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Welcome to Wherever You Are

INXS - Welcome to Wherever You Are Audio CD

A fair review of the INXS "Welcome to Wherever You Are" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all INXS reviews here, or go back to the INXS tabs.

Band: INXS
Title: Welcome to Wherever You Are
Rating:

Release Date: 1992-08-04
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Questions 2: Heaven Sent 3: Communication 4: Taste It 5: Not Enough Time 6: All Around 7: Baby Don't Cry 8: Beautiful Girl 9: Wishing Well 10: Back on Line 11: Strange Desire 12: Men and Women

One of INXS best...
Recently I decided to collect more INXS CDs, this being one of them. While I have been a fan of this band since the late 80's, since Kick of course, I only owned Kick and X which are both great CDs. This CD is awesome! Why didn't I get it sooner? It is full of good songs, my favorites being Beautiful Girl, which is a lovely song in itself, All Around, Taste It and I really like the opener, Questions. All the songs are good though, this entire CD is listenable, good for playing in the background or in the car. There are familiar INXS sounds and some newer sounds like ones heard in Questions, which is a brief song but it just sounds so cool. People have said that INXS dropped off after X and even Kick, I disagree. This CD is great, I would highly recommend for any INXS fan. Maybe it didn't sell as well as the others but who cares? This is good music! I think so anyway. Lots of guitars, but some softer sounds too, there is even some symphony music, it's great.

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

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.

heaven sent
So, I suppose it's entirely possible that my infatuation with it could be explained by this (like the whole maternal imprinting idea). I was struck by how many of the reviewers before me felt the same way I do about this album: it rocks! This is actually one of the first rock albums I ever heard (I was 9 at the time). I tend to think not, though, since I was also forced to listen to a lot of michael jackson at the time, and now I recoil every time I hear, see, or read about him.

Anyway, this album was very well done, from the writing to the performance and production. The music overflows with creative ideas from the eastern feel on "questions" to the brass on "baby don't cry", and the hints of latin on "strange desire". Additionally, INXS have perfected their original style on this album. The grooves are infectious; if you're not going crazy dancing or singing along to the music, you're without a doubt tapping your feet. Of course I need to say my bit about Michael's vocals. They're irresistable! His voice simply exudes cool on this album. Every time I listen to it I go through a short Michael-envy phase. Without a doubt, the other members' passionate performances are also critical to the essence of the album. This is a brilliant piece of music that should not be overlooked.

Welcome To Wherever You Are

The album is very solid. Welcome To Wherever You Are received critical praise and acclaim prior to its worldwide release in 1992, and the album debuted at #1 in Britain. It's a brash and daring step beyond the attractive, upbeat formula of Listen Like Thieves and Kick.
Welcome is very adventurous. It is sometimes boisterous, other times inherently erotic, often even lovely.
Questions and Heaven Sent kick off the album, and lead into Communication, one of their best songs yet.
Not Enough Time and Baby Don't Cry are both wonderful, and
All Around really rocks.
Then there's also Strange Desire, and Taste It - a couple more of my favorites.
Taste It was inspired by a freak accident that caused Michael Hutchence to lose his ability to taste.
Beautiful Girl is very beautiful -- one of their prettiest songs ever recorded.

Lead vocalist Michael Hutchence (1960-1997) did have many friends in the music industry -- including U2's Paul "BONO" Hewson. Bono actually recorded some vocals to help complete the Michael Hutchence solo album, and since Michael's death, Bono has dedicated many of his live performances to the memory of his friend, Michael Hutchence.

Rest In Peace, Michael.

Very Underrated CD by A Great Band
Some people can't get over comparing them to U2, which is a shame. This is a great CD by a very underated band. Questions has to be one of the most unique beginnings to a CD with it's "Australian" instrumental beginning. Heaven Sent simply rocks out and should have been released in the US as a single. Not Enough Time is simply soulful and a song many of us can relate with. All Around is another great rocker, and the rest of the CD is simply a great listen. There are those who wish to discredit INXS and reduce what they were and are to two or three "bashing" sentences. If you like this band, get this album. You already know better, unlike some of our "amateur rock critics" who reviwed this CD. If only some of these critics could accomplish half of what bands like INXS did. Oh well, we can listen to great music by a great band, and they can keep dreaming. . . . and wishing. . . . . and hoping. . . . . if only they could make music half as good as INXS. Folks, get this one and you won't be disappointed.

You can see a complete list of all INXS discography, or go back to the INXS tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.