INXS ascended to world dominance with 1987’s Kick, however the Australian band’s path to glory was paved by their prior album, 1985’s Pay attention Like Thieves. They’re commemorating that breakthrough LP with a fortieth anniversary reissue this spring, and as is customary, it’s full of beforehand unreleased tracks.
The Pay attention Like Thieves reissue is out in Might by way of Rhino. Along with a brand new stereo combine from Giles Martin and Paul Hicks, the bonus materials consists of beforehand unreleased outtakes and studio demos, a just lately found BBC recording of Reside From The Royal Albert Corridor, London 1986, a model new Dolby Atmos combine, and sturdy new liner notes together with an interview with INXS by journalist Paul Sexton.
Michael Hutchence and his bandmates recorded Pay attention Like Thieves in London with producer Chris Thomas, who’d been an engineer on the Beatles’ White Album and labored with stars like Pink Floyd and the Pretenders. It was the start of an extended working relationship between Thomas and INXS, spinning off the band’s largest US hit up to now in “What You Want.” As my colleague Tom Breihan wrote in his Quantity Ones column on “Want You Tonight” from Kick, “Pay attention Like Thieves was a tough, brittle plastic-soul album, and it sounded one thing like Duran Duran taking part in Younger People. This, it turned out, was what INXS wanted to be doing.”
The band’s Andrew Farriss elaborates in a press launch:
Chris Thomas was one of the crucial gifted and thrilling producers we ever had the privilege to work with. From the second we met, there was little doubt he would convey a brand new dynamic to our music, his drive and willpower helped Michael and I ship a smash hit in “What You Want.” 40 years on, Giles and Paul captured the unique uncooked power we felt after we first recorded the album and created a sonic depth to present the document a wholly new dimension that we couldn’t be prouder of.
Under, try the tracklist for the 3CD + 1LP model of the reissue.
LP + CD1: Pay attention Like Thieves (2025 Combine by Giles Martin and Paul Hicks)
01 “What You Want”
02 “Pay attention Like Thieves”
03 “Kiss The Grime (Falling Down The Mountain)”
04 “Shine Like It Does”
05 “Good + Dangerous Occasions”
06 “Biting Bullets”
07 “This Time”
08 “Three Sisters”
09 “Similar Course”
10 “One x One”
11 “Purple Purple Solar”
CD2: Demos & Outtakes
01 “We’re rolling, it’s 1985” – Studio Dialogue
02 “Funk Tune #11 – Take 2 / Working Title of What You Want (Alternate Take)”
03 “Press the blue and crimson button” – Studio Dialogue
04 “Kiss The Grime (Studio Demo)”
05 Which means of the music “Pay attention Like Thieves” – Interview Excerpt
06 “Pay attention Like Thieves (Studio Demo)”
07 “INXS SA FM Radio Spot”
08 “One X One (Studio Demo)”
09 “This Time (Studio Demo)”
10 “Shine Like It Does (Studio Demo)”
11 “Good and Dangerous Occasions (Alternate Take)”
12 “Purple Purple Solar (Studio Jam)”
13 “Purple Purple Solar (Alternate Take)”
14 Recording of “Similar Course”
15 “Funk Tune #9 (Working title of Similar Course)”
16 “What You Want (Studio Demo)”
17 “Shine Like It Does (House Demo)”
18 “Pay attention Like Thieves (House Demo)”
19 “Kiss the Grime (House Demo)”
CD3: Reside From Royal Albert Corridor
01 Intro by Pete Drummond
02 “Similar Course”
03 “Soul Mistake”
04 “Kiss The Grime (Falling Down The Mountain)”
05 “Biting Bullets”
06 “Burn For You”
07 “Do Wot You Do”
08 “Unique Sin”
09 “Completely different World”
10 “Shine Like It Does”
11 “Pay attention Like Thieves”
12 “One x One”
13 “What You Want”
14 “Purple Purple Solar”
The Pay attention Like Thieves reissue is out 5/9 by way of Rhino.
