| Author | Message | ||
     kevin Member Username: Kevin Post Number: 264 Registered: 05-2005 |
noticed there appears to be a few fans of the church on here. got to admit, even though i pride myself on exposing myself to almost every credible band of note from the last 30 yrs i know aboslutely nothing about this lot. which makes me sceptical about whether they are really any good  seriously, im willing to try anything and i know theres lots of extremely knowledgeable people with great taste on this board. there are 12 church albums on Napster which i can download, so what are the essential ones for a novice? | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 247 Registered: 10-2004 |
Okay, first of all, count me in as one of the serious Church fans on this message board. And I can recommend some albums that I think would be a good starting-point. However, from my experience, there really seems to be two camps of church fans. Those who like their 80s output, and those who prefer what they've been doing through the 90s and into the present. The 80s stuff is much more jangly, melodic, 3 1/2 minute guitar pop. Very understated, and generally tasteful and interesting. A lot of people think their 80s stuff is really boring, but I quite like it, and I definitely fall into the 80s camp. Their first album is a good one to start with, I think, because it's got the energy of a band making its first album, and the songs are generally well-crafted, concise, and engaging. My favorite album might be "Seance," their 3rd record, because I think their song writing had become a bit more sophisticated and moody. The one big complaint most people have about this album is the crappy fake snare sound. But the jangly 12-string guitars are in there in spades, and most of the songs are top-notch and quite lovely. I really rate this one highly. "Remote Luxury" is a comp that compiles two ep releases from the early 80s. This is how these two eps were released in a lot of countries, and I think it's more effective in that format. Very cool, understated, melodic, a bit coolly detached at times, but pretty consistent and sometimes quite pretty. their songs "10,000 miles" and "Constant in Opal" are two of my favs of their entire career. This was the album that really got me into the Church. "Heyday" is their last great album, imho. Has a big-budget production, but I wouldn't really call it slick, per se. For me it's a pretty solid album with a lot of the melodic, understated qualities I keep mentioning. Their 2nd album, the "blurred crusade," doesn't have as many high points, imho, but does have a few good tunes to recommend it. It also has one of the stupidest album covers i've ever seen. "Starfish," of course, was their huge, international commerical breakthrough from '88, thanks to the single "under the milky way." That tune is okay, but this is the point where I lost interest in the church. I really can't comment on anything they've done since, as I just don't care for it. Keep in mind, the camp of church fans who dig the 2nd phase of their career are absolutely rabid about it. So, maybe someone from this msg. board will fall into that 2nd camp and pick up where i leave off here. You might think their music from the 90s and onward is better than their 80s stuff. Or you might even think it's all crap! Who knows!!! But that's my 2 cents. here in the US, you can find their LPs in 2nd hand shops for pretty cheap, but i don't know how easy (or difficult) it is to find their stuff on cd, much less in other countries. | ||
| kevin Member Username: Kevin Post Number: 268 Registered: 05-2005 |
thats jeff for the informative reply. I am 3/4 way through listening to Heyday(downloaded from Napster), which on first listen is ticking nearly all the boxes. jangly guitars, busy but melodic bass and vocals that are not particularly distinctive, but not without character. i will definetely give this a few listens, and have a hunch i will grow to really like it. Seance is not on Napster so will download the first album which is there. | ||
| kevin Member Username: Kevin Post Number: 269 Registered: 05-2005 |
that should of course say "thanks jeff", and not "thats jeff" | ||
| Kurt Stephan Member Username: Slothbert Post Number: 233 Registered: 04-2005 |
I want to like the Church, but the albums I've heard ("Starfish," "Heyday," and "Priest = Aura") all disappointed me. It's hard to say why. Their basic sound is great, and I like Kilbey's voice. They reminded me at times of a more poppy, less edgy Only Ones--at least the '80s stuff. Maybe it's the lack of edge. I prefer Kilbey's work with Grant on the two Jack Frost albums. But thanks for the info, Jeff, I'll have to check out some of the older stuff you mentioned. Incidentally, I saw Piper-Wilson open for Richard Thompson about 15 years ago. He wasn't arrogant onstage, even though the Church had some traction in the States at the time (see the comments about him in another thread). I remember lots of 12-string guitar, but not much else. | ||
| Rob Robinson Member Username: Rsub8 Post Number: 48 Registered: 05-2005 |
