The Ninth Wave (was Re: Greetings from NZ)

["mandorallen@st1.vuw.ac.nz"@MATAI.vuw.ac.nz]

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Path: st1.vuw.ac.nz!mandorallen
Newsgroups: rec.music.gaffa
Subject: The Ninth Wave (was Re: Greetings from NZ)
Message-ID: <1991Jun7.140822.1@st1.vuw.ac.nz>
From: mandorallen@st1.vuw.ac.nz
Date: 7 Jun 91 14:08:21 +1200
References: <9106060218.AA14016@rata.vuw.ac.nz> <1991Jun6.152155.28418@cbnews.cb.att.com>
Distribution: world,vuw
Organization: Victoria University of Wellington,  NZ
Nntp-Posting-Host: st3.vuw.ac.nz
Lines: 63

In article <numbers deleted> Richard Caldwell quoth:

> You should be aware that Juby's book has been widely panned for it's
> slipshod journalism.  I'd have to check Juby's remarks on _The Ninth
> Wave_ to point out any specific problems.  I seem to recall that Juby
> did at least get the general idea correct but his details are
> unreliable.  

The way I see the book is that the guy was too much of a KaTefan to write
a proper biography. I don't hold that against him - hey, am I not the guy
who would sell his liver to a catfood factory for a concert ticket? - but
it does mean that it gives his fellow-worshippers (e.g me) plenty of warm
fuzzies, while your average guy/gal in the street is turned off. For instance,
take the prologue, where the guy falls over himself to say what a nice
person She is.
> 
> The character in _The Ninth Wave_ is definitely a woman.  This is
> most clearly evident in _Jig of Life_.  Also saying that _The Ninth
> Wave_ is about "a guy falling off a boat" is sort of a gross
> oversimplification.

It was supposed to be! (I knew I should have put ;-) after it)

>			  More accurately, according to Kate...
> 
> | It's about someone who is in the water for the night - alone in
> | the water.  And it's really about their past, present and future 
> | coming to keep them awake to stop them drowning, to stop them 
> | going to sleep until the morning comes. 

I just wish She'd made it a bit more explicit, that's all.
> 
> There is a tendency look for "hidden meanings" in great works of art 
> and they are quite simply not always there.  _The Ninth Wave_ is a 
> brilliant piece of story telling from the start.  Beyond that you 
> have hundreds of little ideas and feelings and subtle nuances of 
> these that you can peel away layer after layer.  None of these are 
> really hidden but they may not be immediately obvious. 
> 
> _The Ninth Wave_ doesn't need any hidden meanings to make it a work 
> of genius.  Being disappointed to find that there [probably] isn't 
> one is missing the point.   Still, missing the point is perfectly
> acceptable if you like.  When asked if it was important that people
> recognize the concept nature of _The Ninth Wave_, Kate said...
> 
> | No, I don't think so.  I don't know if that's relevant or important 
> | though.  I think the most important thing is that people that
> | listen to it get something out of it, that they enjoy it.
> 
> You seem to have got the important part!

I'm not dissappointed to find out there isn't (probably) a hidden meaning.
What got me down was that I'd entirely overestimated the "Depth" of
the concept... that is, thinking it was the same kind of thing that I groove
to on Floyd and Genesis (who'd do enormous great spiels on Life, Death
and Birth Control). But that's just me being silly.
--
This was the Bard, Anthony Hobbs, speaking from mandorallen@st1.vuw.ac.nz."
"Oh! To be in love, and never get out again!" (KaTe Bush, 1978)
"There's Winston Churchill dressed in drag, he used to be a British Flag!"
(Genesis, 1972)
DISCLAIMER: Victoria University aren't smart enough to hold these opinions.