Kate a la Francais--ooh la la!

[stevev@greylady.uoregon.edu (Steve VanDevender)]

I wish Kate would come out with the new album myself.  I am
managing to survive by being slow in catching up with her output.

As I gushingly reported earlier, I found the UK box set here in
less-than-cosmopolitan Eugene, Oregon.  Now I've had a chance to
listen to the contents of the rarities CDs several times.

"Ne T'enfuis Pas" is the song that has me most captivated.  I dug
out the file of lyrics that the great Andrew Marvick sent me some
time ago, and in its thorough completeness was not only the
French lyrics for "Ne T'enfuis Pas" but an English translation as
well.  As a result I have learned a great deal more French than I
ever thought I would know.

"Ne T'enfuis Pas" is one of the most seamlessly constructed songs
I have ever heard.  I cannot imagine the imagery of the song's
lyrics being expressed with such musical or emotional perfection
in English.

"Un Baiser D'Enfant" is wonderful as well, although overshadowed
by the previous song.  I once said that I would kill to hear "The
Infant Kiss" in French, not knowing that "Ne T'enfuis Pas" was so
brilliant itself.

I never would have guessed that "Lord of the Reedy River" would
have such a bizarre sound to it.  Or that I could hear Kate sing
a capella in "My Lagan Love".  Or nearly a capella in "The
Handsome Cabin Boy".

"Hounds of Love (Alternative)" seems even better than the album
version at capturing the feel of the song.

It's like falling in love all over again.

Where I work, I am currently in charge of reprogramming our games
for sale in the European market, and my officemate is in charge
of preparing the foreign-language text for incorporation into the
games.  We're currently finishing up a German version of a game
and nearly ready to start work on the French version.  So I cued
up "Ne T'enfuis Pas" and "Un Baiser D'Enfant" on my tape, then
gave it to him and said "Here's something to get you in the mood
for French."  He listened to it for a while and said "Who _is_
this?" with an expression of wonder on his face, and I told him
it was Kate.  He had apparently never quite understood the appeal
Kate had for me because all I had played for him were the more
raucous parts of _The Dreaming_.  Now, however, he's a KonverT
who appears to have a distinct taste for early Kate.

Uh oh, "Ne T'enfuis Pas" is coming on again.

Steve VanDevender 	stevev@greylady.uoregon.edu
"Bipedalism--an unrecognized disease affecting over 99% of the population.
Symptoms include lack of traffic sense, slow rate of travel, and the
classic, easily recognized behavior known as walking."