Untitled #23

Re: Untitled #23

feeds@yuku.com (Smile) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:08:44 PST

I can understand why people say the Church should or shouldn't do poppy songs (BTW thank-you for the explanation regards Easy, Chrome 3D), but I suppose a song is just created, and then we can all make our judgements later, on whatever catorgory it should fill.
I guess that's why the boys had so much hassle early on, with their perspective record company execs always chasing that 3 min catchy pop hit, but the 4-5min standard is what originally drew me to the Church originally, beside of course, the fact that they delivered some magnificent, and brilliant angelic sounds to my ears.

It reminds me when Seance came out around '83, 'No reason' was the first single, and to be fair to the mainstream radio of that time (Triple M), they gave it good air time, though I laugh when I hear how that particular song was so anti-mainstream in it's whole make-up, yet people did like it.
It is funny to think, that though some songs styles today would have been unplayable thirty...

Re: Untitled #23

feeds@yuku.com (Dugster) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 07:02:19 PST

For what its worth I love Easy! I think SK has dismissed it at some stage and maybe people have jumped on that. For me I hear what you're saying about it sounding as though it could live on OSAH - for me it could be a Blurred Crusade cut.

Good to hear some recent comments on U23. The most consistently great album since P=A for me. Took a couple of listens to get but is certainly in my top few albums still. Best album of the '00s for me.

Re: Untitled #23

feeds@yuku.com (Rup) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 06:11:50 PST

I love Easy, and i'm not ashamed to say so!
Unified Field, too.
Great poppy songs from a great, versatile band!

I'd say that ULTC, as a whole, is a somewhat inconsistent album, but there are some sublime moments of absolute magic on there.
Overview is so so so good....
Never Before, Day 5 and Untoward, too...

Re: Untitled #23

feeds@yuku.com (chrome3D) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 08:45:58 PST

I guess that with Easy and many other poppy songs of the band there is feelings that poppy songs are lesser songs. Like You´re Still Beautiful is a bad song as it´s too simple and "straight". To me the pop aspect is just one aspect that the band has. It has always been there and it will probably always be.

Even the band has sometimes been a bit sorry of their poppy parts. In the 30th Anniversary-tour program Marty desribes ULTC as an "...album of songs for the radio that would never play them, with tunes for imaginary audience that only existed in the fantasyland..." Why would they do pop, since their audience don´t want them to do pop and they are unlikely to be played in the radio anyway.

Re: Untitled #23

feeds@yuku.com (Smile) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 04:53:47 PST

I thought that's a good observation Chrome3D, about this album having their best stuff going into their ambient stuff, I totally agree.
Rereading my comments, I feel as if it looks like I'm not that impressed with Happenstance, which wasn't the case at all, I guess writing the comment straight after Pangaea, it wasn't a fair observation.

Speaking of the 'Deadman's Hand' EP though, yea it's good, love the way Kicker works between Stardust and Dakota.

Sorry but while I'm getting of the track of the thread here again, but about not being able to appreciate ULTC, I guess it has more to do with the catching up listenning I'm currently doing these past months.
Whilst I'll whack an album on to listen while on the computer or driving. I have found that ULTC hasn't grabbed me as quickly like say AENT, BWTB or FY, but whilst Unified field to me is a bit U2ish if that makes sense, (not that it is a problem mind, U2 are probably a bit Churchish as well at times) it is one...

Re: Untitled #23

feeds@yuku.com (chrome3D) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 00:04:33 PST

I also feel that U#23 is up there at the top with all my favourites. All the church albums have their persona and place in the big picture and I´m always open if some of them comes up. Even MATS makes a surprise impression every now and then. Still U#23 has never left my personal top5 after it came out and it´s unlikely to fall out of it anytime soon.

Space Saviour and Anchorage didn´t really do enough for me at first. There is only 3 rock songs in the album but none of them felt like the best part of the album and it seemed to me that this time around their best efforts went into the more ambient stuff. Still all those songs have their place in the running order and they make the album complete. Deadman´s Hand gets better and better as time goes by. That song was even better in the context of it´s own mini album.

