― Vornado, Wednesday, 27 July 2005 22:38 (eighteen years ago) link
I think my hang-up with it is that sense of it being a thematically abandoned concept album. The title track seems completely lost in the middle of the record. The artwork too, lends a sense of some kind of expectation that never exactly gets fulfilled.
That said... if you can ignore that, and the occasionally naff playing of the guest musicians on certain tracks (actually more of a guilty pleasure for me) it's very frequently great. In a much more straightforward way than I suppose some people had been used to from her.
Alternating deliciously light-hearted and outright fun (this song featuring Prince!) numbers, with absolutely burning sad weepies. This album is not short on terrific songs.
I've found myself defending it before. However, if I *have* to place it in my affections alongside her other work it still gets kinda disrespected. I mean I'll take it over "Lionheart" but that's not saying much.
― fandango (fandango), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 23:20 (eighteen years ago) link
― SoHoLa (SoHoLa), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 23:40 (eighteen years ago) link
― The Brainwasher (Twilight), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 23:45 (eighteen years ago) link
I may be completely incapable of being objective here after all. Iffy bits aside 'The Sensual World' is fantastic.
― fandango (fandango), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 23:54 (eighteen years ago) link
― retort pouch (retort pouch), Thursday, 28 July 2005 01:16 (eighteen years ago) link
Right. Back to The Red Shoes then...
― rogermexico (rogermexico), Thursday, 28 July 2005 02:50 (eighteen years ago) link
― seedcake boy, Thursday, 28 July 2005 03:07 (eighteen years ago) link
― cutty (mcutt), Thursday, 28 July 2005 03:09 (eighteen years ago) link
Well anyway, The Red Shoes is fine. Nobody's mentioned "Lily," which I like a lot -- witchy funk. The aforementioned ballads really are good. The title track's great. It gets watery toward the end, but not a bad album. And yeah, she's no singles artist. The Whole Story is a great collection, but The Dreaming and Hounds are straight classics, top to bottom.
― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Thursday, 28 July 2005 03:49 (eighteen years ago) link
― kyle (akmonday), Thursday, 28 July 2005 05:50 (eighteen years ago) link
kyle... poo... you made me spit-laugh muffin all over my laptop at work. :)
seedcake boy, you're not alone on the sex to that record front... ;)
― ehbenoit, Thursday, 28 July 2005 12:15 (eighteen years ago) link
― fandango (fandango), Thursday, 28 July 2005 12:52 (eighteen years ago) link
I dunno about that. The Red Shoes is her highest charting album; she's got two gold albums. Outkast's Big Boi has given several interviews wherein he declares his love for Bush and "Wuthering Heights" in particular. Maxwell? I won't mention Tori Amos.
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 28 July 2005 13:00 (eighteen years ago) link
― ehbenoit, Thursday, 28 July 2005 14:26 (eighteen years ago) link
*hides under rock*
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 28 July 2005 14:42 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 28 July 2005 14:55 (eighteen years ago) link
And see? These are the people you care about most.
― rogermexico (rogermexico), Thursday, 28 July 2005 15:39 (eighteen years ago) link
The potential for roffles in this sentence is pretty deep.
― rogermexico (rogermexico), Thursday, 28 July 2005 15:40 (eighteen years ago) link
And so we come full circle to the Pat Benatar thread. Her cover is a strange strange thing. It should be a showcase for her voice (and it is) but I'm not quite sure what the point is of proving that your pipes are almost-but-not-quite in Kate B's class.
Or maybe Pat and Neil just really like the song, which is possible and kinda sweet.
― rogermexico (rogermexico), Thursday, 28 July 2005 15:45 (eighteen years ago) link
Smooth way of alluding to other threads, Roger. Doesn't Kate Bush have a four and a half octave range? What's Benatar's?
