INXS Album: “Switch [Tour Edition]”

Well, here I sit with yet another copy of Switch. This version has live recordings from Switched on Tour. There is a great version of Pretty Vegas, the song born on the reality show when JD Fortune refused to put his name on the sorry tune that Jordis, Marty and Jessica wrote choosing instead to write his own song. There is also a great version of Hungry, a song that is ten times better live. A live version of Devils' Party, the song that JD and Andrew began writing during the last reality episode of the Rock Star: INXS show, is included and is excellent. Finally, a live version of Hot Girls is included. Pay particular interest to this tune as there is a catchy rap added by JD toward the end of the song (this rap is worth the price of the CD). Also, included is some rare footage of the making of Switch which includes clips of Marty, Mig and JD in the recording studio singing Hot Girls. Let me just say, if there was ever a question that JD was the right choice for this band, please watch and listen to these clips. This could have been the future of INXS with Mig or Marty. The live perfomance video of Perfect Strangers rounds out the two CD set. This video was taped when JD still wore the knee brace and in a couple of frames you can see the brace. It confirms how amazing that man and this band are. Hurt, he still gives the performance 100% and the band is well the band is INXS. Enough said. Buy your copy now.

Life goes on after losing Michael Hutchence. INXS tried having Jon Stevens and Sananda Maitreya (formerly Terence Trent D'Arby) take over briefly, yet something was missing. INXS took it to the next level cashing in on reality TV with a Gen X-friendly, "Idol"-esque, yet low-rated weekly competition. By September 2005, J.D. Fortune of the Toronto and Halifax areas in Canada had won the pools. He brought his own persona into the band. He has a voice similar to Hutchence (which some critics accused of being done on purpose, instead of finding his own voice). For me, he was second choice, as I had my sights set on MiG Ayesa at first, though J.D.'s range is better suited. This is the only studio release with him.

Like old times, some songs have light sexual overtones and innuendo like "Hot Girls" and "Pretty Vegas". Hutchence is remembered in the ballads "Afterglow" and "God's Top Ten" (featuring Suzie McNeil). I usually skip over "Never Let You Go" and "Like It or Not" (I don't).

Most older fans weren't happy with this and wished they just let INXS go. Of course, no one can really be replaced, but J.D. Fortune might Brian Johnson his way to the top. I know one you might least expect who likes the new lineup better than the original.