Album of the Week - Vol. 28

Max Q MAX Q (1989)
Week: Thu 31st Oct to Wed 6th Nov, 2024
Format: CD, iPod
Producer: Michael Hutchence & Ollie Olsen
Tracklisting:
1. Sometimes *
2. Way of the World *
3. Ghost of the Year
4. Everything *
5. Concrete *
6. Zero 2-0
7. Soul Engine
8. Buckethead
9. Monday Night by Satellite *
10. Tight
11. Ot-Ven-Rot
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 46:07


The side project of INXS frontman Michael Hutchence and multi-instrumentalist Ollie Olsen, Max Q came into the public eye as the eighties were turning into the nineties. Apparently the pair met when they both worked on the cult classic movie Dogs In Space, a film I only know by reputation. They released one album and never toured or played live as a band. A modest success upon release, Max Q achieved gold status in Australian sales, and even landed the group ARIA award nominations for Best Breakthrough Artist and Single of the Year for Way of the World. It fared worse in other countries and has remained something of an obscure footnote in the stories of the late Hutchence, and the recently passed Olsen.

This was a tricky one to get hold of, as the album is now OOP (out of print)! I can't remember exactly what lit the fire under me to try and get a physical copy, but it must have stemmed from it not being available on the Spottersfy. Apparently there are legal reasons behind the record not being reissued and that will also block any attempt to have it on a streaming service. You can find it if price isn't an option. At the time of writing, there are CDs on eBay going for $100-200. In a horrible coincidence, I managed to score a much cheaper copy a few weeks ago, on the same day that Ollie Olsen died. As a result, his death has increased the asking prices of anything related to Max Q. Long story short (too late!), I own a copy of the album now, and thanks to a new CD shell, it looks pretty great. Some minor scratching on the disc, but nothing that affects playback.

So, what is the album like? The issue with some side projects is that the artist(s) can indulge themselves a bit too much when they are freed from the expectations of fans of their 'main band' (and the A&R reps from their label). Happily, that's not the case here, although Zero 2-0 comes across as a bit of wanky filler utilising the recording of a conversation or an answering machine. Far out, that was such a trend in the nineties, wasn't it? Thankfully the track is mercifully short and segues into Soul Engine, which isn't a bad track. Kind of funky. 

Touted as electronica or synth-pop depending on where you read about such things, the album is pretty poppy. There are keyboards there, but there are drums, albeit those electric sounding drums that were just starting to leave the mainstream. There's no drummer credited though, only percussion/bowed cymbal/Tibetan thigh bone/scream from John Murphy, who was a renowned session player in the country who sadly passed away in 2015. Gus Till is credited as playing piano, keyboards and MIDI programming, so there could be a drum machine in use. There's plenty of tasty guitar riffing with a bit of wah pedal thrown in now and again, courtesy of Arnie Hanna and Michael Sheridan, and bass is courtesy of Bill McDonald.

Olsen wrote or co-wrote every song on the album, with Hutchence contributing to six of the eleven tracks. Not sure what tracks (and if) Olsen plays on, as the album credits only list the musicians in the band. Despite the fact that the vocals are obviously handled by Hutchence, they are both only credited as songwriters and producers. It must be said, Hutchence's vocals are the arguably the strongest element of the album. Free of conforming to his usual croon and swagger delivery in INXS, Hutchence really lets rip on a few tracks. 

The first single, Way of the World, features a snarling, menacing vocal from him that feels like he's trying to channel Nick Cave. Cave himself has gone on the record to say that Michael Hutchence was one frontman he always felt envious of, marvelling at his ability to connect to audiences in stadiums. It's just as good as I remember it, and if memory serves correctly Hutchence is obscured in the song's video clip. There was some kind of secrecy around who was in the band, which the album's cover also at pains to hide its band members. The back cover does feature Hutchence and Olsen's names fairly prominently, so I don't know what the subterfuge was in aid of. With lyrics like "Whether it's God or the bomb/It's just the same/It's only fear by another name", you're not listening to Shiny Happy People here. Yes, quite a downbeat number, and a little gloomy in theme, but I dig it.

The second single, and opening track, Sometimes is a song that I took a particular shine to when it was released in late 1989. So much so, that I purchased the cassingle! I wonder if it is still in a box somewhere? Must have a squirrel through the garage. It has a fabulous wah-soaked guitar riff that's catchy as heck and the chorus gets stuck in your head. I'd forgotten that it riffs on Summertime from Porgy and Bess at the end too. Those two singles are the best tracks on the album without a doubt. Apparently Monday Night by Satellite was issued in early 1990, but I don't remember hearing it. It's not a bad track! Another highlight of the album for me. Interestingly, all the singles released from the album were tracks solely written by Olsen, suggesting Hutchence's ego was not in play, and he put the best interests of the group ahead of himself. 

Another track I quite like is Everything, which features quite a catchy chorus built around the repetition of the word. That is followed by a slower, almost-ballad-like Concrete that has some nice guitar work and a soulful vocal from Hutchence. It’s also a little spooky hearing him sing “they want to crown me/For the Ghost of the Year” on the third track knowing that he wouldn’t see the end of the nineties. Such a waste of talent. Penultimate number Tight is quite nifty too. Did I say a bit of wah guitar earlier? There is wah guitar aplenty!  

The whole album is more than listenable. It's nothing earth-shattering, but it's nonetheless pleasant, and always interesting. Even after multiple listens, I have no idea what the title of the last track Ot-Ven-Rot means either. If you find a copy in your local Ca$hies, nab it!

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Oooh, I found it!