release date: 1989
format: vinyl / digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,04]
producer: Marty Willson-Piper & Andy Mason
label: Borderline / Vogue - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights: 3. "Questions Without Answers" - 5. "Idiots" - 6. "Forever" - 10. "Melancholy God" - 12. "Cascade"
3rd solo album by The Church guitarist Marty Willson-Piper and, like the predecessor, the album was made in close collaboration with Andy Mason, who in addition to the role as co-producer, handles various instruments and functions as co-composer on one track. The individual songs here have been attributed a note indicating where the song was written while The Church was on world tour with Starfish.
Stylistically, there is not much development from Art Attack (1988) - however, this one is not primarily acoustic. Girlfriend Ann Carlberger also appears on two songs and is co-composer on "Idiots", and several Swedish musicians participate on the album, which was recorded in Stockholm.
The album was the first solo effort I came across by Willson-Piper, and I actually purchased the vinyl version sometime shortly after its release, but was never super excited about it. Musically, it doesn't fall far from the jangle pop that characterises the early releases by The Church, but as with Art Attack it doesn't appear particularly original, although it might not aim at that, but there is no real renewal either, and it's a difficult task to spot significant compositions, which at the same time have a clear imprint of the great folk and rock icons of the '60s.
Not recommended.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]
