Speaking of bands that tried to out-Flipper Flipper, the first to make a serious attempt might've been the Church Police, who rose briefly in the early 1980s from perhaps the most reviled of Bay Area edge cities, Concord, California. Most of the few people who know the band are only familiar with their contribution to the definitive Bay Area hardcore document, the Not So Quiet on the Western Front compilation. "The Oven Is My Friend" (later covered by Sebadoh on their Siltbreeze 7") was one of the two great weird songs to grace that LP (the other was Flipper's "Sacrifice"). Even fewer people noticed in the mid 1990s that the enigmatic Stomach Ache Records released a 7" (cooperatively with RRRecords) of rambling freer-form songs by the Church Police with minimal sleeve info. I stupidly sold that record away about six years ago, but "Robots" was a song so memorable that I can replay it in my mind whenever I think about it, and "Killing Myself to Live" might be the best song title ever.
I doubted that any other Church Police songs existed, so I was so pleased when Ry of Snake Apartment--who runs the very tasteful Skulltones imprint--delivered a copy of Gilligan's Wings in person to KDVS. These recordings from 1982 are of plenty good quality, and the songs are much more coherent than the rather rambly mysterious 7". Rumor has it that this is an appetizer for another label's full-course retrospective release.
3 comments:
hi!
first off, congratulations for this reissue of church police ep made by skulltones. it's so great news :)
just wanted to drop you some lines to give you thanks for creating this amazing band church police was.
i still remember first time i heard your song "the oven is my friend", in fact just few years ago. but it was so noisy and disturbing i felt in love immediately with your noise... that was pure genious!
i also had been looking for info about your band, but i found not so many. so wow, today it was a great surprise to know there's a blog -made by an original member!- dedicated to church police.
it happened today i read a review of the record made by mrr, appeared on this month's issue. and then i went to visit skulltones records and then... i found your blog! :D
so as you will understand, i had to drop you some lines.
thanks for making so brilliant music.
all the best from barcelona, s-pain,
edu
ps: by the way, if you have time, please visit my blog. just few months ago i posted a church police entry... imagine my happines to discover your blog :)
hi dave! thanks for the comments :D
and sorry for writing in your personal blog too... gosh, i wanted to let you know i loved that band!
by the way, what about that second ep? was it true or you did't ever released?
best regards :)
No, the Throbbing Gristle opening set was never released and I don't know who has the tape or if it even exists. The TG concert is available (titled "Mission to Dead Souls" or something like that) but the Flipper and Church Police recordings from that night are not available.
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