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A defining album of the 80s, ‘Kick’ alchemized INXS’s key influences into a highly original pop-rock hybrid.

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After their breakout hit “What You Need” smashed into the US Top 5 early in 1986, INXS ’s slow but steady rise to global stardom intensified. On the back of the single’s success, their fifth album, Listen Like Thieves , went double Platinum in the US and set the stage for the band’s promotion to rock’s big leagues with 1987’s Kick , released on October 19 that year.

Listen to Kick on Apple Music and Spotify .

Complacency, however, wasn’t an option for the hard-working Australian sextet as they began crafting their magnum opus. Indeed, while they embarked on the album sessions on a high following acclaimed US and UK jaunts, and the Australian Made tour, which straddled December 1986 and January ’87, the band was unanimous in the belief that their new material simply had to better than Listen Like Thieves . As guitarist and saxophonist Kirk Pengilly informed DJ and broadcaster Ian “Molly” Meldrum, INXS were striving for “an album where all the songs were possible singles.”

To achieve this aim, the band reconvened with Listen Like Thieves producer Chris Thomas. Having previously helmed acclaimed titles by The Pretenders, not to mention Sex Pistols’ infamous Never Mind The Bollocks… Here’s The Sex Pistols , Thomas’ crisp, efficient studio technique ensured he remained in demand. Yet while the producer was aware that INXS’s star was firmly in the ascendant, he later told band biographer Anthony Bozza that he felt “they didn’t have the right songs yet” when the Kick sessions began in Sydney.

Accordingly, primary songwriters Michael Hutchence and Andrew Farriss flew out to Hong Kong for an intensive two-week songwriting session. Inspired by the sojourn, the pair returned with a handful of promising demo tapes, including basic versions of several of the future album’s key tracks, among them the driving, anthemic “Kick,” “Calling All Nations” and “Need You Tonight.”

Certain they now had the goods, Chris Thomas and the band headed to France for further sessions in Paris, where they completed the newly-christened Kick . Their gut instinct was correct, for the new record took elements of all INXS’s key influences – anthemic, Rolling Stones raunch, Gang Of Four-esque angularity, and the cutting-edge sounds of the contemporary dancefloor – and seamlessly blended them into a compelling and highly original pop-rock hybrid that would thrust the band into the heart of the mainstream.

Yet, while group and producer alike were convinced they were sitting on a classic, INXS’s US label Atlantic initially failed to see Kick ’s potential. In fact, it was only after the sleek, sensual “Need You Tonight” proved a hit on US campus radio, and its infectious follow-up, “Devil Inside,” crossed over onto classic rock playlists, that Atlantic relented and released Kick in October 1987.

The critical acclaim Kick attracted on release (with UK monthly Q ’s four-star review memorably referencing “Hutchence’s knowing, Jagger-esque vocal swagger”) demonstrated that INXS and Chris Thomas’ confidence was entirely justified, and the band converted new fans in droves. The confident “New Sensation” and classy, strings-and-sax-enhanced ballad “Never Tear Us Apart” followed “Devil Inside” and the seductive, chart-topping “Need You Tonight” into the US Top 10, while Kick proved a global smash, topping the Australian Charts and peaking at No. 3 during a consecutive 79-week run on the Billboard 200 which eventually yielded US sales of over four million.

Keen to keep the ball rolling, INXS embarked on an extensive 16-month tour which saw them packing out arenas in North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia through October 1988. The itinerary included a brace of highly-acclaimed shows at New York City’s famous Radio City Music Hall and an emotional three-night homecoming at the band’s native Perth Entertainment Centre during the final leg in Australia. By the tour’s end, INXS was regularly performing all of Kick ’s 12 songs and the group was widely recognized as one of the biggest bands on the planet.

“I think what makes the Kick album so dynamic is that we weren’t so much interested in what everybody else was doing as on what we wanted to do,” Andrew Farriss said in 2017, reflecting on the album’s longevity. “Michael and I were extremely focused as songwriters, and the band was very intent on making a series of recordings that we could be passionate about. It was really an incredible experience.”

Kick can be bought here .

