Listen Like Thieves

Background

Listen Like Thieves is the fifth studio album by INXS. The Sydney-based group had formed in 1977 by the three Fariss brothers: Andrew on guitar and keyboards, Jon on percussion and drums, and Tim on guitar, along with Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Michael Hutchence as lead vocalist, and Kirk Pengilly on guitar, saxophone, and vocals. Their previous album, The Swing (April 1984), had local chart success peaking at number one on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart and No. 6 in New Zealand. Although appearing on international charts – No. 52 on United States Billboard 200, and No. 27 on the Canadian RPM 100 Albums – INXS wanted to improve their worldwide impact.

After recording their last album in New York and Oxfordshire, they returned to Sydney where they worked with Chris Thomas (Sex Pistols, Pretenders, Roxy Music, Elton John) producing at Rhinoceros Studios.

Recording and production

Listen Like Thieves was recorded over a three-month period at the Rhinoceros studio in Sydney, NSW, Australia. Many of the album's songs were written by the song writing duo of Hutchence and Andrew Farriss.

As production came close to completion, Thomas told the band that the album was lacking a crucial hit single, so the band members left the studio having just a few days to come up with one last song. "Chris Thomas told us there was still no 'hit'", Farriss later recalled. "We left the studio that night knowing we had one day left and we had to deliver a 'hit'. Talk about pressure." Both Hutchence and Farriss searched through the demos that Farriss had composed throughout the album's production. Out of the remaining demos, Thomas persuaded the duo to focus on one particular demo titled "Funk Song no 13". "It was great. I thought, 'I could listen to that groove for 10 minutes!' I said, 'Let's work with that groove'", said Thomas. INXS spent the next two days working on the demo track, which would eventually turn out to be the hit single "What You Need", giving the band their first top 5 hit in the U.S.

Critical reception

AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted that with Listen Like Thieves the band "completes its transition into an excellent rock & roll singles band". However "the new configuration only works for three songs", which were its first three singles, "What You Need", "Listen Like Thieves" and "Kiss the Dirt (Falling Down the Mountain)". Despite this commentary, the music critic stated as well that "the album cannot be dismissed" and gave it four out of five stars in his ranking. Australian musicologist Ian McFarlane opined that Listen Like Thieves had "a much harder sound than heard on previous INXS records, but somehow it lacked the pop smarts that had made The Swing so appealing".

Rolling Stones Parke Puterbaugh felt the group were "going for the jugular – or is that the groin?" and with Thomas they "forge an unlikely union between the sonic extremism of Led Zeppelin-style crunch rock and the step-lively beat of disco" such that the album "rocks with passion and seals the deal with a backbeat that'll blackmail your feet". Paul Bennett writing for The Times Colonist, said This Aussie group deserves to make the big- time with their latest offering of fast paced, intelligently- written rock. He awarded the album four out of five stars."

In 2024, Uncut placed the album at no. 387 on their list of the 500 greatest albums of the 1980s.

Track listing

2025 re-releases

In 2025, Atlantic & Rhino Records released a 2 CD version or Listen Like Thieves with a second disc of B-Sides, remixes & live recordings. Atlantic Catalog Group also release a 3 CD, one LP Super Deluxe Edition of Listen Like Thieves as part of the 40th anniversary reissue campaign.

2 CD

Super Deluxe Edition

Personnel

Personnel as listed in the album's liner notes are: INXS

• Michael Hutchence – vocals
• Andrew Farriss – keyboards, guitar
• Tim Farriss – guitar, synthesizers
• Kirk Pengilly – guitar, saxophones, vocals
• Garry Gary Beers – basses, vocals
• Jon Farriss – drums, vocals

Additional personnel

• Ray Cooper – percussion on "Same Direction"
• Ann Odell – string arrangements

Production

• Chris Thomas – producer
• Steve Churchyard – engineer
• INXS – art direction
• Philip Mortlock – design, art, photography
• Andy Rosen – inner spread photography
• Stuart Spence – back cover group photography

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Notes

References

References

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