Okay. I was around 13 or 14 years old when I was given an old Sony Walkman TPS-L2, and a "summer job" that consisted of filling up my dad's aquariums with water after they had been cleaned of fish crap.
At the time, CD's were not yet an option, and I ended up borrowing my sister's music cassettes. That's probably why I have an enduring love for New Wave - or British Wave, as some call it. Heck, I even learned how to make mix tapes because I was supremely bored with the job, and my sister had a double-deck cassette player. After I got "paid" by my dad (I guess he figured out I was getting really bored because I started talking to myself - I am not kidding), he suggested I buy some music that I liked.
Now, at the time, there was this afternoon show called VH-1, essentially a local version of an MTV VJ-helmed "top ten" segment. It was probably the first of its kind in the country. Anyway, I decided to buy INXS' Kick album. This was after seeing the visually striking "New Sensation" video.
While I admit that I can still identify probably all the songs in the album (it was a LONG summer), I'd say that while the album introduced me to more risque, adult music, I also grew tired of it really fast. Still, tracks like "New Sensation," "Devil Inside," "Need You Tonight," "Mediate" (that was in album sequence; one of the best song album sequences I've ever heard) and "Mystify" are good examples of the band's brand of funk, rock and "show band" sensibilities.
As funny as it sounds, the damn album did change my life. I can honestly say that listening to that album probably got me into being in a band. and the whole summer situation probably gave my my musical preferences.
(I can't find the actual video. Apparently, INXS's people are damn good at scouring YouTube for that sort of copyrighted material. Oh, well.)
Search Amazon.com for INXS kick
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