Kate Bush

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toomilk
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Kate Bush

Post by toomilk »

A few days ago, I randomly pulled out a Kate Bush album from the record store I work in and put it on. I hadn't heard anything about her (aside from my existing knowledge of her being a) british and b) from the 80s) and I hadn't heard any of her songs. This particular album was The Sensual World.

Aside from its production being really dated (albeit really good for a really 80s album), this album is absolutely incredible. It's whimsical, yet dark and mysterious...comforting and warm, yet dangerous.

Anyone else share the same sentiments? The next album for me will be Hounds of Love, which is supposed to be her best. Anyone have any other suggestions?
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Re: Kate Bush

Post by spzretent »

the first two albums, The Kick Inside and Lionheart are fantastic. After that I cant comment.
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Re: Kate Bush

Post by shalloboi »

'hounds of love' is the best one. that's been one of my favorite albums i've ever owned for a really long time.
i'd second 'the kick inside' suggestion. i'd say avoid 'the dreaming' and 'the red shoes.'
i absolutely love kate bush's music. she was really in her own league in the 80s. in a lot of ways she continues to be- a great songwriter and producer and fiercely independent.
scratch
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Re: Kate Bush

Post by scratch »

shalloboi wrote:'hounds of love' is the best one. that's been one of my favorite albums i've ever owned for a really long time.
i'd second 'the kick inside' suggestion. i'd say avoid 'the dreaming' and 'the red shoes.'
i absolutely love kate bush's music. she was really in her own league in the 80s. in a lot of ways she continues to be- a great songwriter and producer and fiercely independent.
hounds of love is the best one, but I don´t agree you should avoid "the dreaming".. it´s crazy and whacko but also pretty good.

have not listened to sensual world in a very long time but I remember some of it´s good melodies and that I wasn´t too fond of the production.
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spacemanrich
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Re: Kate Bush

Post by spacemanrich »

Yeah, Kate Bush is fantastic. I heard about her a long time ago. In fact, I was turned on her by no other than Robert Smith (the Cure). An article about him stated that at the moment he liked 'Kate Bush' , 'Cocteau Twins' among other artists. The 'Sensual World' is very good. Try her latest album (double) that came out about 5 years ago right after 'Sensual World'. It is titled, "Aerial : Sea of Honey and Aerial : Sky of Honey" - you won't be disappointed.
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Re: Kate Bush

Post by spzretent »

There was always this mystery surrounding Kate Bush. She wouldn't do interviews or tour. So the legend sort of grew. I love those first two records..
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spacemanrich
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Re: Kate Bush

Post by spacemanrich »

It's kinda refreshing that she has a public and private persona in this day and age of crass commercialism and marketing. Everybody wants their '15 minutes of fame' extended in this era of digital media i.e. - facebook, myspace, youtube, etc... Yeah, it took her about 10+ years to release 'Aerial: Sky of Honey, Sea of Honey' after 'Sensual World' , because she wanted to raise her family. Priorities first. The musicians today are crass i.e. - Amy Winehouse, Lady Gaga - i'm about to barf :oops:
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Re: Kate Bush

Post by mkb »

spacemanrich wrote:Yeah, it took her about 10+ years to release 'Aerial: Sky of Honey, Sea of Honey' after 'Sensual World' , because she wanted to raise her family. Priorities first. The musicians today are crass i.e. - Amy Winehouse, Lady Gaga - i'm about to barf :oops:
Could you elaborate on that please? I'm not a fan of Winehouse, but I think Lady Gaga is brilliant - I'm just not sure I fully understand the point you're making when you say "priorities first" or calling these people "crass".


mkb
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Re: Kate Bush

Post by jesus son »

kate is allegedly very, very keen on her fragrant cigarettes, this has made her a teensy bit paranoid, hence the lack of touring
toomilk
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Re: Kate Bush

Post by toomilk »

mkb wrote:Could you elaborate on that please? I'm not a fan of Winehouse, but I think Lady Gaga is brilliant - I'm just not sure I fully understand the point you're making when you say "priorities first" or calling these people "crass".
I think he is referring to their rather public and embarrassing personal lives - not their music.


Picked up both Hounds of Love and The Kick Inside LPs today. The former is on grey and magenta marble vinyl, which is pretty nice. After one listen, I think the A side is fantastic, but the B side lost me a little. I guess I should have prepared more for it, especially after noticing the Tennyson quote on the back of the LP. Seems to be about a woman caught in a storm at sea who dies at the end (?). It will definitely take a few more listens to get into, but great songs on the A side.

Looking forward to The Kick Inside.

Thanks for the recommendations! Much appreciated.
scratch
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Re: Kate Bush

Post by scratch »

toomilk wrote: After one listen, I think the A side is fantastic, but the B side lost me a little. I guess I should have prepared more for it, especially after noticing the Tennyson quote on the back of the LP. Seems to be about a woman caught in a storm at sea who dies at the end (?). It will definitely take a few more listens to get into, but great songs on the A side.
It (the b-side) is darker and maybe less accessible but will grow on you (although I could do without those male voices here and there.. not on hello earth where they are excellent )
If the second "concept album" side was more of the same as the first I´m sure I would have still loved it, but the ninth wave is half of the reason as to why I included it in my 50 best albums ever voting.
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NickSignal
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Re: Kate Bush

Post by NickSignal »

Hounds of love for me, every time. Landmark album that has never lost its goose pimple factor. Regardless of mood, whenever I hear it, it pulls you in!
Some of you Kate Bush enthusiasts may enjoy this mob:
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LunarTunes
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Re: Kate Bush

Post by LunarTunes »

I have to say that "The Dreaming" is my favourite with "The Hounds Of Love" a close second. And that B-Side? Haunting. It kind of frightened me the first time I heard it! If you're gonna get them all eventually (as you probably should), I'd save "The Red Shoes" for last. It's a bit of a letdown...

