The Time Being | Steve Kilbey

ascent of man

lamb

i am so angry

i ve been a stupid ive been a clown

i ve been trapped in my story

while scarlet stares at the ice on hornsgatan

and the christmas stars

its 5 am there lamb

what is she dreaming in her warm little bed

wheres my pet foot ? i ask her

its gone to sleep ….she says dreamily

hello i’m saying down a phone on a little beach

the ionian sea wraps a double bay

my shipwrecked posse gone down jammin’

i washed up on this career strand asking for help

we sit in the bath soaking in missions lotion

is anything happening to you ?i ask kathy

i look at her breasts in the dim candle light

i watch the warm glow hug at them

her nipples remain raspberry like

i sink down deeper into a suitcase with a false bottom

i buy some new shoes these will look good my sister had said

she could wear the same size as me

she found a shirt for me to wear

i put in on lamb

i looked in the mirror at some old cat in shorts n a fancy shirt

oh that looks good kathy said but i couldnt be sure

we walked around a bit together thru the monaro mall

what year is this mister someone asked me in thetis court

i turned to kathy but she had wandered off

the bathwater grew cold i climbed out i left her in there

my head was clouded my eyes all misted

i had displaced my weight in water

the front door was open

i stood in the night quite nude and innocent

the warm water turned cold on my skin

my skin moved over my bones and my flesh was as stone

kathy i said on the phone on the beach

but as i woke up my hair was full of sand

an old morning had dawned all sold or pawned

a tired grey sky

the same drab planes were coming in from hypothetical city

the sea churned and sloshed at the razor sharp shells

a fishermans boat a lone gull

no mermaids no mermen no treasure no exotica

a yacht on the horizon

a couple of the opera house sails

premature evening hovers like an ardent suitor

i see you in the darkness then lamb

i see you before me wandrin’ the fertile night

i still hear kathy splashing in her bath

i still see dad fighting in his war

the cards were to tell my fortune

and they did in spades

more ardent suitors on the phone for lamb

who followed me to school one day it was against the fucking rules

gee my new shirt looks good tho i say to my ‘maginary audience

kathy says theres skulls on yer shoes

boy she got things done fast

i forget how everything works

i cant find the instructions for my particular model

the fragrant evening caresses my tingling hide

music smeared across silence

flowers started to fade

alright

lets talk tomorrow

http://www.bigtakeover.com/recordings/the-church-the-blurred-crusade-second-motion

“Originally released in 1982, The Blurred Crusade, the second album from the church, takes the guitar-heavy new wave sound of its debut Of Skins and Heart and reshapes it, beginning the process of evolution into what would become the church‘s sonic signature. The first major difference is in the singing; Steve Kilbey has modulated his thin baritone into the relaxed croon that is his signature sound, and the lack of strain improves his vocals immensely. The second is that the band reins in its youthful energy, not to diminish its power, but to focus it, resulting in more evenly-paced, steady performances. New drummer Richard Ploog is less of a basher than original skinsman Nick Ward, more versatile and nimble. Guitarists Peter Koppes and Marty Willson-Piper (who uses a 12-string as his main axe at this point) mesh even better as a guitar team, sounding as if they’re adapting the tactics of Television tag team Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd to theByrds‘ elegiac folk rock. Fresh from working with the Rolling Stones, big time producerBob Clearmountain gives the band a clear, crisp sound without running roughshod over its creative instincts. (That would happen on the next record at the hands of a more respected producer.)

The one-two pop punch of “Almost With You” and “When You Were Mine” open the record with the most explicit recollection of the fizzy power pop of the first LP, but trades the youthful exuberance for a keener sense of craft. “Just For You,” the brief “Don’t Look Back” and “To Be In Your Eyes” add more acoustic guitars for lush, irresistible midtempo folk rock that’s beguiling in its casual melodic flair. “Field of Mars” features Willson-Piper’s lead vocal debut on a spacey ballad that sounds like it really is being beamed in from the titular planet. “A Fire Burns” boasts an unusually muscular guitar crash, almost as if the band was subverting the Aussie hard rock tradition by filtering it through its own sensibility.

