KaTexperience

[kyrlidis@athena.mit.edu (Agathagelos Kyrlidis)]

Hi,

  Since KaTexperiences are being discussed, I'll go ahead and tell you mine.
I discovered Kate in 1981 when I was 15 years old, and I was still in high
school.  You see, in Greece there is no law that states that in order to be 
cool in high school, you have to listen to the trendy metal band of the day...
So (surprise!) one can get exposed to good music fast. The attitude there is 
that all foreign music is bundled under the 'ROCK' category, as opposed to 
Greek popular music, so the play lists of radio stations are  divided 
among these two categories. This way the few shows that feature new foreign 
music expose both established and up-and-coming bands (avoiding the AOR/classic
hits radio format that is the norm in the US). I am explaining this because
several of the bands I listened to in Greece, are practically absent from 
the airwaves here, and the only place you can hear their music is in 
alternative radio stations like WFNX (in Boston). This is also why KaTe is 
very well known in Greece, and practically a best kept secret over here!
[I remember a small local record store in my neighborhood in 1979 had 
dressed up its window with a large poster of TKI, and that was probably 
when I first became aware of the existence of Kate.]

   The first Kate Bush song that I heard was 'Babooshka'. I really liked it 
and decided I should explore Kate's music a little bit more and bought NFE.
'Breathing', 'Army Dreamers', 'Violin' quickly became favorite songs of mine.
When I heard Pat Benatar's version of 'Wuthering Heights' I decided to buy
TKI instead and also enjoyed it. A few years later, I bought the single of
'Sat in your Lap' and was very very impressed, so TD followed when it
was released. I must confess that I didn't like it a lot back then.
So when RUTH was released, and saturated the airwaves and the dance clubs
in Greece, I thought that Kate had 'sold out', and didn't buy HOL(I was SO
wrong). But 4 years later I did! I now believe that it is the best album Kate
has made. 'Jig of Life', 'Waking the Witch', 'Hounds of Love', 'The Big Sky'
are all among my favorite Kate songs. 
 
  TSW I thought was so and so. Before you use your flame guns, I'll explain. 
I was not very impressed by the use of Trio Bulgarka as backing vocalists, 
because their sound reminds me of any Greek folk song. All Balkan
countries have similar harmonies in their folk music, and I cannot see
why using these sounds is so trendy and why 'Mystere des voix Bulgares'
is considered to be such a masterpiece.

  Now 10 years later, I still like Kate's music. I have all her albums, except
TWW (being a grad student I simply can't afford it), but since 4/7ths of my 
Kate records are in Greece gathering dust, I cannot reevaluate TD and LH.

OK, Who's next?
Angelos

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