Music Banter - The Album Club: "The Blurred Crusade" by The Church

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- - The Album Club: "The Blurred Crusade" by The Church (https://www.musicbanter.com/general-music/91091-album-club-blurred-crusade-church.html)

Quote:

Occulthawk, no one considers this a lost treasure, because it isn't one.

At the time, records like this were selling like cold beer in hell in the states. It did well in Australia and there’s tons of bleed over in taste. I’m pretty sure if it were released and marketed this would have elbowed its way into American pop culture. Taken in a historical context from an American perspective, maybe more-so if you lived through the 80s and actually care (not implying that anyone here doesn’t) then this really is one that got away. Again that’s why I think it’s an especially good pick.

It makes sense, and I was sort of joking. Mostly.

It still boils down to if you like it or not. Obviously, I do like it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MicShazam (Post 1917665)

It's like someone thought that, hey, Midnight Oil is a little bit too exciting, so lets replace the singer with some guy from the local karaoke bar and replace any musically interesting bits with cut-rate U2.

Pleasant music, I suppose, but I guess I see why I've never heard of this band. I definitely don't see anything about them that stands out, compared to so many other 80's bands in a semi-similar vein.

"What's a hook? Who needs them anyway. This isn't radio oriented music after all - oh wait, it is! ****! We forgot the hooks! Oh the horror! Well... too late, the album is all wrapped up and we're too nice and docile to make a fuss."

Occulthawk, no one considers this a lost treasure, because it isn't one.

Just kidding. I'm not good at playing the opinionated jerk. But I personally find this album tedious and unremarkable.

Disliked it somewhat as I couldn't stop checking how many songs were left for me to go through.

You've never heard of The Church? The Blurred Crusade, being an early album, is not as well known, but their late 80s/early 90s stuff was fairly popular. At the very least, most people know them for the song "Under the Milky Way Tonight":

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janszoon (Post 1917700)

There are so many 80's bands where I can't name a song by them, but then I hear a song and go "oh right, I know that song!". I had a moment like that with three Spandau Ballet songs recently.

The song above doesn't ring any bells at all. Maybe I'm just not quite old enough for it to have been unavoidable, or maybe it just never really played anywhere in Northern Europe.

Under the Milky Way was all over the States. It was huge on MTV especially. Even now that song seems still kind of bland. A better song from that period came a little later called Metropolis.

I liked this when it started, then I rapidly lost interest as it seemed to be pretty much the same thing all through. "To Be In Your Eyes" stood out though, and I thought maybe the album was turning a corner, especially since the next track was really good, too. But then it slid back into mediocrity and at the end I was left thinking "so what?"

Voted meh.
6/10

Love The Church but not aware of this album. Priest=Aura (Thanks Jansz) is the finest. Will listen later.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rubber soul (Post 1917713)

Under the Milky Way was all over the States. It was huge on MTV especially. Even now that song seems still kind of bland. A better song from that period came a little later called Metropolis.

"Metropolis" is good, but "Grind" is the best song on that album.

And as Goofle mentioned, it was their next album, Priest=Aura, where they really hit their peak.

Not that familiar with The Church at their early stages (big Priest = Aura fan here too) but this was a nice slice of early New Wave / alternative or whatever the promoters called it in the U.K.

Few standouts: 'Just For You' has a nice Baroque underpinning, 'To Be In Your Eyes' reminds me of The Cure in some ways, and of course 'When You Were Mind' has a great bassline and overall melody. But besides those three the album seemed more monotonous than it had to be, like Blue Oyster Cult without the head scratching weirdness or The Psychedelic Furs without Todd Rundgren producing. :wave:

6 out of 10