KATE BUSH (WHAT'S THE POINT OF DISSEMBLING?)

[IED0DXM%UCLAMVS.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu]

After a bad lull (observed by MarK T. Ganzer, as  well), Love-Hounds is
starting to acquire real interest again! Thanks are due to marK for that,
and to our lone (?) UK pack-member, neil KalTon, whose
updates are much appreciated over here. Thanks for the latest on
Homeground. (Just for the old boy's slow wits' sake, Neil -- What
exactly is a "namecheck"?) IED heartily agrees with you about
the gouging tactics of some "fans" (per your note about the
U.S. offer of $45 per Cloudbusting CD), and it makes this Love-Hound
sorely ashamed for his national affiliation with such cupidity.
In IED's opinion, selling Kate Bush merchandise -- especially
"rare" or unofficial items -- is a kind of sacrelige. At the very
least it's vulgar and shallow. Kate Bush collectibles should
always be TRADED, not SOLD. It goes against all things Katian to
attempt the collection of personal profits through inflatory
pricing of objects whose intrinsic value is usually minimal, and whose
main significance is in the sentimental association which they have
with Kate in the hearts of her fans. Ah, but IED has learned to live
with that kind of attitude -- as have we all.

Good to hear from Dave Hsu (pity your name has no K's or T's in it)
again. Incidentally, IED would never have noticed your error about
the number of days till Katemas -- IED doesn't count that well.

Go West's LP Dancing on the Couch was finally acquired by your
favourite KriTic (as a US promo -- Who among us would pay full price
for a Go West LP?). It's amazing to IED that people would go to
the trouble of coaxing the likes of Kate Bush to work on a recording
with them (for surely that takes some doing), and then use her
so minimally, and so unimaginatively, and so anonymously, that
they might just as well have got any session singer in England
to do the job instead! Don't misunderstand, please: Kate is
recognizable -- to the very careful listener; and both the song
and Kate's back-up vocals are well crafted and not without merit.
It's just that there's not much to it, and what little there is
makes little use of what Kate has to offer. Oh, well, it's no big
deal. The rest of the album is equally well made -- a bit like
Aja-era Steely Dan, but with Don Fagan's vocals replaced by a slick
singer from the school of Boy George Michael: catchy, even
attractive, but generally disposible.

Practically no time left to send in your signature stickers,
folks. Mail them TODAY or forget it.

-- Andrew
   In excelsis Kateo!