From the top of the world to anger...

GAF...I'm with Jean, Camel, Theta and some others when I place the dearly unloved GAF between The Church's finest records. "You're still beautiful" was the first Church song I ever heard. You won't hear me nagging about the drums or the production, I'm not interested in the Ploogy-Waddy-Cokey-stories.

First - GAF features some of Kilbey's greatest poetic efforts, unifying scifi, myth and detailed relations between humans in an estranged world. He can seriously write! I'd love to read a real novel. The worst thing that can actually happen is a pop star singing about contractual shit. Fish spent his whole "career" whining about how ugly he has been treated. SK veils it in the Pharaoh story

Second - apart from the drums, the production unites the crunchy Starfish sound with a new clarity that, i confess, sometimes can sound sterile. But where on earth did you get your quickly sauteed juicy guitar sounds in 1990??

Third - I still like the design. A lot!

I love how the lyrical disillusion and the sulphur-sour bitterness and the venomous attacks merge with the noble music. This is *real* Adult Contemporary for *real* Adults.
GAF evocates carefully constructed architecture, a weird summer, Giorgio de Chirico, Magritte...


Every aficionado should own the GAF demos You have the songs and can dream up alternate studio versions.

1. Pharoah

another classic opener, some strokes of the strings plus some lyrical brush strokes create a whole spacious setting that is not too comfortable. If that song was a movie, i won't show it to my children.

2. Metropolis

Irresistably catchy, with a gorgeous chorus. Sad they dropped the chords of the chorus in recent versions, sticking on the F# minor chord. Come on, it's not that difficult! The greatest guitar solo made from nothing more than a feedback and its overtones. Explain that to Malmsteen!!

3. Terra Nova Cain

Kind of GAF's Blood Money. Nice percussion effects!

4. City

Seems to be a favourite, i always thought it was a little bland. Good lyrics, though!

5. Monday Morning

Harmless sounding, with some of the saddest lyrics available. I like it.

6. Russian Autumn Heart

A furious, foaming Marty singing about something...i have not the slightest idea what he means, but he's got verve.

7. Essence

My ultimate favourite on GAF. Explodes from an unspectacular bass motif to the outskirts of the universe. This song is so plastical i can see its colours. Bass, the distant jangle figure (2 notes!!), fantastic build-up, huge sweeping, piercing chorus, utter feedback madness... one of my very favourite Church songs.

8. You're still beautiful baby

Quite unprecedented, weird little track i like because its acerbity. Sounds really mean. Their oeuvre's ugly duckling. Auntie Selma and Lilliput Voldemort. AS i said, the first song I knew, liked it and decided i wanted to know more about the band. I had no idea...

9. Disappointment

Sadcore in 1990. Here, the drums are really disturbing. Great chimey bits overall. Sounds like that fake-baroque piece by Albinoni.

10. Transient

Sounds a lot like As You Will. Neverness says it stinks... I don't. Every year, I ask the same question on the Chord & Tabs forum - what's the effect we hear on the solo... SOng reminds me of night drives, flocks of crows and some subliminal anger.

11. Laughing

How they managed to hide this fantastic piece of music as a bonus track... Crystal clear arrangement (mind some of the later murkiness...), guitar notes like pearls, Takamine talking to an ebow...

12. Fading Away

Great live track. Cool song.

13. Grind

Of course there HAD to be 13 songs on this albums. EMS favourite, better than this version. It's AWESOME when they let go on this..


next week: "Into the abyss - P=A, the magnum opus"
...because strange is what we need


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