apart from 'Under the Milky Way' i don't know anything by them, and i don't have geographical excuses

Radcliffe's Avalon comparison has me interested though - that's the best Roxy Music album (followed by Country Life)

Listening now. For me, this ranks with their lesser latter-day works.

Interesting that it's so hard to describe them. It's odd that they really don't have a quintessential greatest record - they've always been pretty steady, but my favs are Heydey, Starfish, Gold Afternoon Fix, Hologram of Baal.

i wonder if i'd be better served listening to starfish rather than this album. any suggestions?

Truer words were never spoken.

Thought I'd better check in on this thread.

Thanks Bizzlebub and Radcliffe for your suggestions on the Church. I probably wasn't very clear on my post, but they were the ones that I really need the recs on because as someone said, they don't really seem to have a definitive album.

Midnight Oil I have 10-1, but so many of their other songs are permanently ingrained due to how well-regarded and thus well-played they are here. I will eventually get their earlier albums though.

With the Saints, I have the Know Your Product comp and like it, but nothing else as of yet. I've been tempted on many occasions by the All Times Through Paradise box, but haven't pulled the trigger yet. Would anyone recommend that as the next step, or should I just get the first 3 albums separately. I'm thinking the box just because I know I will eventually get all 3 anyway, so I might as well get the bonus material as well.

As for the Go-Betweens, I've been meaning to get theirs as well, but I want the reissues. Since they're more expensive I tend to keep putting that off as well.

What are people's thoughts on the Triffids? Are they well-known in the US? It seems like Born Sandy Devotional is out of print here, which is annoying because that seems like their best entry point.

Nice lists guys!

One of my all time favorite bands ever! Saw them several time in the 1980’s and were very much worth it, my list:

1. Heyday
2. Starfish
3. Remote Luxury
4. The Blurred Crusade
5. Of Skins and Hearts

Have not liked their new stuff too much.

This is more like it - now I've got a better idea of where to start.

So I just checked the website of the local 'big' indie store and see they have some of the older albums as 2cd reissues. Anyone have an opinions on these? Or, what's the sound like on the original cd issues? And were they a good b-side band?

Seems like a good strategy. The original version of "This Perfect Day" shreds the one that appears on Eternally Yours. I trust this is one of the bonus tracks on the box set.

No help here, all my older Church albums are on vinyl.

Ditto!

Whereas I have. Very much so. Depends on what one considers "new" though. If you mean Gold Afternoon Fix to present day, I'm a big fan of quite a few Church releases. I guess the dilineation must be if one prefers the janglier earlier version or the post-fame swirly-shimmery version of the group. They've always done both, but the highly-praised earlier albums have more rock and less ambience. Always great lyrics, though.

No one's mention Priest = Aura yet, but now I have. Love that album.

I'd agree that Gold Afternoon Fix is a good dividing line. For new listeners, I would gently warn that to new ears, those early records are going to sound a bit dated - if this has ever been an issue to you when going deep into the early 80's, keep it in mind here. Might be a good strategy to ease backward into their catalog if you're not a fan of 80's production.

Priest=Aura is a great album and gets no recognition.

Another update - I just found Of Skins and Heart, Blurred Crusade and Heyday on an Australian site for a bargain price of $7.67 new (usually cds retail for $30), so I'm going to grab them and see what I think of them.

Unfortunately they don't have the single disc Remote Luxury

And if I decide I want the reissues of these and the others, or I just don't like them I can sell them back at essentially no loss. Score!

The Go-Betweens cds are twice that price so I'm gonna wait and just spring for the reissues

I just got the new one in the mail. I'm only about halfway through at this point, but it's definitely (to my ears) one of their stronger efforts from the last 15 years or so - really liking the production on this one.

start with starfish. might as well.