The Church - Starfish
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Free Music Notes for Starfish
Free Music Review: Unspeakably beautiful, unspeakably sad
Hit: 5 Stars
I've owned this album (in various formats) for almost 15 years now. So why would I be writing a review after all this time? You see, that's the type of album this is--if you let it in, it will never really leave. "Under the Milky Way" has a timeless quality, but to me it's actually one of the less compelling songs on the album--its tame sound and muted orchestration don't indicate the wonders you'll find elsewhere. Sonically and lyrically, this is the sound of a band starting to come apart and still managing to open themselves up to reveal all the wonder, beauty, pain, and confusion that loss and change bring. Knowing the background of the band, it's obvious that the making of this album was a transition in many ways--and you can hear that in the music. This album is where the darkness began to creep in--not the gently gothic vibe of, say, their earlier "Shadow Cabinet", but real darkness. Under the sometimes achingly lovely intertwining guitars is an undercurrent of regret, bitterness, weariness, sadness, even anger at times (it nearly breaks through on "Reptile"). Apparently the band disliked the production sound, but it results in a rare chance to hear the Church with complete clarity and consistency--from track to track the sounds are all very clear and distinct and easy to separate, giving you a front row seat for every nuance of Koppes & Willson-Piper's masterful guitar work, for every hiss of Kilbey's acid-laced lyrics. One small but meaningful thing that always gets to me is how much care is evident in the details of these songs--for example, scattered throughout this album are some of the finest outros I've ever heard. Even as songs are fading out, a restless creativity is evident. The very end of "Antenna" is a good example--the lyrics end, the song enters its hypnotic departure rhythm, but Marty Willson-Piper launches into an unbelievably sublime buildup of guitar ecstacy that peaks, swirls, and scatters into sparks even as the sound vanishes. It gives me the chills every single time I hear it. And in "Reptile", just when the song is about to wrap up and ride out, Koppes' moaning lines suddenly shift into a tangled urgency and Willson-Piper fires up a trilling tornado siren; the effect is hair-raising, unsettling, and brilliant, a perfect reflection of the rueful, unresolved lyrics. You see, that's the type of album this is. Always one of my favorites, and at moments like this, my favorite album ever.Free Music Review: A masterpiece!
Hit: 5 Stars
If I could only own one CD, it'd be Starfish. It's THAT good. Another reviewer wrote that The Church was the most underrated band, and I agree. They've had a long, shaky history, but Starfish is the crown jewel of all the albums they've released. It was as if all the stars aligned and the band's creativity peaked, allowing them to release this polished and brilliantly written masterpiece. I'm a big Church fan, but I'll be the first to admit that they've released some awful CDs when they were burned out and just going through the motions or when record labels stifled their creativity trying to make a buck (Gold Afternoon Fix is a good example). Starfish will not disappoint, though. Turn off the lights, kick back and turn up the volume for this CD. Savor Steve Kilbey's creamy voice and the amazing way Peter Koppes and Marty Willson-Piper intertwine their guitars. Most of the songs on this album are mesmerizing and slightly psychadelic, but Spark and Reptile are two rocking songs. The guitar riff on Reptile is genius.
If you enjoy this CD, other CDs by The Church you may enjoy include The Blurred Crusade and Heyday. If you particularly like the psychadelic traits of their music, check out Magician Among the Spirits. Hopefully we'll be seeing more great things from The Church. A very loyal worldwide cult following via the Internet has encouraged the band to stay together and keep writing despite difficulties with record deals, drugs, etc. Now that lead singer/lyricist Steve Kilbey is off the H, I predict The Church's brilliance will shine once more.
Free Music Review: Like everybody else
Hit: 5 Stars
I have bought that album because of the song "Under the milky way". It's a ritual song for me: I see the real milky way, I start singing the song and I just give a little kiss to my boyfriend.There was also "Reptile" that I knew I liked a lot with the echoing guitar, nice bass melodie and the rattlesnake sound. I had no clue of the other songs.
I remember when I played this disc for the first time, I tought my cd player did not picked up the right album on the carrousel and was playing "Won't get fooled again" by the Who. Did not have the chance to go back to the machine to see it was not them but the beginning of beautiful song "Destination".
"North-south-east and west" that I had never heard before really caught my attention. In the first 15 seconds I knew I would like that song (everytime I hear chorus pedal on guitar I am attracted like a magnet). Then, they add the drum, bass and it becomes even more awsome.
A must have album
Free Music Review: Amazing album
Hit: 5 Stars
I first heard the beautiful plucked strings of Reptile in the winter of 1988 when I was a freshman in high school...I managed to pop a tape in the deck and record the second half of the song off the radio, not knowing who it was. I played that tape over and over! It wasn't until a few months later the song came back on the radio and the dj was kind enough to announce the track's name and artist.No one in school had heard of The Church except this one senior in science class; she said, "Didn't they do that spacey milky galaxy song?"
The summer of '89 I found the whole album in [store] of all places...I bought it with The Cult's 'Sonic Temple' (remember 'Fire Woman' anyone?) and raced home to listen to them both.
Boy, was I disappointed...I was really looking forward to enjoying The Cult album, but it was actually Starfish which caught my attention. It was a very hot summer that year, the guitars shimmered as much as the blacktop and desert and I truly felt that the temperature dropped a few degrees while the album played.
I could listen to the whole album over and over...my favorite Church song today remains 'Reptile', it was one of the first things I tried to learn on guitar! As I'm much older now I appreciate the entire album as a complete work. Musically and technically it is very good, anyone who likes the layered 'jangly' sound of Johnny Marr/The Smiths will certainly enjoy most of the songs on the album.
The only other albums I've had of The Church were Gold Afternoon Fix, Priest = Aura and The Blurred Crusade. I LOVE The Blurred Crusade and a few tracks off the other ones, but Starfish is by far THE one I would take to the grave with me.
The winners on Starfish are Reptile, Destination, Spark and Hotel Room. Sorry folks, Milky Way doesn't do it for me like it does others, but that's alright...it gets some airplay here from time to time, it must still be a requested song.
Free Music Review: 20 Years and still going!
Hit: 5 Stars
These guys continue to produce exellent music. I highly recommend "After everything, now this" and "Hologram of Baal"...just absolutely brilliant.