when Kick worked its way to multi-platinum global success. At the time, they belonged next to the likes of U2 and R.E.M., two post-punk legends that worked their way into the mainstream because they were a quintessential college rock band of the '80s, thrillingly balancing style with substance. This, of course, means that they can still sound tied to the times, but that's leavened by their heritage as an Australian rock band -- which means no matter how stylish they got, they could still rock really, really hard.

Unfortunately, at the height of their popularity, they made records that camouflaged their raw talents with synthesized bass and drums, which is what rock bands did in the late '80s. And, throughout their career, INXS did tend to favor the sounds of the time, whether it was the angular new wave of Shabooh Shoobah, the evocative Listen Like Thieves, the Stonesy funk of Kick, or the alt-rock explorations of Welcome to Wherever You Are. This can make Shine Like It Does sound a bit like a music travelogue of its time, especially because its 42 songs do have their fair share of songs that seem like filler, but what stands out when the collection is finished is how damn good INXS was when it all clicked. That could mean such new wave classics as "The One Thing," "Don't Change," or "Original Sin," the college rock staples of "Kiss the Dirt (Falling Down the Mountain)" and "Listen Like Thieves," or such mainstream breakthroughs as "What You Need," "Need You Tonight," "Devil Inside," "New Sensation," "Never Tear Us Apart," "Suicide Blonde," and "Disappear." And it didn't stop there, either, because such latter-day songs as "Heaven Sent," "Not Enough Time," "Beautiful Gir,l" and "Elegantly Wasted" may not have been big hits, but they did hold their own against those hits. All these are here, along with some rarities, album tracks, and quasi-rarities, such as the Jimmy Barnes duet "Good Times" from The Lost Boys soundtrack and a number of remixes and single edits, giving this a reason to spread out over two discs.

The problem is, even though there's more hits than misses, this doesn't quite justify its length for many listeners, even while it makes a convincing case that INXS has more than a disc worth of classics. There's something off in the sequencing or selection, it's hard to tell which, that keeps it from being a knockout. Still, there's something to be said for this collection -- it may not prove that INXS transcends their time like U2 orR.E.M., but it does prove that, at their best, they could turn out some of the best rock & roll of their time.



etysmile.gif

 
 
 
 
 

 
HD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RD6jujG5X9iZs&v=PrZZfaDp02o
 
Dec 8, 2013 at 12:04 PM Post #48,155 of 136,241

The whole Santana Borboletta album is in my foobar playlist atm. A really nice listen I must say. Must pop open a cold one for 100percent enjoyment! 
beerchug.gif
 
 
Dec 8, 2013 at 12:24 PM Post #48,156 of 136,241
Its been far too long!!! Fav track - Top jimmy! YEA. 
 

 
Dec 8, 2013 at 1:13 PM Post #48,157 of 136,241
Randomly chosen by foobar:
 
Guns n' Roses - Patience
AC/DC - Thunderstruck 
John Lennon - In My Life
Queen - I Want to Brake Free
Guns n' Roses - Paradise City 
Jonathan Coulston - Want You Gone (portal 2 ending)
Queen - Don't Stop Me Now
ימות המשיח (כמה טוב לי) דני ליטני - Dani Litani (it's in hebrew, the translation doesn't really sound well)
Queen - Too Much Love Will Kill You
One Note Samba (performed by Jobim), can't understand a word, but I love it
Snakes Everywhere - Zweihander (I hope I'm spelling it right)
What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
 
Dec 8, 2013 at 1:23 PM Post #48,158 of 136,241

 
Dec 8, 2013 at 2:13 PM Post #48,159 of 136,241

 
Wow, after seeing this I immediately ordered the CD. 
eek.gif

 
Dec 8, 2013 at 5:35 PM Post #48,164 of 136,241
Today's listens so far:
 

 

 

 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top