My Guitar Sometimes Plays Itself

I'm sure you've realised by now, as I've ranted and opinionated quite a lot on this hyar blog, that I tend to champion the unknown artists over the famous ones. If you've read my Pink Floyd rant you'll also know that I'm more than capable of dumping a previously much-loved band if they put out a real dog of an album - especially if everyone else raves over it. That's why I hate all post-DSOTM Floyd, why I hate all post-Document REM, and why I hate all post-'the-album-that-made-them-rich' anyone and everybody. And I have to say that, most of the time, I feel completely justified in my loathing. But occasionally - just occasionally - it appears that I may have been a bit rash and (dare I say it) wrong.

Take The Church.

I loved the first album (or the English version of it), really liked the second, didn't care for the third, liked the fourth (2xep) a lot, and loved the fifth. And then they made Starfish (and, more siginicantly, the 'Under The Milky Way' single) - and I thought the album stank. And so I dumped them. I considered buying Gold Afternoon Fix and Priest=Aura when they came out but decided against it and went elsewhere.

A couple of months ago I read somewhere (musta been on that internet thingy) that they had a new album coing out. I was surprised to hear they were still going but thought I'd have a listen anyway - and was really surprised.

Truth is, I have to admit that The Church have been consistently prodcing magnificent semi-psychedelic albums throughout the past twenty years, and 'Starfish' was a bit of a one-off. In fact, I almost like it - but not quite. It's still too mainstream and 'Green'-y (hi majors!). But... Priest=Aura! Sometime Anywhere! The new one! I haven't digested all the Church albums I've bought in the past few weeks but I can say with some certainty that I'm going to put them back up where they belong.

Although I don't normally share stuff that can be bought, I think it's worth taking the risk here because I truly believe that more people should hear this band - and from what I can figure out the readers of this blog might just be the kind of people who would do that, and then go buy the albums.

I haven't included the hit singles (Under The Milky Way or The Unguarded Moment) 'cos I figure you may know them anyway, but the rest of these tracks are just the ones that have grabbed me over the past few weeks while I've had The Church on nearly continuously shuffling on my ipod. There's no real difference between the two compilations, they both span the whole career of the band so download one and have a listen. If you like it, download the other. And then decide for yourself what period of their work you like, and buy the albums. Me? I like 'em all.

Apart from Starfish.

JHB Church Anthology One

01 - Bel-Air (from Of Skins And Heart, 1981)
02 - In This Room (from Sing Songs e.p., 1982)
03 - Shadow Cabinet (from Remote Luxury, 1984)
04 - Tantalized (from Heyday, 1985)
05 - Anna Miranda (from Starfish (bonus disc), 1988)
06 - Transient (from Gold Afternoon Fix, 1990)
07 - Swan Lake (from Priest = Aura, 1992)
08 - Day Of The Dead (from Sometime Anywhere, 1994)
09 - No Certainty Attached (from Hologram Of Baal, 1998)
10 - Espionage (from Parallel Universe (disk two - Mixture), 2002)
11 - Pantechnicon (from Back With Two Beasts (Jammed 2), 2005)
12 - Pangaea (from Untitled #23, 2009)
13 - So Love May Find Us (from Pangaea EP, 2009)

Download JHB Church Anthology one

JHB Church Anthology Two

01 - She Never Said (from Of Skins And Heart, 1981)
02 - Constant in Opal (from Remote Luxury, 1984)
03 - Myrrh (from Heyday, 1985)
04 - Reptile (from Starfish, 1988)
05 - Metropolis (from Gold Afternoon Fix, 1990)
06 - Ripple (from Priest = Aura, 1992)
07 - Mistress (from Priest = Aura, 1992)
08 - Two Places At Once (from Sometime Anywhere, 1994)
09 - Another Earth (from Hologram Of Baal, 1998)
10 - The Theatre And Its Double (from Forget Yourself, 2003)
11 - Easy (from Uninvited, Like The Clouds, 2006)
12 - On Angel Street (from Untitled #23, 2009)

Download JHB Church Anthology two

LINKS:

For further information check out the Wikipedia article, The Church Band home page and this fan site, and to buy the albums go to the online store.