My version's the US LP, with the "Remote Luxury" and "Persia" EPs combined and scrambled. Sounds like certain mid-eighties production techniques are being applied rather heavy-handedly to the detriment of a fine group of songs.

This is especially notable on "Constant In Opal", in which an exemplary Kilbey lyric is drowned by that overbearing drum sound. (A sound that Graham Parker once described as a can of nails being dropped from the top of a skyscraper.)

I can stand the production on "A Month of Sundays", one of my favorite Church tunes because it reminds me of some of the gauzy, obliquely fascinating women who were around when I was young and innocent and learning the protocol for dealing with both females and altered states of consciousness. Always have wondered if this is in fact a Kilbey solo track -- it sound like it belongs on one of his early solo albums.

Not much I can say about "10,000 Miles" and "Volumes" that aren't evident from the tracks themselves -- Great Marty Moments. The chords on "Volumes" remind me a bit of "Astronomy Domine" by Pink Floyd.

"Remote Luxury" -- I keep wondering when Bowie's gonna file a copyright lawsuit over those "Space Oddity" chords...

"Maybe These Boys" isn't one of the more popular Church songs, is it? Sounds like they wanted to dig in on some space blues, except they really don't have a feel for the style. Slow it down a bit, remove the synths, record it on someone's back porch one night and really stomp on the beat and it might work. Wouldn't sound much like the Church, though.

I loved "Into My Hands" in my younger days. Its a really pretty song and one of the simpler Church tunes. Ah, Songs About Girls. Don't play this one much nowadays, I'm afraid -- makes me too nostalgic.

Then there's the tour de force, "Shadow Cabinet", one of the Church's finest moments and a track that points the way toward their later work. (Significantly, this one's a group composition.)

In all, I think this one's underrated, but I can understand how someone wouldn't warm to it sonically.

Michael AKA Random Pan