Kate Bush - The Dreaming

[loosefish]

Absolutely brilliant album, but then i love them all (erm, with the exception of The Red Shoes and Directors Cut).

I read recently that she ate two chocolate chip cookies drank a glass of milk to get that sound. I don't know if that's true, but man that's an incredible effect ...

Apparantly true. She was also something of a pothead in the studio at this time (perhaps unsuprisingly). There's a great biog called Under The Ivy that goes into much detail of this era/recording that i'd highly recommend.

'Get Out Of My House' is one of the scariest songs ever, as are 'Waking The Witch and 'Breathing'. She's scary is Kate. I was terrified by the cover (front and back) of Never For Ever when i was a tot.

With the exception of Wow and the title track, I've always struggled with Lionheart. I've had that album nearly 30 years now and it's one of the ones I will go back to every now and then (ditto, seeing as this is Prog Ears, Topographic Oceans!) to hear with new ears but I always end up thinking it sounds like tunes that were't strong enough for The Kick Inside.

That's basically what it is: offcuts from The Kick Inside sessions. she was rushed back into the studio to capitalise on her sudden chart success and the music wasn't as striking or interesting. Still very good though, you can hear her voice opening up as she experiments more. 'Coffee Homeground' is an indication of where she was going i think.

Kavus, was Tim ever into Kate? (musically ) They share a lot of similarities in composition imo, particularly with the Sea Nymphs stuff (although some of that would probably be down to Sarah's voice). That 'otherworldy' thing i get with Kate's music i also pick up from Tim's stuff.

[Scrotum Scissor]

However, given the Scrotum recommendation, I think I'll spin Lionheart again this evening...it's been maybe 10 years!

Beware! I *DO* suspect that the reason why I rate Lionheart so highly is that I remember it from countless driving trips with my then-wife, seeing how this was actually the Kate album she listened to the least outside of the car. At one point I think I got her six Kate records for her birthday, having already stuffed her with everything Dagmar Krause/Annette Peacock/Catherine Ribeiro/Diamanda Galas/Jarboe I came over. She knew Kate from before of course, but it was truly exhilarating to have a spouse who saw the "experimentalist" connection between such a widely popular artist and the avant-garde.

I got her (my ex-wife now since 12 years) Julee Cruise's album this Christmas - she hadn't heard it!

[loosefish]

Here's a link to a nice article about this album from thequietus

http://thequietus.com/articles/09945...h-the-dreaming

[jmark]

I LIKE IT!!!!!
I always check the music carefully and its hard to find smth really good for me, but this is nice

[Dusty Chalk]

Yup, Never for Ever and The Dreaming ... I taped those two albums so I could listen in the car way back when, and I played the snot out of that tape.

[Scrotum Scissor]

the snot

Now we're talkin'!

[Zeuhlmate]

My favorite KB album.

[Progbear]

However, given the Scrotum recommendation, I think I'll spin Lionheart again this evening...it's been maybe 10 years!

I think it’s her most underrated disc. As much as I love The Kick Inside (really, all of her first five albums), I also love the freer, more experimental (by comparison) feel of this one. There’s a lot of variety to this one. Yes, she does delve a bit too deeply in the “mystical Victorian storyteller” shtick that was in danger of pigeonholing her (she backed off that a bit on Never for Ever) but there’s some simply magical moments on the album. “Symphony in Blue” and “In Search of Peter Pan” are, for me, an amazing one-two punch for opening the album, and totally sold me on it from the first listen. I may be the only one around who really, really loves that album!

[martiprog]

“Symphony in Blue” and “In Search of Peter Pan” are, for me, an amazing one-two punch for opening the album, and totally sold me on it from the first listen. I may be the only one around who really, really loves that album!

You're most definitely not. She barely put a foot wrong in the first 5 albums, so I'm with you all the way.

[yesstiles]

"The Dreaming" is my favorite Kate Bush album! "Houdini" is my favorite track. Wonderful.

"Never For Ever" is my next favorite. Side 2 of HOL is breathtaking, but I don't care too much for Side 1 really. And I'm pleased to have fallen for Disc 2 of Kate's "Aerial" set a few years back.

[JKL2000]

You're most definitely not. She barely put a foot wrong in the first 5 albums, so I'm with you all the way.

+1

[Kavus Torabi]

Kavus, was Tim ever into Kate? (musically ) They share a lot of similarities in composition imo, particularly with the Sea Nymphs stuff (although some of that would probably be down to Sarah's voice). That 'otherworldy' thing i get with Kate's music i also pick up from Tim's stuff.

Yes he was. Not an obsessive fan or anything but I can remember us having a fairly involved conversation about the production on The Dreaming early on in our friendship.

