(Single from album, “Kick”)
And I though Paloma Faith wrote this. Its criminal really...
Australian rockers INXS always did represent something of an anomaly in chart music, making a different kind of sound to anybody else, having a different image, and superior production values; no other 1988 single sounds this clean at maximum volume.
The opening pulse of synthesised strings works, despite it's initial OTT feel. The real kick here though, no pun intended, is the Springsteen style guitar and brass arrangements; the electric guitar at the lead works like a dream in reintroducing the verses after the emotional overdose of the chorus. As for the saxophone solo, well, it's tremendous. Very emotional and very astute; in a way similar to that of Radiohead's understanding of music, INXS had a formula that they shifted about a bit to create a string of amazing singles and albums, all the while retaining a strong sense of identity and direction in both their image and sound.
The lyrics are that of a lover, lamenting and remembering a love gone by. The pain is real in Michael Hutchence's voice and the tragedy and romance of the story feel genuine and striking. The moment of meeting the lover for the first time is especially poignant to me, and this feeling of simultaneous sadness and elation is one rarely pulled off in music, and something to respect.
As with so many brilliant tracks, clocking in at just over 3 minutes, the song feels short. This, however, is made up for by the sheer volume of cover versions, the best amongst these, perhaps Paloma Faith's recent cover for the 'never knowingly undersold since 1925' John Lewis ad, the song which led me, initially, to the belief that she actually wrote the song, and then later to the superior original; it's still a great harmony, and well executed with more acoustic sounds, though significantly less synthy textures.
This is a very beautiful track. Not one of my favourites. Just something I heard and liked a lot. Have a listen, maybe you'll like it too.
★★★★★
Versions of "Never Tear Us Apart"
Album/Single Version - 3:04