My first KaTe Experience

[Pablo Iglesias <pi@engineering.cambridge.ac.uk>]

OK, it's my turn.

My very first KaTe experience must have been listening to the background
to Games WIthout Frontiers.  Mind you, I never owned this record (until 
recently) so I would never have known about it.

My first knowledge of her existance was in the spring of 1983 when I was
invited to a cast party for a musical I was playing drums for.  The TV
was playing some videos (I'm still not very familiar with her videos so
I'm not sure which video's I saw).  This was in Toronto; I suspect that
the person was probably playing stuff from the Video file (didn't they
come out in 83? -- this would have been in May).  

I was still not hooked (boy was I thick back then!)

In 1986 was the first time I ever remember hearing KaTe on the radio,
again in Toronto.  The only song I remember was "Running up...".  Although
I like it, it never really did much for me.

My next KaTe  experience was while I was doing research in Lund, Sweden.
This was Jan-April 1989.  I didn't have anything to play music, but for the
first time I had access to the net.  I started reading gaffa which had
just come back on line.  This was more out of curiosity than anything.  After
all, I really couldn't believe that there were people THAT interested
on someone I had never been too keen on.

The group was good, but when I cam back to Cambridge, which had no net access
at the time I sort of forgot about it.  I do remember hearing her on the  BBC
world service sometime in the summer of 1989.  The BBC has a program on 
Thursday nights at 22:00 UTC.  It is called "classical record review".  
Normally they bring in a guest which will look at some recent releases.  
Curiously enough, the woman who was guest that evening took all her recordings
from "The Sensual World".  I was still quite impressed but not hooked yet.
Meanwhile, we got net access in Cambridge and went back to reading gaffa.

About a year ago, I finally decided to  give KaTe a serious try.  I had
a tape from my brother with the Whole  Story on one side (minus The Dreaming)
and Hounds of Love on the other (minus "The Morning Fog")  I started listening
to it and after a week, it was the only tape I ever played.  I started
buying her CD's but as my CD player is in Canada, I never got to listen to 
them.

Needless to say, I am 100% hooked right now.  It was quite an experience
going home this past Christmas  and listening to the whole "Ninth  Wave"
"The Morning Fog" was just incredible.  I always thought that TNW ended
with Hello Earth, which is so sombre.  Instead there is this terribly 
uplifting music at the end.  As a personal bonus, the John Williams guitar
part is really exhilarating, as I studied classical guitar for many years
and like playing what I can from it.

Curiously enough I'm still not too well versed on her videos.  There's no
point for me to get any here as I will be moving to the US in the Summer and
wouldn't be able to play them there.  What videos I have seen have been 
primarily at the KonvenTion in November.  It's funny in that I'm not 100%
sure of what was a rarity there.  I guess that it was really at the
KonvenTion that I became 100% hooked.  It was also very nice to meet
some of the more famous love_hounds.  

All in all, I'm just sorry I have come into Katedom so late.  My loss.
As a personal triumph, I wish to tell you that only today I have just
heard of my first KaTe KonverT!

Finally, my opinion on favourite album and song.  My favourite album is
still Hounds of Love.  I think that The Dreaming has some bigger high
points, my two favourites being Night of the Swallow and Houdini.
Nevertheless, as an album, the overall level of Hounds of Love is much
higher.  I mean, Cloudbusting, The Ninth Wave ... pure heaven.

By the way, I have managed to set up my b&w sunview screen complete
with KaTe piKs.  I have 4 icons.  If anyone wants a copy, just let me know.

Thanks for  reading/listening

Pablo
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Pablo Iglesias
pi@eng.cam.ac.uk