HANG THE DJ: MODERN ROCK 1988 (1996)

Tracks

1. Under the Milky Way (5:00) - The Church
2. Crash (2:34) - The Primitives
3. Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards (4:38) - Billy Bragg
4. Mountain Song (4:05) - Jane's Addiction
5. Orange Crush (3:52) - R.E.M.
6. Tell That Girl to Shut Up (3:08) - Transvision Vamp
7. Only a Memory (3:44) - The Smithereens
8. Chains of Love (3:39) - Erasure
9. Need You Tonight (3:13) - INXS
10. Peek-A-Boo (3:13) - Siouxsie & The Banshees
11. Balloon Man (3:35) - Robyn Hitchcock and The Egyptians
12. All That Money Wants (3:50) - The Psychedelic Furs
13. Stigmata (5:47) - Ministry
14. Sweet Jane (3:36) - Cowboy Junkies
15. All Night Long (5:41) - Peter Murphy
16. Tower of Strength (Single Version) (4:32) - The Mission U.K.
17. Victoria (2:46) - The Fall
18. Apron Strings (3:07) - Everything But The Girl

Releases

• CD - Rhino R2 72502 (USA) - Sept. 17, 1996
• CASS - Rhino R2 72502 (USA) - Sept. 17, 1996

Notes

Contains this write-up:

One of the many bands on this collection that had toiled for years without an American hit, The Church certainly deserved one more than most. Having released quite a few albums - for as many labels - The Church's members were ready for some success in the States. Although incredibly prolific (three of the four members have even recorded solo albums and side projects, including Steve Kilbey's Hex with ex-Game Theory guitarist Donnette Thayer) and quite popular in their native Australia, The Church had never broken out of cult status in America and are considered one-hit wonders to the more casual American music fan to this day. Perhaps the fact that they recorded in the U.S. for the first time was responsible for the record's success over here. Or maybe their skills were just so well-honed by this point. Either way, "Under The Milky Way" was an example of a song aided in popularity by the combination of an equally captivating video and a medium for the masses to view it: MTV. "Under The Milky Way" is The Church at their surrealistic, neopsychedelic best. A moody and melodic piece of work, the song is, according to lyricist, singer, and bassist Steve Kilbey, about "the sadness and aloneness of being a human being."