Re: Rate Kate

[v088kczb@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu (Bruce L Young)]

Might as well throw in my $.02 worth:

1. Never for Ever

IMO the peak of Kate's career and one of the greatest albums ever recorded.
The whole album has such a playful and magical feel to it - nothing like
anything else I've ever heard.  She's jumped fully into some wonderfully
exotic instrumentation without compromising the organic feel and basic
melodicism of her early work.  Everything from "The Infant Kiss" on is 
absolutely mind-altering.  

2. The Dreaming

I'm always finding new things in this one every time I listen.  The complexity,
both musically and lyrically, is staggering but I always feel entranced rather
than overwhelmed.  It's also a pretty emotionally intense listening experience.
Though this is usually a plus, it also means I can't simply throw "The 
Dreaming" on the CD player whenever.  This alone is enough to keep it #2.  Plus
I've never really enjoyed "Houdini" at all.  The highs here ("Night of the 
Swallow", "Leave it Open") are as high as any on "Never for Ever" save 
"Breathing", though.

3. The Kick Inside

Some find this too "girlish" I suppose.  I find the simple melodicism
breathtaking.  It doesn't quite have the emotional push-and-pull of later
work, but her heart most evidently is in it here.  It's also the least
self-conscious of her albums.  The thing flows like no other work of hers
except "NFE" and hasn't got a weak track IMHO.

4. The Red Shoes

I'll admit it.  I expected to hate this and to find it unbearably "poppy"
or "alternativish" or whatever.  I was dead wrong.  Kate hasn't been this
upbeat and playful in years.  The album lacks consistency but Kate makes up 
for this by taking a lot of stylistic chances and generally coming up with
aces.  Only "Constellation of the Heart" and that Prince song don't quite
do it for me.  "Moments of Pleasure" is an instant classic.

5. Lionheart

I'd probably have put this lower, but it is the album that got me hooked.
Specifically "Peter Pan".  It's also Kate at her most theatrical, and those
swoops in her voice always send shivers.  It's one of those albums that
always surprises me in how good it really is, especially when most Kate fans
tend to dump on it a bit.  Yeah, "Kashka" and "Coffee Homeground" aren't
exactly timeless, but, hell, this one's got "Symphony in Blue" and "Wow".

6. Hounds of Love

Whoever said this was essentially two albums was right.  The first side is
solid but IMHO a bit colorless.  It also shows Kate to have lost a lot
of the theatricality in her voice that was so appealing on early albums.
The second side sees her taking some more chances and putting together some
very intelligent, progressive musical ideas.  "Watching You Without Me"
and "Hello Earth" were pretty refreshing in the musical void of the mid-
80s.  "Waking the Witch", though - no thanks.

7. The Sensual World

The title track, "Love and Anger", and "Reaching Out" all seemed to really
come from the gut.  Little else here did.  This album seemed like an extension
of the first half of "Hounds".  Problem was, that didn't exactly contain what
I consider Kate's more interesting material.  This also had "Deeper 
Understanding", which lacks any of the warmth which makes Kate's work generally
enticing.  I dunno.  Perhaps I'll "rediscover" this one someday.

	My favorite tracks - that's tougher. Those change constantly.  But as
of September 26, 1994:

1. Breathing
2. Hello Earth
3. Leave It Open
4. Them Heavy People    
5. Army Dreamers / Night of the Swallow (tie)

Cheers,
Bruce