INXS - Underneath The Colours

INXS - Underneath The Colours

2011 Remastered 

Underneath The Colours, the second album by INXS, came in 1981 to eager anticipation from a building Australian fanbase. More creative than its predecessor, it was produced by Richard Clapton (himself a musical free spirit) and bears traces of a newfound depth and command of the form. Single ‘Stay Young’ waxes nostalgic (much like The Beatles’ ‘Penny Lane’) and elsewhere the band shimmers with a hungry fire building within. Impressive vocal interludes and tricky time changes chase the unusual melodies throughout this album, underpinning the songs as showpieces for their expanding abilities. All in all, a pleasing experimental transition to a higher level for INXS.

Peaked at #15 in the Australian charts.

“Most of the songs on Underneath the Colours were written in a relatively short space of time. Most bands shudder at the prospect of having 20 years to write their first album and four days to write their second. For us, though, it was good. It left less room for us to go off on all sorts of tangents.” – Michael Hutchence

Track listing

1. "Stay Young" (Andrew Farriss, Michael Hutchence) – 3:25
2. "Horizons" (Farriss, Hutchence) – 5:13
3. "Big Go Go" (INXS) – 3:12
4. "Underneath the Colours" (Farriss, Hutchence) – 3:59
5. "Fair Weather Ahead" (INXS) – 4:21
6. "Night of Rebellion" (Farriss, Hutchence, Pengilly) - 3:44
7. "Follow" (Hutchence, Pengilly) – 3:53
8. "Barbarian" (INXS) – 3:00
9. "What Would You Do" (INXS) – 3:08
10. "Just to Learn Again" (Beers, Farriss, Hutchence) – 4:43