INXS have released a hard-charging and energetic version of “Biting Bullets,” recorded live at Royal Albert Hall in London on June 24, 1986. The new wave classic will be included on the band’s 40th anniversary reissue of Listen Like Thieves. The collection will arrive on May 9.
The live version of “Biting Bullets” follows another pre-release single from the collection. When the band announced the 40th anniversary reissue back in February, they also unveiled a previously unreleased demo version of the classic hit “This Time.”
The deluxe edition of Listen Like Thieves 40th Anniversary spans one LP and three CDs. The package includes a brand new stereo mix of the original album by Giles Martin and Paul Hicks on both vinyl and CD, from which Martin created a Dolby ATMOS mix.
There are also 19 previously unreleased demos and outtakes curated by Martin, as well as a rarity from the BBC archives: the aforementioned live set recorded at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 1986. Fans can look forward to fresh in-depth liner notes, including a new interview with the band by journalist Paul Sexton.
Listen Like Thieves saw INXS soar into the global consciousness, establishing the band as worldwide rock royalty and setting the stage for further glories down the line. It marked the band’s first project with producer Chris Thomas, who would become a trusted collaborator for years to come. The album became the launchpad for “What You Need,” the funk-rock smash that became INXS’s first Top 5 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. (The song eventually went on to double platinum status in the US.)
“Listen Like Thieves was an important moment for us,” says keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Farriss, who co-wrote much of the album with late INXS frontman Michael Hutchence. “It stepped up what was possible, and also Chris Thomas stepped up what was possible as a record producer for us.” Lead guitarist Tim Farriss, Andrew’s brother, adds, “It was a real interesting milestone in our career because we were on this sort of rise at that point, and we were constantly touring. We were on the cusp, if you like.”
Martin, who oversaw the new mixes at Abbey Road, describes Listen Like Thieves as “a really, really good album, this,” continuing, “It could be my favorite album of theirs, because it’s not so packed with the singles, as it were. To me, this album in some ways has more depth to it, and I love it. I just hope this stimulates a whole load of new fans. You just want to shine the spotlight on it and hope people take notice.”
Order the 40th anniversary edition of the INXS album Listen Like Thieves now.
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