Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Signing to Arista might have seemed an unusual move to start with, getting produced by L.A. studio types like Waddy Wachtel even more so. But for the Church the rewards were great -- if sometimes too clean around the corners in comparison to the song-for-song masterpiece Heyday, Starfish set up the band's well-deserved breakthrough in the States. The reason was "Under the Milky Way," still one of the most haunting and elegant songs ever to make the Top 40. As Kilbey details a lyric of emotional distance and atmosphere, the band executes a quietly beautiful -- and as is so often the case with the Church, astonishingly well-arranged -- song, with mock bagpipes swirling through the mix for extra effect. That wasn't the only strong point on an album with more than a few; the lead-off track "Destination" was as strong an album opener as "Myrrh," if slower paced and much more mysterious, piano blending through the song's steady pace. The rest of the first side has its share of highlights, such as the quietly threatening edge of "Blood Money" and the confident, restrained charge of "North, South, East and West." Willson-Piper gets to lead off the second side with "Spark," a vicious, tight rocker that captures some of the best '60s rock edge and gives it a smart update. Equally strong is Kilbey's "Reptile," with an appropriately snaky guitar line and rhythm punch offset against weirdly soothing keyboards. Koppes has an okay vocal to his credit on "A New Season," but the stronger tracks are Kilbey's other contributions, the strong guitar waltz of "Antenna" (with great guest mandolin from David Lindley) and the closing charge (and very Church-like title) of "Hotel Womb." Performances throughout are at the least fine and at the most fantastic.
© Ned Raggett /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From £10.83/month
Waddy Wachtel, Producer - The Church, Composer - The Church, Vocal - Greg Ladanyi, Producer - Steve Kilbey, Lyricist
(P)1988 Arista Records LLC
Waddy Wachtel, Producer - The Church, Performer - The Church, Producer - Greg Ladanyi, Producer - Karin Jansson, Composer - Karin Jansson, Lyricist - Steve Kilbey, Composer - Steve Kilbey, Lyricist
(P) 1988 Arista Records, LLC
Waddy Wachtel, Producer - The Church, Composer - The Church, Vocal - Greg Ladanyi, Producer - Steve Kilbey, Lyricist
(P)1988 Arista Records LLC
Waddy Wachtel, Producer - The Church, Composer - The Church, Producer - The Church, Vocal - Greg Ladanyi, Producer - Steve Kilbey, Lyricist
(P)1988 Arista Records LLC
Waddy Wachtel, Producer - The Church, Composer - The Church, Producer - The Church, Vocal - Greg Ladanyi, Producer - Steve Kilbey, Lyricist
(P)1988 Arista Records LLC
Marty Willson-Piper, Composer - Marty Willson-Piper, Lyricist - Waddy Wachtel, Producer - The Church, Composer - The Church, Vocal - Greg Ladanyi, Producer - Steve Kilbey, Lyricist
(P)1988 Arista Records LLC
Waddy Wachtel, Producer - The Church, Composer - The Church, Vocal - Greg Ladanyi, Producer - Steve Kilbey, Lyricist
(P)1988 Arista Records LLC
Waddy Wachtel, Producer - The Church, Performer - The Church, Producer - Greg Ladanyi, Producer - Steve Kilbey, Composer - Steve Kilbey, Lyricist
(P)1988 Arista Records LLC
Waddy Wachtel, Producer - The Church, Vocal - Greg Ladanyi, Producer - Peter Koppes, Composer - Peter Koppes, Lyricist
(P)1988 Arista Records LLC
Waddy Wachtel, Producer - The Church, Vocal - Greg Ladanyi, Producer - Steve Kilbey, Composer - Steve Kilbey, Lyricist
(P)1988 Arista Records LLC
Album review
Signing to Arista might have seemed an unusual move to start with, getting produced by L.A. studio types like Waddy Wachtel even more so. But for the Church the rewards were great -- if sometimes too clean around the corners in comparison to the song-for-song masterpiece Heyday, Starfish set up the band's well-deserved breakthrough in the States. The reason was "Under the Milky Way," still one of the most haunting and elegant songs ever to make the Top 40. As Kilbey details a lyric of emotional distance and atmosphere, the band executes a quietly beautiful -- and as is so often the case with the Church, astonishingly well-arranged -- song, with mock bagpipes swirling through the mix for extra effect. That wasn't the only strong point on an album with more than a few; the lead-off track "Destination" was as strong an album opener as "Myrrh," if slower paced and much more mysterious, piano blending through the song's steady pace. The rest of the first side has its share of highlights, such as the quietly threatening edge of "Blood Money" and the confident, restrained charge of "North, South, East and West." Willson-Piper gets to lead off the second side with "Spark," a vicious, tight rocker that captures some of the best '60s rock edge and gives it a smart update. Equally strong is Kilbey's "Reptile," with an appropriately snaky guitar line and rhythm punch offset against weirdly soothing keyboards. Koppes has an okay vocal to his credit on "A New Season," but the stronger tracks are Kilbey's other contributions, the strong guitar waltz of "Antenna" (with great guest mandolin from David Lindley) and the closing charge (and very Church-like title) of "Hotel Womb." Performances throughout are at the least fine and at the most fantastic.
© Ned Raggett /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 10 track(s)
- Total length: 00:45:52
- Main artists: The Church
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Arista
- Genre: Pop/Rock
(P) 1988 Arista Records, Inc.
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.