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Best New Reissue

By Alfred Soto

December 1, 2017

INXS recorded albums made for communal euphoria. With thick bottoms and light funk filigrees, their songs fit all the needs of 1980s pop radio, but it was singer Michael Hutchence who distinguished the Australian sextet from Duran Duran . Simon Le Bon could sing about unions of the snake but not shout, “I’ll take you where you really need to be” as INXS’ hit “What You Need” did. The lead single from 1985’s Listen Like Thieves inaugurated a five-year period during which they were as inescapable on radio and MTV as Whitney Houston , George Michael , and U2 . Hutchence’s suicide in 1997 has lent this era a beguiling glow: for a while, INXS earned the right to act as if they were a new sensation, a shimmering novelty instead of vets six albums into a career.

If time has proven Listen Like Thieves a superior album, the 30th-anniversary edition of Kick makes clear why the six-times platinum release is better remembered. Thanks to Chris Thomas’ sumptuous production, miraculously free of the ’80s’ production stereotypes that scolds like to claim are “dated,” Kick fulfills the title’s promise. Besides, Listen Like Thieves didn’t have “Need You Tonight” and a trio of follow-up singles that kept Kick in the Top 30 for close to a year. By the time the album/tour cycle expired, INXS were one of the world’s most popular concert draws, competing with U2, especially in South America (where they remain, according to conversations with my students, as beloved and canonical as U2).

Meanwhile, one thing hasn’t changed: Kick sounds fucking great blasting from the car. This edition makes the point rather too sumptuously: a three-CD/one Blu-ray set, including a Dolby surround-sound version of the original release and a welter of previously available demos and 7” and 12” mixes. In case you don’t need the Kookaburra Mix of “Guns in the Sky” as much as I do, starting with “Need You Tonight” is a good idea. Before it hit No. 1 in January 1988, INXS’ biggest American hit sounded like a classic upon its release, and like many such miracles, its simplicity was the key. Guitarist-keyboardist Andrew Farriss, co-writer of many of the band’s hits, claimed that “Need You Tonight” came to him while waiting for a cab to pick him up at the airport; when he got to Hong Kong, he and Hutchence finished the lyrics.

What you hear is a beefed up demo: Farriss’ drum part recorded on a Roland 707 drum machine, keyboard bass, and that riff—maybe the most recognizable opening three notes of the late ’80s. Huffing, whispering, leaping into falsetto, and squealing, Hutchence turned in a performance that was a karaoke version of itself. When Bonnie Raitt covered it in 2016, she didn’t even try to compete; she didn’t have to. All “Need You Tonight” requires is a performer who understands the folly of outsinging the groove. In video form, “Need You Tonight” segued into the nonsensical “Mediate,” during which Hutchence and an obviously hungover band, imitating Bob Dylan in the iconic clip of “Subterranean Homesick Blues” but fabulous in leather, dropped title cards.

The other three singles aren’t so much advancements as refinements. Over a rippling guitar line that showed how much INXS had heard from their former producer Nile Rodgers , “New Sensation” shows Hutchence in the declamatory mode that best suited him, with Thomas isolating instrumental elements every time the chorus swings around: a sax bleat, a terse guitar interjection, synth horns; it’s “Original Sin” recast as a plea for world domination. “Devil Inside” is even better: Elton John ’s “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting ” with bull’s blood in its veins. The fourth single, released as Kick ’s promotional cycle wound down, was the first to peak outside the American top five, but ask anyone born after 1985 and “Never Tear Us Apart” will be the INXS song they know. This ballad, anchored by keyboard strings, is rather blowzy—Hutchence can do the grand manner, but he’s too intense, as if still in that declamatory “Need You Tonight” mode. But millions of fans of Donnie Darko: The Director’s Cut disagree, and so did the band: “Never Tear Us Apart” blasted as Hutchence’s coffin was carried out of St. Andrews Cathedral in 1997.

If no one has tried reclaiming Kick as classic, blame the album tracks, which are vestigial at best. “The Loved One” is the band embarrassing themselves with Steve Winwood yuppie blooze. “Calling All Nations” and “Wild Life” boast identical dueling guitar parts, one of which is tuned to “shred.” For a while, though, INXS had enough concentration to cough up a reasonable facsimile like 1990’s X ; the top ten single “Disappear” boasts Hutchence’s most convincing show of soul. As they entered the 90s, the band’s steady commercial decline mirrored Hutchence’s personal decline: drugs and a taste for violence led to desultory albums like 1993’s Full Moon, Dirty Hearts , in which Farriss can’t hide his distaste for the pseudo-grunge material he forced himself to write. Hutchence’s death forestalled an ignominious fade.

