During my years at the Queensland College of Art, I lived on a diet of The Smiths, Lloyd Cole & the Commotions and The Church.
My friend Benton introduced me to The Church in 1983, I instantly fell for their jangly ‘alt-rock’ guitar sound, energetic drumming and of course, with Steven Kilbey’s poetic, almost spoken word vocal. On top of this, I loved the idea that The Church were outsiders; creative musicians/ poets living in a world that didn’t quite comply with the demands of the music industry. Saying that, they had commercial breakthroughs early on, with "The Unguarded Moment" and "I’m almost with you" from their first and second albums respectively. Their third album SEANCE was a detour from their previous New Wave, Pop, and Psychedelic sound; this was a darker Gothic direction and Kilbey's last album as the main songwriter.
HEYDAY, on the other hand, is a gorgeous sounding album, with all members collaborating in the studio; guitarists Marty Wilson Piper and Peter Koppes display acrobatic interplay, while UK producer Peter Walsh added strings and horns which complimented the bands Psychedelic leanings. Drummer Richard Ploog is also in fine form, adding solid beats, impressive fills, and subtle percussion where needed. The band was ‘tight’, and we knew they were on the cusp of something big, we could feel it brewing, we knew they had it in them to go 'all the way to the top'. Steven Kilbey’s poetic lyrics were other-worldly; immersing the listener into a mystical landscape of desert dwellers, strange orchards, and empty conquests.
‘Last broken flash of love, still in the camera’
I was so inspired by Steven Kilbey’s lyrics that I set about to illustrate them for a college assignment. I was granted access backstage at a Sydney show in 1996 to give Mr. Kilbey a copy of my book, which he seemed rather taken aback with. A few years later he released a book of poems and a solo album titled EARTH, which I feel I may have encouraged in some small way.
Unfortunately HEYDAY was not the big hit the band's backers were looking for, instead, it was the ‘lead-up’, or the ‘working towards’ their next album STARFISH which would be their greatest commercial success, their real HEYDAY if you wish.
PERSONAL NOTES: Almost 20 years after the release of HEYDAY, I received a phone call from Peter Koppes asking me if I could design an album cover and 12-page booklet for his album MISTY HEIGHTS & CLOUDY MEMORIES. I said 'YES!' of course.
SONGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:
"Already Yesterday"
"Tantalized"
"Columbus"