Kurt, two words: Blurred Crusade. That album, in my opinion, defines The Church. I agree, Kilbey sounds a bit like Peter Perrett. The similarity between their respective bands ends there, however. I've seen The Church live in Australia and in the States, over the years. Pretty much an honest rendition of the records... | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 267 Registered: 03-2005 |
I've come to the Church late, as is so often the case. Interestingly I don't have "Heyday." Whatever you do, avoid "Sometime Anywhere"--it's the worst example of a pair of musicians (Kilbey and Willson-Piper) navel-gazing. I like the later material quite a bit, starting with "Magician Among the Spirits," continuing with "Hologram of Baal" and reaching a peak, so far, with "After Everything Now This" which last album I'd recommend. Imagine the 80s Church soaking up a bit of Robin Guthrie and you get an idea of the newer sound. It can slip into dull when taken to its excess and The Church does enjoy excess. The 80s recordings are usually so accessible as to be ultimately disposable. Yes, I have "Blurred Crusade" and "Skins & Heart" but there's no mystery to the music there. However one thing they did in that early period that makes me weak in the knees is something called "There's No Reason." I have it on the antho "Hindsight" but I'm sure Jeff can tell you where it was originally found. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 250 Registered: 10-2004 |
Yep, "It's No Reason" is on "Seance." Randy, I know what you mean about the lack of mystery on some of the earlier stuff, especially with the first 2 albums (the ones you mentioned), though I think "Seance" and "Remote Luxury" both achieve a nice balance between pop and the more mysterious. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 269 Registered: 03-2005 |
Jeff, they have SO MANY f'g albums! I have 12 plus "Hindsight" but I seem to have missed all the ones you finger as the best. I shall be correcting that. | ||
| Geoff Holmes Member Username: Geoff Post Number: 93 Registered: 05-2005 |
O.K.....I rate myself a HUGE Church fan. I've seen them every tour apart from 2 since '83 in Australia. Albums to recommend or not in chronological order: Of Skins and Heart - has the song that brought them to national attention, "The Unguarded Moment" and their first psychedelic wig out -"Is this where you live?" No one at the time thought that they would head further into this territory but I'm glad they did! The Blurred Crusade - Diamond hard jangle surf psychedelia. The first song, "I'm Almost With You" is the blueprint for most of their 80's output. It's as 60's as hell. VERY Byrds. Essential to any album collection of Australian music. Seance - Wonderful songs marred slightly by the terrible 80's hair band drums. Remote Luxury/Persia eps - they are now with the slightly stiff "Sing Songs" ep. 60's/80's psychedelia incarnate. Amazing songs like "Month of Sundays", "Constant in Opal" and "Shadow Cabinet". Heyday - side 2 drags a bit apart from Roman. The first of their albums that starts with an absolutely narchotic stunner of a song (Myrrh). Rest of side 1 as strong as they get. I don't rate Starfish apart from Hotel Womb, the last song. Heresy I know!!!! Overblown and monochrome after the richness of the earlier stuff. Priest=Aura - probably their masterpiece. Amazing songs like "Kings" where Kilbey sounds like some Warlock reciting a spell.Essential. Sometime Anywhere - I really rate this album. Peter Koppes, the traditional lead guitarist had left so there was only Steve Kilbey and Marty Willson-Piper. Marty BLOSSOMS as a guitarist here through necessity. Amazingly psychedelic songs like "Dead Man's Dream" and "Fly Home". Great pop songs and ditties like "Lullaby" too. Another one of those amazing starts(Day of the Dead). Don't touch "Magician amongst the Spirits". Overwrought, overindulgent, no great tunes. However, when they let rip with the last song live and Peter(now returned) starts making sounds from the Quasars and begins detuning his guitar mid song...who hoo!!!! Hologram of Baal - another favourite."Anesthesia" the first song, is another one of those draw-you-in narchotic(This time with real life experience conviction)songs. Highlights are that and Tranquility, if you're into meditation. Stay clear of "Box of Birds" - covers. Even the "Porpoise song" and "It's all too much" are comparatively dull. After everything, Now this - maybe too polished and neat? No bad songs but none that really grab melodically. Some great lines by Kilbey though!! Check the title track for the best song for a funeral IMHO. Forget Yourself - the Church take there own advice unfortuneately. Dull, Dull, Dull. Marty was apparently told not to jangle by Kilbey. Beside yourself - B-sides and extras. Worth it for "Jazz" which is as good as it gets for the Church - a languid, sultry song sitting at the beach sunbaking at 35 degrees Celcius with the surf pumping! El Momento Desuidado - Acoustic versions of earlier songs spanning thier whole career plus 3 newies. Intersting but not essential. Came runner up to "Oceans Apart" at the AIRA awards in Auz in the adult contempory class. I hate to say it, but the brand new album (Uninvited like the Clouds)is pretty dull too - they may have lost it! No good tunes ... you HAVE to have songs no matter how good you think you sound. "Space Needle" is too obviously and stupidly biographical from the (hopefully) ex-junkie Kilbey. (Admin - don't censor this, it explains a lot and is widely known) Jammed, the jam album only available over the internet or at concerts is even more boring than the Jammed part of "All things Must Pass". The other jamm album,"Back with 2 beasts" I have yet to buy. I've not heard any news of this so probably avoid. | ||
