hologram
Transient
Posts: 10
(8/28/03 12:43 am)
Reply | Edit | Del All Hologram of Baal
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Not having heard Forget Yourself yet, this is my favourite Church album, with MATS a close second (with the latter being a fav not so much for musical reasons, but for sentimental ones due to when it came out).

Anaesthesia Well this song is probably my fav church song, lyrically. I think it was written from Steves experiences in hospital after breaking his arm. It pretty much sums up my whole experience of driving 1400km from Adelaide to Sydney to see the band. Jane, a Seancer, gave me this fat joint before the show, this was the warm up gig for the HOB tour just outside of Wollongong, and Christ, even coming from Adelaide, (pot capital of Oz) and after a few drinks, this hit the spot. I have no recollection of that gig I dont remember going out there, everything was spinning around. Cant stop or go, wheres the show? Again, its ironic cos I did get lost trying to find this gig. In fact this is where I met Sue, and explains why I can only vaguely really remember meeting you The radiotronics and the way the song starts off in a low fi way and then builds up is fucking perfect. I cant wait to hear Sea-Line, from FY if this is supposed to be the best opening track of any album.

Ricochet Perfection. What a catchy little number this is, this is everything I love about the Church, atmospheric, catchy, jangly, but a with a certain mystique to it. I remember, also on the HOB tour when I was in the front row at this little pub was it the Sands Hotel? But I screamed out for this song (something I would never do but for being in an alcohol haze) and I remember Marty giving me this look of bewilderment. Musically, it conjures up another fav of mine :Myrhh.

And then we have Lousiana. Well this to me sounds like what Slowdive SHOULD have done when they morphed into Mojave 3 country music with pedals and atmosphere, instead of the minimalist direction that they chose to pursue. Nice song, not a favourite but it fits in perfectly with the album.

The Great Machine. Well, I love it, and when the band gets old, tired and just cant rock out anymore I wouldnt be adverse to a whole album of these sort of mellow psychedelic tunes, (put Radiance in that same category) because I havent heard anyone do this sort of thing in quite the same way. Love the sliding bass toward the end of this.

No Certainty Attached. Great rocker that doesnt sound forced to these ears. Could be on Starfish, but its better really. This vaguely recalls the album Raise by Swervedriver. I cant articulate why.

Tranquility along with the Great Machine, this is how I want the Church to sound in their twilight years, when the energy has just gone. (and on the evidence of Song in Space, that wont be for a while yet). What a fucking brilliant tune. Slowdive-ish, but the musicianship and the vocals elevate it above that band. Also this was at a time that I was just getting into meditation (long since abandoned) with someone very close to me, older, a real animal loverso lyrically this fits perfectly. Protected by her Mantra, talking with her animals. I also finally convinced a skeptic friend of mine about the merits of the Church when I played him this song he was about to marry someone called Marija. Talk about Maria, she hated the rat race.

Buffalo : Oasis (a guilty pleasure of mine) is all I can say. This reminds me of Wonderwall. (on that note, something about Song in Space also reminds me of another Oasis tune, Supersonic sort of dumb, cool lyrics. Better, of course. Why does SK mention names in his tunes that mean something to me? Christina, a German cousin that I hadnt seen (at that point) , in well, probably 6 years.

This is it um, yeah, well, spooky (kind of), not entirely sure about this, but it doesnt detract from a perfect album, Ill say that. A bit like the Disillusionist, guitar wise, I think.

Another Earth again, this came out at a time I was seeing someone that could have been the protaganist of this song. Catchy, but good; what I like about the Church is that a seemingly catchy song always has a break in it that is a perfect counterpoint to the pop.

Glow Worm- Well, a nice song that perhaps lyrically should have been kept for a SK solo release. Musical similarity to Tranquilty. I can accept the song though, but normally I just skip it and tack the Lousiana b- sides onto the end of HOB.

This whole album has a feeling of weightlessness that sounds better on grass than any of their other ones. The album breathes, but at the same time what I love about it is the denseness, including the radiotronics that seague (sp?) into most songs. The production perfectly enhances this album; thankyou Tim P for that, and also keeping the band together.

Bring on Forget Yourself! As I said before, on the evidence of Song in Space FY could finally be the Holy Grail. I enjoyed 4 songs on AENT : Numbers, After Everything, Chromium and especially Radiance, but the rest Im afraid to say did not do much for my late 20s ears. However, vocally, SK is still the best male singer out there, at least for us introverts who prefer understatement.

max



thedaylighttitans
Maven
Posts: 43
(8/28/03 8:01 am)
Reply | Edit | Del HOB
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Max,

Thanks for your thoughts.

