Released 1990 Genre Alternative rock Label Arista Records | Format 7" single Length 4:47 | |
Writer(s) Marty Willson-Piper / Peter Koppes / Richard Ploog / Steve Kilbey | ||
"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.
Contents
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.
Release and reception
"Metropolis" peaked at number one on Billboard Modern Rock Tracks and number 11 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks in 1990. 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."
Personnel
Acoustic version
An acoustic version was included on the album El Momento Descuidado.