I had not heard INXS in nearly 15 years, and to completely sidestep the accidental death of frontman Michael Hutchence, it must be stated that I’ve always held a deep-rooted respect for this Australian pop-rock band. It’s not due to the success of their 1987 album Kick, although the four singles contained within (New Sensation, Devil Inside, Need You Tonight and Never Tear Us Apart) certainly help their cause, but instead, an unlikely (IN) X (S)-factor prominently featured on the cover that immediately, and forever gripped my attention.
Photo courtesy of http://www.visionstreetwear.com (bring it, gents!).
I was seven at the time Kick made its way to the record shelves at the local K-Mart, and as a curb surfin’ knee-scratcher, I was enmeshed with the skateboarding world. So when a major label release (all I knew at the time) featured a professional deck on the cover (Vision’s 1986 Psycho Stick), it was something of a gravity-pulling, counterculture-wise nod to those “in the know.” A lifelong respect was forged that day, and although I was a Powell-Peralta kid myself, the inclusion of such a specific detail certainly did not go overlooked on my part.
As I drink coffee from my Rob Roskopp Face mug (an awesomely outrageous gift, thangs, mang!), I look at this album cover and smile. Sure, 1/3 of that smile derives from the tunes, but 2/3 comes from that unforgettable childhood moment of joyful realization. Now, it’s time to FINALLY master that kickflip! Hey Bob…
The Prudent Groove 
Thanks Mang how cute was that? !
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You got another similar skate merch stocking stuffer whenever we meet up, mang!
Let’s do it to it! K’mon! k’mon k’mon k’mon k’mon k’mon k’mon k’mon k’mon k’mon
Ya know? I never really logged that it was a skateboard, just some legs. Funny how our experiences guide our vision. Neat story, man.
BTW, do you know the Nick Hornby novel ‘Slam’? It’s a ‘coming of age’ type story whose main character is a ‘kerb-rider’.
I don’t know that novel, but I’ll definitely have to check it out! Thanks for the suggestion. What’s your take on this “local” band? I’m sure there were a dozen like-sounding acts around at the same time that weren’t near as popular and sounded just as good if not better. That seems to be the case as I hunt back through time with modern eyes (and a head full of bourbon).