Gold Afternoon Fix, The Church's seventh studio album, and second on Arista, was released in February 1990. Meant to capitalize and build on the success of 1988's Starfish, the album saw considerable promotion upon its release. Despite moderate success in the U.S., with the single "Metropolis" reaching the top of the Modern Rock Tracks chart, the release failed to deliver mass commercial appeal.
Following their tour for the Starfish album in 1988, the band members went home for a four month break before reconvening to begin work on the next album.
For Gold Afternoon Fix, as on Starfish, studio production was overseen by Waddy Wachtel, despite the band's desire to employ John Paul Jones, formerly of Led Zeppelin. The recording sessions for the album were particularly tense and unsuitable, and in-band tensions led to drummer Richard Ploog being ostracized. While some of the bare, open sound that characterized Starfish punctuates the recording, heavy use of a drum machine (duplicating Ploog's parts) has resulted in the album being criticized as somewhat stiff and cold. Ploog left the group following the recording.
Gold Afternoon Fix is also unique among the Church's releases in the absence of any 12-string electric guitar. The missing trademark sound was due to guitarist Marty Willson-Piper's 12-string Rickenbacker having been stolen during the previous tour.
Read more about Gold Afternoon Fix: Track Listing, Personnel
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