- Superb sound throughout with each side earning a sonic grade of Double Plus (A++) – exceptionally quiet vinyl too
- The Big Rock sound is courtesy of Chris Thomas’ production – if you know his work, you know this sound
- AMG: “INXS completes its transition into an excellent rock & roll singles band with this album.”
- “…with Thomas they “forge an unlikely union between the sonic extremism of Led Zeppelin-style crunch rock and the step-lively beat of disco” such that the album “rocks with passion and seals the deal with a backbeat that’ll blackmail your feet.”
Top Artists – INXS
INXS – Kick
- INXS’s one true Masterpiece album comes to the site with two KILLER sides each rating a Triple Plus (A+++) or close to it – exceptionally quiet vinyl too
- Surprisingly rich and full-bodied, the best copies really ROCK with big bass and punchy drums.
- The Big Rock sound is courtesy of Chris Thomas’ production and Bob Clearmountain’s mix
- “Kick is an impeccably crafted pop tour de force, the band succeeding at everything they try. Every track has at least a subtly different feel from what came before it; INXS freely incorporates tense guitar riffs, rock & roll anthems, swing-tinged pop/rock, string-laden balladry, danceable pop-funk, horn-driven ’60s soul, ’80s R&B, and even a bit of the new wave-ish sound they’d started out with.”
For a recording from 1987 there is a surprising amount of rich, Tubey Magical Analog sound to be found here.
There is almost always a trace of hardness in the loudest vocal parts; that’s where the 1987 recording technology raises its head, but the better copies such as this one keep it to a bare minimum.
The copies that were the richest and had the biggest bottom end, without being smeary or dark from a lack of top tended to do the best in our shootout. The copies that lacked weight or lower midrange fullness were most often rejected; rhythmically driven Funk Rock simply doesn’t work without plenty of richness and bass. (more…)