Can´t appreciate ULTC? That album has still plenty of excellent stuff. The closing trio of Untoward/ Day 5/ Song To Go might be some of the best I know from...

Re: Untitled #23

feeds@yuku.com (Smile) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 00:55:57 PST

Perhaps this is a little late for a review, and after having a quick perusal of some of the other reviews here, very impressed and overawed, though I immediatly feel very intimidated as I know diddly-squat compared to many of you, which in this way (oblivious to ten years of releases) is how I have been introduced to U23, after not having listened to any Church albums since about HOB.

I am currently remedying the situation, enjoying getting into FY, AENT, ULTC, CH (ep) and BWTB, just can't really appreciate ULTC yet (though Easy rattles around my head for a few hours after every listen), but time will tell.

Though I have missed a lot of what's been released this past decade, I have constantly listened to my old tapes, and it was only that I started updating these albums onto CDs, that I discovered U23, aprox. year and half after its' release.
What a surprise to immediately have this album resonate with me big time. Perhaps it was the lack of listening to...

Re: Untitled #23

feeds@yuku.com (Torn n Frayed) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 23:34:18 PST

This is a post from a BBS that I am on, spreading the word. High praise indeed.

Originally Posted by Manny Ramirez
While I am waiting on The Church's "Priest = Aura" to come, I had a little money that I wasn't expecting, so I bought "Untitled 23" today (the mp3 version of the album). I am speechless on how good this album is. I was thinking to myself that I don't know of many bands that have been around that long and have released that many albums (only The Fall and The Rolling Stones come to mind), not 12 to 14, but over 20 albums. And unlike The Rolling Stones or The Fall, where their later albums are really substandard or not to the level of earlier works, you can't say this about The Church. This band is one that continues to get better and better with age. So, I spun "Heyday" again (still like it a little more than "Starfish", sorry T n F about that but I do agree it is a little dated) and now I am listening to Untitled 23 again. Hell, I might listen to it again...

Re: Untitled #23

feeds@yuku.com (fandorin) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:22:55 PST

> But that's just me.

Don't worry, not just you...

I always had my issues with ULTC's pacing. Great opener, nice pop song, another nice pop song, slightly bland pop song, sugary easy pop song, then a kind of unmoving hole in the middle with Steve disappearing, hitting a low point with Real Toggle Action, while the last three songs are the best-paced closing section since P=A's Hattrick of Old Flame-Chaos-Film.

Re: Untitled #23

feeds@yuku.com (miles aweigh) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:13:12 PST

Well I'm just not up to reading the 21 pages before this, so I may be repeating others thoughts with less eloquence. This was a difficult album for me to completely love. It has one of the best opening tunes of any recent Church album with Cobalt, a devastatingly great follow up with Deadman's Hand, lovely, dreamy Pangea and delightful Happenstance, which feels like something from ULTC. Then they lost me with Space Savior. I admit after playing the whole thing through several dozen times my aversion has lessened. On Angel Street was also less accessible, but I came around very fast and admire the desolate mood. Gradually the album returns to the form of the beginning and ends with my favorite, Operetta.

Part of the disconnect is the pacing, it just feels kind of empty in the center, the energy lags for too extended a period of time to my ears. ULTC is one of my all time favs and this rivals it, and perhaps surpasses it in some of the individual efforts. I had some...

Re: Untitled #23

feeds@yuku.com (camel) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:00:14 PST

Glad to hear U23 is playing at the resonatorium. I need to pull my copy out for a listen -been a long time for me. Most of the blame goes to Karen Peris and Brandi Hart however.

Re: Untitled #23

feeds@yuku.com (Resonator) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 11:48:39 PST

I finally got the album with a gift certificate after hiding the one copy around the bookstore behind the great gatsby, five copies deep. I really enjoy the entire album. Dig Cobalt Blue and Angel Street, the whole enchilada, really. I think Cobalt Blue would be great in a movie, as would Angel Street. Space Saviour reminds me a little of Hologram of Baal stuff and Deadman's Hand reminds me of Ricochet with the guitar interplay. That rhymes,Mr. Grimes. Yeah, the passionate singing is cool. Always surprises me, and the style is reminiscent of the Refo:Mation, can you dig it ? I have a sneaking suspicion that you already have.