Enough of that. Releasing a collection as overstuffed as Kick: 30th Deluxe Edition in 2017 hearkens back to the opulence of the INXS era itself; to ask whether the album deserves the incense is beside the point. I’m sure U2, obsessed with significance, will get similar treatment. But Kick ’s slithery grooves are at least a match for The Joshua Tree ’s hymns, and, as the live versions of “Mediate” and “Never Tear Us Apart” included therein attest, INXS at their peak summoned a grandeur no less numinous for being sex-drenched. At this stage in their careers, INXS were more authentic about their lightness than U2 were about their meaningfulness. After all, Bono, a chum of Hutchence’s, also wrote about the devil inside; Michael Hutchence sang as if he’d confronted him—and liked the cut of his jib. The devil was himself.

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1988 Chronology

Research by Karsten Roekens and Scott M, plus contributors…

'International Musician and Recording World' magazine - PiL interview.

' Rolling Stone' belatedly review 'Happy?'.

MARCH 1 - 31

PiL play 22 stadium and arena dates in the USA supporting INXS on their 'Kick' world tour (see Gig List for full dates). They are offered the tour at the last minute. Several reports claim they blow INXS off stage at many of the gigs…

A newspaper review of the opening night at New York, Music Hall states: "John Lydon was fantastic. One of the most under-estimated British talents… And his band were brilliant, tight, punchy, INXS on the other hand, were disappointing."

Martin Atkins celebrates the founding of his new record label Invisible Records with a launch party at The Roxy, New Brunswick, New Jersey. The first release of the label will be a compilation album housed in a printed shopping-bag, titled 'What You Can't See Won't Hurt You."

Around this time Atkins is also running a construction company and – apart from appearing on the self-titled debut album by Lunar Bear Ensemble – remains inactive during most of the year: "I actually stopped playing my drums, I was fairly disillusioned with the whole thing." In 1989 Atkins and Invisible Records move to Chicago and reinvent themselves.

FM Tokyo, Japan, broadcast PiL's gig at the Shibuya Kokaido, Japan 10th December 1987.

Keith Levene releases the 12" EP 'Keith Levene's Violent Opposition' (see Levene discography for full info).

ITV, Night Network, 'Video View'. John Lydon is a guest reviewer. Photographer Dennis Morris is also on the panel.

Omnibus Press publish the book 'Johnny Rotten In His Own Words' by Dave Thomas. It consists of a variety of interview quotes of Lydon from 1976-86.

JULY OR AUGUST

PiL fly to New York to record a new album with producer Bill Laswell. Three weeks of studio time are booked, but after one week proceedings come to a premature halt. Lydon: "Laswell said the band couldn't play and he hated all our songs, so I told him where to go... He said he'd written songs and I should sack the band and use his people, and come out with a U2 type product."

At least four songs are recorded with Laswell; 'Happy', 'Warrior','Worry' & 'Sweet Talk' (which might have been an early version of 'Like That'). Laswell later commented in 1989: "I thought he should make a strong rock album" and dismisses the final product as, "a bad disco album".

PiL take the Laswell tapes to Sanctuary Sound in New York and spend a few days with engineer Bruce Miller reworking the songs and adding different overdubs. Bruce Miller: "At one point I turned to John and asked him how he liked the bass. He looked me dead in the eyes and said 'It needed more green." I asked him 'Lime green or puke green?' and he smiled and said 'You're all right' (or something similar) and we went back to work."

PiL try to complete the album with New York producer Jason Corsaro. Just by chance they even end up doing a session with reggae producer Scientist, but in the end the recordings are abandoned, with Virgin insisting on a more "hip" producer... The band return to England $80,000 in debt! Lu Edmonds: "John was absolutely livid!

Rock Summer Festival - Tallinn, Lauluväljak, Estonia (USSR) PiL headline the first day of the Rock Summer Festival in Tallinn, Estonia playing to over 120,000 people! This was no ordinary rock festival or venue by any means… Organised by Juri Makarov, 'Glasnost Rock 88' was the biggest ever rock festival played behind the Iron Curtain. The "Lauluväljak" venue is a massive coral, concrete 'Song Stage' where traditionally a choir of up to 15,000 would sing from!

At the time the "Soviet Socialist Republic of Estonia" was still part of the USSR, and Public Image Ltd records, along with the Sex Pistols, were officially blacklisted by the authorities. However, somewhat surprisingly, Kremlin chiefs largely turned a blind eye to the event. Partly due to the festival organisers policy of inviting bands from outside the USSR as late as possible.

