Metropolis (The Church song)

"Metropolis"
Single by The Church
from the album Gold Afternoon Fix
Released	1990
Format	7" single
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	4:47
Label	Arista Records
Writer(s)	Marty Willson-Piper / Peter Koppes / Richard Ploog / Steve Kilbey
Producer(s)	Waddy Wachtel and The Church
The Church singles chronology
"Destination" (1988) "Metropolis" (1990) "Russian Autumn Heart" (1990)

"Metropolis" is a song by Australian alternative rock band The Church. It was released as the lead single on their 1990 album, Gold Afternoon Fix, and the songwriting credits were given to all four members of the band.

Background and composition

Marty Willson-Piper, Peter Koppes, Richard Ploog, and Steve Kilbey were all credited with writing the song. The lead guitar produced a quickly falling then softly ascending melody, with slight commercial influence. A complicated web of guitar overdubs appears later in the song, and a soft, mandolin-sounding melody was added as an additional hook.^[1]

Release and reception

"Metropolis" peaked at number one on Billboard Modern Rock Tracks and number 11 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks in 1990.^[2] The song was well received by critics upon its release. Ned Raggett of Allmusic praised "the almost desperate edge in Steve Kilbey's vocals" as a testament to the song's quality. Raggett added that the Church's "ear for a triumphant yet somehow downbeat ending [makes] this an underrated gem in the band's body of work."^[1]

Personnel

• Steve Kilbey: Vocals, Bass, Keyboards
• Marty Willson-Piper: Guitar
• Peter Koppes: Guitar
• Richard Ploog: Drums

Chart performance

Chart (1990)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks Chart[2]	1
U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart[2]	11

Acoustic version

An acoustic version was included on the album El Momento Descuidado.

References

1. Raggett, Ned. "Metropolis review". Allmusic. Macrovision Corporation. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
2. "The Church Awards". Allmusic. Macrovision Corporation. Retrieved June 25, 2012.