This is Pop?

[stev0@sti.com (Steve Berlin)]

Today's question is brought up by Jonathan W and Judi M:  Is Kate Bush
a Pop Musician?

The answer is:  Who knows?  If your definition of "Pop" is "short
for Popular", than in England, she is a pop musician, but in
America, she is not.  That was simple.

However, KateFans such as myself are not that simple, so if you
consider Pop to be a state of mind, things start to get ugly.

Personally, I define Pop music to be "Usually Uptempo, usually
in a 4/4 beat, ideally under 4 minutes, almost always about love (or
lack thereof)".  Most music critics (the good ones, anyway), use
"Pop" in a rather derogatory way.  And with good reason - bad pop
has infected every generation of rock (The Archies, The Knack, Duran
Duran, New K*ds *n the Bl*ck for four decades of the worst of Pop).

However, Pop can be a Good Thing - a Very Good Thing.  Squeeze,
The Buzzcocks, Too Much Joy (one of my favorites of last year)
are all Pure Pop for Now People - and anyone who has anything
bad to say 'bout any of these band is (IMNSHO) an utter smeghead.

Which brings us 'round to Kate (remember Kate?  This is a notesfile
about her).  The Kick Inside fits within my above definition of
Pop - sure, a bit extreme, but there none the less.  Lionheart also
fits there, although I have to use a shoehorn.  Never For Ever? I
would not consider it Pop (although it does have one of Kate's best
Pop songs on it - Babooshka), although I could see how someone may
put it in the Pop catagory.  The Dreaming?  No way in Hell could
this be considered even remotely to be Pop.  Same for Hounds of Love
(although side one is treading very near that territory).  Finally,
the Sensual World?  Perhaps Kate's most Pop album to date!  So there
you have it - 3 out of 6 albums,  including her last album - 
according to our VERY SCIENTIFIC METHODS -

Kate Bush is a Pop Musician!

- Stev0

Stay tuned for next week's question:  Is Kate a Bubblehead?

"New York, London, Paris, Munich
Everybody talk about Mmm Pop Music!"
            -M

-- 
Steve Berlin (Stev0)   |  "Up yours, Ugly!"
Stev0@sti.com          |                   -Kate Bush