PiL are under no illusion that they have pulled the wool over anyone's eyes, and just prior to the show they freely admitted they knew very little about Estonia. However, John Lydon is so overwhelmed by the day's events, the people they encountered, and the crowd's reaction, he comments that he considers it PiL's "Major achievement so far… " Fittingly, the band play 'Holidays in the Sun' in their set.

The show was broadcast live on FM radio by Finish Radio One; which was later released as a bootleg CD called ' Holidays in Estonia '.

BBC 2, DEF II, 'That was Then, This is Now'. Special 30 mins retrospective interview with John Lydon. This is one of the first British TV interviews where he talks openly about his personal life and the Pistols.

SEPTEMBER 4

Rock Festival '88 - Athens, Pedion Tou Areos, Greece. PiL are set to headline the first day of a free rock festival in an Athens park. However, crowd trouble – which appears to have been pre-organised – prior to their set forces the cancellation of the show. One of the opening acts, The Triffids, had their set cut short due to bottle throwing, and it wasn't long before things got completely out of control.

By the time PiL arrive there are people all over the stage and backstage area. Graham Lee of The Triffids remembers that PiL "took one look at the farcical security arrangements and would not play." The crowd eventually sets fire to the stage, and the riots go on through the night. Many people are injured. Police have to use tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd! The second day is also cancelled.

SEPTEMBER 5

PiL stage a press conference at their hotel to explain their non-appearance at the Athens festival the previous day. The band categorically state they will not play to crowds throwing bottles; after John McGeoch has hit in the face in Vienna 1986 and received 40 stitches.

Keith Levene releases the 3" CD single 'If Six Was 9' by (see Levene discography for full info).

SEPTEMBER 17

' Sounds ' - PiL interview and Estonia feature. Reporter Mat snow comments: "After the gig, John is trying to find something to say to match the significance of the event we've all just gone through. The themes he's been harping on about ever since the Pistols collapsed and he started PiL a decade ago seem more pertinent than ever, but no better defined - freedom, individuality, anti-authoritarianism, personal choices, honesty…"

"The show is a blinder. Every single band member, including John Lydon, reckon it was their finest hour."

' Melody Maker ' - PiL interview and Estonia feature. Part 1. The paper also includes details of the Athens riot.

SEPTEMBER 24

' Melody Maker ' - PiL interview and Estonia feature. Part 2.

Unfortunately, Lu Edmonds leaves PiL due to hearing problems. After the Estonia gig – which would be his last with PiL – Lu had suffered some tinnitus (ringing in the ears); which quickly developed into a serious problem. The tinnitus is so bad it forces him to quit the band and retire for several years.

The band are gutted that Lu has been forced to leave and the door is left open that if he manages to recover he can rejoin. Although he does not appear on the next PiL studio album Lu is fully credited as a co-writer.

Jah Wobble at Square Studios in Brussels, guesting on Niki Mono's 'Dauda And The Crow' EP.

It is reported in the music press that one of the biggest booking agencies in the USA has offered $12,000,000 for a Sex Pistols reunion tour.

With his band Brian Brain going nowhere, Martin Atkins joins Killing Joke, who have just released their 'Outside The Gate' album. Atkins: "They got my phone number through a mutual friend in London when they needed a drummer and called me up...The first thing that I said when I arrived in London and Jaz and Geordie asked me if I had listened to 'Outside The Gate' was, "No, I heard the first three songs and threw the CD out of the window. It's crap!" They were shocked." After making sure that the band return to a more aggressive style Atkins plays his first gig with Killing Joke on 17th December, touring with them for pretty much the rest of 1989.

(Family tree trivia: their bassist Dave Ball later teams up with PiL guitarist Ted Chau in Philipp Boa & The Voodoo Club)

' Deadline ' magazine - Jah Wobble interview.

PiL begin to record their new studio album – without Lu Edmonds – at The Manor, Advision Studios, then Comforts Place, Lingfield, Surrey.

DECEMBER 21

PanAM 103 flight from Heathrow to New York explodes over Lockerbie, Scotland in December 1988 killing nearly 300 people. Years after the tragedy John Lydon reveals that he and wife Nora were booked onto the flight and only missed it because they were running late...

The track 'USLS 1' which later appeared on PiL's '9' album was inspired by the events around Lockerbie...

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