The Church - Seance and Remote Luxury
Seance
Seance, from evidence of the album cover, a newcomer to The Church's music could be forgiven that this was the prime "goth" album out there. While the music could be described as such, and "Goths" have turned up to The Church's gigs, this album defies any such label. Want to label it? Jangle/dream-pop, I suppose - if one must.
But, gone is the clarity of Bob Clearmountain's production and in comes the bullet-blasting remixing of Nick Launay.
The album was originally produced by the band with John Bee. Launay allegedly came in and remixed it according to his own dictates. Launay, all the rage with Australian bands during the early 80's, has given Ploog's drums such a blam blam ricochet style, you'd think there was a robot on the skins sometimes on this record.
Seance is a far more subtle album than The Blurred Crusade, softer, more bass-heavy, and much darker lyrically. It starts of with the orchestral and stringy Fly which segues into the thumping One Day, both songs are better described as one monolithic statement to Kilbey's recondite thought processes. The video to Fly had this elegantly semi-attired lady running amok in an old house and out into the fields, a bit like Kate Bush in Wuthering Heights.
Electric is song number three and it's a slow churner, nothing too significant. It's No Reason was released as a single, it's quite a downbeat song, almost a dirge in the truest sense of The Cure, Travel By Thought is pure studio experimentation; The Church's oddest and unstructured song to date and a fitting close to side one of the LP format.
Disappear? starts off side two, my favourite track on this album for reasons I couldn't explain. Rhyming guitars and Kilbey's request for answers to his girl problems come together to form a fine track. The vocals are a little indistinct, so I have the lyrics on a separate page for anyone who wants them.
Electric Lash was a minor hit for the band, chiming guitars and sing-songy anthem hurt by Ploog's 21 gun salute-style drums. I'd love to hear this album without the shitty remixing, I'm sure it'd be a revelation and do this overlooked gem new justice.
Now I Wonder Why is a remix of Blurred Crusade's To Be In Your Eyes, Dropping Names sees The Church blending The Byrds and Beach Boys harmonies with their own sense of what's right. Great rocker, with a real surfari harmonious chorus; ruined somewhat by the bombastic boom of the drum production. It Doesn't Change closes this album out in fitting mood; tribal drumming, softly repeated choruses.
Summary. A marvellous dark album spoiled by over-zealous remixing.
Remote Luxury
Firstly, about this album and its cover. In Australia, this was released as two EP's, Remote Luxury and Persia. The album covers were much different from the one pictured. See below for the two separate covers. The two EP's were combined to form an album for "foreign" release, as an album they don't make much sense and the two are wildly different.
Let's take a look at the EP for Remote Luxury first. It starts off with the most atypical The Church song ever, Maybe These Boys, made it as far as number 12 on the Aussie charts if I remember correctly. It's a synth-driven thumper with wickedly delicious lyrics.
10000
Miles is a jingle-jangle bouncer sung by Willson-Piper with an exuberant ringing chorus. Into My Hands is a pleasant song that sounds like it was written on a wet winter's afternoon. A Month of Sundays is a dreamy number that made it onto Hindsight as well. Kilbey claims the song is autobiographical, who knows? Remote Luxury is a slow instrumental, nothing remarkable.
We come to the Persia section of this cobbled LP. Constant In Opal, weird, mystical tune, with a definitely edgy backbeat. The video was every bit as fey; two clownish provocateurs chasing somebody through the lawns of an opulent manse.
Volumes is sung by Willson-Piper and appears to be some vague treatise on books, not as stark as 10000 Miles, No Explanation is the best song here, starts off, then fades, only to come back in full force.
Easily the most put-together song here lyrically. Great song, Violet Town is a dry song with a taped middle sequence of dogs barking, the heralding of "Dog Day Afternoon" maybe? Violet Town is a real place in Australia, off the Hume Highway in northern Victoria. It's where the band Killing Heidi hail from.
Shadow Cabinet closes out this disparate collection. Hailed as a favourite with many Church fans, it isn't a fabulous song but I guess you could hum to it, dreamstate lyrics and sharp jangles close out Remote Luxury.
Summary. Never intended to be merged as an album, these two EP's are better listened to separately, but if you can't do it, then, here you go.
