INXS influence U2?

[U2opra]

Do you think INXS influenced U2?

I think they did, certainly towards the end of the 80's you can hear a similarity in U2's music direction.

But maybe I'm wrong.

 

[Ellay]

I don't think so.

expand.

 

[U2opra]

Especially in the way bono sings in the lovetown, some of the soudns that we start to hear in achtung baby. Is this just me?

 

[gman]

Not a chance!!

 

[cobl04]

I don't know whether they were a musical influence, per se, but I think the band, Hutchence in particular had a big effect on the band. We know how close Hutchence and Bono were, so you can't dismiss it that easily.

 

[Nate Dogg]

I always thought U2 had a bigger influence on INXS. Check out some of the images of Hutch during the last tour of the states in 1997. His wardrobe was definitely influenced by Bono.....

 

[BVS]

Especially in the way bono sings in the lovetown, some of the soudns that we start to hear in achtung baby. Is this just me?

I mean, yes in the ways friends influence each other, but if anything INXS was much more influenced by U2 than the other way around.

 

[U2girl]

I once read a review of AB where "U2 never sounded as much as INXS as on Even better than the real thing."

 

[DevilsShoes]

I don't know whether they were a musical influence, per se, but I think the band, Hutchence in particular had a big effect on the band. We know how close Hutchence and Bono were, so you can't dismiss it that easily.

I agree with this. All kinds of influences filter into U2's work, the band have been inspired by a wide range of different artists and styles over the years, so I suppose it's entirely possible that INXS may well be among them. But I think the effect's always been kept subtle, something I'm pleased about not really being a fan of INXS.

 

[blueeyedgirl]

I mean, yes in the ways friends influence each other, but if anything INXS was much more influenced by U2 than the other way around.

Yeah I woulda said it was more the other way around.

 

[david]

I think Hutch influenced a lot of how Bono postured and posed in the video for The Fly.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

I think Hutch influenced a lot of how Bono postured and posed in the video for The Fly.

That's what I was going to say - there's a hell of a lot of Hutchence in Zoo-era Bono's stage presence. I think I read something somewhere once that said there was a bit of a mutual jealousy between them. Hutchence wished for Bono's emotional connection from the stage, and Bono wished for Hutchence's sexual connection from the stage.

I don't hear much in the music though. Even Better than the Real Thing - mostly in the vocal I think, but otherwise not so much an apeing of INXS as just a similar style of song to a lot of what they did, which is definitely not an INXS thing, but something INXS did very well. ie overtly about sex, a fairly repetive and simple guitar hook driving it etc. Both would owe a lot of that to Prince. The vocal though, very Hutchence.

 

[cobl04]

They still snippet their songs.

With or Without You // Love Will Tear Us Apart // Never Tear Us Apart