Commercial? Be Kind...

[nrc@bsbbs.columbus.oh.us (N. Richard Caldwell)]

In rec.music.gaffa Ron Hill wrote:
> 
> elenar@netrun.cts.com (Rob Costa) writes:
> 
> > Is it just me or does Kate seem a little less .... hmmm
> > "Majestic", "Angelic", "Bizzare" than she used to be?
> >  
> > It seems like ever since she did that lously song with Peter Gab.
> > her music has begun to seem to me to be more comerical.  Less
> > Grand somehow.  As if she's simplifing it to reach a larger audience?
> >  
>         I assume when you mean "Commercial" you are basicly talking about
> THE SENSUAL WORLD album.  That album's kinda controversial around here as
> some love it and some don't quite love it.  

First and foremost, for the one hundredth time let me repeat
(again) that I do love _The Sensual World_.  As one of those who
has often criticized TSW, people often assume that I don't even
like the album.  That's not true.  It is just my least favorite
Kate album.  Yes, I even prefer _Lionheart_, a rushed album of
mainly songs left over from the first album, to TSW.

> People had the same 
> "commercial" reaction to Hounds of Love as in: 
<clip>
>         It should also be noted that HOUNDS OF LOVE was much more 
> commercially successful then THE SENSUAL WORLD, as were it's singles.  
> Besides, how many "commercial" songs do you know that are inspired by 
> James Joyce, or are about Dancing with Hitler. 

I think what Rob is feeling is what I have characterized as a
lack of inspiration.  Most of the songs on TSW aren't any
more commercial than those on _Hounds of Love_, they just lack
the inspiration and in some respects the genius of Kate Bush.

Rob wonders if Kate is simplifying her music to reach a wider
audience.  I don't think she's doing it intentionally but I do
think that the basic structure of the songs on TSW often lack the
complexity of her earlier work.  She seems to attempt to
compensate by building a lush wall of sound on many songs but it
just doesn't work as well for me.  You have to have a firm
foundation to hold up that wall of sound.

I've been saying that for a while but Tori Amos' _Little
Earthquakes_ and subsequent live performances really reminded me
of it.  Her song writing may not be as sophisticated as
Kate's but the songs are built on the firm foundation made
possible by Tori's proficiency at the piano.  On the LP these
songs have fantastic arrangements layered over the piano but it's
that sound basic structure that allows it to work.  

>         I don't think _Don't_Give_Up_ really had much effect on her later
> work.  It seems to me to be somehow more connected to HOUNDS OF LOVE, as 
> much of Gabriel's album did.  Another thing to note is that if Kate was 
> really interested in commerciality, she probably would have include 
> Be_Kind_To_My_Mistakes_ on THE SENSUAL WORLD, as it was probably the most
> "commercial" song she's done since HOUNDS OF LOVE. 

Speaking of _Be Kind to My Mistakes_, we finally got a copy of the
_Castaways_ soundtrack for the much touted extended version of
BKtMM.  My response: "All that fuss over this?"

No, to my ears the extra length in BKtMM doesn't make it one
ounce better than the cut version.  If anything, I think it's
probably just a matter of which one you get used to first.  To
me, the extended version just seems to drag out a few of the
bridges for no particular reason.

I would say that if anyone is looking to spend some money to 
get one more Kate track, they're better off looking for _It's
Christmas_ than _Castaway_.  _It's Christmas_ has the "bongo"
version of _December While Be Magic Again_ from the Winter
Snowtime Special.  This version of DWBMA is considerably
different from the later mix and yet every bit as good. 

"Don't drive too slowly."         Richard Caldwell
                                  The Big Sky BBS (+1 614 864 1198)
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                                  nrc@bsbbs.Columbus.OH.US