Kate Bush - Hounds Of Love (Alternative)
Best string section ever, yes?
Top 10 for 2011
2: Kate Bush - Director’s Cut
Yes, I went with Director’s Cut over 50 Words for Snow, absolutely. The latter contains some brilliant songs, but for me, didn’t really gel (or hasn’t yet, at least) as a cohesive work. This, however, amazed me. I love it when artists revisit their work, most often in a live context, as that is where these things have the opportunity to build and evolve through nightly performance, changes in arrangement, etc. Something which obviously Kate hasn’t given her the opportunity to do. And as an artist who has always stated clearly that she finishes an album, releases it and starts immediately looking forward to the next one, doing something like this was hugely surprising.
When first hearing her rework of ‘Deeper Understanding’, I was hesitant as to how the rest might go, but that is seriously the one track here that I think was overcooked in the process. Everything else I found completely engaging (although would argue that ‘And So Is Love’ was unneccesary in the context of how the rest have been handled). Finally, we have versions of ‘Lily’ and ‘Top Of The City’ that feel properly punchy, which was the biggest appeal for the concept for me. Having a version of ‘Never Be Mine’ like this, and giving the wordy ‘The Sensual World’ space to breathe in ‘Flower Of The Mountain’, as well as the beautifully understated ‘Moments of Pleasure’ were just bonuses for me. The biggest pleasure for me was the new ‘Rubberband Girl’. I did not know that Kate had that kind of thing in her. It’s such a thrill. I want more like that. Kate, if you’re listening? More understated vampy rock. Cheers!
Top Tracks: Rubberband Girl, Lily, Never Be Mine, Flower Of The Mountain
Kate Bush - The Big Sky (Meteorological Mix)
At home with a cold that I’m hoping isn’t the ‘flu, I went on a bit of an eBay blitz for Kate Bush 7”s. This isn’t one of the ones I bought (I already have it), but it’s still an absolute corker. Classic.
Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights
I mentioned earlier today that I felt that the universe could be moving towards a kind of “Kate Bush Critical Mass”, because I was feeling enough buzz in the air about her (more than preceded ‘Aerial’) that maybe she was about to explode again into the public consciousness. But then I have regular “Kate Bush explosions” in my personal listening habits/habits of my friends, so maybe it was just one of those. We’ll see.
So, I’m sure EVERYBODY knows this song by now. That guy from The Mighty Boosh doing this dance on Celebrity So You Think You Can Dance was one thing that tipped me over towards a universal Katesplosion - everyone just knows and “gets”, on a number of levels, this track.
It was the first song I ever remember hearing by Kate Bush. I remember that I was 9. I sat in the car absolutely mesmerised. Then whenever it showed up again, on the infrequent times it received airplay in the late 1980s, I would be sure to shush everyone and turn the radio up. This was before I realised that records were things you could buy and that music appeared in other places outside of the radio.
Some stage about 10 years later I was collecting her vinyl singles and everything, and was picking some up from Redeye Records in Sydney. The guy behind the counter was an odd mix of condescending and pleased as he said “finally, looking up the inspiration for all those chick singers these days” (he knew I was a Tori Amos fan). I gave him my best ‘bitch, please’ look, paid for my goods, and left. I was recording “Rubberband Girl” off the radio before “Cornflake Girl” was even in existence.
Kate Bush - Top Of The City
I was having a really shitty morning, so I thought “why don’t I listen to something shitty, I know I’ll put Kate Bush’s ‘The Red Shoes’ on”. Of course, for this LP shittiness is a comparative reference. I’d wager that the songwriting on Kate’s “worst” album is better than probably a lot of what else I had on my iPod. Whatever it was about those songs, they were perfect. I even got a little live tweeting of the songs going, and had some fun discussion about ranking Kate’s work with some friends. It was a good morning.
When I first got the album, this song was one that I didn’t like. But eventually it grew on me, and I think it’s one of the strongest on the record - the production is not that great though. So I’m hoping that it gets a bit of an overhaul on her upcoming release. Also I think “Lily” and “Song of Solomon” could do with a freshening up too. “Constellation of the Heart” and “Big Stripey Lie” are probably too far gone to be helped, but “You’re The One” might turn out nice. I don’t want anybody to touch “Why Should I Love You?” though. Flawed though it might be, in my book it’s a classic as is.
Kate Bush - In Search Of Peter Pan
It’s been such a long week…
Kate Bush - Get Out Of My House
I think this song is freaking awesome. It’s totally whacked out. I have no idea from where someone pulls a song like this. Honestly, I don’t know if I really want to know, but I’m glad some artists take the time and effort to explore it.
This album cover is one of the framed posters I have hanging in my living room. It was one of those albums that made me re-think how I listened to music.