Peace.
toomilk
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Re: Kate Bush

Post by toomilk »

Several months later, I still haven't come around to Kick Inside. The main problem is the fact that I've only put it on maybe 3 times. :(

Also picked up Lionheart and The Dreaming. After one listen, Lionheart sounds practically the same as The Kick Inside - probably because they came out in the same year. Nothing has really hooked me yet, but it does make me want to revisit The Kick Inside. The thing I don't get about the first two albums is her voice. So high! It seems to have mellowed out a bit in Lionheart, but still very shrill at moments.

The Dreaming is definitely out there, but still very good. Very weird, but funny and beautiful at the same time. Several hints of Hounds of Love in there. Speaking of the album, I have definitely fell madly in love with it. I think it has arguably one of the best A sides of all time and I have come around to the b-side even. I wanted to get my hands on one of the extended version 12"s of Running Up That Hill, which is the record that came cracked in half in the thread I started a few weeks ago. Damn shame.

Now The Sensual World and Hounds of Love are neck-and-neck for my favorite album of hers. I have a feeling Hounds of Love will come out on top eventually.

Once again, thanks for all your recommendations!
toomilk
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Re: Kate Bush

Post by toomilk »

"New" Kate Bush coming out soon. The Director's Cut is kind of like her version of Return the Gift (gang of four), where she re-records some of her old songs. "Deeper Understanding" was posted on Pitchfork earlier today: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/news/4210 ... -new-song/

It also says she is working on new new material.

Aaand, she is releasing a special edition 10" Hounds of Love on record store day.
cottonfever
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Re: Kate Bush

Post by cottonfever »

I've heard that she's thinking of doing some live shows. Don't know if it's true though. Anyone else heard anything?
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Re: Kate Bush

Post by solarflarez »

there is an interview in this months Mojo, havent read it yet though.......
toomilk
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Re: Kate Bush

Post by toomilk »

From a Press Association report on the MOJO interview:

But in a new interview with Mojo magazine to mark her comeback, the 52-year-old put her years of silence on the touring circuit down to the sheer exertion of the ordeal.

“It was enormously enjoyable. But physically it was absolutely exhausting,” she said.

“I still don’t give up hope completely that I’ll be able to do some live work, but it’s certainly not in the picture at the moment because I just don’t quite know how that would work with how my life is now,” said Bush, who has largely withdrawn from public life to bring up her son Bertie, 12. “Maybe I will do some shows some day. I’d like to think so before I get too ancient – turn up with me Zimmer frame.”

She continued: “I enjoy singing but with the albums it’s the whole process I find so interesting. If I was going to do some shows it would be the same thing. Let’s just see, shall we?”
scratch
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Re: Kate Bush

Post by scratch »

toomilk wrote:"New" Kate Bush coming out soon. The Director's Cut is kind of like her version of Return the Gift (gang of four), where she re-records some of her old songs. "Deeper Understanding" was posted on Pitchfork earlier today: .
I liked the rest of the production and her normal voice but the robotic voice in the original was better imo.

just hoping it isn´t her "give my regards to broad street" (macca) -record where sir paul decided to crap over some of his old songs.. (although some of those were pretty horrible to begin with..)
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Re: Kate Bush

Post by semisynthetic »

I have been a Kate Bush fan from the very beginning. "the man w/ the child in his eyes" 7' single, along w/ "breathing" 7" single, "cloudbusting" 7" single, etcetera, and of course the 1st LPs are excellent. There are a number of "fan club" only issues which I hope will be re-released on an LP and/or CD; some of these are interesting not simply for the music, but interviews as well.
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scratch
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Re: Kate Bush

Post by scratch »

The new album, 50 words for snow, is her best since the sensual world 22 years ago..

the first track, snowflake, even has some of that wonderful "the ninth wave" freakiness of hounds of love´s second side.
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semisynthetic
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Re: Kate Bush

Post by semisynthetic »

scratch wrote:The new album, 50 words for snow, is her best since the sensual world 22 years ago..

the first track, snowflake, even has some of that wonderful "the ninth wave" freakiness of hounds of love´s second side.

I have just recently aquired this 2LP set and I am looking forward to a real sit down and listen session.
Kate Bush has been on my "favorites" list since her first 7" single.
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toomilk
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Re: Kate Bush

Post by toomilk »

I picked up her new album a few days ago. After only 1 listen, I'm not floored. Definitely not an album you can put on and relax with. Like Scratch said, I'm feeling some "The Ninth Wave" vibes.
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Re: Kate Bush

Post by scratch »

Yes.. not a pop record at all.

Not saying that everything is better than red shoes or aerial but.. the first 40 mins does more for me than those two albums.
I think I would have preferred exchanging a couple of the later tracks for some fitting unorthodox pop experiments (less pop than things like rubberband girl obviously).
Aerial is a pretty good album and it has individual songs that are better than much on "50" but I felt like a side of her was missing (or not brave enough) there.. that I find on this new one.

I think it was Peter Gabriel who gave her the advice to start writing from a rhythmical point of view when she had some short writer´s block in the very early eighties? The dreaming and hounds of love followed.
maybe it´s time for something like that again now. I give you one year to make a crazy pop EP, mrs Bush.. deal? :D

anyway.. this record will help me through the vitamin d deficiency of this winter.
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Re: Kate Bush

Post by spacemanrich »

Got this yesterday and gave it 1-2 listens. I'm not too keen on this album and feel it's kinda of a letdown from the previous few i.e. - Aerial, The Sensual World. Oh well.....
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