The closing tracks, like Invisible and Summer and now Operetta are of the same genus. Very nice and finessed, comparable to my crushed velvet hoodie. ciao from the rain , J

Re: Untitled #23

feeds@yuku.com (Dugster) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 05:15:35 PST
I'm not sure if Heyday mo is officially linked or not but there is definitely some relationship there. The guy who runs it is Nick Leese and he gets frequent thanks in the liner notes of Church releases. For what its worth I use them a lot and they are very good!

Re: Untitled #23

feeds@yuku.com (chrome3D) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:25:03 PST
It´s just a hunch. The relationship has never been explained as far as I know. Heyday Mail Order still has dozens of Church-items that only Churchmerch has, including posters and t-shirts too. HMO is probably the most comprehensive source of The Church related stuff anywhere in the web and it has more items than Churchmerch (80) including rare vinyl singles etc. Maybe Amazon can make it better. Heyday advertises the upcoming records on the website as soon as the release date is known. HMO also has a Church/related section on their website. Prices are about the same as in Churchmerch and if the price is higher then more of it goes to the band, right? From the used items on Amazon none of it goes to the band, that is for sure.

Re: Untitled #23

feeds@yuku.com (day fiver) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 15:19:03 PST

chrome3D wrote:

The last two options get some moolah to the artists and the first two cheap ones doesn´t.

Why is that? Well churchmerch is obvious, but I don't know anything about heyday mail order. Are they affiliated in some way?

Re: Untitled #23

feeds@yuku.com (Tar Heel) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 10:42:34 PST
my apologies, Chrome, for repeating something from a year ago. I guess I am still dreaming about BY. FY is not only my fav Church album, but my favorite album of all time; so anything they were recording during that session has to be great.

Re: Untitled #23

feeds@yuku.com (chrome3D) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:15:31 PST
Are you still dreaming of getting Beside Yourself? You asked that a year ago already! Okay, let´s have another look at the online market:

amazon.com: new - $6,89
amazon.co.uk: used £ 4,19
Heyday mail order: new £13,75
Churchmerch: 30,00 AUS $ (18 EUR)

It would be unrealistic to go to a record store looking for it, chances ara almost 0 that you find it. The last two options get some moolah to the artists and the first two cheap ones doesn´t. Your choice. Go on, treat yourself this christmas.
First two get it to you in Poland quickly, Heyday fairly quickly and Churchmerch might take a month.

Re: Untitled #23

feeds@yuku.com (Tar Heel) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:13:37 PST
I know what you mean. It's like trying to describe Church to someone who has never heard them. Most people compare them to "The Cure", which I almost laugh at. But I don't laugh because there are countless millions who equate the Church with those no name, one hit wonders of the 80s.

why more people don't know that they even exist is beyond me.

Re: Untitled #23

feeds@yuku.com (fandorin) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 11:10:52 PST
yes, you are but i cannot tell you what exactly. i just like the rumbling ragged feel of S.S. and the infinite bliss of 1st woman...

Re: Untitled #23

feeds@yuku.com (Tar Heel) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 10:53:23 PST
one song I actively avoid listening to, though, is Space Saviour. It reminds of the abysmal "First Women on the Moon" Am I missing something here?

Untitled #23

feeds@yuku.com (GrantleyBuffalo) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 23:30:42 PST

(Artwork to be confirmed)

The new album will soon be available to everyone, so I thought "what better time to create a thread for it?". This is a slightly-altered copy'n'paste job of my review from the 'Myths You Made' thread...

First impressions: after several listens now, I am of the opinion that this album is very, very good. As usual Also as usual, it's going to take many more listens for it all to sink in. It's probably one of the most 'adventurous' Church albums to date, with no song standing out as a "potential pop hit" (not that that's a bad thing), and so many bits of subtle sonic trickery to explore.
...