Most significant, though, are “An Interlude” and “You Took,” the two group-composed efforts. Up to this point Kilbey wrote nearly all the material solo, though the individual musicians certainly were allowed to imprint their own personalities. But “An Interlude,” a jangled journey into the inner/outer space dichotomy in which the band would soon become comfortable, and “You Took,” a perfectly composed and arranged epic anthem, sound truly like the products of a group mind – you can really hear the church’s sonic aesthetic taking shape on these tunes. Indeed, “You Took” stands as a high-water mark in the band’s catalog to this day.

The new edition adds a pair of B-sides. The instrumental “The Golden Dawn” is entertaining but fairly inconsequential, at times sounding like the band has been listening to a little too much Alan Parsons Project. But “Life Speeds Up” is fantastic, a long track that begins as a punky pop tune and evolves into a dynamic anthem with soaring lead guitar and an almost casual ability to fill a stadium with sound. Both tunes enhance an already strong record, one that holds up as one of the very best in the church’s long, fruitful catalog.” – by Michael Toland

http://www.bigtakeover.com/recordings/the-church-of-skins-and-heart-second-motion

“While the group never truly gained the popular acclaim many of us thought it was due, the church has still managed to carve out a consistently interesting career for itself, moving from underground sensation to (briefly) popular mainstream act to legendary veterans, all while never resting on its own laurels. In celebration of 30 years of existence, the band has begun a reissue campaign for its major label work, most of which is inexplicably out of print. A reassessment of the Australian quartet’s early LPS is especially useful considering how well it displays the band finding its way toward its signature sound, a swirl of psychedelic rock that contains familiar elements but that sounds like no one but the church. The reissues also include bonus tracks, plus historical liner notes from guitarist Marty Willson-Piper.

Fans who entered the Church following the international success of its fifth album Starfishand its career-defining hit single “Under the Milky Way” might be surprised by the forthright sound of the band’s debut album Of Skins and Heart. The gauzy psychedelia for which the group would become known appears only in hints and glimmers here. Instead the band – bassist/singer/songwriter Steve Kilbey, guitarists Peter Koppes and Piper and drummerNick Ward – boasts a rocking sound that’s more in line with the rising tide of new wave. It sounds like a young band with talent to burn eager to get its ideas down on vinyl as quickly and energetically as possible.

The snarling postpunker “Fighter Pilot…Korean War,” the straightforward ballad “Don’t Open the Door to Strangers” and the bombastic “Memories in Future Tense” sound very different from the band with which most people would become familiar – the guitars are much more muscular and less pretty. Kilbey had not yet found his style as a vocalist, pushing his natural croon into an urgent yelp influenced by his 70s glam rock heroes. It mostly fits but he occasionally sounds like he’s straining beyond his comfort zone. Sprightly pop rockers like “She Never Said,” “For a Moment We’re Strangers,” “Chrome Injury” (which is marred by a dated electronic percussion thwack) and the Australian hit “The Unguarded Moment” show some of the group’s hallmarks – the uncommon chemistry between Koppes and Willson-Piper’s axes, Kilbey’s enigmatic lyrics – but also have a stripped down, propulsive power folks rarely associate with the band now. The leisurely epic “Is This Where You Live” and the jangling “Bel-Air” give hints of what was to come, but overall Of Skins and Heart sounds like the work of a different band than the church we all know – though quite a good band, to be sure.

This edition comes with a pair of B-sides as bonus tracks, and, not uncommonly for bands of this era, they’re both as good as anything else on the main record. “Busdriver” achieves a jagged, melodic drive very familiar to fans of today’s neo-new wave crop, while “In a Heartbeat” mixes an almost strident wash of chords, soaring lead guitar and a particularly catchy melody into a near-classic that the band should consider reviving. Indeed, it would be interesting to hear how the mature, experienced Church would handle these songs today. Even if little here sounds like the church we all know and adore, Of Skins and Heart is still a strong debut by a band full of ideas that would be more fully developed as its career progressed.” – Michael Toland

