If you own the original 1980s CDs, you don’t need this. But for the 80% of listeners who want a single, lossless archive of INXS’s peak years, The Very Best (2011) in FLAC is the definitive digital version. The “Soup” moniker fits: it is a rich, hearty reduction of their career—hot, flavorful, and deeply satisfying, though occasionally a little sharp on the palate. It does justice to Hutchence’s swagger and the band’s rhythmic precision. Just turn down the treble by 2dB, and prepare to never tear this album apart.
Audiophiles who want lossless 80s rock, INXS completionists avoiding the posthumous albums, and anyone who believes “Don’t Change” should sound like a live wire in your living room. INXS - The Very Best -2011- FLAC Soup
The version under review here is not the standard CD or MP3, but the —a term used in the digital underground for a high-fidelity, lossless rip (typically 16-bit/44.1kHz FLAC) sourced from the original 2011 CD master, often un-tampered with by modern streaming loudness wars. If you own the original 1980s CDs, you don’t need this