Further Ramblings (In Search of the Planet Gwar)

[nrc@cbema.att.com (Neal R Caldwell, Ii)]

I'm glad to hear that the Katemas festivities went well.  Here we
settled for watching the videos on Monday evening.  I feared that
the little power problem in Chicago might have caused problems for
Chris'n'Vickie so it was good to hear that they were uneffected
[Vickie, did you get my last email?].
 
--

I was interested to hear Andy's account of the previous KT KonvenTion
and video party.  It seems to me that with careful planning and limited
ticket sales it should be possible for Kate to make an appearance
without things getting out of hand.  The last thing we need right now
is for Kate to have a bad experience with one of her precious few
personal appearances.  It has always amazes me how seemingly rational
people can turn into blithering idiots in the presence of someone they
supposedly admire and respect.  

I guess it probably won't matter one way or the other, while there's a
trip to England somewhere in my future I doubt that we can make it
as soon as this fall.

--

I love watching the end of the Hammersmith show.  To see Kate so clearly 
enjoying the acollades of her audience is something really special.  I wish 
we could see that again.

--

Lot's of interesting thoughts about the boxed set.  For those that are
worried about the cost, start saving those pennies!

My suggestion would be for a set of all six original album releases
and two or three CDs of B sides and rarities.  The CDs of the original
albums should be identical to the original releases except for special
art on the CD itself.  I can empathize with Andy's desire to have some 
of the rare variations on CD but I see these releases as complete works 
and if you're going to include something and call it _The Kick Inside_ 
it should be just exactly that album.  

I'd like to see a complete booklet for each CD.  Not your normal CD
sized booklet but an album sized booklet containing all the art from
the original album sleeve and any variations as well as a history of
the release and some words from Kate about it.  

With all due respect to those on a budget I'd like to see no expense
spared on this project. 

--

Andy, I noted with interest that you included the tracks from _Kate 
Bush on Stage_ in your list of tracks for the B-sides/rarities CDs.  
I whole heartedly agree.  Yet not long ago you quoted to me an article
in which Kate and Del explain how they feel that a live performance 
without some theatric element isn't worthwhile.  I don't see why Kate
would have an interest in including live versions of cuts found
on the albums.  That is, unless she really does feel that a live 
performance adds something to a song even without theatrics...but
then we're back to figuring out why she so rarely performs...

I'd like to see some of the duets and such on there too but it seems
to me that arranging licensing for so many artists' work would be a
major endevor.

It would be nice if I could finally hear some of these demos without
worrying how Kate would feel about it but it seems like a pretty
remote possibility.  How many of these various demos are of sufficient
sound quality for Kate to be willing to release them?  It seems
that there are probably two kinds of songs among these unreleased
tracks, songs that Kate is pleased with and never had a chance to
release and songs that Kate decided where "a piece of piss".  You may
get some of the former but I doubt that the latter will ever see the 
light of day unless Kate has a change of heart.  Not in any form
sanctioned by Kate, that is.

--

Thanks to Ed for keeping the mailing list up on the discussion in
rec.music.misc.  I assume that's why he's reposting stuff since net
readers can pop over there and read it themselves.  I would have cross
posted my remarks but crossposting among moderated and unmoderated
groups seems unreliable from here.

--

Originally _This Woman's Work_ was my favorite video from the latest 
album but after a Katemas viewing I've changed my mind.  _TWW_ is a 
wonderful video but it seems somehow just a little too busy for such 
a beautifully simple song.  At times the imagery seems to compete with 
the music rather than compliment it.  I now prefer _The Sensual World_ 
partly because the imagery works so much better with the music.

--

I came across a piece from the interview in _International Musician_ 
that I found very interesting in light of my earlier speculations 
about Del's role in the recording of _The Sensual World_.  It's not 
really my intention to pick on Del so I'll just post this without 
further comment.

| One track that made it for further developing was Never Be Mine.
| 
| "I wanted a sort of eastern sounding rhythm. I wrote it first  on
| the piano, though the words were completely different, except for
| the choruses. I did it on the piano to a  Fairlight  rhythm  that
| Del programmed - I think that maybe because of the quality of the
| sounds, it was harder for Del to come up with the patterns. And I
| was more strict - he found it much harder. I think the pattern in
| Heads We're Dancing is really good - really unusual, the best  he
| came  up  with. But Never Be Mine was kind of tabla based. We got
| Eberhard (Weber) over to play bass and he  played  on  the  whole
| song.  When  we  were  trying  to piece it together later we kept
| saying it just doesn't feel right, so we just took the  bass  out
| and  had it in these two sections. You hardly notice it going out
| at all. I think the song has a very light feel  about  it,  which
| helps the whole imagery. The Uilean pipes have a very light feel,
| and the piano is light .. I think it's a nice contrast  when  the
| bass suddenly come in."

--
"Don't drive too slowly."                 Richard Caldwell
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                                          nrc@cbnews.att.com