AM Kate?

[<DSR@CRNLNS.BITNET>]

Pulled out the CD of HOL yesterday (after returning from jury duty), set
the player to loop starting at 2:19 in "Watching you...", recorded the secret
message a few times on cassette, and transferred the cassette to my 4-track
cassette machine.  After trying both directions at a variety of speeds with
various equalizations, I'm clueless.  I did, however, discover why Kate
has never achieved the enormous popularity in the US she so obviously deserves.

Let me explain.  At one point I tried an EQ setting drastically peaked in
the midrange to try and enhance the vocals,  with the track switched to
mono.  Sounded a lot like a cheap AM radio with a 3" speaker.  Sounded
absolutely awful, too.  At which point, it struck:  Kate isn't popular in
the US because she doesn't mix for cheap AM radios.  Any sensible "artist"
KNOWS that a mix which sounds good on cheap AM radios is an absolute necessity
for commercial success in the US (I'm told, in fact, that Peter Gabriel
recorded most of Security through a cheap radio shack amplifier with a 5"
speaker just to get that sound).  Maybe somebody should tell Kate.  But
be sure to break it to her gently...

-Dan Riley (dsr@crnlns.bitnet)

(currently absolutely elated at finally having acquired The Dreaming on CD)