[PeterG]

After Cardiacs, KB is my fav artist of all time, my Holy Trinity is: The Kick Inside, Lionheart, Never For Ever.

My fav album of all time, all genres, is The Kick Inside....for me it is the most perfect album ever made, with Cardiacs HB & EB coming a close second.

[alanterrill]

For me the best three are Dreaming, Hounds of Love and Sensual world. The first three have individual tracks I like but too many poppy ones to listen to all the way through. And Red Shoes just not very good and Aerial just forgettable and dated sounding. I haven't heard the last one. Does no one else love the Sensual World -great songs, great production and her most mature album im my opinion.

[trurl]

Houdini is a fucking incredible track.

I love fucking to Kate Bush! The first album usually works better with the ladies though. When one wants to do it to The Dreaming she's a keeper though.





Wait, I read that wrong didn't I.

[snowsnow]

For me the best three are Dreaming, Hounds of Love and Sensual world. The first three have individual tracks I like but too many poppy ones to listen to all the way through. And Red Shoes just not very good and Aerial just forgettable and dated sounding. I haven't heard the last one. Does no one else love the Sensual World -great songs, great production and her most mature album im my opinion.

I think The Sensual World is another triumph for the dear lady - particularly the title track, This Woman's Work and Reaching Out. Don't love it as much as HOL.

But my opinion def. differs to yours re Aerial - I thought the second disc (the concept suite) was simply lovely!!

[trurl]

I hate to be that guy but the love for HOL has always mystified me. Side 1 strikes me as an excess of everything that people usually call out the 80s on- bad drum programming and cheap Fairlight sounds, uninteresting compositions- it's the nadir of Kate's career for me, seriously. I'd rather hear ABC any day, or even Peter Gabriel. The 9th Wave suite is much much better, but it's still sort of new agey fluff to some extent. I far far prefer the previous albums, and found Sensual World a return to form. Clearly I'm an extreme minority on this, I know.

[bill g]

For me the best three are Dreaming, Hounds of Love and Sensual world. The first three have individual tracks I like but too many poppy ones to listen to all the way through. And Red Shoes just not very good and Aerial just forgettable and dated sounding. I haven't heard the last one. Does no one else love the Sensual World -great songs, great production and her most mature album im my opinion.

Yes I think 'Sensual World' is her very best-just brilliant. I've always thought so and find it strange that most people are listing earlier ones as favorites. 'The Fog' I think is my favorite song she ever did, and the title track, 'Reaching Out', 'Never Be Mine' and 'This Woman's Work' are just amazing. The only weaker track for me was 'Rocket's Tail', and that isn't bad either, there are lesser tracks on other albums of hers.

'The Dreaming' is a very consistant album for me, in that there's something to like in every song.

[interbellum]

Sensual World is special to me because Mick Karn plays on it. It was planned he would also play on Aerial and there might even be rehearsals of his playing, but Kate decided different...

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

Night Of The Swallow is one of my 'top 5' Kate pieces

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

Never Forever through The Sensual World
a perfect 4 album run

[JKL2000]

I hate to be that guy but the love for HOL has always mystified me. Side 1 strikes me as an excess of everything that people usually call out the 80s on- bad drum programming and cheap Fairlight sounds, uninteresting compositions- it's the nadir of Kate's career for me, seriously. I'd rather hear ABC any day, or even Peter Gabriel. The 9th Wave suite is much much better, but it's still sort of new agey fluff to some extent. I far far prefer the previous albums, and found Sensual World a return to form. Clearly I'm an extreme minority on this, I know.

Interesting. To me Sensual World has not really aged well, though I do like it. HoL sounds to me very much of the time of Gabriel's Security, which is a good thing.

Big fan of Aerial here too.

[perpetual strange]

Never Forever through The Sensual World
a perfect 4 album run

I agree. Listened to 'Sensual World' a couple weeks ago, and it blew me away anew. I do think Its my favorite overall if I had to pick one. For me it has aged better than 'Hounds', though I'll always love 'The Ninth Wave'. 'Never For Ever' and 'The Dreaming' still really sound good in my head.

[zombywoof]

So I had $5 left on my debit card I got for Christmas and I passed on Sensual World ($5 on wayside). Apparently I made a huge mistake?

[Progbear]

Interesting. To me Sensual World has not really aged well, though I do like it.

To tie this in with another thread, TSW was a CD I borrowed from the library. I was very, very let down with it after the majesty of Hounds of Love. It just sounded so ordinary, and I don’t listen to Kate for “ordinary.” It had its moments and certainly wasn’t awful, but there’s little of what I listen to Kate Bush for on this album, to my ears. I should probably revisit it in the future.