Midnight Oil

[Powderworks] INXS' new singer

Laura Wolfe Laura Wolfe" <casalobo@lightspeed.net
Sun, 31 Mar 2002 13:52:19 -0800


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I have  to join in with those who support INXS' right to exist with a =
new singer, Jon Stevens.  I thought the band would break up after =
Hutchence's death, but I was pleased to see my old friends with Stevens =
at the Sydney Olympics; they looked and sounded rejuvenated.  Stevens =
seems like a good choice.  Stevens should be able to handle Hutchence's =
vocals, which were distinctive but not unreproducible.  I think another =
great choice for INXS would have been Dale Ryder of Boom Crash Opera.  =
If you like INXS, you should get the first two BCO albums, "Boom Crash =
Opera" (1987) and "These Here Are Crazy Times" (1989).  They were a =
great band for a while there, with two great songwriters (the guitarist =
and bassist) and a singer who was like a supercharged Hutchence (imagine =
MH blended with a younger Steven Tyler).  Finally, although INXS =
eventually became an embarrassment to those of us who loved them in the =
early days, they really were a great band, especially live, from =
1980-1986 or so.  I recommend "Shabooh Shoobah," "The Swing", and =
"Listen Like Thieves."  (1981's "Underneath the Colours" is also =
excellent, if not quite fully formed.)  From "Kick" on, they turned into =
an Americanized hitmaking machine that went nowhere fast.  If =
keyboardist Andrew Farriss has any songs left in him (and I don't know =
if he does), they could still be a viable act.  It all depends what Jon =
Stevens brings to the band besides his voice.

The death or departure of a singer should not necessarily doom a band.  =
The worker who said they should split up since they're not the same band =
is possibly missing something: maybe they could be a slightly different =
band, but still be good.  I for one think Led Zeppelin should have =
continued without John Bonham.  Zep was essentially Page's guitar and =
songwriting with Plant's voice (not to diminish the brilliance of =
Bonzo's drumming).  But they could have found a replacement, just as the =
Who did for Keith Moon (unfortunately, Kenney Jones was the wrong guy =
entirely); did you see/hear them at the MSG benefit for 9/11 with Zak =
Starkey (Ringo's son) on drums?  Phenomenal, with spot-on drumming, like =
Moon but more musically adept.

I'm glad that Stephen Scott mentioned Marillion; most people wrote them =
off when Fish left in 1989, but Steve Hogarth saved the band.  He is a =
vastly superior singer, songwriter, and musician to Fish, and he =
stimulated main writers Steve Rothery and Mark Kelly to their best work =
ever with 1994's "Brave" (which I highly recommend to Oil fans).  They =
are still around and better than ever (check out last year's =
"Anoraknophobia" or next month's live CD, "Anorak in the UK").  And, of =
course, Genesis did quite well, artistically and commercially, when =
Collins took Gabriel's seemingly indispensable place.  They weren't the =
same band, but they were quite similar and still quite good (at least up =
through 1978-80).  Stephen also mentioned Van Halen, another good =
example (although I didn't care for either incarnation, I was in the =
minority).  Deep Purple continued for quite a while with David Coverdale =
as lead singer in yet another "same but different" progression.

So it can be done, but it's got to be done carefully.  The singer always =
has to be different somehow from the original singer, but not shockingly =
so (for example, Hogarth can sing Fish-era Marillion songs beautifully, =
and the same was true of Collins singing Gabriel-era songs).  This was a =
bit of a problem for Coverdale in DP, who couldn't handle Ian Gillan's =
vocal parts to save his life, as he was basically a blues and soul =
singer at heart.  But I think INXS has been away long enough that many =
people are ready to hear from them again.  I look forward to hearing =
their new material, although my expectations are low (avoid =
disappointment, be pleasantly surprised instead).