| Matthias Treml Member Username: Matthias Post Number: 73 Registered: 05-2005 |
I've been a church fan for a long time and have bought most of the records and side projects at one point or another. But my favorite records are: Blurred Crusade -really great early record with some neat production techniques. Favorites: too many to name. Heyday is another solid album. The production sounds a little dated to me sometimes. But these songs LIVE are pretty incredible. Starfish - a good mix with songs from all three guitarists. My favorites are Lost and Hotel Womb. Priest = Aura - agree with Geoff that this is a masterpiece. Great to listen to on planes. Favorites: Aura, Ripple, Paradox, Dome. Hologram of Baal - is a great album too. A comeback album for me as the several inbetween Priest and this one were lackluster. Sorry Geoff but I include SA in there too; It's all over the place and could have used some serious editing. Maybe a decent EP out of it for me. Baal though has incredible songs. My only beef is the effects put on Steve's voice make his lyrics muddy and indecipherable at times. I wish that Tim would have recorded them like the Priest record. Still worthy of purchase. Favorites: Tranquility, Buffalo, Anesthesia, Ricochet. I bought After Everything Now This and initially liked it. Some great guitar work and some interesting songs. But I found after repeated listens the album seemed really depressing, real melancholy and I just can't listen to but a few songs like the great title track. Avoid the covers album Box of Birds. I haven't bought anything since. They just put out too much stuff and quantity vs. quality takes hold. But if your start with the four or five recommended, you should pretty have the crux of their career. They have so many great songs peppered on each album that I once made a 2-90 minute cassettes of songs that had about 2-4 songs per album. The first cassette was pre-starfish and the second was post-starfish. And that was several years and albums ago! | ||
| kevin Member Username: Kevin Post Number: 275 Registered: 05-2005 |
thanks geoff and matthias(and everybody else) for your informative responses. unfortunately Napster doesnt have Priest=aura but i have downloaded what I think appears to be the best of what they have available on there - starfish, heyday, blurred crusade and of skins and heart. might take me a few weeks to get round to listening to these records enough to make some kind of informed judgement on them - so little time, so much to listen to!! thanks again | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 251 Registered: 05-2005 |
I must listen to Priest = Aura again. I really disliked it when it came out as I love Starfish. It will forever remind me of walking around LA listening to it on an Aiwa walkman. I loved El Momento Desuidado too Geoff, so I guess our taste in Church material is very different. I think I only have five of their albums. I saw them live twice and thought they were dull both times. I interviewed Steve Kilbey though and he was very nice, happy to talk about Robert and Grant. | ||
| Geoff Holmes Member Username: Geoff Post Number: 98 Registered: 05-2005 |
A mate of mine interviewed Kilbey just before Heyday came out (end of 84) and he also said he was as nice as pie. Unfortuneately he seems only to be nice to interviewers but hates his fans!! He tries REALLY hard now to be nice but it's a struggle!! The Church can be amazing live but don't count on it! The last time I saw them was when Peter went into hyperspace with his guitar and I can say that was some of THE most amazing playing and noises I've EVER heard from a single guitar!!! I'm not against El Momento, it just didn't hold my attention for too long. I'd actually like Kilbey to write an album with Robert. I think the results would be stupendous. Also think Kilbey should write an album with Neil Finn - it would be like Lennon and McCartney...or should that be McLennon? (and Cartney?!) Priest=Aura is great on dark, stormy, cold, wet days Padraig. Wait for winter and skip Chaos unless imbibed. | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Nemo Post Number: 17 Registered: 07-2005 |
Kilbey is apparently collaborating on an album with Martin Kennedy/All India Radio/Big Spaceship which will feature Graham Lee ( The Triffids ) on guitar. |