airfix hurricane

when i get you home

stumble through the door

waiting waiting in some soft sunlight i drift away

i have a dream

oh no not another dream i gotta stop having

something says but have this dream

some soothing voice some golden tone

anyway as well as everything else

my dream kissed my parched lips

i watched thru my brains mirror

every reflection distorts and ripples away

the future rips apart

underneath song after song after song

naked song flung headlong all wrong

we wrestle like angels for a while

the sky turning angry hurls darts of cloud

come crashing down

all  falling apart

then  running to me

i underwater with this

i move slowly thru dense green days

i move thru silent house empty headwise

numb in a cold shower

still the wondering sun

i adjust

i go on

deeper in time

am i a head or be hind

am i be fore or for ward

this cant make sense

life doesnt why should this i’d like to know

life somewhere else

power flows thru us

sublime cosmic energy oh ha ha can you feel it

take your time take your place

events continue to warp out of time

the  time being on your hands

the time being for now

the time being a tamed blamed   creature

ok i gotta get back into it here

The uncut acceptance speeches and  live footage of the church performing Under the Milky Way and a rockin’ Tantalized following our induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame (on the 27th October 2010)  are now viewable via  our Video page!  On keyboards is Craig Wilson and backing us was the George Ellis orchestral strings. With thanks to Rebecca Shaw for the uploads to YouTube.

