INXS - Elegantly Wasted
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CD Details
Artist: INXSEdition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 1997-04-15
Music Label: Polygram Records
Soundtracks:
- Show Me (Cherry Baby)
- Elegantly Wasted
- Everything
- Don't Lose Your Head
- Searching
- I'm Just A Man
- Girl On Fire
- We Are Thrown Together
- Shake The Tree
- She Is Rising
- Building Bridges
Music reviews of Elegantly Wasted
Music Review: Some New Frontiers, but lacks the "Home Run" Track...
Rating: 3 Stars
When Inxs would complete their 1997 album, "Elegantly Wasted" no one would expect that this would be essentially the final studio album by the Australian Band. This would be due to the fact of Michael Hutchence's suicide that would take place later that year. For Inxs, the past two decades would essentially be a mountain that was climbed. In the 80s, the band would slowly gain momentum - first in Australia and then worldwide. This would culminate with the 1987 blockbuster album entitled "Kick". After "Kick", the band would begin to go into a tailspin commercially. In many ways, by the time Inxs would release "Elegantly Wasted" - many people would be looking for the big commercial bounce back album that would return them to the glory days of the 80s. While "Elegantly Wasted" is a good album, it unfortunately isn't the album that would be that super comeback album. It is a shame, because for a band that had such a distinguished career, it almost seemed like they should have went out with a bang.
One fact that I find amazing about Inxs is that this six member band stuck together from their formation in the late 1970s through Michael Hutchence's untimely death in 1997. During this period, the band would release 10 studio albums, 1 Greatest Hits album, and 1 Live album. This has allowed the band to meld together and grow professionally. Much of this is due to the fact that three band members are brothers: Andrew Farriss (Keyboards), Jon Farriss (Drums), and Tim Farriss (Guitar). The other three members also stuck tightly with the band the whole way. These members include: Michael Hutchence (Lead Vocals), Garry Gary Beers (Bass), and Kirk Pengilly (Guitar and Sax). Hutchence - known for his long hair and theatrical performances in concert often gets the most publicity. But the remaining five members all make major contributions from a musicianship standpoint. Hutchence proves is not just eye candy, he plays a key role in the songwriting. On "Elegantly Wasted" Hutchence writes all of the songs with Andrew.
I think Inxs' musical style can be considered an offshoot of the Punk and New-Wave movements of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Throughout their career in the 1980s and 1990s Inxs still basically stuck with their formula - still keeping to their roots and doing what they do best. The band, always remained opened to trying some new ideas - and "Elegantly Wasted" does demonstrate this.
For the better part the past 15 years, Inxs had worked with two producers - Mark Optiz and Chris Thomas. Opitz produced their 1982 effort "Shabooh Shoobah" that began to launch momentum for the band early in their career. The band's "glory years" would be with Thomas who would produce "Listen Like Thieves", "Kick", and "X". Thomas also would produce two tracks on the 1994 "The Greatest Hits albums". In 1991, the band would turn back to Opitz who would produce the next three albums . Opitz's return would coincide with the band's the commercial tailspin. In a lot of ways, the commercial tailspin was not justified as the band had shown they were capable to keeping some of the critics and close fans happy. Thus in 1997, the band sought to bring in a fresh face as a producer - to help them regain the commercial spark while keeping to the band's high musical standards. They would choose veteran producer Bruce Fairbairn who had worked with AC/DC, Van Halen, Chicago, and Aerosmith. Thus it was Fairbairn's addition that would spark the higher expectations for "Elegantly Wasted".
As mentioned, "Elegantly Wasted" showed the band's ability to try new ideas. The song "Show Me (Cherry Baby)" is a great example of that. Parts of it have almost has a grunge type sound to it. It also has a nice long instrumental intro. At the same time, there are classic Inxs sounds to it. "Everything" is a song that has a very acoustic-like sound to it. Songs like "I'm Just a Man" combine an acoustic sound with some nice electric guitar work - and some trademark Kirk Pengilly saxaphone work. "Searching" has an R&B feel to it - something that really hadn't been seen on an Inxs album before. Perhaps the strongest song on the album is "We are Thrown Together". This song starts off sounding like an older song "Shine Like it Does", but again with some light acoustic. The song then segues into almost a Middle Eastern type of sound - something very unique to the band. The "Shine Like it Does" and Middle Eastern sound will have parts in the song, but ultimately the song settles into a nice groove - particulary on the chorus "Ah, we are lost and found..." "Shake the Tree" has a bit of a country-western like intro before going into an almost funk-like sound. You will also hear a bit of that Middle Eastern sounding guitar in that song. On "She is Rising", Michael does something new - he plays guitars.
There are also some classic sounding Inxs songs. "Don't Lose Your Head" and "Girl on Fire" have that classic sound almost like the Chris Thomas produced early days.
Not all the lyrics are included in the liner notes- only for "Show Me", "Elegantly Wasted", and "Shake the Tree". In a nutshell while there are no bad songs, this collection lacks the "home run" song that has been a staple of previous Inxs efforts. "Kick" and "X" might have had some weak points, but there was a "Never Tear Us Apart" or "The Stairs" that elevated the band to heights they hadn't seen before. There really isn't that track on this collection that does it ("We are Thrown Together" comes close, but no cigar). It still is a good album and will keep Inxs core fans happy. However, I would have liked to see what would have been their last album be something much stronger.
Description of Elegantly Wasted
First release from polish new symphonic/melodic sensation. Every Stratovarius fan will love this band. Shark. 2004.Alternative Rock CDs
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