REVIEW: The Church, A Box of Birds (Thirsty Ear)
- Chris Hill
Interesting move on the Church's part, releasing an album of ten favorite covers. It could have been campy or calculated, but instead the album compliments a band nearing its third decade and showing no signs of becoming stale. There's a paradoxical breath of fresh air coming from the vaults opened herein.
The ten tracks on A Box of Birds are expanded from two cuts intended for fanclub-only release through the Church fanzine NSEW (named for "North, South, East and West" off Starfish). The Church have always done well by their fans: NSEW released "White Star Line" and "Gypsy Stomp," two outakes from '96's Magician Among the Spirits, as a fanclub-only CD single. Limited edition bonus CDs have accompanied several of their albums. And the coup de grace -- the eight cover concepts in the front booklet of A Box of Birds were chosen from many dozens submitted to Shadow Cabinet, the Church website ( http://church.tristesse.com ). Refold the booklet, and voila!, the disc has a different cover and a different fan's vision graces a Church album.
But not only does it look pretty, the music dazzles, as well. The second track, the Beatles' "It's All Too Much," begins with a fuzzed wash of guitar, Tim Powles drops in with the drums and the song is racing down the track. Handclaps kick in, followed shortly by Steve Kilbey's warm vocals. "Floating down the sea of time/From life to life with me.../Show me that I'm everywhere/And get me home for tea": George Harrison's lyrics fit the Church's penchant for complex, psychedelic, stream-of-consciousness writing like a glove. And, just for perversity, Kilbey throws in a few lyrics from Eddy Grant's "Electric Avenue" as the song winds down.
Neil Young's brilliant "Cortez the Killer," many a band's concert staple, closes the disc. An epic 11:08, it's given a reverential and luscious treatment, with Peter Koppes and Marty Willson-Piper forming a potent guitar duo. The song choice again feels natural -- the lyrics carry the same story quality as Priest = Aura's "Dome" or Sometime Anywhere's "Loveblind." Really, any of the songs on A Box of Birds provide grist for conjecture as to why they were chosen: lyrics? music? artist? some intangible?
Regardless of origin, there's no irony involved in the performances. Steve manages an vocal intensity that's absent in the poised original of Ultravox's "Hiroshima Mon Amour," and again on David Bowie's "All the Young Dudes." Steve and Marty trade lead vocals, foregoing the backing female vox of Bowie's song, while maintaining other classic qualities: the ad-libbed shouts as the song trails off, the guitar riffs that line its walls.
With Television's "Friction," Kilbey's voice echoes and emphasizes Tom Verlaine's wordplay with vim. Later, the band tears into Hawkwind's "Silver Machine," capturing and expanding the Rocky Horror Picture Show "Time Warp" guitar riffs buried in the original, for a brilliant reinterpretation.
The other four covers: the Monkees' "Porpoise Song" (written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, and sung by Micky Dolenz), Kevin Ayers' "Decadence," Alex Harvey's "The Faith Healer," and Iggy Pop's "The Endless Sea."
Fan of the originals or the Church should check this CD out. A Box of Birds has something wonderful in store for both.
