Where to begin... I think most of us lost our church "virginity" to Starfish. I usually reference church songs by pre-Starfish or post-Starfish terms. This is an album (along with Talk Talk's The Colour of Spring) that I hit "play"on when the air is just warm enough but still has the crispness of early spring. Slide the windows open, let the sunshine in.

"Destination"- Probably my all-time fav album opener by the boys. Almost equaled on a few occasions, but never surpassed. Certainly evokes dusty desert caravans in my mind, out among the open spaces. The west, someplace else....

"UTMW"- Still rocks even after hearing it so many times on the radio and in the CD player. Obligatory opener for the new church fan. Particularly good for getting that girlfriend/wife of yours to listen, or more.... College radio rocker extraordinaire, my entry to the guys, making me raid my dad's CD collection for it.

"Blood Money"- SK's first really "nasty" song that said the church were more than just jangly pop songwriters. Love RP's drums in this. IMO not quite successful as UTMW's following track, but still has such an unusual sound for the era. Love to hear an acoustic arrangement ala "EMD/EMS."

"Lost"- Makes me feel like a young teen again, grasping for the girls I had crushes on, but never went any further. SK's fantastically obscure and evocative lyrics, among the best he had in the 80s. Love MWP's and PK's guitars on this. "Everyone in Persia feels that way too." Lovely exit.

"NSEW"- Great guitars opening. Great drum opening. Great SK bass kicking in. Perfect 80s song, without the cheesy production. Fits the same themes as "Destination," away from home, away from all we love, out in the strange desert wilderness (of LA!). Fantastic comparison to SK's delivery of it on "EMS."

"Spark"- MWP's rock out with your c*** out! Great singing, wish I could have heard it live, I'd be singing along with him! Perfect for picking you up in the middle of the CD (or blasting you off for Side 2). No filler, no fat, just MWP, RP's drums and the boys blowing out your speakers.

"Antenna"- SK's laundry list of "bad girlfriend songs" has to include this. Otherwise, this song rocks, the guitars, the mandolin, the drums and percussion, SK's arch lyrics. Perfect "afterglow" for "Spark."

"Reptile"- The guitar work on this is so "evil" I smile with glee, even when the subject matter isn't particularly nice. SK must've been in a bad spot with the female-folk during this period.... RP's drums and percussion another highlight, again "Starfish" has gotta be the best of his drumming with the church. Not one to play when the GF/wife is around. If one can focus on the music instead of the lyrics, a delight to play air guitar (or drums) to.

"A New Season"- THE song that made me love this album. An absolute fav of mine, was ecstatic when heard it live in '06. PK's lyrics and voice, the guitar solos, RP's drums, the fantasy imagery in my head, I just love to belt this out with Peter when I hear it. Makes me think of spring year round, even when it's in the middle of a wintry doldrum. Perfect Act I album closer with...

"Hotel Womb"- THE second song that made me love this album. A PERFECT coda to "Starfish," probably the best closer of a church album. Along with "ANS," "HW"'s imagery is just marvelous. I see the song as SK's singing it, a movie in my head playing along. Psychadelic guitar swirls during the solos, the drums, an orgasmic release leading up to the final verse. There's no such thing as perfection, but these final two tracks are the next best to it for the 80s church era. The boys' fading exit as the album ends is almost like the credits rolling as the movie ends.

All together, the most cohesive church album IMO until FY. Should be put in a vault somewhere deep in the Earth in case of global catastrophe so the survivors can have something to jam to!

Despite the abundance of "Starfish" in most bargain cutout bins (along with Squeeze's 45s and Under Singles collection) this is one of the top 80s albums, essential for all rock fans to have. Now if I could only convince the church to perform it live ala Pink Floyd with "DSOTM" in 1994, or at least do an acoustic "Starfish" album (what's Spanish for starfish?) I could die happy. Until the new album appears, of course.

The church must have truly been in league with the muses; how else could something twenty years old still sound so good?