Photo: Anna Hanks, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
The Church have been on the scene since around 1982 when Steve Kilbey founded the group in Sydney, Australia. It was fairly popular down under, and as more albums would show, they became more ethereal, psychedelic, with a touch of Pink Floyd and The Byrds, but with his lilting soft bass vocals and guitars combined with the interplay of guitarists Peter Koppes and Marty Willson-Piper that sometimes were so enmeshed one could barely tell them apart. The massive success of the single “Under The Milky Way” from their biggest selling album Starfish opened many doors and with their penchant for experimentation, The Church was always their dreamy self, but never repetitive. Here’s 10 albums for those who love psychedelic “trippy” atmosphere and just brilliant and beautiful music.
The Church released their first album entitled Of Skins And Hearts in 1981. From that point on the band released The Blurred Crusade (1982) Seance (1983) Heyday (1985) Starfish (1988) Gold Afternoon Fix (1990) Priest=Aura (1992) Sometime Anywhere (1994) Magician Among the Spirits (1996) Hologram of Baal (1998) After Everything Now This (2002) Forget Yourself (2003) Jammed (2004) Uninvited, Like the Clouds (2006) Untitled #23 (2009) Further/Deeper (2014) and Man Woman Life Death Infinity in (2017).
Here is our favorite 10 albums from the band The Church. We highly recommend checking out this band especially for for those who love psychedelic “trippy” atmosphere and just brilliant and beautiful music.
10) Man Woman Life Death Infinity
We open up our top 10 albums by the Church with their most recent released entitled Man Woman Life Death Infinity. The album was released in 2017. The band reportedly has a replacement for guitarist Ian Haug, who replaced Marty Willson-Piper, and another new guitarist in the wings for a new album to be issued before long. But this most recent release was a welcome album that was more dreamy and ethereal than the last couple albums before it. It is indeed more reminiscent of After Everything, Now This, and that’s a good thing.
9) Of Skins and Hearts
The band’s first album was also the most rocking. The album was released in 1982. This great record entitled Of Skins and Heart contained a few gems in Australia’s charts like “The Unguarded Moment”, some harder rocking guitar with Peter Koppes taking the lead role. “Is This Where You Live” is a spacey rocking cut, and the album overall is quite different. Think of the label at that height in the New Wave craze in 1982 trying to find another Duran Duran. Important because it does show where their sound started to gel.
8) Gold Afternoon Fix
The follow up to Starfish is a languid affair for the most part. It benefitted from being right after Starfish but it has some truly “golden” moments itself. “Monday Morning”, “City” and “Disappointment” are as beautiful as The Church can get. The album’s lead single entitled “Metropolis” hit number one on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks charts. The album Gold Afternoon Fix was released in 1990.
7) Heyday
If one term can be used to describe an album, “luxurious” is perfect for this brilliant album. How The Church managed to totally capture the essence of the Marco Polo Silk Road vibe is beyond hearing, but with one of the most beautiful guitar songs ever with “Tristesse” and the equally impressive “Happy Hunting Ground” the listener feels like they’re in the presence of greatness in somebody’s castle.
6) The Blurred Crusade
The second album entitled The Blurred Crusade was the defining one for which all Church music would follow. The Blurred Crusade was released in 1982. The sounds of Willson-Piper’s 12 string Rickenbacker and outer space vibe on “Fields Of Mars”, and the centerpiece “You Took” are just two great songs here. The album’s opening track Almost With You was released as the record’s first single from the album. The band followed up that single with the release of the cut “When You We Mine.” This album has been listed in the top 100 Australian rock album releases of all time in the bands native home of Australia.
5) Magician Among The Spirits
This is an incredibly rich album. Kilbey in particular was very fond of the title track, a 13 minute seance of quiet and sanguine music that could, if any music was able, raise the spirits from their slumber. The album has some more accessible pop rock – “Ladyboy” and “Come Down” could and should have been great ’80’s guitar pop songs. The only clunker is “The Ritz”, but the rest is magic.
4) After Everything Now This
A truly beautiful album, with melodies a mile long and wide. This is one of pop rock’s gentlest guitar albums, but absolutely gorgeous, especially “The Awful Ache” and “Night Friends”.
3) Remote Luxury
This started out as a couple EP’s on the Australian market but the band decided to re-release them as a single album, and for a pairing of different releases it works surprisingly well. The band’s most poppy album but with “Shadow Cabinet”, “Constant In Opal” and “No Explanation” one can only wonder how this escaped the attention of the Top 40 world.
2) Priest=Aura
This album may be the most beautiful of all their albums. It almost defies explanation, the guitars doing such a great job of creating atmospheres and gentle waves of melody. Many Church fans including Steve Kilbey consider this perhaps their greatest album.