I would rank HOB as one of my faves as well, although I have a hard time rank ordering any of them.

I think that HOB is dear to me because it represents such a glorious return to form. And that is not to discount the more experimental stuff they did during the 90's. It's just that HOB seemed to take the adventurous forays and blend them with the signature Church guitar sound. It works so effectively and the songwriting is excellent from top to bottom. But the thing that I love the most is the warmth and lushness of the sound. Sonic comfort food.

I was living in San Francisco when it came out and speaking of friendly green companions , used to get suitably toasted and go for long walks through the city's fog-shrouded street with HOB on my headphones. Blissful times.

Thanks for bringing back those memories.

Peace,
Andy

centuryhouse
Glow Worm
Posts: 1075
(8/28/03 8:06 am)
Reply | Edit | Del Amen
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Amen to both of your comments

I loved HOB and think some of the songs there are among their best ever... There is another thread for HOB somewhere I think...?

dw

creeate
Glow Worm
Posts: 305
(8/28/03 10:21 am)
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Re: Amen
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Saw the thread last nightI listened to HOB at 5:30 AM this morning when I woke up. Made a pot of coffee and realized that, man O' man this is a great fuckin album.

Thanks for your kick ass track by track comments and may I recommend HOB at 5:30 AM anyday, anyway.

Glenn


creeate
ICQ# 75601444
"there's no need to change the world,
all we have to do is toilet-train the world
and we will never have to change it again".
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Edited by: creeate at: 8/28/03 10:25 am

Kieran
Glow Worm
Posts: 144
(8/28/03 11:22 am)
Reply | Edit | Del All Church albums ar great!
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"man O man this is a great fuckin album".

Funny, I tell myself this when I get done listening to most Church albums.

TimeBeing
Faith Healer
Posts: 1497
(8/28/03 12:40 pm)
Reply | Edit | Del 1, 2, 3, HOB
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1. Hologram of Baal
2. More HOB
3. After Everything Now Baal Again: this thread. (*)

Nothing wrong with having three threads about it, is a very good album (but I'll just note that I could only find the old threads because I pasted them in the mini-guide to the Feast where you can see "Where Did That Thread Go?" feel free to review and add to the existing threads on most albums, or start new ones, it's a free womb in a free world).

Adding to my comments on that second thread, I also see HOB as the album that consolidated the experimentation (which I absolutely love in SA/SE minus the Macabre Tavern) with the classic Church sound. A much welcome return to form and full return of Peter Koppes.
It's all good really, but I'm still not that fond of Great Machine and This Is It compared to everything else.
Still one of my favorite Church albums, but as others have said, I don't really rank the albums, and all are great in their own way.


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(*) that is an active self-referential link. I have this strange sense of humor...

afterimage
Glow Worm
Posts: 2073
(8/28/03 4:43 pm)
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Re: 1, 2, 3, HOB
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I hate this thread... Max's post has made me want to listen to HOB right NOW... and I don't have it with me.

This album has so many strong points... it's the "favourite" that I come back to the most.

Will Sea-Line run rings around Anaesthesia? I doubt it... having heard the live version of Sea-Line... it's a great song. But there is never going to be another Anaesthesia... not with that sound of a track rising from the deep... it's just amazing!!

I love the lushness of this album... the layers and the way the vocals weave in and out of the music. It is perfect.

*Amanda

another earth
Glow Worm
Posts: 258
(8/28/03 9:03 pm)
Reply | Edit | Del Re: 1, 2, 3, HOB
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Still one of my fave Church albums, as well. It came out during a turning point in my life (as several Church albums have) and I was ecstatic to see PK back as a member of the band. Plus, as I mentioned before, "The Great Machine" always reminds me of my favorite sci-fi series, "Babylon 5"!
"Somewhere in the wilderness, you wander like a river, crossing the wheatfields and crying to the sorry ocean. You're crying to the sorry ocean, wrapped in the arms of night."

coachdarcy
Maven
Posts: 16
(8/29/03 10:38 pm)
Reply | Edit | Del HOB
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This is a great album. I enjoyed the duet album, but I really don't like MATS (there were a couple of decent cuts, but overall my very least favourite Church release).
This caused me to be very worried about HOB. However, my fears were without justification. This is a great album and one of my favourites (even though I tend to the earlier stuff).
Louisiana is a brilliant piece and there are really no weak "filler" like songs on the album.