Review of _This Woman's Work_ in Goldmine

[ed@das.llnl.gov (Edward J. Suranyi)]

The May 31 issue of _Goldmine_ has an article on British Reissues,
and in it is a review of the box set:

KATE BUSH
This Woman's Work
(Anthology 1978-1990)
EMI (CDKBBX1) (U.K. import)

     This eight-CD set is one of the most satisfying and infuriating
boxed collections to have appeared during the last Christmas season.  It's
satisfying in that contained on these eight compact discs is the complete
officially releasd output of Kate Bush over the last 12 years -- all six
of her complete albums and two CDs' worth of obscure B-sides, French-
language recordings, dance mixes and live tracks off a 12-inch EP issued
in the mid-'80s, as well as a handful of alternate versions that never got
out much on vinyl.  So anyone who is a *music* collector, as opposed to a
*record* collector, may save a lot of time by buying this set.  And any
Americans who have had trouble getting the much-superior sounding British
CDs of _Hounds Of Love_, _Never For Ever_, and Bush's other albums will
also save time and effort by buying this box.
     But they won't save money by buying it.  Weighing in at around $160
retail at most establishments that are carrying it, for eight CDs, this
is not only a pretty steeply-priced collection, but a very badly-planned
one.  After all, who is supposed to buy _This Woman's Work_ who is *not*
already a Kate Bush Fan and *doesn't* already own all of her albums on CD?
     In fact, anyone who could afford to buy this set probably has at 
least some of the stuff on it as imports already.
     And who is suppoed to appreciate the chintzy packaging, which
consists of a booklet of nothing but photos of Bush in costume from
various album cover sessions and videos, with no background information
on the material, no discography or anything else?
     Having said that, however, it should also be said that the two
rarities collections are superb, and have some surprises, including
Bush's rendition of Donovan's "Lord Of The Reedy River."  The alternate
versions of "Experiment IV." "Cloudbusting," and -- especially -- "Running
Up That Hill" are beautiful, and will undoubtedly appeal to hardcore Kate
Bush fanatics.  Similarly, live numbers like "Don't Push Your Foot On The
Heart Brake" and "James And The Cold Gun" show off a side of Bush that is
seldom acknowledged in her official album work -- the show-woman in her,
playing to an audience as opposed to simply creating "art."
     It's only unfortunate that EMI didn't try to retrieve such oddities
as Bush's live rendition of "The Wedding List" from the Prince's Trust
Benefit video on M-G-M.
     In all, this is a set that will tie up a lot of loose ends on Bush's
recording career, at least insofar as CD collectors are concerned, but
that's all.  It does nothing with or for the music, and that's more the
pity, considering the time and preparation that supposedly went into it.

						  -- Bruce Eder

Ed
ed@das.llnl.gov