hmhm. noone mentioned my 2 favourite moments on HOB (i use to like songs, but to love moments-in-songs (sometimes the whole song is a moment (Antenna))).
it's in the backing vocals.
main part: aaaanestheeesia's sooooothing
back. part: (aaaanesthesia'ssoothing) <--this here!!

same on "another earth", which reminds the "big-music"-approach of "business woman"...but the BACKING VOC...

there's the bit with the descending guitar scales (in the chorus) "she!" - dididididiiiiidi...and very silently, there's a multilayered kilbey-voc that always makes me go mad about that song (though it isnt that good)

"Anesthesia" is one of my 10 dearest Church songs....and i have a good friend - when she heard it, she started crying (and she is not a silly or dumb or childish person, not at all), and she always breaks into tears when she hears the first bars of "Anesthesia". "Tranquility" features vintage feedback!!

BUT
(complain complain complain)
the production.
It sounds like Tim was in the studio, 10 gallons of coffee in his skull, cigarettes stuck in every hole in the face...and there is really some rather lousy production, esp. on Certainty.
He is a good producer! Just listen tothe crystal clear sounds of "NUmbers" and "Radiance"!! He became a master! But compare HOB....the drums rolling over some low-fi-Flea-basslines and the voice is buried deep in the mix, sometimes this is good, sometimes not at all, hehehe . . .

BUT

It is not only the production! It's the mastering, dear!!
There is hiss and buzz where it is not intended to be a sonic colour. You can hear the same buzz on Jack Frost's "PRovidence" if you crank it up well...

AND

RIght! The refrains are sometimes like an interrupted orgasm.
Ricochet - wowowow!!! Great song! Shiny guitars, emotional singing...."THe rivers run astray" - YEss...!!

And then:

[10pt font] "ri-ii-co-chet"

Hey?! That's it???


BUT

"Tranquility" live in Berlin was one of the 5 most glorious musical moments of the 1990es....!!!

AND

"Buffalo" on A&I is....[insert something very very positive and moving]

later,
Stefan