Re: A question...

[ag@sics.se (Anders G|ransson)]

In article <9305202252.AA04034@eaglet.rain.com> johnz@eaglet.rain.com writes:


   Anders asks:
   >
   >Why can't Kate make some such songs with some sad content?
   >Her songs are almost always 'out in the space' as it were. 
   >I mean they doesn't speak directly. (Of course I have nothing to
   >say about how Kate Bush performs her miracles, it only that
   >it is something I miss from her songs.) Am I alone in this?
   >

   Have you heard 'Under the Ivy' or 'This Woman's Work'?  These
   songs particularly never fail to choke me up.  'My Lagan Love',
   'The Fog', and several others come to mind with decidedly sad
   themes as well.  And of course, 'Cloudbusting', as has been
   discussed recently, is at least in part concerned with the sad-
   ness Peter feels as he helplessly watches his father being taken
   away.

   Needless to say, these are some of my favorite songs.


Thank you for this answer. I'm not disputing that Kate Bush has
made a (great) number of very good and even moving songs. 
What I mean is that almost all of these fail to touch me in a
personal way (this is of course entirely my own problem), what I
asked was if I were alone in this 'condition'. From the
responses so far: I am.
To take your example 'Cloudbusting'; this is a story told by
Kate assuming the character of Peter Reich (as I've learned here
on Gaffa). This is very much the way she do it. She tells a
story of some real or fictitious person in cryptic style that
leaves out the circumstances needed to make it possible to get a
concrete impression of what is going on (and which consequently
leaves a vast field open to interpretation of what the 'story'
is about, witness the discussions here on gaffa). What I
perceive as the shortcoming of this is that the stories becomes
somewhat generic and therefore (?) uninteresting. You get a
picture of some kind, where you have to fill out all the
contours by yourself, *but no transfer of experience* from one
person to another.
A long time ago on gaffa someone wrote something to effect of: 
"the only song that is not written from a position of strength 
is 'And Dream of Sheep'". 
Finally, I am fully aware that this is personal opinions and
that I might belong to the smallest minority in these matters.



best regards Anders


   John Zimmer
   johnz@eaglet.rain.com

--


If you see Saint Annie, please tell her - Thanks a lot.