Click : http://www.thechurchband.net/video/the-church/

purple sage

excerpt from an occult diary

everything was moving slower

the roads wound away

round the hills n outta sight

in the lovely eastern district of town

oh those loverly frickin’ gardens

oh those wrought iron balustrades

oh those flowery words whispered in the sweetened air

we were sleeping down the main street

we flew over the ground we tripped lite fantastic

we were hurled by the storm churlish n brutal

we stranded ourselves in bullrushes and lemon crushes

the mirror says it all

i dont recognise anything in there

i turn up at a show in a city

my life in park n reverse

distance to empty thats what DTE stands for

ricky left today packed his guitar n was gone

i forgot to mention easter

i forgot to mention to remember

i’m a forgetful man in my fancy mansuit

i forget this i forget that

i cant remember everything at once

one day it will occur to me

im a man on his way to see a film about a traffic jam

and i’m stuck in my car on the bridge

i approacheth my limit i refuseth the truth

love lies waiting patiently for me

imaginary bondi unfolds in sunset deluxe

maybe a dip in the harbour

maybe a quiet hour in the evening shadows

maybe fair to kill time being

hope its gentle

at last

maybe fair kill

oh yes i like things too sweet way too sweet

white sugar honey

oh i like it sweet

you say you deserve it sweet

well yes i do

today i feel kinda light headed

what a dream i had last night

i was wriggling across your lush landscapes

i was a blind eel darting in the glimmering shallows

i was walking down this street i was your lover

i was meeting you somewhere and you held my hand

i was waiting for you outside a shop

and you walked out n kissed me

how can you be so many things

how you can change things in my life

how you can sink down on your bed

how you can be so  smart n so stupid

i never know who i’m talking to

dont you understand me by now

oh youre good yes youre good

you really got me now you really got me going oh

the morning arrives slowly its quiet

where am i this room in shadows

i remember your words

i remember what you said

you told me you told me good

do what you fucking will is the whole of this lawlessness

baby i followed your atmosphere to this door

you reached out n pulled me in

your eyes roll back in your head

you arrange yourself just so

i feel lonely today surrounded by these guitars

you made me feel special you made me feel spacious

you made me feel my crown open up

you made me sacrifice my bishop for your knight

you made me feel like i didnt wanna leave you

nice

yes youre nice

the weather is nice

the world is nice

i cruise thru suburbs on my way to work

my car purrs along

it drives itself wherever i’m going

i steer from behind my haze

i think about you slinkin’ around somewhere

wonder what youre doing in this life

larger than life

oh stay now stay here in this life

look after your self now

if its not alkaline its not mine

oh so soothe yourself

you already proved your self

i drive along everysong makes me dream

left right straight ahead dead end boulevard

is there any more of that stuff

man i need an early night

my eyes are heavy leaden

pleasantly languid

just another dream

grace poole

i jumped ship awhile ago tho nobody noticed

i swam to the blooming horizon i ran to the waiting sea

down by the docks they were unloading a mystery

some one said

an angel they dragged from the water

superstitious fools vicious brutes surly oafs

i jostle thru a crowd

i talk to strangers i talk to journeymen

wickedness wildness woman out of wedlock

wedlock bedlock deadlock

deflower devour desire

the bible in a hotel room

i am just another man at last

how the sea laps the shore

how  sure the lie of the land

how lost the losing hand

i look at you who are so strange to me

i see only mask i see only lovely task

i touch the screen i touch the silk scream

my hard luck as for certain now i am ready  again

oh stream thru the night towards thee

follow the signs follow the stars in your sky

follow the tricks follow the under tricks

follow the first fellow you see

my morning is spent in a blue and white scene

my canteen is empty

my carpark is full

my word is mud

my word

my blood

my world

turns

n

turns

Update 29/11/10 – Shows now sold out: Nov 25th Judith Wright Centre, Nov 26 Joe’s Waterhole, Nov 27 Judith Wright Centre, Dec 5th Notes, Dec 8th Lizotte’s Kincumber, Dec 10th Lizotte’s Newcastle,  Dec 11th Milton Theatre, Dec 17th Thornbury Theatre.

Tickets for the upcoming 30th Anniversary Acoustic Australian Tour are selling fast and close to all selling out. Get in quick for the remaining venues as these are the final ones for this tour. Click on our calendar for the full tour schedule. Included in the ticket price, every ticket holder will receive a complimentary 28 page colour programme with discographies and reviews as well as short overviews of each album written by Marty Willson-Piper. That’s not all. Ticket holders will also receive a free copy of the Deadman’s Hand EP with the title track from Untitled #23 and four brand new tracks recorded specifically for this release. This CD has not been available at retail and comes in a beautifully designed picture sleeve. A selection of church related merchandise will also be available for purchasing at all venues.

http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2010/09/30/church-reissues-of-skins-heart-blurred-crusade-tour-dates/comment-page-1/#comment-6779

The Church reissuing first 8 albums, touring Australia to mark 30th anniversary

To mark its 30th anniversary, Australia’s The Church this fall will embark on a major reissue campaign, releasing digitally remastered editions of its first eight studio albums — 1981’s Of Skins and Heart through 1994’s Sometime Anywhere — along with four early EPs and a new 2CD singles compilation.

Those releases come as the band this week announced it will take its “An Intimate Space” 30th anniversary acoustic tour — which hit the U.S. last April and March — across Australia in November and December; the 11-date tour opens Nov. 25 on the Sunshine Coast and wraps up Dec. 19 in Melbourne (Editors note: updated 19/11/10).

As for the forthcoming reissues on Second Motion Records, the first pair — Of Skin and Hearts and 1982’s The Blurred Crusade — are due out Oct. 19. Each are single-disc releases packaged in “vinyl-style soft-pack” sleeves with 12-page booklets filled with photos, lyrics and new liner notes by guitarist Marty Willson-Piper.

Those first two reissues each have two bonus tracks tacked on — significantly less extra material than was included on the 2002 double-disc reissues. While the product description for Of Skin and Hearts on Amazon.com describes that reissue’s extra songs as “never-before released tracks,” that’s not true: “In a Heartbeat” was the B-side to debut single “She Never Said,” and appears on the compilation Hindsight 1980-1987, while “Busdriver” was the B-side on the “This Unguarded Moment” 7-inch.

As for the Blurred Crusade reissue, that album features as bonus tracks “Life Speeds Up,” the B-side to “Almost With You,” and “The Golden Dawn,” the B-side to “When You Were Mine”; both tracks also appear on the Hindsight compilation.

Neither the Church nor Second Motion have announced a release schedule for the reissues, but Amazon.com shows a reissue of 1983’s Seance set for release Nov. 16. The other albums due for reissue, according to Second Motion, are Heyday (1986), Starfish (1988), Gold Afternoon Fix (1990), Priest=Aura (1992) and Sometime Anywhere.

Also due out at some point: reissues of the Tear It All Away (1981) Singsongs (1982), Remote Luxury (1983) and Persia (1984) EPs, plus there will be a “definitive singles collection” that spans “the band’s entire 30-year career from their first single to their latest, “Operetta,” off 2009’s critically acclaimed album Untitled #23.” No tracklist has yet been announced.”

Editors Note: The Best of the Radio Songs tracklist as follows :

1. the unguarded moment
2. tear it all away
3. almost with you
4. electric lash
5. constant in opal
6. tantalized
7. under the milky way
8. reptile (single version)
9. metropolis
10.ripple (single version)
11.loveblind
12.comedown
13.louisiana (single version)
14.numbers
15.don’t you fall
16.easy (sliced mix)
17.deadman’s hand