The Church Biography
by Mark Deming
One of the most successful and enduring Australian bands of the post-punk era, the Church began their career with music that paid explicit homage to psychedelia and 1960s folk-rock, and with the passage of time they refined their own unique sound, fusing pop, art rock, progressive rock, and other flavors. The Church were formed in Sydney, Australia in 1980 by Steve Kilbey (bass, vocals), Peter Koppes (guitar), and Nick Ward (drums). Kilbey, a former member of the Tactics, had previously played with Koppes in a glam rock band called Precious Little in the mid-'70s, but both were eager to do something different when they teamed up with Ward. Originally calling themselves Limosine, they solidified their approach while recording demos in Kilbey's home studio, and when guitarist Marty Willson-Piper joined the lineup, their signature style began to fall into place. Adopting the name the Church, they began earning a reputation on Sydney's club circuit, and by the end of 1980 they had scored a record deal with EMI's reactivated Parlophone label. The band's 1981 debut album, Of Skins and Heart, became a commercial success in Australia after the single "The Unguarded Moment" hit the pop charts. Around the time of the album's release, the Church parted ways with drummer Ward, and Richard Ploog became their new percussionist. The band promptly went into the studio with Ploog to cut an EP, Too Fast for You, and material from the EP and Of Skins and Heart was compiled into an album simply called The Church that was released in the U.K. and the United States.
Tracklist
1. Anaesthesia
2. Richochet
3. Louisiana
4. The Great Machine
5. No Certainty Attached
6. Tranquility
7. Buffalo
8. This Is It
9. Another Earth
10. Glow-Worm
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