The Internet Swallowed INXS. Can a Movie Rescue Its Legacy?

The Vinyl Gen vs. Cassette Gen As far as everyone's personal Rock & Roll Pantheon goes, I think INXS's placement kinda depends on when your tastes came-of-age. For myself, it was the 70's, when (mostly) British rock ruled; Zep, Purple, TYA, Blind Faith, Floyd, Bowie, et al. I (was young enough) to continue to evolve musically with New Wave, grooving to Talking Heads, Devo, DM, New Order, Simple Minds, Blondie & The Cars. To my ilk, much of that MTV-era rock, with its emphasis on slick production (to go with the slick visuals), were regarded as poseurs/wannabes. [U2 was the exception - busting through the sheen with utter authenticity.] INXS certainly had catchy riffs, polish & rock-star magnetism, but paled if your music-references (& record collection) favored late 60s/early 70s classic rock. Music tastes, they say, are largely formed in your late teens/early 20s. To the query; Who's your favorite band/artist? There is no wrong answer!

I loved INXS when I was a high school freshman in 1987. I still contend 1992’s “Welcome to Wherever You Are” was woefully underrated. However, they were already failing to stay relevant in the early 90s — they were stars when MTV was a video channel, and that was changing. Grunge was surging, and INXS was too pop (although one can draw similarities between Kurt Cobain and Michael Hutchence). I don’t know if it was six different sets of creative interests, or a result of Hutch’s injuries, or maybe just time for new sounds. Whatever it was, INXS wasn’t keeping pace with the changing music industry long before Napster ever came on the scene. INXS was the epitome of the 80s, and the 80s were over.

INXS was my favorite band, bar none. Looking back is bittersweet. I felt bad when I heard that Michael had been assaulted and he was suffering permanent affects from it. I was shocked and saddened when I heard of his death. I was elated when the band decided to seek out a new front man and try to continue, and I even zeroed-in on the three who would make the final cut from the very first show! (My wife can attest that I also correctly identified the winner during the second episode.) And that brought a whole new level of sad; I felt sad for Michael's fans, friends and family, who took the band's move to continue as a betrayal. I felt bad for the talented J.D. Fortune, who took the brunt of the backlash despite his love of the band and reverence for Michael's legacy. It's hard to understand why we cannot simply come together and celebrate the flash of brilliance that was, and IS, INXS in all its forms, and the great music that still inspires and fills hearts, minds and dance floors.

Oh dear, INXS. They were great because Michael Hutchence was a complete and utter rock star. It oozed from every pore. Andrew Farris wrote brilliant radio tunes....but oh Michael, Michael was the reason they were great. If you saw any of their concerts the other boys were boring old backup chaps, each one could have been replaced and we would have been none the wiser. Let’s be honest here....INXS really was, is and always be Michael.

I saw them in 1986 as they rocked Shea's Theater in Buffalo, NY. We danced so much that the balcony was bouncing up and down. Its movement caught Michael's attention, and he motioned to the other band members about it. It was an intoxicating experience to dance that night away! Michael's voice was gorgeous, and the music has under-appreciated layers and continues to be in my playlists. "Resolution of happiness things have been dark for too long"

They were a fun/catchy pop band. I feel terrible writing this, but I honestly don’t understand why The NY Times would cover this. Kudos to production company publicist.

I'm not sure that "Guns in the Sky" was as anti-Nukes as it was anti-SDI, the program promoted by Ronald Reagan meant to laser-blast ICBMs star-wars style.

I saw INXS as a young guy growing up in Australia, my late teens and early twenties backed by their soundtrack. Michael Hutchence is still, by far, the most charismatic, enigmatic and enthralling performer I've ever seen, many many gigs later. Even back then you could tell he was special, not like anyone else. Take the time to watch Mystify, you'll realise what a tragedy began to unfold in a Paris backstreet.

INXS was a huge part of my teenage years and still love the band too today. Their concert at MSG with the soup dragons was a memory I keep forever. I feel many of the 80s bands are having a resurgence as of late. I look forward to finally seeing mystify and the concert video. I often wonder if Michael hasn’t died where would the band be today

I was in college at the University of CT during INXS's peak years and their music was as ubiquitous as U2 and R.E.M., the other two biggest "alternative" bands of the era. They played an intimate theatre show at UConn the week before Kick was released, and I scored some second-row tickets from a friend who couldn't go. They were fantastic and also great musicians. Hutchence was a brilliant frontman and the band itself was super tight. Their music may not have been challenging in the vein of a critic's darling like Patti Smith but their tunes hold up way better.

I wish them well, but they were basically a talented but lightweight pop band. The songs are catchy, but lyrically shallow; you enjoy listening to them but none of them will ever speak to your soul.

I might be in the minority here. I was a huge music consumer during the time of INXS's reign -- and music from that era continues to be some of my favorite music -- I never liked them. Although I recognize their talent, their music never struck me as being honest or sincere. Everything was too slick and over-produced and hermetically sealed. Despite how great Hutchence's voice was, I never believed a word he sang. (If you want to hear the best music from that era, check out Prefab Sprout -- especially the album Steve McQueen -- a group that, although was always critically lauded, never managed to have commercial success.)

someone should make a movie about Afghanistan and feature an Inxs song. it might work.

It's cool that people want to remember INXS and Hutchence, but I don't think anyone needs Rob Thomas's instructions as to who to remember from the 1980s. INXS was a good band in their moment, but that's pretty much all they were. (But if they do gain a whole new audience now despite my skepticism, then good for them.)

INXS was my first concert - I think it was in 1987. Their early albums Shabooh Shabbah, The Swing and Listen Like Thieves were so good. Hutchence was such a compelling performer.

Catchy, fun, tunes. Great music videos. I'm of the opinion that the 80s were the last decent decade of popular music so I'm biased, but I ski, bike, hike with an 80s playlist that always includes INXS. Looking forward to the movie.

I'm thrilled this film is getting made. For people of a certain age, INXS was the perfect band that crossed-over gender lines and musical genres. Hard-driving enough to satisfy my male teen-angst but melodic enough to soundtrack to weepy sessions about lost girlfriends. I always felt like the 80s and 90s didn't feature enough driven, male leads combined with catchy hooks (other than maybe Bono from the pre-Rattle and Hum era). I still like to stream the videos because the music holds up great and INXS was such a visual band that they compliment the entire experience. Rock on, boys.

Kick is one of the best albums ever made. I played that over and over. Michael Hutchence was amazing.

When asked what performer, alive or dead, I would most want to see, my answer is always Michael Hutchence. Looking forward to seeing this!