Totally Objective Rate-a-Record

[Jorn Barger <barger@aristotle.ils.nwu.edu>]

Back in November, someone in gaffa conducted a survey of how we all ranked TSW
relative to all Kate's other albums.  I don't remember where TSW finally
ended up but I think the other albums went: TD-9th Wave-TKI-HoL-NFE-LH...

I was pretty surprised to see Never For Ever so far down there, wondering if
I was forgiving it too much in consideration of Army Dreamers and All We Ever
Look For.  So I finally sat down this weekend with all 6 CD's in the changer
set to "Random", on the theory that the unfamiliar play-order would help
bring some objectivity to the investigation...

What I ended up doing, flame if you must, was rating every song to see how
each album fared.  The results:

#1-- The Dreaming
A+++: Pull Out the Pin, Night of the Swallow, Get Out of My House
A++:  Sat in Your Lap, Suspended in Gaffa, Leave It Open, Houdini
A+:   There Goes a Tenner, The Dreaming, All the Love

#2-- Never For Ever
A+++: All We Ever Look For, Army Dreamer
A+:   Babooshka, Delius, Blow Away, Infant Kiss, Night Scented Stock, Breathing
A:    Egypt, Violin
A-:   Wedding List

#3-- Hounds of Love
A++: Mother, Under Ice, Waking the Witch
A+:  Running Up That Hill
A:   Big Sky, Dream of Sheep, Jig of Life
A-:  Hounds of Love, Cloudbusting, Morning Fog

#4-- The Kick Inside
A++: Them Heavy People
A+:  Saxophone Song, Wuthering Heights, The Kick Inside
A:   Moving, Kite, Man with a Child in His Eyes, James and the Cold Gun
A-:  Strange Phenomena, Feel It, Oh to Be in Love, L'Amour
B:   Room for the Life

#5-- Lionheart
A+: Wow, Coffee Homeground, Hammer Horror
A:  Don't Push Your Foot, Fullhouse
A-: In Search of PP, Oh England, Warm Room, Kashka
B:  Symphony in Blue

#6-- (goddess forgive me!) The Sensual World
A++: Rocket's Tail
A+:  Never Be Mine
A:   Sensual World, The Fog, Straight Down the Middle
A-:  Between a Man and a Woman, This Woman's Work
B:   Deeper Understanding
C:   Heads We're Dancing
D:   Love and Anger
F:   Reaching Out

I didn't go thru my B-sides, etc, but certainly December Will Be Magic would
rate A+++, and Under the Ivy A++.

I was as surprised as anyone by the dismal showing of TSW.  It's only when you
come upon those songs interspersed among any of the older albums' stuff that
the really disappointing quality becomes undeniable.


Jorn Barger, Institute for the Learning Sciences, Northwestern University

"...but I've never seen a pair of ears flappin' like a mainsail flappin'
like yours are, Dumbo, as I shoot the breeze..." Michael Hurley