The Divinyls Albums (7)
What The Critics Say
After the success of "I Touch Myself," the Divinyls became the victims of a severe backlash. Because of this, they waited six years before releasing their follow-up album, but the wait proved to be worth it. Darker and with more of an emphasis on ballads than any of their previous albums, Underworld is the Divinyls' most accomplished release to date. Mark McEntee's guitar work is as dark and grungy as ever, and Christina Amphlett's vocals continue to be ragged and charismatic. The album survives on the strength of the singles, which include "Heart of Steel" (a slick, AOR-ready ballad), "I'm Jealous" (a vengeful ballad also featured on Melrose Place, "Sex Will Keep Us Together" (a Stonesy rocker) and "Human on the Inside" (a tender, hurtful ballad about spousal abuse). This Australia-only release is a must-have for any fans of the band. After the release of this album, the band went on hiatus again as Amphlett decided to temporarily pursue her acting career. ~ Jason Damas, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
In 1991, Australia's Divinyls generated some controversy in the U.S. when lead singer Chrissie Amphlett sang about female masturbation on "I Touch Myself." Far from explicit, the PG-rated hit shouldn't have come as such a shock to American ears. At any rate, this self-titled CD offers exactly what one generally expects from the Divinyls: rockin' intensity combined with new wave-ish quirks and a strong melodic sense. Though not mind-blowing, it's respectable and generally appealing. Hardcore Divinyls enthusiasts will find the eerie "Love School" and infectious offerings like "Make Out Alright," "Bless My Soul (It's Rock-N-Roll)," and "I Touch Myself" to be well worth acquiring. Desperate would be a better introduction to the Divinyls, but this is a release with many more strengths than weaknesses. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The Divinyls' third album, Temperamental, is a marked improvement over What A Life! in that the songs are stronger, have more of an edge, and contain fewer of the failed experiments found on the previous album. Highlighted by the single "Back to the Wall," which was featured in Nightmare on Elm Street 4:The Dream Master, Temperamental is the Divinyls' most hard-rocking, straight-ahead rock album. The entire set is arena-ready and up-tempo, and includes such highlights as the rollicking "Better Days," the '50s-ish rock & roll of "Hey Little Boy," "Fighting," and the speedy title track, which features some of guitarist Mark McEntee's finest work. Apart from the fact that there is no single as strong as "Pleasure and Pain" or "Boys In Town," Temperamental is the Divinyls at their best. ~ Jason Damas, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The Divinyls were one of the most unfortunately overlooked acts of the 1980s, but the reason they didn't achieve much commercial success could be because an album like What A Life! is so inconsistent. The Divinyls' best strengths lie both in Christina Amphlett's unique vocal delivery, and guitarist Mark McEntee's bottom-heavy, grungy, guitar work, and not so much in their songwriting. The Divinyls always manage to come up with a few memorable songs, such as "Pleasure and Pain" (a thinly-veiled ode to sadomasochism), "Casual Encounter," and the ballad "Sleeping Beauty," but many of the album tracks are hardly memorable. "In My Life" is a catchy rocker, but Amphlett's vocals (which are usually the highlight of the band's music) sound banal and unpolished. Likewise, the album's closer, "Dear Diary," is a pretentious stab at art that instead sounds very flat and dull. What A Life! is a solid album for fans of the band, but there are better places to start for casual listeners. ~ Jason Damas, All Music Guide
