Inxs - Kick -2011- -flac 24-192- Official

To understand the value of the 2011 FLAC release, one must first appreciate the source material. By 1987, INXS was at a pivotal juncture. Their previous album, Listen Like Thieves , had yielded a US Top 5 hit, but the band felt they hadn't quite cracked the code on a cohesive global breakthrough. When they presented Kick to their label, Atlantic Records, the executives were initially hesitant. They didn't hear a hit. They wanted the band to go back and rewrite the album.

Perhaps the most poignant effect of the 24/192 remaster is its impact on timing. The hallmark of INXS was the “push-and-pull” between the rigid drum machine (on tracks like “Need You Tonight”) and the loose, human swing of the rhythm section. At 44.1kHz, this interplay sounds like clever editing. At 192kHz, with its ability to resolve transients measured in microseconds, you hear the actual struggle . You hear Jon Farriss’s hi-hats flamming slightly against the programmed beat; you hear the musicians leaning into the click track, fighting it, then surrendering. This is not a flaw. It is the source of the album’s nervous energy. The high-resolution format does not make Kick sound more “real” (it is far too synthetic for that). Instead, it makes the performance of the production audible.

When you finally get your hands on , start with track 6: "Mediate." This track is a rhythmic spoken-word collage reminiscent of Bob Dylan’s "Subterranean Homesick Blues." In 24/192, the panning effects whip across your speakers with hallucinogenic speed. The delay throws echo into the far corners of the soundstage. It is, in this author’s opinion, the single greatest argument for high-resolution digital audio in a rock context. INXS - Kick -2011- -FLAC 24-192-

: The growling bass and gritty guitar textures feel more immediate and "raw" than on the original 16-bit CD. KZ AS24 review: 12-driver sound quality issues

The album is renowned for its "no filler" tracklist, featuring four US Top 10 singles: To understand the value of the 2011 FLAC

To appreciate the 2011 high-res FLAC, you need to hear how it treats the hits versus the deep cuts.

It preserves the 1987 swagger while providing the clarity of a modern recording. It reminds us that Kick wasn't just a pop phenomenon; it was a masterclass in studio engineering. When they presented Kick to their label, Atlantic

The 2011 reissue campaign was a meticulously handled project aimed at preserving the punch of the original analog tapes while utilizing modern bit-depths to capture every nuance. At , the dynamic range is expanded significantly compared to the standard 16-bit CD release.

The piano flourishes and acoustic guitar layering gain a three-dimensional quality, revealing the complex arrangements that are often buried in standard versions.

The has the highest consistent dynamic range score (DR14) while retaining the tonal balance of the original analog master. It is neither too bright (like the 2008 DVD-A’s stereo fold-down) nor too flat (like the streamed versions).