X4 and other sKTuff

[nessus (Doug Alan)]

I'd like to remind everyone that Kate's compilation album, *The Whole
Story*, was released in the U.S. on Friday, and should appear in the
stores sometime in next week or so.  The single, "Experiment IV" is
being released in the U.S. on the 26th in both seven inch and twelve
inch.

For those who haven't yet heard X4 (I just managed to get a copy a
couple days ago -- these new import bans are horrible!), it is quite a
nice song.  It's not as Andy maintains the greatest natural phenomenon
in the history of the universe, because that's "Get Out Of My House".

I read a couple of reviews for "Experiment IV".  The review in the NME
said that even when Kate Bush fails, she still manages to give the
impression that she's better than just a pop star and that this song
sounds like Kate Bush has joined Bananarama.  The review in Sounds
said that Kate Bush manages to say in one song what a typical science
fiction writer would take a trilogy to say.  If the reviewer is
talking about the Piers Anthonies of the world, this is not too
surprising, since Kate spends as much time on one song as Piers
Anthony spends on a trilogy.

I'm not so sure about this Bananara bit (Hey, I like "Cruel Summer" as
much as the next guy, but...).  What I think the reviewer means is
that the melody in "Experiment IV" is very catchy.  For me, this is by
far Kate's catchiest melody.  The song is very highly textured,
however, though, so it doesn't come across to me as being exceedingly
commercial.  There are also some extremely neat sounds in the song.

The 12-inch single version is better than the normal version.  It sort
of sounds like Kate meets Klaus Schulze and Windom Hill (and
Bananarama?).  There is a nice and moody violin on the 12-inch that
isn't on the normal mix.

I'm told that the video is really intense.  Part of it involves Kate
turning into a demon.  Apparently the BBC won't allow part of it to be
broadcast though.  They say it isn't suitable for children.  (Dicks!)

I have to disagree with Mark Kat(e)souros about the picture sleeve for
"Experiment IV".  It looks like Kate's trying to look like a sex
kitten again.  And there are much better glamour photographers than
John Carter Bush (like the one who took the Japanese cover for *The
Kick Inside*!).  When JC Bush tries to do something artistically
interesting, his photography is often really neat (though ultimately
Kate looks silly with "If I only could -- I'd be running up that hill"
scrawled across her back), but I really am not wild about the front
cover of the HoL album or X4 single.

Other random news: Kate is doing the title song for a movie called
"Castaways", which will be released early next year.  Kate did show up
for the KB video party in London, after all.  She stayed for an hour
an a half or so, talking to people and signing stuff.  There are no
con T-shirts left over; someone swiped the remaining shirts.  There is
a new French fanzine called "Don't Give Up".  It is a fanzine for Kate
Bush and Peter Gabriel fans.  Kate Bush won the CMJ New Music award
for best female artist and Peter Gabriel won it for best male artist.
(Oh boy, oh boy!)

			|>oug


"From the painful cries of mothers to the terrifying screams
 We recorded it and put it in to our machines"