1) Starfish
At number one on our top 10 albums by The Church is the record Starfish. This great album was easily their most successful album. Starfish was home to “Under The Milky Way,” the absolutely breathtaking single that eventually pushed the album to gold status. The album is truly their centerpiece in the midst of their other albums. The songs are very very strong, the melodies instantly memorable, and its interplay between the musicians has never been tighter. There were four singles released from the Starfish album. Single releases were still a big deal in the 1980s especially in the United States where the Church had their most commercial success with the Starfish album. “Under The Milky Way,” was released as the first single from the album. The song was also featured in an episode of the hit shows of the 1980s entitled Miami Vice. The songs “Reptile, Destination and Antenna,” were released as subsequent singles. The album Starfish is highly recommended as a starting point for a truly amazing band.
All albums covers are Amazon affiliate links.
Top 10 Albums By The Church article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2021
Classicrockhistory.com claims ownership of all its original content and Intellectual property under United States Copyright laws and those of all other foreign countries. No one person, business or any organizations is allowed to republish any of our original content anywhere on the web or in print without our permission.
![Rob De Luca of Spread Eagle, Sebastian Bach & UFO: 10 Albums That Changed My Life From humble East Coast origins to grandest stages worldwide, veteran bassist Rob De Luca has seen and done it all. De Luca first hit the local Boston rock and metal scene in the late 80s after meeting guitarist Paul DiBartolo, bonding over Van Halen before forming Bang. Regional success came quickly, but eventually, the members of Bang went their separate ways, with De Luca and drummer Tommi Gallo heading to NYC and hooking up with Ray West and, later, DiBartolo to form Spread Eagle. By 1990, Spread Eagle was on the fast track, with a contract through MCA Records and a self-titled debut album poised to crush skulls. But poor timing and MCA's sad indifference left Spead Eagle out in the cold despite being a hard-boiled answer to Guns N' Roses's West Coast sleaze. Spread Eagle's first chapter came to an end in '95. As for Rob De Luca, his nimble fingers and gift for melody and songwriting kept him moving forward. Soon, he found a gig with former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach and the legendary outfit UFO. And in 2010, after coupling up with Ray West and his cousin Rik De Luca, Spread Eagle retook flight. During a break from Spread Eagle's increasingly busy touring schedule, Rob De Luca dialed in with ClassicRockHistory.com to run through the ten albums that changed his life. But only after adding, "I made a playlist of these songs, including some I've written or co-written. Do you hear any of these albums' influence on me?" Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3LWJuhDrE8JmzhsmTeIDUq 10) Gentlemen by Afghan Whigs (1993) Here's an entry that was so important to me. This may be the darkest break-up album of all time. Greg Dulli has been in many projects, but I feel Gentlemen is his zenith. Somewhat undefinable at times but always profound and honest. Listen to "Gentlemen," "Fountain and Fairfax," and "What Jail Is Like." 9) In on the Kill Taker by Fugazi (1993) By this time, I had been sucked in and spit out by the major-label record industry. Glam came and went; grunge was history, too. I was searching for new sounds. When I heard Fugazi's twin guitar approach, I knew this was what was missing. Fugazi may be considered a less polished sound than the albums above; however, once you "get it," it hits you like a ton of bricks, and there's no going back. From the moment I heard Fugazi, I went to every NYC show after. It's easily some of the best concerts of my life, and possibly my favorite bassist in Joe Lally. And their DIY ethics refused to charge us more than $5 a show! In on the Kill Taker is a powerful album demonstrated in songs such as "Smallpox Champion," "Great Cop," and "Public Witness Program." 8) Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses (1987) I discovered many of these albums (sometimes long) after they were released. However, I was at the right place at the right time for this one. Steve Ostromogilsky had a Berklee College of Music lunch card and used to sneak out sandwiches for me. One day, he invited me to hang out at his place and listen to music. As we got off the train, he put Sony Walkman headphones on my ears and said, "Hey, check out this brand-new group." A song like "It's So Easy" was so different from the popular Sunset Strip sound at that time. Me and about 499 other informed rockers were lucky enough to see them on their first East Coast tour at the sold-out Paradise on Commonwealth Avenue, Boston (the same street Aerosmith started on). I saw Gn'R every tour after until I took a break when Buckethead joined. Gn'R is the band I've been lucky enough to see the most times live, almost 100! Everyone on this album is just stellar. Axl [Rose] had the tones, power, melodic sensibilities, and foresight to do what no other singer did then. Slash's playing was beyond memorable. Duff [McKagan] is one of the most underrated bassists in rock history, and learning his Appetite basslines is a masterclass. Steven [Adler] had the natural swing, and Izzy [Stradlin] was the secret weapon songwriter. Everything that's been heralded about this gem is deserved and true. Check out "It's So Easy," "Out Ta Get Me," and "Mr. Brownstone.' 7) Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (1975) Another contender for my favorite album and band of all time. Using The Beatles machine (same recording studio, engineer, record label), Pink Floyd made what I feel is their strongest, most cohesive album (my second favorite of theirs would be Animals). This list mainly consists of bands with an instantly recognizable sound. Floyd is certainly no exception to that! This album included a solid handful of undeniable rock radio classics, bookended by two halves of the mind-blowing song "Shine on You Crazy Diamond.' That song was written about former band member and founder Syd Barrett. It would be hard to live in a world without this album. Check out "Welcome to The Machine," "Shine on You Crazy Diamond (parts 6-9),' or even better yet, listen to the whole thing in one sitting! 6) Decade by Neil Young (1977) About this time, I started playing guitar. As a beginner, it was comfortable jamming to this album because the chord changes were simple—a great "first ten years" retrospective of Neil's stunning, unique songwriting. Neil is a treasure who always writes from the heart and stands up for what's right. Check out "Southern Man," "A Man Needs a Maid," "Down by The River," and "After the Goldrush." 5) Highway to Hell by AC/DC (1979) When I heard this album, I was firmly "me." My life would be 100% focused on hard rock music forever. AC/DC are like air; they're ubiquitous. Everyone knows them and their incredible songs. However, as a young teen in Wilmington, Delaware, I only had WMMR 93.3 FM Philadelphia and a few friends to inform me about the world of Rock outside my bedroom. AC/DC had not gone mainstream, and their albums were available primarily in the USA as imports. To put things more in perspective, I only knew two people in the world who had heard of AC/DC. A friend had an import that we played in Steve Buckley's basement, which sounded ripping. When Highway to Hell was released, WMMR started spinning the title track, and I immediately bought the album, listening to it every single day after school. Then WMMR announced AC/DC was coming to the Spectrum in Philly, supporting Ted Nugent! I liked Ted but loved AC/DC, so my good friend Mick Cummins and I bought tickets, and he drove us up to the Spectrum (where we saw most of our concerts). Bon Scott was in fine form, and the band went over great. Although the crowd knew Ted better, Angus [Young] wouldn't let anyone upstage him. I'll never forget it! Unfortunately, Bon would be gone in 6 months. Check out "Walk All Over You," "Touch Too Much," "Shot Down in Flames," and "If You Want Blood (You Got It)." 4) Toys in the Attic by Aerosmith (1975) By the time I heard this, I was now in my teens. I had a childhood friend up the street, Jim Linberg (we're still good buddies). His older sister had a great album collection, including Toys in The Attic. Once I heard that groove, my taste changed. I lost interest in rock music that didn't have some sort of "swing" feel to it. I think Rocks is a slightly better Aerosmith album (and possibly my favorite album of all time), but both are perfect or very close. Check out "Uncle Salty," "Adam's Apple," "No More No More," "Round and Round," and "You See Me Crying." 3) Alive! by Kiss (1975) When I was still a little kid, I asked for Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke album for Christmas. The entire family came over for an enormous feast, and I dropped the needle. When my mother heard the content, she turned off the album and said I had to exchange it. My mom was cool, but I was young and knew much more about life than she suspected. Anyway, the next day, she drove me back to the store. In the music section, promoted on an "endcap" was a Kiss Alive! display. I had never heard of Kiss, but that cover picture told me I had to have it! My first foray into hard rock. Check out “Strutter.” I went through my Kiss phase very quickly, I believe in a matter of months because I discovered the previous entry, Aerosmith's Toys in the Attic. 2) Honky Chateau by Elton John (1972) When I was a wee lad, my parents bought a used Volkswagen camper van from my uncle Ozzie. My favorite Elton John album is Yellow Brick Road, but Honky Chateau is great and easily one of his best. It sent me down a lifelong rabbit hole of loving everything about the 1970s partnership between Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin. The simple beauty of voice, the master songwriting, the perfect backing band, the clear, unobtrusive recordings, and always Bernie's incredible lyrics. The day this album was released, Elton became an unstoppable force that conquered the music industry. Check out "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" and "Rocket Man." 1) Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles (1967) Another tape that was included in the VW Camper. The van had a bunch of music tapes, and one was Sgt Pepper. I was too young to understand the sophistication of the music, but that was one of the many skills of The Beatles. They attracted listeners at every level, even little kids. I still feel that immediate connection to Sgt Pepper; now, I hear so much more. It's an album that changed the world and the world of music. Check out "Lucy in The Sky with Diamonds," "A Day In The Life," and "Fixing a Hole."](http://www.classicrockhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Shutterstock_1815495569-1-300x200.jpg)
