INXS apparently played to an audience of one some twelve-or-so years ago in Perth. Earlier this year they played to a 73,000-strong capacity audience at London's Wembley Stadium. That's quite a progression. Now, in celebration of the band's climb to the top of the world's charts, they've released a live album and a video of the same name to go with it. However, whilst the video was shot exclusively at the Wembley show the album has been culled from many INXS concerts over the years, and features 16 songs recorded in 15 different cities from around the globe. On top of all that, the current single, "Shining Star," a studio track which was virtually recorded live, is included as a bonus cut. So, there's plenty to keep you interested.
The whole shenanigan kicks off with a booming version of "New Sensation," one of the band's best, and best known, songs. This song sets the scene perfectly; you could be in the front row at Wembley, except you don't have to put up with the manic crush that a crowd of 73,000 people behind you implies; and if you do fancy that drink or visit to the WC, you don't have to worry about pushing your way through a crowd of angry faces, nor a half hour walk!
Once the scene is set, the album seems to continue at breakneck speed, as hit after hit are piled forcefully upon one another. Even if they aren't hits, they sound like they are, like "Guns in the Sky" the opener from the multi-platinum Kick album, which wasn't even a single, but it sounds like it was, as most fans will be very familiar with it and it would have been a massive hit had the band released it!
Add to this recent singles such as "Mystify," "Need You Tonight," and "By My Side," plus older songs such as "The One Thing," and the album becomes basically an edited highlights of the live show, covering the band's history to date, but concentrating slightly more on the more recent and more internationally successful years.
Production on the album has been handled by long-term collaborator Mark Opitz and the band themselves, and they have done a good job in trying to capture the spontaneity and excitement of the shows, with audience applause and Hutchence's utterances to the crowd being used frequently and to good effect. With two of perhaps their strongest songs "Suicide Blonde" and the epic "Never Tear Us Apart" held back towards the close, the album finishes on a good note as well. And with the additional bonus of a free mini tour programme, Live Baby Live is well worth checking out!
Grade B+
Nick Douglas
Riff Raff
January 1992
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