99X started not too long after in 1992, and they heavily played this and her other early 80's hit, the ridiculous, awesome "Wuthering Heights". That was enough to convince me to give her greastest hits CD a shot, and I enjoyed it very much.
The early 90's was something of a mini-Renaissance for Kate Bush, as she put out a brand new CD "The Red Shoes" (which I also bought) and was sampled on an out-of-left-field hit in 1993 "Something Good" by the Utah Saints. Also, when Tori Amos came out in 1991, I was cool enough to immediately peg her as a Kate Bush rip-off (but I do love you, Tori! Call me!)
Kate Bush has really kept a low profile since then. She put out a new CD in 2005 ("Aerial" - I didn't buy it, but did download the single "King of the Mountain") and I can remember a couple of references popping up over the years - Big Boi of Outkast (!)professed his love for her:
She was so bugged out man! But I felt what she was talking about in the songs. "Mother Stands for Comfort", "Running Up That Hill". My uncle would explain what the songs stood for. Like "The Man WIth the Child in His Eyes" and all that s***.
"I thought, 'Wow! She's so f***ing deep! I was infatuated with her, still am. I gotta track her down! I just found out that she was producing all that s*** herself! She's so f***ing dope and so underrated and off the radar.
And there was a cool cover of her song "Hounds of Love" by British band The Futureheads:
Supposedly, "Running Up That Hill" is about the female orgasm. That probably comes from the chorus:
And if I only could,
I'd make a deal with god,
And I'd get him to swap our places,
And then later:
C'mon, baby, c'mon darling,
Let me steal this moment from you now.
C'mon, angel, c'mon, c'mon, darling,
Let's exchange the experience
It's plausible, I suppose, and I think it's a very sensual song, so I could see that reading. There are layers and layers of overdubs which create an incredibly lush atmosphere, and the soft backbeat of the drums contribute to the mood as well. I love the quirky keyboard squiggle which you hear at the beginning and which appears at odd times throughout. Bush's voice is incredible. I wouldn't describe it as "beautiful" as I would Neko Case or Kelly Hogan (it's a bit thin and doesn't have much presence, in my opinion) but it's certainly unique and instantly distinguishable. And you can't really tell it in this song, but she can hit the hell out of some high notes (check out "Army Dreamers")
Bonus - in checking YouTube for this song, I found out Placebo, another band I enjoy, covered it. Check it out, too.
4 comments:
I listened to the Kate Bush "Wuthering Heights" and I like the lyrics and giver her props for that - but Pat Benetar does it better. Seriously, Pat's voice is crisper, clearer, stronger, and hits each note spot-on. Guess that opera training paid off.
Beth
Hey, thanks for posting a comment, Beth. I thought I was going to get shut out for a third week :( (anyone else still out there?)
But, yeah, "Wuthering Heights" is awesome, as melodramatic and overdone as it is. She wrote that song at like 16 or 17 years old, and it was the first female self-written song in England to hit #1.
I guess you got the Benetar version from the YouTube link? I didn't know she did one, but I'm off to check it out. You are right about Benetar's voice - I think it's better than Bush's (although I like Bush more as an artist - with the possible exception of "Shadows of the Night")
YouTube - that's where I heard Kate Bush - I owned the Pat Benetar vinyl baby. Yeah - hit me with your best shot / Hell is for Children / Angry Opera voice
Beth
I first became aware of Kate Bush in 1986 when her album "The Whole Story" was rumored to have accidentally shipped with the Sid and Nancy Soundtrack album cover art. I also think that the was the last time I was aware of Kate Bush until right now. Seems to have worked out for all involved.
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