The Absolute Sound

[katefans@world.std.com (Chris'n'Vickie of Kansas City)]

  Chris here,
    This is the latest review of "The Sensual World" from the March/April
issue of _The Absolute Sound_. I'll warn you beforehand... it's lousy.

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    Kate Bush: The Sensual World
    [Kate Bush (prod.); Del Palmer (eng.).]
    Columbia OC 44164 LP.

  Let's start with the sound: Magical! No matter how good your system, this
record will turn it into a glazed donut.[1] Bush's voice sounds sampled and
synthesized.[2] It's always thin, reedy, sometimes raspy, flat, and simply
not pleasant to listen to. [3] At the end of one track there's just Bush
laughing-attached to so much garbage you can hear the sea gulls circling.[4]
  Instruments are vaguely lateral on a two-dimensional soundstage, awash in
icy, digital reverb. Drums are soft dull thuds and bass is a deep, character-
less rumble.[5] There's no space between instruments, no contrast, few
colors. [6] It's like viewing television with the brightness control turned
up. This is one of those recordings that forces you to go back to a reference
disk [7] just to make sure nothing's wrong with your system.
  Musically, things start off hot. "You don't need words-just one kiss then
another," the beautiful Kate sings in "The Sensual World". In the end,
though, she avoids her "arrows of desire", singing and licking her lips:
"I said, mmh, yes, But not yet, mmh, yes, mmh, yes." Tease. [8]
  From there, I'm aFreud the symbolism becomes a bit obscure for me [9] on
too many songs, and too obvious on others, though a couple of times, Bush strikes just the right balance, advising an outsider to stay out of the age-old battle "Between a Man and a Woman" and on the finale, "This
Woman's Work". Overall, it's just not worth trying to penetrate the
oppressive gray cloud in which Bush has cast her music on this record. [10]
   _The Sensual World_ is only for adoring fans [11] of this quirky artist.

                                      Michael Fremer

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  A few things are worth mentioning. First, he had the mis-fortune to hear
the CBS Lp release. Anyone who wishes to truly _hear_ Kate's music should
run out and buy _British_ Lp pressings. The British EMI pressings aren't the
quietest, (the Japanese are) but they are the most musical.

[1] A symbol of the reviewers frustrated sexuality. Just kidding.
[2] Because it is sampled. Sometimes.
[3] If you have no desire to be challenged.
[4] Is he kidding? Does he think the gulls were accidental?
[5] Not on our sound system.
[6] Colors? What do you call Uillean Pipes, Bouzouki, Celtic Harp etc.
[7] Reference Disk. Bad music, well recorded.
[8] Just another example of an enlightened man. The jerk has never heard
    of James Joyce.
[9] Cheerio's are too obscure for this bozo.
[10] Some people just don't understand.
[11] Us.

  What's so baffling is that TAS did a wonderful feature on Kate in January
of 1987 after _Hounds of Love_. The writer (Ifan Payne) complained about the
sound quality then, but understood and admired the artistic intent.

                                Chris of,
                                  Chris'n'Vickie of,
                                    Kansas City
                                      katefans@world.std.com