Got Bush If You Want It - Bush

Advantages: Deeply poetic, rich musical excellence. It's Kate Bush.
Disadvantages: Not instant music for parties. It wouldn't work. Don't do it.

...way through their acoustic uniqueness. She's not one for drum machines, and the three drummers and percussionist she uses on this amazing album are excellent. There's one song about being invisible and one which - when you read the lyrics at least - is clearly about Joan of Arc. It's nice when these things do become clear though what you don't want really is for a reviewer to do the work for you. The interpretation is part of the musical appreciation here. Do it yourself. I don't mean that rudely. I think sometimes that that's what it's about - how the individual relates to the songs. Jumping a track or two to the second CD: this is different. Like I said, Kate remains as different as ever. You've got birdsong and ambient chords, a child commenting on how the birds appearing to be saying a word. It's the start of an afternoon... Read review

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Advantages: quality through and through
Disadvantages: if you don't like Kate Bush you won't like it!

...Before I bought this album my Kate Bush knowledge was very limited. I had seen Alan Partridge do a very funny medley of Kate Bush songs a few years ago on Comic Relief; I had heard Wuthering Heights and Babooshka a few times; and I was aware of her influence on many modern day singer-songwriters. Other than that I was not too familiar with her music and got the impression she was a bit hysterical and slightly mad. Looking at the reviews on Ciao it seemed that Hounds of Love was the album to buy. EnglishPatient has already done a very through review of this album track-by-track, so if you want to know the background to every track then I recommend that review. I'll just give an overview of the album from the perspective of a Kate Bush novice. The album was released in 1985, although I have the 1997 version which has been... Read review

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Advantages: Almost perfect album, improved seperation of sounds in remastered form.
Disadvantages: One or two slightly weaker tracks.

...player (which weighed a ton) and sat back, ready to be treated to the brave new world of digital audio, I knew I was in for a treat. Fast forward a decade and a half and a remastered version has turned up with bonus tracks culled from remixes and B sides. With a nod towards the vinyl mindset of the original release, it is split in to two halves subtitles Hounds of Love and The Ninth Wave. On CD of course, it's just one big lump of music. The tracks are: Hounds of Love Side 1. Running Up That Hill. A huge hit single at the time that sets the tone for this part of the album. Lots of energetic if slightly muted drums and synthetic horns give way to the instantly recognisable Bush vocals that tell the story of wanting to do a deal with God to swap places with a loved one to take their pain. You can feel the anguish with every word... Read review

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