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 28 July 2005 15:58 (eighteen years ago) link
you're right rogerfrommexico as long as the man likes her that is all that matters... i guess love of depeche and kate can equate a 12 year relationship. :)
― ehbenoit, Thursday, 28 July 2005 16:08 (eighteen years ago) link
-- Alfred Soto (sotoal...), July 28th, 2005.pat b can sing 5.............5 notes lol and lmao.
― bat penetar, Thursday, 28 July 2005 16:50 (eighteen years ago) link
Patricia Andrzejewski, born January 10, 1953 in Brooklyn, began studying voice as a child growing up in Lindenhurst, Long Island. Her mother had trained as an opera singer, and Pat eventually developed her own impressive four-and-a-half-octave vocal range.
So the tale of the tape sez it's an even match. In the ring though... almost-but-not-quite.
― rogermexico (rogermexico), Thursday, 28 July 2005 17:05 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 28 July 2005 17:07 (eighteen years ago) link
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v93/shatterglas_bleed20/gavin_rossdale_02.jpg
― rogermexico (rogermexico), Thursday, 28 July 2005 17:08 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 28 July 2005 17:13 (eighteen years ago) link
Just what I wanted to see. A giant picture of someone else in a KB thread!
Merely reading the title of the some of the tracks on The Red Shoes gives me goose pimples - "Lily", "Top Of The City"...despite a two or three tracks that fall flat, it's an amazing album. And how the hell a Prince collaboration actually worked, I can't figure out.
Although it did contain a few classics, The Sensual World sounded mostly boring to me. Like trying much too hard to come up with a Hounds of Love II.
― Hydrochloric Shaved Weirds (Bimble...), Thursday, 28 July 2005 17:15 (eighteen years ago) link
Re "Why Should I Love You?" According to the Prince bio "Possession," Bush was disappointed with what Prince had done to her song. After receiving the cassette demo, Prince proceeded to overdub instruments and vocals until the original melody line was lost. Bush had to re-remix it.
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 28 July 2005 17:27 (eighteen years ago) link
― Hydrochloric Shaved Weirds (Bimble...), Thursday, 28 July 2005 18:18 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Sunday, 25 September 2005 21:08 (eighteen years ago) link
I would agree though about the difference in the problems with each album: the weak parts of The Sensual World are weak attempts at "Kate Bush" songs; the weak parts of The Red Shoes are when Kate comes across as just any girl.
― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Sunday, 25 September 2005 21:50 (eighteen years ago) link
― cutty (mcutt), Sunday, 25 September 2005 21:59 (eighteen years ago) link
i would include "top of the city" in that run.
― cutty (mcutt), Sunday, 25 September 2005 22:09 (eighteen years ago) link
WTF? Deeper Understanding/Between a Man and A Woman/Never Be Mine???? These are like my three favorite songs in a row
― kyle (akmonday), Sunday, 25 September 2005 22:09 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Sunday, 25 September 2005 22:10 (eighteen years ago) link
― cutty (mcutt), Sunday, 25 September 2005 22:11 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Sunday, 25 September 2005 22:38 (eighteen years ago) link
― Bimble The Nimble, Jumped Over A Thimble! (Bimble...), Sunday, 25 September 2005 22:58 (eighteen years ago) link
― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Monday, 26 September 2005 17:05 (eighteen years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 26 September 2005 19:36 (eighteen years ago) link
― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Monday, 26 September 2005 22:24 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 26 September 2005 22:40 (eighteen years ago) link
― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Monday, 26 September 2005 23:06 (eighteen years ago) link
― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 26 September 2005 23:16 (eighteen years ago) link
― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 26 September 2005 23:18 (eighteen years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 27 September 2005 00:27 (eighteen years ago) link
― joseph (joseph), Tuesday, 27 September 2005 07:25 (eighteen years ago) link
But yeah, my point was more that if you just heard the first three songs you'd think you were in for an utterly amazing album and instead it's just very good. Coming after The Dreaming and The Hounds of Love it really does feel like a shift down a gear.
― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Tuesday, 27 September 2005 10:40 (eighteen years ago) link
― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Tuesday, 27 September 2005 10:43 (eighteen years ago) link
ha
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Tuesday, 26 August 2008 02:00 (fifteen years ago) link
Top Of The City is wonderful, but my brain wishes there was a version arranged in the style of Hounds Of Love era kate.
― Jamie_ATP, Wednesday, 28 April 2010 14:46 (thirteen years ago) link
Coming to this album for the first time after being a huge KB fan since I was 16. Not exactly a revelation on the level of finding another chapter of Ulysses, but more like hearing from an old friend you were really close to but hadn't heard from in a while. She could sing the alphabet in a certain tone of voice and I would listen.
Gonna give Aerial another listen as I kind of dismissed it when it came out as "boring".
― I like tv random anything (corey), Tuesday, 27 July 2010 04:05 (thirteen years ago) link
"Big Stripey Lie"!
― balls and adieu (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 27 July 2010 12:39 (thirteen years ago) link
I never warmed to this album for the same reason I never warmed to Talking Heads Speaking in Tongues--the thin, clattery production.
― Hideous Lump, Wednesday, 28 July 2010 01:58 (thirteen years ago) link
tho i will rep for some of the tracks on this in a huge way, i will never understand what happened to the production here, or on a lot of the sensual world. coming off the heels of the albums previous, i just don't get it. it's like she understood this making aerial, and turned around and produced something in the warmest, least clattering way possible.
― janice (surm), Wednesday, 28 July 2010 02:04 (thirteen years ago) link
"moments of pleasure" is beautiful
i haven't listened to this album in over a decade and don't recall anything else on it :/
― لوووووووووووووووووووول (lex pretend), Wednesday, 28 July 2010 02:09 (thirteen years ago) link
not to overly toot my own horn but I'm covering this on OWOB this week.
― katherine, Monday, 12 August 2013 19:17 (ten years ago) link
I can't wait! I adore this record.
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 12 August 2013 19:18 (ten years ago) link
What's this?
― Ismael Klata, Monday, 12 August 2013 19:25 (ten years ago) link
http://oneweekoneband.tumblr.com/
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 12 August 2013 19:26 (ten years ago) link
i've said this elsewhere but "top of the city" is probably my favorite kate bush song
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Monday, 12 August 2013 19:53 (ten years ago) link
and this record >>>>>> the sensual world
^^^ my boo
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 12 August 2013 19:55 (ten years ago) link
It's as uneven but the ease with which I can jump around and find something for any mood ("Big Stripey Lie" for an old-school Bush fix, "Top of the City" for Side B-HOL intensnity, "Rubberband Girl" for heavenly pop hit) give TRS the nod imo.
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 12 August 2013 19:56 (ten years ago) link
don't want your bullshitjust want your sexuality
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Monday, 12 August 2013 20:09 (ten years ago) link
"and this record >>>>>> the sensual world"
no way. but I do like this album more these days than I did when it came out (or any time since).
― akm, Monday, 12 August 2013 20:42 (ten years ago) link
omigodit's a jungle out there
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 12 August 2013 20:51 (ten years ago) link
this sense of humor of mineit isn't funny at all
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 16:20 (ten years ago) link
"uneven" i suppose but i think i love every song on this record at this point
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 16:36 (ten years ago) link
LIKE A POMEGRANATEINSIDES OUT
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 16:42 (ten years ago) link
currently assembling a queer identity theory of "eat the music"
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 17:07 (ten years ago) link
"constellation of the heart" is i guess poppy and funky but then she has a weird conversation with the choir
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 17:08 (ten years ago) link
the Prince collab is one of the duds.
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 17:26 (ten years ago) link
nah
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:09 (ten years ago) link
What one's the Prince collaboration? <3 Constellation so much.
