Welcome to Wherever You Are

by

INXS

Edit

I bought this album ages ago, fell in love with it, then forgot about it for a few years! I recently went through my music collection, found it again, only to be disappointed that the disc was so scratched from being overplayed. I bought it again. By far the best INXS album. Yes, there were many 80's classics, but they were all spread out on different albums. This one has a unique flow, with a few classics:

Not Enough Time

Communication

Taste It

Baby Don't Cry

Beautiful Girl

Highy recommended. I have to agree with another reviewer who said this was "criminally overlooked."

Cut in 1992 this one qualifies as a vault recording, it isn't timeless, it isn't destined to be a classic. INXS, from Australia, hit all the right buttons in the late 80's and petered and fizzled out into the 90's.

The album packaging did prove that over the years the band did learn how to all dress like each other in snazzy matching outfits for photo shoots.

"Welcome to Wherever You Are," was the Fixx making "Ink," the Cars making "Door to Door," Van Halen doing "Van Halen III," you know...the beginning of the end. "Welcome to Wherever You Are," granted has enough listenable material that you won't immediately go out running to your local Hastings to try to sell it dirt cheap or stick it in the pile of garage sale recordings right next to worn copies of Air Supply, Barry Manilow, and Bread. INXS became commercial...they were tainted by success. Maybe that was more than lead singer Michael Hutchence bargained for. Fame can be a daunting thing. Commercialism alone doesn't make a band start to pump out uninspired drivel but if heads aren't on right it can lead to it. Though the collective musicians of INXS seem to be talented enough that "Welcome To Wherever You Are," doesn't delve to the drivel level. Nevertheless the band members picked up the road signs, mapped it out on Mapquest, and yep with this CD they were heading to drivel city, USA.

The album starts out interestingly enough with a Sitar-singed, "Questions." Follows it up with some hit top-40 radio play ditties in "Heaven Sent," "Taste It," and "Not Enough Time." But by the time they reach the big horns bouncy, "Baby Don't Cry," all inspiration has ran dry. "Wishing Well," has an interesting bass line, but the rest of the album is same 'ole same 'ole.

Look elsewhere if you are starting out with INXS. Shaboo Shabah or Kick might be good places to start. The band did make some good music, unfortunately too little of it can be found on "Welcome to Wherever You Are."

--MMW