agree with Bo.

This was my second introduction into The Church in 1991, and I've been following them since.

So Heyday was a paisley dream in 12 string quicksilver, and this... SK referred to this as LA cokeheads confronted with Oz hippies. I couldnt care less.

The result was maybe the crispiest, most cohesive album of their career and another proof they never made the same album twice. It's darker, more desperate than the 1001 nights of Heyday, and you can clearly hear the strains...but the result is still a polished diamond, from the wonderful poem about the bucketful of starfish to the nice grainy photos of Caroline Greyshock (what a name!)

If Remindlessness was a vague concept album about the glitches and traps of memory, Starfish was a concept album about the cohesion of dreams, the preciousness of memory, the worth of all things we dreamed up and survived.

1. Destination

one of the many great things about Starfish is the evocation of the Travel theme. from somewhere to somewhere, with eyesy full of wonder about what's there in between. I hesitate playing single tunes from Starfish as it's so cohesive....i mean..Marillion's "Misplaced Childhood" is a shattered vase in comparison.
I adore SKs lyrics for the space of imagination they leave for you. "In the space between our houses some bones have been discovered" - crime scene, horror movie - these words take you away!

2. UTMW

:)

3. Blood Money

Mind the clean guitars. The opposite of murkiness. Cuts like a scalpel.

4. Lost

Slight similarity to Pink Floyd's "Learning to fly", hm? Just that PF were a bloated shoggoth already, and this is glistening, biting, sharp, clever....everything you want your partner to be. Solo out-gilmours Gilmour, the ending is one of the greatest examples of PK/MWP interlock. LIke the churchbells in a belltower.

Great Churchy Feature - 2 very different solos in one song (1) On "Ripple", they'll do it again.

5. NSEW

This is so perfect I don't have words. Jens & me played the song a week ago on 2 guitars, and even recreating it is absolutely exciting.

6. Spark

Restrained thunder and crystal clear noise. A busker's tune, but sounding huge in the context.

7. Antenna

My secret favourite. 6/8 measure. How i love that Rickenbacker, bit of chorus, slight distortion....yeah! The swirling, dancing, spiralling rhythm of that wonderful song. THe minor/major shifts outshine Schubert, one of the best guitar solos to be found on Church records. A moment of total utter perfection. Never understand why this is not a big live favourite.

8. Reptile

it sounds somehow..."obvious"... but it's great in its minimalism. How the single notes and bends come together...Great textures again.

9. A New Season

I can blather on and on and on....most of you know it's my fav Church song. PM me if you need to know more.

10. Hotel Womb.

A New Season was the prelude, HW is the main part. Volcano! Thunder! Rainforest girl in a black water swirl, somewhere down Amazon river. The mother of the storm has to roam the sky, searching for her child. Some of my favourite lines ever written anywhere. Crashy chaotic solo, soft explosion and soothing caress...distortion and a promise...barbarian and elaborate....a whole world crammed into 5 minutes.



...because strange is what we need


Fandorinfotos