Mystify: Michael Hutchence

Let´s go back to the year of 1990. I remember being on my first foregin trip to Las Palmas, Gran Canaria with my Sony Walkman. I was lying by the swimming pool, listening to tapes with music. And i remember especially listening to the band Curiousity Killed The Cat and their song Name And Number. It was here when i heard New Sensation, on one of my dad´s old Mr Music tapes ( a tape was released every month for many years with all the big hits ). The band was called INXS, and this was the first time i heard about them. Later that year, i was at the record store checking out new album releases and came across INXS brand new album X. I had a listen and i was surprised. INXS had a very unique rock and pop sound, and the album X had some really good songs, where the song Suicide Blonde could get anyone to start dancing. But it wasn´t until 1992 i actually bought an INXS album, when they released ( in my opinion ) their best album Welcome To Wherever You Are. Songs like Taste It, Not Enough Time, Wishing Well gave this album a different sound, as if INXS wanted to try a differen path and try different music styles. Front man Michael Hutchence had a very deep, powerful singing voice and he made the songs magic. When INXS released their next album Full Moon, Dirty Hearts in 1993, they became more raw with a heavier rock sound. I am especially thinking about their single The Gift, and the song Days Of Rust. After a lot of touring, and personal issues, INXS would not tour for a while and not release any studio album untill 1997. This was the year when they released their studio album Elegantly Wasted. I know this album did not do well in the charts, but Elegantly Wasted have some of the most personal songs from Michael Hutchence, such as We Are Thrown Together ( incredible pop / rock song ). On the 22nd of November, 1997, Michael Hutchence was found dead in a hotel room in Sydney, Australia. I was shocked, and i remember my mother bought several papers to read about this with me. Michael have left us too early, it felt like he had so many more years to enjoy in his life. I have seen several documentaries on TV about Michael Hutchence, but it was not until i heard about a new documentary film called Mystify. A new documetary film about the incredible life of Michael Hutchence. Is this the best documentary film of 2019, or is Mystify not bringing anything interesting to the table ?

As a young boy, Michhael Hutchence became the frontman to the Australian band The Vegetables, with the Farriss brothers, Kerny, Sanders, Beers and Kennelly. The band is renamed in 1979 to INXS, and this is where the journey begins. During the 80´s, INXS tour constantly and their songs really kick off with the 1985 album Listen Like Thieves. But everything will change in 1987, when INXS release the album Kick. Massive world tours, exploding on the charts and selling millions of copies, Kick will bring INXS all over the world. Michael becomes one of the most loved frontmen in a rock band, and his life will never be the same again. Mystify is the story of Michael Hutchence, INXS and how Michael made an enormous impact on the world of music.

After seeing Mysitfy, it becomes even more clear why Michael was such a unique frontman in INXS, Australia´s biggest rock band ever. Not only did he have a stage personality that was incredible, he connected with people in a very special way. I can understand why some people would say he was the 80´s and 90´s Jim Morrison ( frontman of The Doors ), because he also had that unique sexy style, and looks. Mystify digs deep into Michael´s personal life, but this film also manage to give you a bigger picture of his personality with interviews of the people who knew him. But that´s not all, you also get to hear the stories of how INXS became one of the most popular rock bands, and how the songs developed through touring, studio sessions and personal experiences. The period of when the album Kick was released, this is really where you see how big INXS became. Selling out arenas, climbing the charts worldwide, the album Kick gave the band a bigger success than anyone expected. As the fame became bigger, you could tell that Michael had to work really hard to keep up with all the massive publicity. Not only that, the fan base was growing incredibly big and wanted more of Michael. The stories from some of the people who were really close to Michael, makes this film become more interesting. I especially enjoy the part of this film, where Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue tells the story of when she met Michael, and how they connected in a very unique way. You can hear it in her voice, that Michael will always have a big impact on her life, with the years that they shared together. You also get to hear the darker parts of Michael´s private life, and how he struggled to keep it all together with his personal life and his famous personality. Director Richard Lowenstein have made a documentary film that leaves a powerful impact, especially how much Michael changed millions of lives of fans through the songs of INXS. There will never be anyone like Michael Hutchence again, he is still the biggest rock star of Australia. This is without a doubt the best music documentary film of 2019, and i guarantee you will be listening to INXS after this experience.

Rating: DDDD