Starfish (album)

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Starfish
Studio album by The Church
Released 16 February 1988
Recorded 1987
Genre post-punk, neo-psychedelia
Length 46:07
Label Arista (worldwide except Australia)
Mushroom (Australia)
Producer Greg Ladanyi, Waddy Wachtel, The Church
The Church chronology
Heyday
(1986)		 Starfish
(1988)		 Gold Afternoon Fix
(1990)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 4.5/5 stars[1]
Rolling Stone 4/5 stars[2]

The breakthrough 1988 album by The Church, Starfish has remained the band's most commercially successful release. The first single, "Under the Milky Way", charted well into the American Top 40, peaking at #24 and #2 on Mainstream Rock Tracks leading to significant exposure of the then relatively underground Australian act.

Contents

[edit] Background

Recorded/produced in Los Angeles by L.A. session musicians Waddy Wachtel and Greg Ladanyi, the recording is more sparse and open than its predecessor, Heyday. Many of its songs have seen heavy rotation in live setlists, and the album remains a favorite among many fans. Band members repeatedly noted how much they disliked being in Los Angeles during the recording sessions; "North, South, East And West" is an indictment of L.A.'s shallow aspects.

The album's title was taken from singer/bassist Steve Kilbey's nickname for friend/ musical partner Donnette Thayer. Kilbey also contributed a long untitled poem in the album's liner notes.

"Hotel Womb" has dream/nightmare-themed lyrics pertaining to cannibalism.[citation needed]

Music videos were filmed for "Under The Milky Way" and "Reptile."

Two songs were used in episodes of the U.S. television show Miami Vice. "Under the Milky Way" was used in an episode called "Asian Cut" (aired 13 Jan. 1989), and "Blood Money" was used in "Heart Of Night" (18 Nov. 1988).

"Under the Milky Way" was featured in 2001 film Donnie Darko.

The song "Reptile" was used in Toy Machine's skateboarding video Suffer the Joy.

A sheet music/guitar tablature book was released for the entire album by Cherry Lane.

In October 2010, it was listed in the top 40 in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums.[3] In 2011 the album, along with Priest=Aura and Untitled #23, was played in its entirety on the band's 30th Anniversary "Future, Past, Perfect" Tour.

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Destination" (Kilbey/Willson-Piper/Koppes/Ploog)
  2. "Under the Milky Way" (Kilbey/Jansson)
  3. "Blood Money" (Kilbey/Willson-Piper/Koppes/Ploog)
  4. "Lost" (Kilbey/Willson-Piper/Koppes/Ploog)
  5. "North, South, East And West" (Kilbey/Willson-Piper/Koppes/Ploog)
  6. "Spark" (Willson-Piper)
  7. "Antenna" (Kilbey/Willson-Piper/Koppes/Ploog)
  8. "Reptile" (Kilbey/Willson-Piper/Koppes/Ploog)
  9. "A New Season" (Koppes)
  10. "Hotel Womb" (Kilbey)

Initial vinyl copies of the album came with a free bonus 12" EP. Tracklisting:

  1. "Anna Miranda" (Kilbey/Jansson/The Church)
  2. "Musk" (Kilbey/The Church)
  3. "Perfect Child" (Kilbey/The Church)
  4. "Frozen And Distant" (Kilbey/The Church)
  5. "Texas Moon" (Kilbey/The Church)

All except "Musk" later appeared on the band's 1991 rarities compilation, A Quick Smoke At Spot's. All five appeared on a 2005 double-CD remastered version of Starfish.

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Additional musicians

[edit] Charted singles

Year Title Chart positions Album
US Hot 100 US Modern Rock US Mainstream Rock UK
1988 Under the Milky Way #24 - #2 #90 Starfish

[edit] References

  1. ^ Allmusic review
  2. ^ Rolling Stone review
  3. ^ O'Donnell, John; Creswell, Toby; Mathieson, Craig (October 2010). 100 Best Australian Albums. Prahran, Vic: Hardie Grant Books. ISBN 978-1-74066-955-9. 

[edit] External links

The Church
Studio albums
Extended plays
Compilations
  • Conception
  • Remote Luxury
  • Hindsight
  • Almost Yesterday
  • Under the Milky Way: The Best of the Church
  • The Best of the Church
  • Singsongs//Remote Luxury//Persia
  • Deep in the Shallows: The Classic Singles Collection
Remixes and outtakes
Singles
  • "She Never Said"
  • "The Unguarded Moment"
  • "Too Fast for You"
  • "Tear It All Away"
  • "Almost with You"
  • "When You Were Mine"
  • "I Am a Rock" / "A Different Man"
  • "It's No Reason
  • "Electric Lash"
  • "Already Yesterday"
  • "Tantalized"
  • "Columbus"
  • "Disenchanted"
  • "Under the Milky Way"
  • "Reptile"
  • "Antenna"
  • "Destination"
  • "Metropolis"
  • "Russian Autumn Heart"
  • You're Still Beautiful"
  • "Ripple"
  • "Feel"
  • "Two Places At Once"
  • "Comedown"
  • "White Star Line" / "Gypsy Stomp"
  • "Louisiana"
  • "Numbers"
  • "Song in Space"
  • "Block"
  • "Easy"
  • "The Coffee Song" / "Hounds of Love"
  • "Pangaea"
  • "Operetta"
  • "Deadman's Hand"
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