This one is pretty self-explanatory for a change. Sum of the Parts was put to together by Arista Records in conjunction with The Church’s 1988 breakthrough album, Starfish, ostensibly for radio promotion. Side one features individual interviews with all four band members, including the now elusive Richard Ploog who would depart the group after the Church’s follow-up to Starfish, Gold Afternoon Fix, released in 1990. Commercially speaking, it was all downhill from here, but GFA proved to be the stronger of the two records. While not terribly revealing, the boys are nonetheless candid with the two Gavin Report interviews assigned to the case. Side two features three acoustic Starfish songs, including the forever played-to-death “Under the Milky Way,” which might as well be “Stairway to Heaven” or “Imagine” at this point if you ask my calloused eardrums. I’m fairly certain these same takes also appeared on the double CD reissue of Starfish, but my rip is straight from the vinyl.
Interviews:
01. intro/Steve Kilbey
02. Peter Koppes
03. Richard Ploog
04. Marty Willson-Piper/outro
Acoustic:
05. Under the Milky Way
06. Antenna
07. Spark
https://rapidshare.com/files/3473569021/church_sumoftheparts.rar