― Ismael Klata, Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:13 (ten years ago) link
"Why Should I Love You"
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:15 (ten years ago) link
i like how ecstatic "why should i love you" is. fun to kinda flail around to
it doesn't live up to the idea of prince/kate but if you ignore that
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:19 (ten years ago) link
the Prince song "My Computer" (dedicated to Kate Bush) is sweeter
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:20 (ten years ago) link
i was reminded of "my computer" very recently by an incoherent piece about prince and computers in the awl. made the day great
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:23 (ten years ago) link
why should I love you might have been better with Prince bothering to do the actual vocals instead of Lenny Henry pretending to be Prince. Maybe not.
― akm, Tuesday, 13 August 2013 18:28 (ten years ago) link
promised I wouldn't do this but
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbP-dapt09Q
― katherine, Tuesday, 13 August 2013 21:29 (ten years ago) link
In Possessed Alex Hahn recounts Prince's conscientious, patient slaughter of Bush's demo.
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 13 August 2013 21:30 (ten years ago) link
katherine is killing it: http://oneweekoneband.tumblr.com/tagged/kate_bush/chrono
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 16 August 2013 21:25 (ten years ago) link
katherine this is really amazing, holy crap
― -- A smile on a dog, Stephen answered, (flamboyant goon tie included), Friday, 16 August 2013 22:57 (ten years ago) link
why should i love you is definitely the takeaway here
― surm, Friday, 16 August 2013 22:59 (ten years ago) link
this is finished -- and thanks!
― katherine, Monday, 19 August 2013 02:49 (ten years ago) link
having never known about an alternate version until now, that demo is ten times better than what prince did. not sure why she even wanted prince to do anything to that song anyway.
― StillAdvance, Monday, 25 April 2016 10:08 (seven years ago) link
She didn't really want him to do much: http://noisey.vice.com/en_uk/blog/how-prince-met-kate-bush-and-made-why-should-i-love-you.
Bush asked Prince to contribute a few background vocals to a song called “Why Should I Love You”, which she had just recorded in full at Abbey Road Studios. But when Prince received the track, he ignored the intructions and dismantled the entire thing like a crazed mechanic taking apart old cars on his backyard. He wanted to inject himself into the very heart of it, weaving his sound amongst her sound, giving it a new soul entirely. As Koppelman explains, “We essentially created a new song on a new piece of tape and then flew all of Kate's tracks back on top of it… Prince stacked a bunch of keys, guitars, bass, etc, on it, and then went to sing background vocals.”
Maybe she was just too polite to turn it down? (I actually like both versions, even though the Prince one is a little bonkers.)
― A nationally known air show announcer/personality (tipsy mothra), Monday, 25 April 2016 14:19 (seven years ago) link
the timeline of this doesn't really match up, but I wonder whether it was prince or kate who was responsible for the album version not being about sex with jesus
― a self-reinforcing downward spiral of male-centric indie (katherine), Monday, 25 April 2016 15:11 (seven years ago) link
she's no good for you babyshe's no good for you now
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 25 December 2017 14:41 (six years ago) link
my favorite kate bush song
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Monday, 25 December 2017 15:18 (six years ago) link
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Monday, August 12, 2013 12:53 PM (four years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
oh look
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Monday, 25 December 2017 15:20 (six years ago) link
where just a couple of pigeons are livin'
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 25 December 2017 15:21 (six years ago) link
I really enjoyed that katherine thanks for writing it
― Joan Digimon (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 25 December 2017 16:59 (six years ago) link
absolutely love moments of pleasure
― kolakube (Ross), Monday, 25 December 2017 19:19 (six years ago) link
I’ve often thought of doing a poll: This Woman’s Work vs Moments of Pleasure. I would be upset if Moments lost... so no go.
― Woon... Doopee Time (FlopsyDuck), Monday, 25 December 2017 22:22 (six years ago) link
belated, thanks!
my favorite track from this at the moment's probably lily, which says a lot about 2017
― sick, fucking funny, and well tasty (katherine), Thursday, 28 December 2017 15:52 (six years ago) link
album has aged better than I expected; I loved it when it came out then went through a long period of thinking it was really duff. but really the only duff track on this is Constellation of the Heart I think, now.
― akm, Thursday, 28 December 2017 16:45 (six years ago) link