The Church - any of the congregation here?

The Church are great!

For a 30 year period, I can only think of 2 other bands that, for me, have delivered consistently excellent albums and are even better than ever in the second half of their careers.

My avatar is one and nomeansno would be the other.

Not as deep as the NMA thread ...

 

Exactly. I think the 09/09/09 threads started 7 months ago.

Anyway....back to The Church....

I like a lot of the earlier tunes from albums like their first one & The Blurred Crusade. I'm a sucker for the Rickenbacker jangle. But a lot of the music they put out in the last 12 years or so contains some of my favorite tunes. Not are only the songs great, but the soundscapes and melodies are unlike anything I've heard since early 70's Pink Floyd. But it's rarely derivative. Just a great chystalline sound. Tunes like "Comedown", "Grandiose", "Song In Space", "Day 5", "Pangaea", "Lunar"....beautiful stuff.

 

I will finally have the new NMA disc tomorrow. Prepare for more chatter

 

Just gave Spirit Level a spin after a long while. Forgot how wonderful this album really is.

I have Art Attack too, but that one doesn't do as much for me.

 

I love or like all of their stuff but I really, really dislike the remastering that was done for the back catalog. The Inglot/Perry masters are the best to my ears (although there was an EMI master with bonus tracks for my favorite album "Heyday" that is darn close). Avoid the remasters from Oz--they sound AWFUL--loud, shrill and without any subtly.

 

'Heyday' is my favourite Church album too! It's interesting that you bring up the EMI master of this album. It's on the 'Zonophone' label and states that it was mastered (in actual fact, it was remastered) by Terry Burch at Abbey road studios. Which of the two do you prefer...the Inglot/Perry or EMI/Zonophone version?

 

Under The Milky Way is one of the greatest songs ever... I love it.

 

Those EMI Australia remasters are really maximised, especially on the first five albums (OSAH - Heyday). After that, they slowly improve, to the point where Priest=Aura is actually listenable. The remasters were done by Don Bartley, who also mastered their stuff in the 80s and still does so today. Not really sure what happened here.

Anyway the remasters are still essential for all the bonus tracks and b-sides.

And just a quick plug for Untitled #23, their newest album. I think most of the Powles-era Church albums are way too long and unfocused, but not this. It is one of their best albums, period.

 

I like both...different attributes. There's a mastering error combining two tracks on the Inglot/Perry. Burch's master sounds a bit fuller with better bass but Inglot/Perry sounds more natural to me. I've always liked Inglot's work so i'm a bit biased in that regard. The Burch has the bonus tracks though and for that reason alone it is worthwhile. It's much better than the remaster--blows it away. I don't recall if any noise reduction was used though. I'll have to do a comparison again (haven't done it in a while).

Oh, the one complaint--If they are going to publish the lyrics and credits they actually need to make them large enough to read. You'd go blind reading them!

 

I don't know some of those b-sides and bonus tracks are available elsewhere. They are VERY fatiguing.

 

Let us know what your findings are regarding the NR issue on the Burch remaster.
And yes...you are absolutely correct regarding the print size on the EMI/Burch lyrics and credits...I needed a magnifying glass just to see who mastered it!!

 

I've been rocking "The Blurred Crusade" the last couple of months. amazing album. 2nd track "When you were mine" is a stonker! best single of 1982 without a doubt.

get a load of this genius

 

The Blurred Crusade is my favourite Church album, and I have both CD and Vinyl versions.

Chris

 

The key being "some".

The only way to get Warm Spell anymore is on the Starfish remaster (and Warm Spell is one of my favorite Church songs). The Priest=Aura remaster includes the two Ripple b-sides which are otherwise impossible to find. Sometime/Anywhere includes all the material from the original pressing bonus disc. Gold Afternoon Fix and Starfish include all the material from the out-of-print Quick Smoke At Spots compilation, etc etc etc

Anyway, I agree the remasters are fatiguing, but again the later releases are not quite as bad (but still bad) as the first five which are really awful.

 

True. Some of the songs that were on "A Quick Smoke at Spots" sounded like they were NR'd to death. I don't have it any longer (hated the sound quality on it) so can't compare them but that is one thing that didn't mar the 2nd disc for "Starfish" (or "Gold Afternoon Fix" for that matter).

 

There is another, somewhat rare cd of 'Heyday' that some may prefer to any others mentioned so far...it is a Japan for Australia pressing CDP 7 46256 2 which has 12 tracks. It sounds (as they say) like a flat-transfer. It does sound good...not as 'bright' as the Inglot/Perry disc and very similar sound to 'The Blurred Crusade' first cd pressing for Australia that I am fairly certain was released before the Inglot/Perry cd's.

 

I broke down and spent $50.00 on this a couple years ago. I simply couldn't find it cheaper. I prefer their '80s to early '90s stuff, but I still buy everything they put out. If you hightail it to Amazon.com, there are three unbelievably affordable copies you'll probably never see at that price again. After that they head from $50 to $185.

 

I've heard this one as well. It was the first CD issue of Heyday IIRC. Don't have it unfortunately but I remember it sounding extremely good.

The brightness issue that a lot of people have with Inglot's remasters never has bothered me...I just adjust the sound.

 

Wow. I had this at one time but got rid of it when I needed some extra cash at the time. One of many I wish I had kept.

 

Speaking of which...anyone heard the "Under the Milky Way" remake for the Lincoln commerical?

 

I love the fact that Moviemars charges less for a new copy, the like new disc is one dollar more.

 

This came through today from The Church's Official Website...


the church

New Releases and “So Love May Find Us” Summer Tour

November/December 2009

the church continue a prolific output on their own Unorthodox label through MGM, with three simultaneous releases to coincide with the “So Love May Find Us”

Summer Tour 2009.



After select appearances prior to the Golden Plains Festival earlier in the year and a successful 5 week tour of the US and Canada, the band return to Australia for a comprehensive national tour.



The band will release a 4 track EP featuring “Operetta” from the critically acclaimed album “Untitled #23” including 45 minutes of extra material from the “Untitled #23” sessions, one of the tracks “Particles Matter”, a 34 minute jam.



A Remastered re release of the collaboration with the renowned American science fiction writer Jeff VanderMeer “Shriek Excerpts from the Soundtrack”.



Last but not least, a reissue of the Internet only

“Back With Two Beasts” album. A musical companion to the 2006 album “Uninvited Like The Clouds”.



All releases come in unlimited edition gatefold sleeves and will be available at all good record stores and at shows.

 

I love what I've heard from Univited, Like The Clouds.

 

Good to see Back with Two Beasts getting a reissue, I can finally pick it up.

 

It has its moments, but like so much of their Powles-era output (1998-on), it's too long and there's too much filler.

The newest is a real return to form and it's a nice 45 minutes-or-so album length.