Customer Reviews

Gold Afternoon Fix (Dlx)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Under the Milky Way" finally broke The Church to a larger audience in the United States and their follow up album "Gold Afternoon Fix" certainly lives up to the promise of their "breakthrough" album. From the menacing opening notes of "Pharaoh" with its use of feedback and other sound effects to the catchy Metropolis" the album is a winner. This two edition deluxe edition offers a second disc of material that was released on various EPs around the time of this album and acoustic versions of two strong tracks the glorious "Metropolis" and moody album closer "Grind".

The album has been remastered louder than the previous edition. It sounds good when compared to the original release but it seems the dynamic range is squashed a bit. The second disc, though, is worth the price of admission as it features a number of EP sides released to accompany the singles. I do wish that there were song lyrics but I suppose we can't have everything.

The second disc is the only reason to pick this up. The second disc is an album length with the following CD/EP extra tracks all in one spot:

1. Much Too Much

2. Take It Back

3. Desert

4. Forgotten Reign

5. Hunter

6. Dream

7. Ride into the Sunset

8. You Got Off Light

9. The Feast

10. Metropolis (Acoustic)

11. Grind (Acoustic)

The only real reason to get this is the second disc. The original release although not quite as loud sounds pretty good.

The Church is a criminally underrated Australian rock group and is my all-time favorite band. The esoteric and enigmatic Steve Kilbey's cool and captivating vocals, his interesting stream-of-consciousness lyrics, the two exciting guitarists - Marty Willson-Piper, Peter Koppes - and Tim Powles, a drummer with great production skills, make for an all-round class act. Since 1981 they've released one great album after another, and Gold Afternoon Fix is one of their best.

First single Metropolis, with its chiming guitars and melodic pop hook, was my introduction to The Church back in 1990, and the reason I became aware of this wonderful band. I soon bought Gold Afternoon Fix and was mesmerized by its - mostly - melancholic beauty. A few songs such as the aforementioned single and Monday Morning are more... "light-hearted", if you will...but the overall dark atmosphere of Gold Afternoon Fix never becomes depressing. The Church's music contains both darkness and light, just like life itself, and comes off as being very real. The lazy, laid-back melancholia of Disappointment - with Kilbey's sad, detached vocal and the beautifully understated bass and electric/acoustic guitars - is indeed a very special song; not for everybody perhaps, but to me it remains one of my favorite Church songs. As does Grind, which is one of my all-time favorite songs by any artist. Terra Nova Cain and lead-off track Pharoah are some of the most atmospheric rock songs I have ever heard and represent everything I absolutely adore about the Church - the Essence of their sound. Pharoah is stunning, and my all-time favorite Church song.

To me Gold Afternoon Fix is a masterpiece and as good as music gets.

This is one of my favorite CDs by The Church. While not as well-known as Starfish, it has many excellent songs on it, some of which contain considerable beauty as well as catchy energy, as is characteristic for this fine band. I measure how good a CD is by how I feel when I am listening to it. When I listen to the songs on this CD, it always puts me in a good mood. I won't belabor my favorite songs. Each listener will form his own opinion about that, but please do check out this CD. It can be addictive.

This album was left in my house so I decided to give it a listen and it had an imediate impact on me. It has both light and dark emotions but the church have that rare quality of being able to capture a feeling on record. Metropolis is about as good a song as you will ever hear and I almost can visualise the singer going for a little lunch down at the ghost cafe(disapointment). There is no bad songs on this one. It will always we a special album for introducing me to the church and I am gradually picking up the whole back catalogue. Surprised that other fans dont rate it highly as guitar playing,production,lyrics and overall package is awesome.This band are out there in their own stratosphere and are criminally underrated. They are surely one of a kind.

With "Gold Afternoon Fix," The Church has created another haunting masterpiece to add to their already impressive archive. Their unique sound is unparalleled in relaying an almost bewitching combination of music and meaning, from the more upbeat, driving "You're Still Beautiful, Baby" to the melancholy, wistful "Disappointment." Even though only one song remotely approached widespread airplay ("Metropolis"), this album is definitely worth checking out. All thirteen tracks will hold you captive in their spell, and if you haven't checked out The Church before, this is a great catalyst for making you seek out other albums for your collection.

You might say this one took 8 years to grow on me - it's now my favorite Church album. The standard elements: Edge-style piercing guitar, spiritual lyrics, really low voices - are all in force here, but they're more effective. The worst this album does is get somewhat boring ("Terra Nova Cain") but the highs are sky-high - "Disappointment", "Metropolis", and the superlative "Fading Away". This album inokes War-era U2, without the anthems. A beautiful close to the 80's.

To give this wondrous release 2 stars as a previous reviewer did is a sin and shortsighted. This is unquestionably one of the most beautiful, haunting, and melodic signature Church releases ever! The songs vary in tempo, with the band weaving memorable melodic plodding soundscapes that you will be humming and shaking your head to, such as 'Russian Autumn Heart' and 'Transient', as well as slower, gorgeous songs like the masterful 'Dissapointed'. There is not one weak moment on GAF. I don't think Steve Kilbey and bandmates realize how good this release is!

Coming off the huge success of the classic, essential "Starfish", "Gold Afternoon Fix" was supposed to be the follow up to keep the momentum going. Unfortunately, gears changed a bit and "GAF" fell off the tracks. First, you have to understand that what made The Church a great band to this point of their career was mainly due to the flawless, imaginative interplay between guitarists Peter Koppes and Marty Wilson-Piper combined with the unique baritone vocal delivery of Steve Kilbey. After the success of the 1988 "Starfish", the then producer Waddy Wachtel, steered the band to a more stripped down sound to hopefully appeal to a broader commercial audience to cash in further on their success.

What happen with the 1990 "Gold Afternoon Fix" was a general mix of stripped down dark and mainstream formula pop songs. The album tanked commercially - This was not the TRUE Church sound that was familiar to us and loved!. All was not lost though. The album did produce 2 great songs. The very cool, open sounding, fantastic "Metropolis" rates as one of my personal favorite songs. "You're Still Beautiful" is the other great song off the album with it's pounding drumbeat bringing home Kilbey's hard hitting lyrics in one of The Church's most perfect combination of lyrics and music creativity.

Forgive the cover of Gold Afternoon Fix, its whack.

I'd have to say that this is a cross between Heyday and Priest=Aura. Some songs are dark and trippy, and others are uplifting and popy. This may be unbalanced somewhat, but there are some good tunes here.

My favorites here are Pharoah, Metropolis, Russian Autumn Heart, Disappointment, Fading Away, Laughing, and Grind.

Don't pass this up if your a church fan, especially since its going here at Amazon "new and used" for 48 cents.

excellent 2 disc cd sounds like the era where church branched into acid/art rock as in later albums "forget yourself" etc.everytime i get a church cd i am impressed and wonder why i quit listening to them 20 years ago.