The Church - Heyday and Starfish
Heyday
This album was released the end of 1985, and was universally praised as being one of the best albums of the year. The Australian edition of the Smash Hits magazine called it flawless and gave it a 10 out of 10 rating. Style-wise, it's very much progressive new ground for The Church. It has the lushness of The Blurred Crusade with the jangle-pop sounds of Remote Luxury. The entire album sounds shimmering and melodiously crafted.
The drumming is subdued with the chiming guitars and occasional piano and horn accompaniments brought to the fore, it starts off with Myrrh, a rambling track that was also included on the Hindsight collection. It was this song that caused many critics to write Kilbey's songwriting as cheap stream of conscience garbage. Lyrically it makes little sense, yes, but who cares? Tristesse is a lovely song, crafted hooks and cow-belling guitars. Already Yesterday was released as a single, slightly more tenebrous than the first two tracks.
Columbus is a magnificent song, the archetypal jangle-pop song to this reviewer's taste. It was released as a single but it was simply too gorgeous a song to be appreciated by the masses used to the Raging 80's. Happy Hunting Ground is a vast and moody instrumental, good use of African rhythms despite the Native American suggestions of the song.
As You Will, sung by Peter Koppes, was originally a B-side, included on the CD release of the album. Pretty straightforward music here, Tantalized is this album's stand-out song. Not the best, but the one that stands out the most here. Fervent strumming, frenetic drumming gives this tune a near hi-NRG feel. Released as a single and this album's only hit, so to speak.
Disenchanted vies with Columbus as album's numero uno highlight. A superb track, chiming and glistening guitars envelop some very wry lyrics from Kilbey. Night of Light and Youth Worshipper are the album's fillers. Two almost identical songs, Kilbey thinks he's Gary Glitter on one, with his "hey" choruses.
Good use of horns here, Roman is a wonderful song, simmering slow start and forms into a grind that maintains its poise throughout. The View is Willson-Piper's closer, la la la guitars.
Summary The band's last effort for EMI/Parlophone beautifully summarizes everything they have done since 1980. Essential listening.
Starfish
Well, hell! What do I write here that hasn't been written a billion times before in a million other places. Watershed album for the band, and their last cohesive work as Kilbey/Koppes/Ploog/Willson-Piper.
Sparse and powerful production brings the individual instruments into their own playground coalescing into a cogent whole. Starfish is also the first album to appear on the Australian Mushroom label.
This album features some of the most extraordinary music engineered by any band. There is only one weak song on this album and that oddly enough was released as a single, Reptile. Destination sets this album off on the road to greatness, slow and wondrous, followed by their smash Under The Milky Way.
It was flogged to death like The Unguarded Moment, it hit number one on many single's charts around the globe, bringing this band long-deserved success. Bagpipes in the middle section of the song add to the wonder. Blood Money is a nice song, nothing to write home about, Lost is gorgeous, slow and stratospheric, vaulting guitars.
North, South, East and West is a landmark song in my opinion. Willson-Piper plays the most glissando-ish riff in any Church song before and after. Excellent cynical lyrics to boot. Spark is one of this albums highlights, a glorious full-on rocker sung by Willson-Piper. Antenna, another highlight, features bazoukis or mandolins, sweetly sardonic lyrics, released as a single as well.
Reptile is this album's lowlight, a forced repetitive affair that was out on single's release as well. A New Season is Peter Koppes' contribution to this album, a rise and fall churner, the album's closer Hotel Womb is another highlight, an introspective meandering song. A great way to close out what is a watershed album for this group.
Summary A glorious swansong for the once-cohesive Kilbey/Koppes/Ploog/Willson-Piper unit.