Bill Wolfe



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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I have&nbsp; to join in with those who =
support=20
INXS' right to exist with a new singer, Jon Stevens.&nbsp; I thought the =
band=20
would break up after Hutchence's death, but I was pleased to see my old =
friends=20
with Stevens at the Sydney Olympics; they looked and sounded =
rejuvenated.&nbsp;=20
Stevens seems like a good choice.&nbsp; Stevens should be able to handle =

Hutchence's vocals, which were distinctive but not unreproducible.&nbsp; =
I think=20
another great choice for INXS would have been Dale Ryder of Boom Crash=20
Opera.&nbsp; If you like INXS, you should get the first two BCO albums, =
"Boom=20
Crash Opera" (1987) and "These Here Are Crazy Times" (1989).&nbsp; They =
were a=20
great band for a while there, with two great songwriters (the guitarist =
and=20
bassist) and a singer who was like a supercharged Hutchence (imagine MH =
blended=20
with a younger Steven Tyler).&nbsp; Finally, although INXS eventually =
became an=20
embarrassment to those of us who loved them in the early days, they =
really were=20
a great band, especially live, from 1980-1986 or so.&nbsp; I recommend =
"Shabooh=20
Shoobah," "The Swing", and "Listen Like Thieves."&nbsp; (1981's =
"Underneath the=20
Colours" is also excellent, if not quite fully formed.)&nbsp; From =
"Kick" on,=20
they turned into an Americanized hitmaking machine that went nowhere =
fast.&nbsp;=20
If keyboardist Andrew Farriss has any songs left in him (and I don't =
know if he=20
does), they could still be a viable act.&nbsp; It all depends what Jon =
Stevens=20
brings to the band besides his voice.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The death or departure of a singer =
should not=20
necessarily doom a band.&nbsp; The worker who said they should split up =
since=20
they're not the same band is possibly missing something: maybe they =
could be a=20
slightly different band, but still be good.&nbsp; I for one think Led =
Zeppelin=20
should have continued without John Bonham.&nbsp; Zep was essentially =
Page's=20
guitar and songwriting with Plant's voice (not to diminish the =
brilliance of=20
Bonzo's drumming).&nbsp; But they could have found a replacement, just =
as the=20
Who did for Keith Moon (unfortunately, Kenney Jones was the wrong guy =
entirely);=20
did you see/hear them at the MSG benefit for 9/11 with Zak Starkey =
(Ringo's son)=20
on drums?&nbsp; Phenomenal, with spot-on drumming, like Moon but more =
musically=20
adept.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I'm glad that Stephen Scott mentioned =
Marillion;=20
most people wrote them off when Fish left in 1989, but Steve Hogarth =
saved the=20
band.&nbsp; He is a vastly superior singer, songwriter, and musician to =
Fish,=20
and he stimulated main writers Steve Rothery and Mark Kelly to their =
best work=20
ever with 1994's "Brave" (which I highly recommend to Oil fans).&nbsp; =
They are=20
still around and better than ever (check out last year's =
"Anoraknophobia" or=20
next month's live CD, "Anorak in the UK").&nbsp; And, of course, Genesis =
did=20
quite well, artistically and commercially, when Collins took Gabriel's =
seemingly=20
indispensable place.&nbsp; They weren't the same band, but they were =
quite=20
similar and still quite good (at least up through 1978-80).&nbsp; =
Stephen also=20
mentioned Van Halen, another good example (although I didn't care for =
either=20
incarnation, I was in the minority).&nbsp; Deep Purple continued for =
quite a=20
while with David Coverdale as lead singer in yet another "same but =
different"=20
progression.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>So it can be done, but it's got to be =
done=20
carefully.&nbsp; The singer always has to be different somehow from the =
original=20
singer, but not shockingly so (for example, Hogarth can sing Fish-era =
Marillion=20
songs beautifully, and the&nbsp;same was true of Collins singing =
Gabriel-era=20
songs).&nbsp; This was a bit of a problem for Coverdale in DP, who =
couldn't=20
handle Ian Gillan's vocal parts to save his life, as he was basically a =
blues=20
and soul singer at heart.&nbsp; But I think INXS has been away long =
enough that=20
many people are ready to hear from them again.&nbsp; I look forward to =
hearing=20
their new material, although my expectations are low (avoid =
disappointment, be=20
pleasantly surprised instead).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Bill Wolfe</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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