Live Baby Live

Background

In September 1990, Australian rock band, INXS released their seventh studio album, X, which was produced by Chris Thomas (Sex Pistols, Pink Floyd, The Pretenders, Elton John) and it peaked at No. 3 in Australia, No. 2 in the United Kingdom, No. 5 in the United States, No. 5 in Switzerland and No. 10 in Sweden. It followed in the same vein as Kick (1987), and added harmonica to some songs. X scored hits with "Suicide Blonde" and "Disappear" (both Top 10 in the US), "Suicide Blonde" peaked at No. 2 in Australia, No. 11 in the UK and in Switzerland. Other singles from X were "Bitter Tears" and "By My Side" but they had less chart success.

Lead singer Michael Hutchence's romance with Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue brought the group a new audience of fans. INXS performed at Wembley Stadium on 13 July 1991, during their Summer XS Tour stop in London to a sold out audience of 74,000 fans. This performance was recorded and filmed to become their live album Live Baby Live (a video version was also released under the same title), which was released on 11 November 1991 and peaked in the Top 30 of both the Australian and UK albums charts, but had less success on the Billboard 200. The album was co-produced by Mark Opitz and INXS.

Reception

Allmusic gave the album one star out of five. AllMusic's reviewer, Stephen Thomas Erlewine, was unimpressed with Live Baby Live, "[it] is a lifeless live album ... All of the performances sound like the studio versions, stripped of their excitement and savvy productions". The album reached No. 3 on the ARIA Albums Chart and No. 8 on the UK Albums Chart but was less popular in the United States, peaking at No. 72 on the Billboard 200. Nevertheless, the album was certified platinum by RIAA for sales of over one million copies.

The album's only single, "Shining Star", appeared ahead of the album on 2 November. It is the one new song recorded for the album and peaked at No. 2 on the ARIA Singles Chart, at No. 27 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the group's ninth Top 40 single there. In the US, it peaked at No. 4 on the Modern Rock Tracks and No. 14 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks charts, but failed to appear on the Billboard Hot 100.

Track listing

1. "New Sensation" – 4:42
2. "Guns in the Sky" – 3:14
3. "Mystify" – 3:11
4. "By My Side" – 3:15
5. "Shining Star" – 3:52
6. "Need You Tonight" – 2:58
7. "Mediate" – 4:29
8. "One x One" – 2:58
9. "Burn for You" – 4:43
10. "The One Thing" – 3:21
11. "This Time" – 3:06
12. "The Stairs" – 5:07
13. "Suicide Blonde" – 4:36
14. "Hear That Sound" – 3:38
15. "Never Tear Us Apart" – 4:13
16. "What You Need" – 6:16

Singles

Video release

Live Baby Live is a live video of INXS's performance at Wembley Stadium directed by David Mallet. It was released simultaneously as the live CD of the same name. The concert was the second-last of a string of concerts in London for INXS's Summer XS Tour. The video was re-released as a DVD in 2003 and was digitally remixed and mastered in 5.1 surround sound. The band played to a sold out crowd of over 72,000 fans. The performance was held on 13 July 1991, on the six-year anniversary of the original Live Aid at the same venue. The video footage was shot with sixteen 35 mm cameras that included one in a helicopter that circled the venue. Amazon.com's editorial reviewer, Tom Keogh, felt "fans can rejoice over the release of this buoyant concert film ... the late Michael Hutchence, is at his feral-romantic best, stalking and swiveling his way through an energized set of welterweight pop". Australian country musician, Steve Forde, declared "I missed out on seeing Michael do his thing in person, but that Live Baby Live DVD is bad ass! We put that DVD on the big screen in the front lounge of the tour bus. It's like going to a 101 class to be a frontman rock star. Wembley Stadium chock full, singing every word. Awesome. My favourite track from that set is definitely 'Devil Inside'. Is he still relevant? Absolutely".

Video track listing

1. "Guns in the Sky"
2. "New Sensation"
3. "I Send a Message"
4. "The Stairs"
5. "Know the Difference"
6. "Disappear"
7. "By My Side"
8. "Hear That Sound"
9. "Original Sin"
10. "The Loved One"
11. "Wildlife"
12. "Mystify"
13. "Bitter Tears"
14. "Suicide Blonde"
15. "What You Need"
16. "Kick"
17. "Need You Tonight"
18. "Mediate"
19. "Never Tear Us Apart"
20. "Who Pays the Price"
21. "Devil Inside"