Monday, June 22, 2009

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.

8 Comments:

Blogger ge said...

hey hey! i only have loved the first 3 songs on 'Heyday', out of all their output, to me those approach masterpiece-status [ahem]

8:29 pm  
Blogger john sweet said...

excellent mixes, and a most awesome band. the church were always corporate men, tho, u.s version of the first album was on Capitol, both HEYDAY and REMOTE LUXURY were on Warner Bros. i don't think STARFISH & MILKY WAY were anything more than flukes. Siouxsie and the Flaming Lips and Mazzy Star and Love & Rockets all scored top 40 hits in that little 3-4 year window. it just happens sometimes. the closest the church ever got to selling out was GOLD AFTERNOON FIX, when the company was turning the screws on them to come up w/ another hit, and even GAF had some ass-kick moments of righteous glory....

10:32 pm  
Anonymous zytron bloodworthy said...

hI bRO
nICE FIND

yEAH YOU SURE MADE A BAD DECISION NOT FOLLOWING ON WITH THE CHURCH DUDE. i BEEN FOLLOWING THEM ALL MY LIFE. SAW THEM AT THE BEACH, THE SHOW AT THE TIVOLI IN SYDNEY FOR THE SEANCE ALBUM. SAW THEM LAST YEAR IN BRISBANE. mAN WE ARE GROWING OLD TOGETHER AND ITS A BLAST.

SO YOU HAVE El aNDY gIBB - sHADOW dANCING IN YOUR LIBRARY - El Momento Descuidado, mY MAN, El Momento Descuidado.

11:27 am  
Anonymous zytronbloodworthy said...

nICE rIP dUDE
mY FAVOURITS IN THRER


mY FAV
THE RIP IN rIPPLE


Buckle like a wreck in the cold green sea

You are a human sacrifice to the goddess of vice
Your hairdo was spun of diamonds & lice
And you are hardly off the nipple

1:52 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I agree that you should always follow the Church.

But then most people who know my taste are surprised to find out that I follow the Church, so who knows.

What an amazing band and I'm glad that you are doing your part to get them more exposure.

4:20 am  
Anonymous Ron said...

The Church is one of the most underrated rock bands and they are still very much alive and well and still cranking out great psych-rock. So, if you like what you hear, please buy the albums so they can continue to make great music.

I highly recommend Hologram of Baal, Sometime Anywhere (Australian 2 CD release) and their newer releases Pangaea and Untitled 23. Also, don't overlook the recent solo work of Steve Kilbey and Marty Wilson-Piper.

4:57 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

A national treasure, this band is.

8:14 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Nice one,thanks.Mike

10:04 pm  

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