KB mentioned in today's TIMES

[PBMANCHESTER@ccmail.sunysb.edu]

	In today's (Sunday, February 11) NEW YORK TIMES Arts and Leisure 
section, an article by Stephen Holden entitled "British Folk-Pop Flourishes, 
All Souls Bared" (p. 29), includes remarks on Kate Bush.  The singers featured 
(photos for each) are Tanita Tikaram and Julia Fordham.  Holden positions 
himself as a fan of Joni Mitchell's "Court and Spark," admires Tikaram's "dark 
oracular alto" and Fordham's "ripe, expressive alto."  He shows signs of being 
a beginner with Kate.  About half-way into the article he writes:

		"Together Ms. Tikaram and Ms. Fordham--along with Kate Bush and 
	Joan Armatrading (both now in their 30's)--show the lineage of British 
	singer-songwriters to be an ongoing, if not exactly a booming 
	tradition.  Especially in the work of Ms. Tikaram and Ms. Bush, one 
	senses the power that English and Irish literary traditions have 
	exerted on British pop, which has always had a higher tolerance for 
	obscurantism than its American counterpart.

		"The title song of Ms. Bush's recent album, "The Sensual World" 
	(Columbia 44164; all three formats), is the singer's own adaptation of 
	a part of Molly Bloom's soliloquy from James Joyce's "Ulysses."  The 
	whole album is an attempt by Ms. Bush to adapt a Joycean style of 
	interior monologue into a pop format, underscoring modified stream-of-
	consciousness lyrics with exotic instrumentation.  Althought "The 
	Sensual World" has been only a cult success in this country, the album 
	was a No. 1 hit on the British pop charts.

		"Ms. Tikaram's songs are even more enigmatic than Ms. Bush's, 
	although the singer, who was born in West Germany to a Fijan father and 
	a Malayan mother, has strengths that Ms. Bush lacks.  Ms. Bush's 
	biggest liability is a high, childlike voice that is interesting when 
	heard in small doses but quickly beings to sound shrill.  Ms. Tikaram's 
	deep droning alto is easier on the ears.  It is a voice so distinctive 
	and intense that it almost compels one to try to read the lyrics as 
	though they were Rorschach inkblots."

		...

	It appears Mr. Holden likes altos.  He is also not paying attention:  
it has been a decade since Kate used mostly her "high, childlike voice," and 
"The Sensual World" is way more than a cult success in this country.  (And it 
didn't make #1 in England, either, did it?)

A O A O A O A O A O A O A O A O A O A O A O A O A O A O A O A O A O A O
       pmanchester@ccmail.sunysb.edu     >                             
         pmanchester@sbccmail.bitnet    <     "C'MON, WE ALL SING"     
                    Peter Manchester     >      --Not This Time