This Week's Forgotten Gem of the '80s - INXS' "This Time"

Back when this Australian former bar band was still a guitar rock outfit instead of the dance-inflected showcase for Michael Hutchence that it became, this excellent mid-tempo track represented the group at its best. Boasting a potent mixture of guitars and a light layer of post-new wave keyboards, the arrangement allows plenty of room for Hutchence's deliberate but sultry style to dominate tastefully. I was never a big fan of INXS' smash 1987 release Kick, as I felt the album's slickness and shameless appeal for pop music airplay cheapened the blue-collar appeal of the band's early years. And although 1985's Listen Like Thieves was far from a cutting-edge rock record, it certainly sounded far more organic than its grossly popular follow-up, which somehow racked up four Top 10 hits. Meanwhile, classic INXS tunes like "This Time" and "Don't Change" languished on the pop charts, neither able to crack the Top 80, believe it or not. I know this weekly feature is not the only place for this group's best songs to get their due, but it's a good opportunity to create exposure for some fine, underrated '80s music.

• Sample or download "This Time" here.
• Compare prices on INXS CDs here.
• Official Michael Hutchence Memorial Website

Album Cover Image Courtesy of Atlantic/WEA