Mailbag--a posting about Kate Bush (!)

[IED0DXM@MVS.OAC.UCLA.EDU]

 To: Love-Hounds
 From: Andrew Marvick (IED)
 Subject: Mailbag--a posting about Kate Bush (!)

   IED won't belabor the point here, because these days he is able
to see that listeners will either like a Kate Bush song  or they
won't, and that IED's comments won't change anything.  But he simply
must say that the one comment posted so far about Kate's cover of
"CitW"--Donna's--was just plain wrong. KT's "CitW" may be a lot of
things but one thing it definitely is not is "too much like Elton
John's original version"!
   As with her "Rocket Man", Kate has begun by completely disassembling
the original song, reducing it to its melodic and harmonic essentials.
In fact, this process has been taken further in "CitW" than in "RM".
For godssake she even changed the basic melody in several places!  Not
to speak of the accompaniment, which is glaringly devoid of any of
of Elton John's stylistic trademarks.  The fact is that Kate Bush's
"Candle in the Wind" is about as unlike Elton John's--any of Elton
John's--versions as it's possible to imagine!
   It's also indescribably brilliant.

   Arlen noted the similarity of structure between "Under the Ivy"
and "This Woman's Work" and asked if there were any other such songs
in Kate's oeuvre.  IED would draw attention to the structure of "Under
the Ivy" and that of an earlier song, "The Kick Inside".  Both songs reach
a climax of sorts, and then return to the pattern of the opening verse,
ending in the middle of it, before the chord progression has reached
its natural conclusion.  Though quite different songs in many ways,
they are identical in this respect.

   By the way, both _Q_ Magazine and National Public Radio have
reviewed the _Two_Rooms_ album (_Q_ in only one sentence), and
both said essentially that the whole album was full of unimaginative
cover versions _with_the_exception_of_Kate's_"Rocket_Man"_. IED
is pleased and surprised to see his own judgment for once seconded
by the professionals.

-- Andrew Marvick